Rammed earth

The ruins of a Han dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) Chinese watchtower made of rammed earth in Dunhuang, Province of Gansu, China, at the eastern end of the Silk Road.

Rammed earth is a technique for constructing foundations, floors, and walls using compacted natural raw materials such as earth, chalk, lime, or gravel.[1] It is an ancient method that has been revived recently as a sustainable building method.

Under its French name of pisé it is also a material for sculptures, usually small and made in molds. It has been especially used in Central Asia and Tibetan art, and sometimes in China.[2]

Edifices formed of rammed earth are found on every continent except Antarctica, in a range of environments including temperate, wet,[3] semiarid desert, montane, and tropical regions. The availability of suitable soil and a building design appropriate for local climatic conditions are two factors that make its use favourable.

The French term "pisé de terre" or "terre pisé" was sometimes used in English for architectural uses, especially in the 19th century.

  1. ^ "Pisé terminology". Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  2. ^ 17 objects made from "loam" in the Rijksmuseum
  3. ^ Keable, Rowland. "Rammed earth lecture theatre, Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)". Rammed Earth Consulting. London. Retrieved 4 February 2012.