ADOBE

construction
methods

mmmm.

CALIFORNIA

L- Extension
'

^ 3251
 THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
DAVIS
 USING ADOBE BRICK OR
RAMMED EARTH (MONOLITHIC
CONSTRUCTION) FOR HOMES

L W. NEUBAUER

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Service

LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
DAVIS
 ,

/4cU&e. ,

is the soil material —

usually a combination of sand, clay, and silt —
used in the construction of adobe bricks or of rammed-earth walls.
Bricks this soil are also called "adobes." The best adobe
made from
soil is a uniform mixture of good strength, and much dif-
stable,
ferent from the so-called adobe clay found in some regions, which
heaves and expands when wet, and shrinks badly when drying,
forming large cracks.

Natural earth has been used for centuries to build houses,

and probably will be used for centuries to come. In spite of certain
obvious weaknesses it has often proved satisfactory. This manual
discusses methods that will make adobe still more serviceable and
permanent. Certain stabilizers will harden the earthy material or
make it water-resistant, and will give the natural soil the additional
strength and durability that is necessary for building homes.

THE AUTHOR:
Loren W. Neubauer is Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering and Associate Agri-
cultural Engineer, Experiment Station, Davis.
 ?&6at'& cvtatty cvit& it ?
It's —you may find near
available it It's hard work — you and your
or even on your construction site. family have to do it yourself, or hire
It's economical—you may secure help at extra cost.
soilwithout or a very low
cost at price. It's not water-resistant —unless sta-
Labor cheap — no special
is are skills bilized.
needed. It's low in strength —
weaker than
It requires very trim— and
little wood, concrete, or steel, unless rein-
stilllooks satisfactory. forced or used in very large masses.
It'sdurable— for genera-
will last Earthquake hazard is high unless —
tions, especially when stabilized. special features are included.
Walls are solid and strong. —
Heavy weight large tonnages must
It's fireproof. be handled during construction. Foun-
It's decay- and termite-proof. dations are subject to high loadings.
Total insulation is excellent. Little lateral strength —
do not use
Heat capacity is high —retarding adobe for water tanks or grain storage.
temperature changes. Also remember: while cost of walls
It's popular —
people appreciate its is low in adobe houses, the expense

rustic appearance. for walls is only a fraction of total

house cost.

Adobe Brick Making Page 4

The Soil to Use Page 6
Stabilizing and Waterproofing Page 7
Structural Requirements and Practices Page 10
Monolithic Construction Page 22
Available Plans Page 27
Further Reading Page 31

This manual replaces Bulletin 472

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 You can construct walls from earth What are adobe bricks?
either by pouring or molding the entire Adobe bricks are rectangular mud
mass of soil into a single unit (mono- bricks, shaped in forms, dried in the
lithic methods) or by forming bricks sun, and then laid up in courses in the
from which to build the walls. wall with mud or cement mortar. This
In both types you have to handle damp method has two advantages:
or wet soil to puddle it. In the puddled 1. The exact amount of shrinkage in

state the soil grains are brought close the brick is relatively unimportant as
together, so that there is a mechanical long as the unit remains intact. That
binding or locking between the soil par- means you can use heavier soils than
and so that the surfaces in contact
ticles, with monolithic methods. All shrinkage
can be cemented by the clay in the soil. takes place before the bricks are laid in
Thus the material often becomes much the wall.
harder and stronger than you would 2. Labor requirements are extremely
expect. flexible. One man or severalmen may
Several monolithic methods are dis- be put to work with a minimum of equip-
cussed on pages 22-25. In recent years ment. One person, working alone, may
(especially in the Southwest) the use accomplish a great deal, over a period
of adobe bricks has become more popu- of time. A three- to five-man crew will
lar. usually work most efficiently.

A HOME-BUILT ADOBE MIXER constructed with A DOUGH-MIXER used for adobe brick mak-
metal paddles on iron pipe. It is turned by a ing. The interior blades are rotated by means
motor belted to the large pulley at the right. of a gasoline engine.
How to make bricks
You may wantto make your bricks
by hand or with simple equipment, or
you can buy them commercially.
Manual labor is, of course, the his-
torical method of brick making. It is
still used in adapted forms, often with the
help of small tools or light machines to
puddle the soil completely.
Make rectangular forms of wood or
metal. Lay them on the ground, on a
ALL-METAL FORM for shaping adobe bricks,
smooth area, and place mud in the forms strong and smooth, and very convenient for
by shovel or bucket. Spade the adobe small operations.
carefully and tamp it into all corners of
the forms, to insure well-shaped bricks. Allow the bricks to lie flat for one to
Strike the top off level, then lift the three days, until they are sufficiently
forms, leaving the bricks in place. strong to hold their shapes when turned.
Do not make the mixture too wet, or At that time, on edge, so
set the bricks
the mud will slump or run after you re- the air may circulate freely on both
move the forms, or it may shrink and sides. This will promote uniform drying
crack excessively upon drying. A slight and help prevent warping and cracking.
slump or settlement may be all right, as After a few more days of drying in this
many people prefer the somewhat irreg- position, stack the bricks in loose piles
ular and rustic appearance. for a few weeks, to complete their dry-
Cover the bricks with paper to slow ing and curing. They will often dry down
down the initial drying which prevents to a 3 per cent moisture content during
severe cracking. (See photos below). a hot, dry summer.
After lifting the form, wash excess Small-scale mechanical method
mud off its inner faces with water, and of brick making involves home-made
repeat the molding process. mixers (see photo, page 4, left) , or other

MAKING ADOBE BRICKS, using a wooden and tamped (left). After finishing the surface
form making three bricks at one time. Paper right), form is lifted, paper unrolled on top of
is rolled down, the form is filled with wet mud, the bricks, and form set down for next bricks.
types of pug-mills, dough, or plaster mix- a group of bricks. Metal forms will yield
ers (see photo, page These mix-
4, right) . a fine type of brick.
ers can be placed near the drying yard Commercial or large-scale brick
and building location. Concrete mixers making. If you dislike the dust, dirt,
are not suitable for this purpose. and mud that goes with making the
If you use wooden forms for the brick adobe bricks, but don't mind the labor
making, line them with thin sheet metal, and limited amount of dirt involved in
to provide smoother surfaces and make laying the bricks, you may buy adobe
cleaning easier. Some people prefer all- bricks, already dried and cured. They
metal forms, either for one brick at a are being manufactured on a large scale
time (see photo on top of page 5) or for in some regions.

THE SOIL TO USE

Not all soils can be used for brick but too much of it
silt, will cause too
making. Many will not form bricks of much shrinkage and will warp-
result in
adequate strength. A very sandy soil is ing and cracking. As a rule ofthumb,
weak, and so is a loamy or organic soil. the soil should contain less than 45 per
Most suitable soils contain some clay or cent of material passing a number 200

IN MESH PER
SCREEN SIZES
INCH RELATED, TO DIAMETER OF
SOIL PARTICLES IN MILLIMETERS

3*

FINE VERY.
FINE COARSE FINE
GRAVEL SAND SANO SANO

A, Bar graph illustrating the soil texture classification as used by the USDA Bureau of Soils. B,

Soil classes based on the relative amounts of clay, and sand. C, Results of certain soil tests.
silt,

The contours indicate suitability for earth construction. Note that the best mixes contain large
percentages of sand.

[6]
 Adobe Testing Laboratories
Type of test

Abbot A. Hanks, Inc., 624 Sacramento Street, San Francisco 11 Soil or Bricks
American Bitumuls and Asphalt Company, 1520 Powell Street, Emeryville Soil
Edward S. Babcock and Sons, P. 0. Box 432, Riverside Soil
California Testing Labs., Inc., 619 E. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles 15 Bricks
A. F. Janes, 220 East Ortega Street, Santa Barbara Bricks
Los Angeles Testing Lab., 1500 South Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles 15. . . .Bricks
Morse Laboratories, 316 16th Street, Sacramento 14 Bricks
Nelson Laboratories, 1145 West Fremont Street, Stockton Soil
San Diego Testing Lab., 3467 Kurtz Street, San Diego 10 Soil
Smith-Emery Company, 781 East Washington Blvd., Los Angeles 21 Bricks
South Dakota State College Experiment Station, Department of Agricultural
Engineering, Brookings, S.D Soil
The Twining Laboratories, P. 0. Box 1472, 2527 Fresno Street, Fresno
Soil or Bricks
The Twining Laboratories, 321 19th Street, Bakersfield Soil or Bricks

screen. The diagram on page 6 shows You will find a list of adobe-testing labo-
these relations, indicating which combi- ratories above.
nations will provide best results. Recent experiments with agricultural
Looking at the soil —even a careful soilshave shown no correlation between
examination — will not you enough
tell soil type and strength of bricks. How-
to predict its value for brick making. ever, good agricultural soil generally is
Preliminary tests can be made by hand- not desirable for adobe bricks. A mix-
molding. Make small bricks to check ture stronger in clay and sand, which is
cracking and strength for handling. If frequently poor for crop production, is

you are in doubt, seek expert advice. usually more satisfactory.

STABILIZATION AND WATERPROOFING

You often can improve soils that are Example: In one soil test we found
unsatisfactory for brick-making by mix- that the natural had sufficient
soil
ing *them with other soils and materials. strength (over 500 pounds per square
Two or three different soils may be com- inch in compression) but linear shrink-
bined in various proportions, or any one age was excessive (over 8 per cent). To
soil may gain by the addition of a cer- reduce shrinkage and cracking, we added
tainamount of sand or clay. Coarse sand, sand in various proportions. This re-
or evensome types of gravel, may often sulted in a weaker brick in every in-
be added to good advantage. Generally, stance, although the strength remained
clay in the soil adds strength, while sand satisfactory for admixtures up to 50 and
and gravel aid in reducing shrinkage. 60 per cent of sand. This mix, however,

[7]
reduced shrinkage to half, and, having will, of course, increase costs consider-
decreased warping and cracking, made ably, which limits its use for stabilizing.
a much more suitable brick. Each soil has its peculiarities, and it is

impossible to predict how much cement

Stabilizers *isneeded to raise the soil strength to a
Portland Cement. Portland cement required level. Only by making a few
increases the strength of soil that by it- test samples or large blocks can you de-
self would be too weak for building, and termine how the structural features have
makes it water resistant. It reduces the been improved.
absorption of water (seldom stopping it In some cases you may want to add
completely) and prevents softening or cement not to increase strength but
weakening of bricks exposed to water, purely to provide resistance to mois-
thus avoiding serious harm. ture —so that earth walls subjected to
Earth composed chiefly of fine-grained rains and especially damp conditions will
particles, such as clay and silt, may re- not soften or decompose, but will retain
quire a considerable proportion of ce- theirnormal shape and strength. Some
ment for an appreciable gain in strength. soils are badly weakened by small
A mix of 10 to 20 per cent is sometimes amounts of cement but become very
used, although a 5 or 6 per cent mix strong as more is added.
will often provide enough increase in The graph on this page indicates how
strength —especially in sandy loams, greatly compression strength is weakened

composed of less-fine material. In order when small amounts of stabilizers are

to get satisfactory results with cement added to the cement, and how steeply
admixtures, keep the bricks damp for strength increases with more additions.
several days while the cement hardens. To determine the most satisfactory and
Large proportions of Portland cement economical combination, test your bricks
for strength and water resistance.
Emulsified Asphalt. Oily water-
proofing agents, especially emulsified
asphalt, are being widely and success-
fully used as stabilizers. A fractional
volume of a water emulsion of asphalt,
added to the earth-and-water mix, pro-
vides an internal waterproofing that
permanently protects the adobe bricks.
Such mixes may require 5 to 15 per cent
of emulsion to give adequate protection
to various soils. See graph on this page.
Emulsified asphalt often weakens the
brick in direct proportion to the amount
used, but it may make the brick tougher,
more elastic and durable. Some 5 per
cent of asphalt may be sufficient to pro-
vide waterproofing. Test your bricks by
standing them up in shallow water. Once
you have established the minimum
PER CENT STABILIZER ADDED BY VOLUME amount that is satisfactory for water-
This graph explains what happens if you add proofing, adding further asphalt will

various amounts of emulsified asphalt stabilizer only weaken brick strength and increase
or cement to the soil. cost. The amount of asphalt that will pro-

[8]
vide waterproofing and strength at eco- ruined within one hour. This is illus-

nomical cost can usually be determined trated in the photo on this page. You
only by experiment. Make several small may buy emulsified asphalt from several
test bricks containing various amounts of the well-known oil companies.
of asphalt. You can get an approximate Other Stabilizers. Other materials
idea of brick strength by rough han- have been used as stabilizers to a limited
dling or by dropping the test bricks on extent. Among them are resin emulsions,
a hard surface. How much asphalt you lime, pozzolan, stearates, soaps, water
need, depends primarily upon the glass, and other silicates. Each con-
amount of fine silt and clay contained tributes certain valuable features —such
in your soil. These waterproofing agents, as waterproofing, strength, transparency,
however, often cause some weakening of or light color —but are uneconomical.
the adobe, so you should aim to use the In the past, straw or manure has often
least possible amount that will provide been used as a stabilizer or strengthener,
the waterproofing. but recent tests revealed that in most
Treated bricks, when set in water, will cases these materials often hinder rather
usually suffer no damage for many days, than help the hardening of adobe. At
while plain adobe bricks may be entirely present they are used very little.

Water-Resistance Tests. The bricks on the left are of plain soil, those in the middle are half sand,
those on the right contain 10 per cent emulsified asphalt. The top bricks in each stack have no
surface coating, the second (black) bricks were painted with asphalt, the third (white) bricks were
painted with white house paint, the bottom bricks with a patent masonry paint. Note that the
stack on the right held up well although it had been tested in water for 1,000 hours.

[9]
 Sttactmal
"t^w «*.

To build a strong and stable construc- be sufficient to protect the walls from
tion that will last at least a generation ordinary rainfall.
or two, you must meet certain structural Size of Bricks. Common brick size is
requirements. 4" x 12" x 18", having a volume of one-
Strength of Bricks. Common strength half cubic foot. This is about as heavy
requirements for adobe bricks are: 300 as you can conveniently handle, weigh-
to 350 pounds per square inch (psi) in ing about 50 pounds. The 4" height pro-
compression, and 50 pounds per square vides a good appearance in the wall, and
inch in tension or shear. These are ob- you can lay the bricks so they can form
viously much less than concrete or tile, a wall either 12" or 18" thick.
but are normally adequate for safe con- Sometimes, bricks are made in other
struction. In the technical design of sizes,such as 4" x 8" x 16", or 4" x 8" x
walls, a factor of safety of 10 is often 12", or 4" x 16" x 24". You may prefer
used. That means that a compressive special sizes for corner details, window
stress of only 30 or 35 pounds per square sills, jambs, or interior walls. When you
inch is permitted, and the tension stress use vertical reinforcing, half-sized bricks
is held down to 5 pounds per square may leave room for vertical rods in the
inch, or zero. In designing for zero center of the wall, with the narrow bricks
strength in tension or shear, you must on each side. Some people make special
build your walls very thick, or use some units,having holes, grooves, or cavities,
steel wire or rods for reinforcement. through which they project the vertical
Stabilization. It is often required reinforcements. But special shapes com-
that bricks be stabilized, either with some plicate the brick making and are expen-
type of oil (to waterproof them) or with sive. That's why many people simply saw
a hydraulic cement (to strengthen them and chip down standard sizes to the de-
and make them more durable) Any such . sired proportions.
treatment is very desirable: it may easily Wall Height. Codes often require
make permanent, dependable, and dur- that you limit one story in
walls to
able a wall that otherwise would be tem- height. The second story imposes many
porary, undependable, and absorbent. complications and the need for much
Special stabilization of the bricks may greater strength. When you build a two-
not always be necessary, however. Some story structure, make the first story walls
soils are relatively durable and resistant, about 50 per cent thicker than those of
and may do very well without special the upper story.
treatments. Or, in well-drained locations, Another code requirement calls for
walls protected by protruding roofs may wall thickness to be to %
°f wall %
never become wet enough to warrant height. An 8' or 10' wall might be 12"
treatments, and may stand up in good thick; or a 12' wall may have a thick-
condition for many years. Or waterproof ness of 16" to 18". Many one-story walls
paint, applied to exterior surfaces, may are relatively thick, ranging up to 24"

[10]
or more, although some —particularly construction practices, use some rein-
when reinforced with steel — are only 8" forcement, and build lintels and plates
thick. Generally, 8" walls are not desir- of heavy wood timbers or reinforced
able because they are weak and do not concrete.
insulate well. Codes. Follow carefully all city,
Earthquake Proofing. In earth- county, state, and national building
quake regions, hazard with all types of codes; they are usually required for good
soil and masonry structure is rather seri- reasons. In most cases they will include
ous. Adobe construction, being weaker requirements very similar to the recom-
than other masonry, is especially sus- mendations made in this section; such
ceptible. But you need not fear ordinary features are desirable even where no
earth temblors if you employ sound specific codes prevail.

X_ j JL
tutct 'PnacticeA
t
In many respects, construction details concrete but they serve the purpose very
for adobe houses are similar to those well, especially for small houses and tem-
used for common wood-frame construc- porary types of buildings.
tions. Foundations, plumbing, hardware, Common adobe blocks are rarely suit-
wiring, and roofing may require only able for footings, for they will not stand
small changes. up when wet. If stabilized carefully with
Foundations. Construct footings, asphalt or cement, however, they will
piers, and foundations somewhat larger resist moisture adequately and may do
and stronger than usual because they under light loadings and for temporary
have to support walls heavier than usual. structures.
Such practice is not always imperative, Walls. As mentioned before, walls
but a sound, stable foundation will pro- may vary from 8" to 24" in thickness,
tect you best against earthquakes and depending upon the size of the blocks.
other unusual forces. Wall height is usually 8' or 9', or eight
Preferably make foundations of con- to ten times the wall thickness. You may
crete. Include three or four longitudinal lay bricks in various patterns, with ran-
reinforcing rods of adequate size the en- dom or staggered joints requiring a defi-
tire length around the building. On com- nite overlap.
mon clay or loamy soils that often get Mortars can be made in two ways. Use
wet, limit the allowable soil-bearing pres- either a mix identical with that used in
sure to about one ton per square foot. bricks, but without coarse sand or gravel,
On sandy or gravelly soils which are not to secure as uniform a wall as possible;
subject to severe wetting, you can permit or a high-grade masonry mortar with
much greater bearing pressures — often cement and sand proportioned 1:2% or
up two or three tons per square foot.
to 1:3, often including a waterproofing
For footings and piers you may use agent, such as 10 per cent emulsified
brick, stone, or concrete block, built up asphalt or vinsol resin.
to standard size or larger. These mate- Steel reinforcement is always recom-
rials are never as good as reinforced mended. The simplest method is this:

[in
 .

Place heavy wires or rods in the hori-

zontal mortar joints between the bricks,
continuously around the
wall. Space
them T to 4' Also put the
vertically.
.horizontal reinforcements just below and
above windows. Use rods in pairs and
lap them T or 3' at joints, as shown in
the upper photo on this page.
Vertical steel reinforcements are su-
perior, and required by certain codes,
but more difficult to place. You can either
put the rods in the center of the wall,
or stagger them from side to side. There
are several ways to place them in the
wall: you may split bricks, use narrow
half -sized bricks (see center photo on this
page), or drill holes vertically through
bricks in alternate courses, and fill the
holes around the rods firmly with mortar.
The sketch on page 13 illustrates this
method, and also shows details for a
bond beam as well as joists and over-
hanging rafters. The bond beam, at the
top of the wall, may be solid reinforced
concrete 6" or 8" high, or may be faced
with wood or adobe as shown in the
sketch. The thin adobe brick facing pro-
vides the best natural appearance.

Drill brick to take

bars, Va-rf, fill
around bars with
mortar.

Or, smaller narrow

bricks may be used,
with mortar between,
where vertical rods
are. located

•if-

y
 are shown on page 12. column the top picture
WALL REINFORCEMENT METHODS In the left

rods. Rods are lapped two

presents a wall detail with a double row of horizontal reinforcement
The other two photos on page 12 show vertical reinforcement rods,
set
or three feet at joints.
and at the end of standard bricks in the next row
between split bricks in one row (center)
or plate. The sketch on page 12
(bottom). Steel extends from foundation up through bond-beam
shows two methods of using vertical reinforcing steel.

BUILDING THE WALL can be done by unskilled labor. Photos on top of this page show how
mortar joints are finished by hand, using a rubber glove (left) and how finished section of wall is

broomed to remove loose mortar and dirt (right). Sketch below gives cross-section details of roof

and wall for typical adobe construction.

Shingles, shakes,
or other roofing

Vz'or 5/8 bolts

about 4-O w O.C.
2" plank or thin
edge
adobe
to
/
01114-+- TO
Rafter with
brick on j>^^\ "^ v
'

overhang - as
,

"
maintain exterior
appearance. much as 3
or 4 ft to ,
Mortar joints, often shade windows
same composition as •"
on south side
bricks, but preferably exposure.
of I Portland cement
part
and £'/e parts sand, which may be Adobe brick.
stabilized with emulsified asphalt.
 Windows. You may use any standard
type of wood or metal sash. Set wood
frames in place, and build up the adobe
walls around them. Shape or groove ad-
jacent bricks at the ends, to allow for
mortar to hold metal ties, which are
nailed to thewooden frame.
Iron or aluminum window sash are
handled similarly. Brace them in posi-
tion while you build adjacent walls.
Groove brick ends for projecting flanges
or metal frame. Use mortar or mastic to
make a tight fit. See photo and sketches
on these two pages for details.

% Lintels. Use lumber or reinforced con-

windows and doors.
crete for lintels over
WOODEN WINDOW FRAME set in place, the
They must be strong enough to support
adobe wall being built around it. One brick
is used as a weight to steady the frame. Space
the weight of bricks and to help support
below frame will be finished later with a con- the bond beam, plate, and rafters. De-
crete window sill, or one made of adobe or tails for a reinforced concrete lintel are
burned-clay bricks. shown in the sketch on page 15, indicat-
ing approximate dimensions and rein-
forcing steel required.

METAL WINDOW SASH (left). Edges are set in mortar and mastic. Window sill is of stabilized
adobe bricks, set at an angle for drainage, and projecting a few inches beyond the wall. Right:
Window in a finished adobe wall. The lintel is a heavy wooden beam. The sill is solid concrete.
 &*ar<nf p/aJe

TYPICAL WINDOW DETAILS: A, Double-hung window, with standard sash adapted to splayed
plpnk frame. B, Out-swinging wood casement, rabbeted 2 x 6-inch jamb, laminated lintel, "bull-
nosed" plaster jamb, tile window ledge, brick sill, and roll screen. C, Steel casement window set
in precast, reinforced concrete lintel. D, Reinforcing details for a precast concrete lintel. E, Steel
sash on wooden T-shaped buck set in place in monolithic walls.

[15]
 *, o .

ADOBE-HOUSE CONSTRUCTION, showing brick arrangement, vertical reinforcing steel, and

door frames in place.

Doors. You probably will use lumber Bond Beam. A continuous reinforced
frames around doors. Set them in place, concrete bond beam should extend
like windows, build the walls around around the top of the wall. This is an
them, and attach them with metal strips excellent stabilizing influence against
or nails 1" in the mortar joints. Use con- strong winds or earthquakes. The beam
crete or timber lintels over doors. Allow may be as thin as 4" but it is better to
a total of %" to 1" in height for vertical make it 6" or 8". Two or more reinforc-
shrinkage in the mortar joints. Jamb an- ing rods should be included. These de-
chorage is shown in the sketch on tails are shown in the sketches on pages
this page. 13, 18, and 19.

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Inside doors can be carried on simple jambs of stock dimension material. A. Where the
concrete foundation extends above the door sill the lower portion of the jamb may be

bolted to B. On a concrete
it. floor an anchor plate accurately set in the green concrete
may be screwed to the jamb.

[16]
 '

Interior Partitions. Walls or parti-

tions within the house may be of thinner
adobe sections or of wood frame. In
either case, attach them firmly to the
exterior walls with nails, integral ma-
sonry, or metal strips, as shown in the
photo on this page. Here the exterior wall
was laid in anticipation of a subsequent
interior partition. The metal strips may
be laid in new mortar joints or nailed to

wood studding.
Plumbing and electric wiring
In planning the adobe house you have
to consider theneeds for running rough
plumbing and wiring through founda-
tions and concrete floors. Most of the ,;
-4.

plumbing pipes can be fixed in place be- CORRUGATED METAL STRIPS are often used
fore pouring concrete for the footings, to attach an interior partition to the exterior
wall. The attached partition may be of adobe
foundation walls, and concrete floors.
or wood frame. Similar attachments are often
Finish plumbing can be done later. Ex-
used for door and window frames.
pert help is usually required.
Wiring alsosometimes located in the
is

concrete of floor and foundation.

the may want to construct a common wood
Protective pipes or conduit can be laid floor on joists at 18" or more above the
in place where desired or required, and interior ground level. This is usually
the concrete poured around them. Be more expensive. A
lumber floor is shown
sure to have adequate wiring and outlets in the sketch on page 18.
available wherever you may possibly Roofs. An adobe house can take any
need them. Wiring can also be placed standard type of roof. Especially suitable
between joists in floors or ceilings. Ver- are cedar shingles, redwood shakes, or
tical chases or grooves are frequently clay tile. The latter is durable and at-

left in adobe walls for wires or conduit, tractive but relatively expensive. You
but this may weaken the walls or may re- can use cedar shingles or shakes on a
quire thicker walls to allow for the pitched roof; on a flat roof you may try
chases. Small vertical boxes or tubes may built-up roofing of a few plies of paper
also be used in corners, to carry wiring treated with hot tar, pitch, or asphalt.
up or down. An especially convenient Details for both types are shown in the
arrangement consists of a horizontal sketches on pages 13, 18, and 19. Be
plug-in strip completely around the sure to nail gable roof rafters especially
room, in a horizontal mortar joint on well to ceiling joists, plates, and walls.
the inside about a foot above the floor. Many now
being constructed
roofs are
Floors. Usually, the floor for an adobe with an overhang of two, three, or four
house is made of masonry. Reinforced feet, to help protect the walls from rain

concrete is best, although you may use and provide shade for windows and
plain concrete, adobe bricks, or clay tile. walks. An overhang of about three feet
These are placed on a sand or gravel on the south exposure will completely
fill, a few inches above the exterior shade large windows from the summer
gradeline. See sketches, pages 18 and 19. sun but permit the low winter sun to
You may prefer a finish floor of wood enter all day long, greatly increasing heat
or asphalt tile over the concrete; or you and comfort in the house.

[17]
 )

TYPICAL ADOBE
Sh,n*1. st!

Ct&o>r shakes or shinries

*."»#>" T*fi Sheathing V«ter
IS lb,

4**»" Rafters 4'-0" o.c proof felt

f* 6" Plat* eontinuaut

'/i"«A" Bolt* X-OT o.c.
6" Bond beam full Width of t)a\
V«" / Reinf., rod* continuous
4" *o" Lintel (r<saW<d)
2"»4" Spacers
2'«4. nailinc strip
l"x«."
id* Trim
»/•" / Rod (»«« section v>ie<*>;

Mo-rf.
If o. plan for
fram« construction
It used increase
dimension* 6" per A * cO Corr, fi.l. anchors
Wall to ^iVe some every 3 Crf course at
site rooms. If all partitions. Secure
pipes or chavtt With A A4 nails in each,
are let into \Valls brieh.
lichen those «Jalk
accordingly V»"/ Reinf, rod
Split bricft to
fit all Vertical
reinf, rods.

E» ponded metol lath <- plaster ,{ optional

4' base board
T<-6 Flooring
la lb, Felt bulldin/ paper
1x6* Sub-f loor( lay diagonally)

^Concrara foundation (See note)

4 *»'/ Reinf., rods continuous

PICTORIAL VIEW showing construction details, including wooden floor.

[18]
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

built up root Concrete bond beam i"» 4" Nailin* strip

Vfc'/Reinf, rod* l*«a" Trim. (ll«»m effect;
6 J O.J.I ttopt
L
l' ln.«J«».r,£ ko

2"«eV Facia

4-"x6" Rafter 4"-0" oc. far

Spans up to 13'

Nailing strips
i'k 12" (hexOn effect)
l" Lintel (he*>n effect)

x3 Net bftS« board

nsulariori material
Mat mopped membrane.
6*6" *IO Reinf, mesh-
»/»"^St«etl dowel 24"o e
ttooc.slab

6' Sond or gros)c\

No-i-e: yd f Pods continuous

Footing must
extend a rain., of6"
aboO« -finished fradt

CROSS-SECTION DETAILS of roof, wall, floor, and foundation for typical adobe construction.

[19]
 Chimneys and Fireplaces. Follow Or you may use patent metal fireplaces,
the usual practices for chimneys and fire- such as shown in the photo on page 21,
places. Put terra cotta, asbestos, or metal with ventilating and heating flues. This
flues within the walls and surround them type actually provides considerable heat
with adobe bricks; or run the flues for the house, while ordinary fireplaces
through the walls, attaching and sup- give very little heat but serve mainly as
porting them in the usual way. You need ventilators.
no special protection around fireplaces, If you have a wooden floor, the usual
as adobe is fireproof and stands high insulation and precautions are necessary.
temperatures without difficulty. Use fire- With a concrete or masonry floor the de-
brick for the fireplace lining, however, tailsare much simpler, and the hearth
to secure the best permanent construc- may actually be integral with the floor,
tion, as shown in the sketch on this page. or can be raised or lowered a few inches.

v. Qe/J/no /me J

'£btjeG/r Aearrf

Z/ £ VAl TI &JV

FIREPLACES can be built of adobe. Sun-dried brick lend themselves to intricate designs
more readily than the monolithic adobe. Fire-brick lining is usually placed in the more
ambitious designs. Adherence to the fundamental principles of fireplace design is essential
to successful operation.

[20]
 . .

>:,. :-.,:. —
!#*%'-

,|:

ADOBE-BRICK FIREPLACES may be very attractive. This one is built around a patent metal form
having circulating ducts, for better heating.

Finishing and Painting. Stabilized Aluminum paint with an asphaltic

adobe walls do not need any surface base is very satisfactory but usually more
treatment and often are left in their expensive. Two or three coats are recom-
natural condition. mended.
If you prefer a lighter color, you can Special masonry paints, made to cover
use almost any type of paint. One of the concrete, brick, and earthen surfaces, are
cheapest types is a water-cement paint, exceptionally good for protection and
made of natural gray Portland cement, waterproofing. These may be more ex-
or white Portland cement, and water, pensive, but they will often last long
with, possible admixtures of calcium enough to prove economical. The photo
chloride, soap, or stearates, for increased on page 9 shows test blocks and paint
waterproofing. You can buy this paint, experiments.
already prepared, in various colors. Plaster and stucco are used in some
Common lead-and-oil paint is often cases. Metal lath or wire provides the
used. Two coats will occasionally permit best attachment. These conceal the mor-
some asphalt to bleed through, but three tar joints and obscure the natural brick
coats usually provide complete protec- appearance. The cost also may be higher
tion. than paint.

[21]
 M ^
'TfttotaCtfSUc @o*t4t>itcc£io«t
I

While the use of adobe bricks is now The Poured-Adobe, or Mud-Con-

most popular, you can also use mono- crete Method modifies the Cajon
lithic methods, in which the entire mass method, to the extent that you use no
of adobe is poured or molded in a single wood studs but pour thoroughly mixed
unit. Here are a few construction meth- mud between forms directly in place in
ods that sometimes are used in building the wall. You allow the mud to dry, then
adobe houses. remove the forms, and the mud wall
The Cajon Method uses the adobe alone supports the roof load. See the
merely as a wall filler, and depends on sketches on this page for some types of
other materials for structural support. forms you may use.
You build the framework of the wall of The English Cob Method requires a
wood timbers or concrete posts, and stiff mud, piled in relatively thick layers
place the earth between these to form on the wall without the use of forms.
the solid wall. You mix the mud to a heavy enough

Zo.c.

THREE TYPES OF FORMS for poured adobe or mud-concrete. A, Light forms tied with wires,
which may be cut and left in the wall. Wire ends may assist in fastening furring or stucco rein-
forcing. B, Heavy planks provide more substantial forms. Cross members are notched and the
planks notched along the lower edge. Holes left in the wall are tamped full of mud. C, A type
of "climbing" form, the bottom members being easily removed to place on top of a filled section
above. Dowels will aid in securing proper alignment. All forms should be painted or oiled, to
facilitate frequent cleaning.

[22]
RAMMED-EARTH WALL CONSTRUCTION. Heavy sectional forms are clamped to the masonry
(1). Damp soil is put through a coarse
foundation screen (2) and is spread 4 inches thick in the
forms (3). This is tamped to a dense mass, and the routine continued until the form is

full. and the forms moved. Vertical joints are staggered at least
Cross-bolts are then withdrawn
3 feet, and shaped with tongue and groove (4). A reinforced concrete bond beam is poured
along the top of the wall.

consistency so it will have little tendency You need heavy, strong forms and
to slump. If it does slump or spread, specialtamping tools. One-inch lumber
trowel it back in place, or slice off the is not strong enough to withstand the

edge and place it back on top. This high lateral pressures; you had better
method has the advantage that it needs use planks iy±" to 2" thick.
no forms. But shrinkage cracks often Place the damp soil in the form and
cause serious trouble, and the English level it to a uniform 4" layer. This depth
cob method is not used very much in is most practical because it seems to be
this country. the limit towhich you can compact loose
Rammed Earth, or Pise de Terre. soils with a hand tool. A thorough ram-
This is the most popular of all mono- ming will compact the 4" layer of loose
//
lithic constructions. You consolidate soil to about 2 1/2 .

damp or moist earth by tamping or ram- Under favorable conditions, rammed-

ming it in place in the wall between earth construction often goes faster than
forms. The soil should be just moist other types of adobe-wall building, but
enough to hold together in a ball when the making and moving of the heavy
you squeeze it in your hand, and yet dry forms are tiresome and discouraging.
enough to fall apart when dropped to A roller-supported form work is one of
the ground from waist height. It should the newest methods for forming a
not be sticky. Soil that is too wet or too straight section of rammed-earth wall.
dry will not consolidate under the The sketch on page 24 shows how the
tamper. side-planks are held and spaced by canti-

[23]
lever clamps at the top, so no ties or rammed wall to a new position at the
braces need to be covered with earth. finish of each small section.
The 3"-diameter rollers are fastened to The illustrations on page 25 give
the lower front end and the upper rear more information on forms and over-all
end of the movable form, so that it can arrangement for operations on rammed-
easily be rolled forward on the newly earth structures.

LLER.

12oLLE.e.-

EASILY-MOVED ROLLING FORM built of VA"

side boards, fastened to 2" X 4" studs and
cantilevers. After ramming one section of wall,
the form is moved to a new position by means
of the two 3"-rollers. It does not have to be
lifted. The form is held in place above the
finished part of the wall by clamping it firmly
with the two double-ended cranks.

[24
FORMS for rammed earth construction, showing the arrangement for forming corner and par-
tition walls and for blocking out openings. The spacing of the bolt holes along the bottom of the
form permits adjustment to all wall thicknesses that are divisible by 3". Three types of hand-

tamping tools are shown in the photograph at the far right.

FDCL

k
^±k mi
A holes S"c.c ""^ -SIDE VIEW
to make, fbrm adjustable
for raryina yva/l
thicknesses.

«— Partition rfo/ls et Fixed

rammed eartty must Z* 4'Stiffener
> be bui/t monol/thic rvith Movable
the outer tvoJ/s.

Tail nuts ore used

for all bolts
Method of usino Method of except of inside
end -stop to form buttinq fbrms corner.
vertical doretail joint \MSaoemer tbr
End stop supported Zona Jenqfhs
Opemnqs for I

doors and Corner pieces

aao'inst Aolts or cleoto gfjvo//s. ¥Yindo>vs blocked are replaceable
noiled to form. gut os desired • to form square
f~T t 4 J -? ^corners.

\
3 igonol

PL /IN

[25]
 .

decent /%e*wU> .

in home-building have favored adobe construction for one-

rambling houses of large floor areas.
story, basementless,
Many such homes are thoroughly modern, refined, attrac-
tive —and expensive.
The natural rustic irregular appear-
ance of adobe bricks has made these houses popular.
By contrast, adobe construction is often found very pleas-
ing and economical for small simple houses, cabins} and
cottages, especially where soil is suitable and labor costs
are low.

SMALL MODERN ADOBE HOUSE with large windows and protective roof
over front porch.
 'Ptcut^ rfuadtiMe
You can convert almost any standard house plan to adobe-brick construction.
Blueprint plans are available, at the prices shown below, from the University of
California.

Plan 157 (typical adobe details, can be used together with any of the complete
blueprint plans listed here) 25^
Plan 159 (one bedroom, 843 square feet) 75^
Plan 163 (three bedrooms, 1,300 square feet) 75^
Plan 7061 (expansible house, wood frame) $1.00

Plan 7062 (expansible house, concrete block) $1.00

Write to:

Agricultural Publications
22 Giannini Hall
University of California
Berkeley 4, California.

Make checks or money orders payable to

The Regents of the University of California. Do
not send cash or stamps.

The floor plans shown on the following

pages, while not available in detail, may give
you some

*)dea&
*?<to ^attc 'ZfotueA

Plan for a one-bedroom adobe house, with a floor

space of 774 square feet. Small, compact, can be
expanded to three bedrooms. Roof may be gabled,
flat, or shed type. Doors are placed so traffic does
not cross work or living areas. Window location allows
space for good arrangement of furniture and equip-
ment.

[28]
Plan for a 1,120 square-foot solar house. Large window
area should face south for heat from the low winter sun.
Overhanging roof protects house from the high summer sun.
Car port and extra storage space are provided. All plumb-
ing is located in one wall between kitchen and bath.

En

m
ffl

ALTERNATE PLAN

WWW
[29]
 Another solar-type house, with an area of 1,000 square
feet. Master bedroom and living-dining area are exposed
to the low winter-sun by large windows, while 6-foot over-
hang protects south of house from high summer sun and
gives protection to outdoor living area. An evaporative
cooler in the chimney allows cool air to be blown into living
room or central hall.

2' s' 4 S' f r »'

[30]
 ALTCftNATC PLAN

PWWWWi

Three-bedroom house, 1,140 square feet. Principal dimen-

sions are multiples of the 4-inch and 8-inch module, for
economy and rapid construction. U-shaped kitchen provides
storage and work space. A comfortable dinner area is near
a large window. In alternate plan, the hall allows entrance
from the rear into any room without going through work-
room or kitchen.

?4nd 'pox, ?cvtf&en, l^eacU*ty>

you will find detailed information in the following publications:

Aller,Paul and Doris. Build Your Own Adobe. Stanford University Press, 1947.
Stanford University, California. $3.00.
American Bitumuls Co., "Bitudobe for Modern Adobe Buildings." 200 Bush Street.
San Francisco, California. 16 pp. 1950.
Betts, M. C. and Miller, T. A. H., Rammed Earth Walls for Building, Farmers'
Bulletin 1500, U.S.D.A., Supt. of Documents, Washington 25, D.C. 24 pp. 1937.
10^.
Brown, Francis W., publisher, California Homes, Adobe Houses Edition, 315 Sutter
Street, San Francisco 8, California. 32 pp. 1949. 25^.
Comstock, Hugh W., "Post-Adobe." Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. P. O. Box 533.
1948, 40 pp. $1.00.
Cullimore, Clarence, "Santa Barbara Adobes," Santa Barbara Book Publishing Co.,
Santa Barbara, California. 1948, 225 pp.

[31]
Eyre, Thomas J., M. E., The Physical Properties of Adobe Used as a Building

Material. The University of New Mexico Bulletin No. 263, Albuquerque, New
Mexico, 32 pp., 1935. 25^.
Fenton, F. C, The Use of Earth as a Building Material. Bulletin No. 41, Kansas
State College, Manhattan, Kansas. 34 pp.. 1941.
Glenn, H. E., Rammed Earth Building Construction. Bulletin No. 3, Engineering
Experiment Station, Clemson Agricultural College, Clemson, South Carolina. 18
pp., 1943.
Groben, W. Adobe Architecture, Its Design and Construction. U.S.D.A., Forest
Ellis,

Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 36 pp., 1941.

Service, U. S.
Hansen, Edwin L., The Suitability of Stabilized Soil for Building Construction. Bul-
letin No. 333. University of Illinois, Engineering Experiment Station, Urbana,
Illinois. 40 pp., 1941. 45^.
Harrington, Edwin Lincoln, Adobe as a Construction Material in Texas. Bulletin
No. 90, School of Engineering, Texas Engineering Experiment Station, College
Station, Texas. 36 pp., 1945.
Hubbell, Elbert, "Earth Brick Construction," Haskell Institute, Lawrence, Kansas.
110 pp., 1943. 50^.
Kirkham, John Edward, How to Build Your Own Home of Earth. Publication No
54, Engineering Experiment Station, Oklahoma A and M
College, Stillwater
Oklahoma, 36 pp., 1943.
Long, J. D. (revised by L. W. Neubauer), "Adobe Construction," Bulletin 472
California Agricultural Experiment Station, University of California, Berkeley
—
64 pp., free November 1946.
Middleton, G. F., Earth Wall Construction, Duplicated Document No. 28. Com
monwealth Experimental Building Station, P. 0. Box 30, Chatswood, N.S.W.
56 pp., 1949. 1 shilling.
Middleton, G. F., Build Your House of Earth. Angus and Robertson, Sydney, Aus
tralia. 105 pp., 1953. About $2.00.
Miller, T. A. H., "Adobe or Sun-Dried Brick for Farm Buildings," Farmers' Bui
letin 1720. U.S.D.A., Supt. of Documents, Washington 25, D.C, 18 pp., 1934. 5^
Patty, Ralph L., The Relation of Colloids in Soil to Its Favorable Use in Pise or
Rammed Earth Walls, Bulletin 298. Agricultural Experiment Station, South
Dakota State College, Brookings, South Dakota, 24 pp., 1936.
Patty, Ralph L., Paints and Plasters for Rammed Earth Walls, Bulletin 336. Agri-
cultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State College, Brookings, South
Dakota, 40 pp., 1940.
Patty, Ralph L., and Minium, L. W., Rammed Earth Walls for Farm Buildings,
Bulletin 277. South Dakota Experiment Station, Brookings, South Dakota, 78 pp.,
1938.
Schwalen, Harold C, Effect of Soil Texture Upon the Physical Characteristics of
Adobe Bricks, Technical Bulletin No. 58. College of Agriculture, University of
Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 22 pp., 1935.
United Nations, Adobe and Rammed Earth, Housing and Town and Country Plan-
ning, Bulletin No. 4. United Nations, N.Y., 121 pp., 1950. $1.50.
Williams, E. McKinley, "Cemadobe." Box 81, West Los Angeles Station, Los Angeles
25, California, 32 pp., 1946. $1.00.

[32]