MUD ARCHITECTURE

UNDERSTANDING MUD AS A LOW COST

BUILDING MATERIAL..
 INTRODUCTION 01

The ideal building material

would be ‘borrowed’ from the
environment and replaced after
use. There would be little or no
processing of the raw material
and all the energy inputs would
be directly, or indirectly, from the
sun. This ideal material would
also be cheap and would perform
well thermally and acoustically. If “ It is used for different purposes and is used in
used carefully, mud bricks come different ways! There are different techniques of
close to this ideal. sticking it together and making it into a wall or
whatever. This varied considerably, even sometimes in
a matter of a few miles, from one district to another”
Laurie Baker
 HISTORY 02
Mud is a mixture of water and
any combination of soil, silt,
and clay, and usually forms
after rainfall or near water
sources.
 Ancient mud deposits harden
over geological time to form
sedimentary rock such
as shale or mudstone (genera
lly called lutites).
Mud as a construction material
has been extensively used since Ouarzazate is an incredible looking place; with its clay made
Neolithic times kasbahs, it looks as if it were a made to order movie set. Inside
When geological deposits of the high mud walls are 6 kasbahs and a small number of homes,
mud are formed in estuaries the housing roughly 8 families.
resultant layers are termed bay
muds
HISTORY
Taos Pueblo is an ancient dwelling in New Mexico, continuously
03
inhabited for about 1,000 years by the Pueblo native people. They are
made of sun dried mud bricks, which are coated with an adobe plaster.

Bam had its beginnings as a prosperous trading center on the

famous Silk Road, during the Sassanian period (224-637 AD)
Located in southeastern Iran, Bam was constructed entirely of
mud bricks made of clay soil and palm tree trunks.

The Djinguereber Mosque was constructed in 1325, and boasts

unusual looking minarets with timbers poking out, reminiscent of
American southwest’s Viga structures.

http://www.touropia.com/amazing-mud-brick-buildings
 04
WHY MUD IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS LOW COST (SUSTAINABLE)
BUILDING MATERIAL ???
• Sustainable architecture means a new attitude,
it uses research results about the environment,
the biology and human ecology and it tries to
use these results in the construction
technology.
• Sustainability is based on a simple
principle: Everything that we need for our
survival and feeling of comfort, either directly
or indirectly, is in our natural environment,
humans and nature can exist in productive
harmony, that permits fulfilling the social,
economic and other requirements of present
and future generations.
• Along these points,
sustainability and the sustainable development
itself have three important pillars( economy,
environment, society) which together form a
unit and create the essential of sustainability.
 05
WHY MUD IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS LOW COST (SUSTAINABLE)
BUILDING MATERIAL ???
THE BUILDING STRUCTURES CAN BE FITTED TO
THE BUILT FRAMEWORK OF SUSTAINABLE
PHILOSOPHY IF:
 THEY ARE MADE OF IN-SITU, LOCAL
MATERIALS.
 RENEWABLE, RECYCLABLE, NON-TOXIC
MATERIALS.
 THEY REQUIRE "CLOSED" PRODUCTION
TECHNOLOGIES BUILT UPON CIRCULAR
PROCESSES,
 GENTLE IMPLEMENTATION AND
MAINTENANCE TECHNIQUES ALSO
INVOLVING HUMAN RESOURCES.
 THEY CAN ECONOMIZE WITH ENERGY USE
AND AIR MOISTURE CONTENT. THEY ARE
ABLE TO INCREASE AND UTILIZE
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
WHY MUD IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS LOW COST (SUSTAINABLE)
BUILDING MATERIAL ???
06

FROM EARTH FOR THE EARTH

 MUD IS a versatile building material that has been used to make some extraordinary
architectural marvels -- from 1,000-year-old ksars (forts) in Morocco and 6,000-
year-old arches, vaults and domes in the Nile Valley to multi-storeyed houses of
adobe, sun-baked bricks of mud and straw, which is the traditional building material
throughout much of Latin America.
 But what gives the material so much potential importance in India, with its large
population of homeless and ill-housed people, is its cheapness and widespread
availability.
 Considering the scarcity and high cost of conventional building materials such as
brick, cement and steel, one way to solve the country's severe housing shortage of
an estimated 40 million units by 2000, is to switch to mud.
WHY MUD IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS LOW COST (SUSTAINABLE)
BUILDING MATERIAL ???
07
 Mud has been the most essential of building materials since the dawn of the man.
 Approximately 58% of all buildings in India are mud brick and a growing
construction boom in India.
 Mud has other inherent advantages: It is extremely malleable and offers better
insulation than steel-and-concrete structures.
 It decentralises the construction process because it utilises local material and
technology and thereby obviates the need for a contractor, and it costs much less to
maintain mud buildings
WHY MUD IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS LOW COST (SUSTAINABLE)
BUILDING MATERIAL ???
08
 The main advantage of mud is we do not need lot of energy to manufacture it
unlike brick, cement, steel, concrete, etc.
 The mud – house uses minimal energy, is comfortable year round.
 The mud – house construction uses only simple natural materials, which are any
digging soil from the earth mixed with water and added up with paddy or hay or
any dried fiber or even recycling garbage.
 Mud house construction is durable and can be easily recycled .
 Mud construction also provide air conditioning system which provide cool air from
the massive walls
THE 3 R’s CONCEPT IN MUD
WE CAN EASILY RECYCLE IT…. ARCHITECTURE

WE CAN EASILY REDUCE THE COST

WE CAN EASILY RE-USE IT…..
 SOIL SOURCE 09

PIC: DAHKLA, OASIS

• Mud required for building can be taken from the plot itself.
• The soil is collected after depth of 60cms only.
• As the top layer is full of organic matter, it isn’t used.
• Below it is sand and clay which are dug out in heaps.
• Do not use hard rock.
• Soil to be used should be devoid of organic matter.
• Top should be replaced after excavating.
 SOIL TYPES 10
• Gravel: Small pieces of stone varying
from the size of a pea to that of an
egg.

• Sand: Similar small pieces of stone

(usually quartz), which are small but
each grain, is visible to the eye.

• Silt: The same as sand except that it

is so fine that you cannot see
individual grains.

• Clay: Soils that stick when wet - but

very hard when completely dry.

• Organic Soil: Soil mainly composed

of rotting, decomposing organic
matters . PYRAMID OF SOIL
 SOIL USABILITY 11
• Gravel: alone is of no use for mud wall
building .

• Sand: similar to gravel, but if mixed with

clay, it is the ideal mud wall building GRAVEL SOIL SILT SOIL
soil.

• Silt: by itself is also no good for building

walls.

• Clay: can be rammed or compressed SANDY SOIL

• Organic Soils: are mainly useless for wall

building.

CLAY SOIL ORGANIC SOIL

 PROPERTIES 12

• COLOUR SOIL TESTS

-Deep yellow, orange and
red : good for building
construction.
-Greyish or dull brown :  Field tests
indicates organic soil. • Color tests
RED MUD • Touch and smell test
• Biscuit test
• TOUCH & SMELL
• Hand wash test
-soil that feels course
• Cigar test
when dry.
• Adhesion test
-Sticky when contains
lumps of clay.
 Lab tests
-Musty smell with organic
• Sieve test
matter.
BLACK MUD • Sedimentation test
 STABILISERS 13
• When the available soil is not suitable
enough for construction then the soil
can be used by manipulating its
composition by adding suitable
stabilizers.
• Stabilizing enhances the given
property of the soil type.
• Increase Tensile and Shear
strength.
• Reduce shrinkage.

• Most common and effective stabiliser

is Soil itself.
• Various other indigenous stabilisers
include
• Straw
• Plant Juices
• Gum Arabic
• Sugar Or Molasses
• Cow Dung
• Animal Urine
VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION METHOD 14
COB: COB is good for anything except height. It
is particularly good for curved or round walls.

PISE OR RAMMED EARTH : PISE OR RAMMED

EARTH is strong and ideal for solid, squat,
single storey houses.

ADOBE: ADOBE or SUN DRIED BRICKS can

easily cope with two storey houses.

PRESSED BRICKS: PRESSED BRICKS smooth and

very strong and can build three storey.

WATTLE & DAUB METHOD: WATTLE & DAUB is

elegant and fine for Seismic Zones.
EARTH TECHNIQUES 15
SYSTEMIZING ACCORDING
TO STRUCTURAL ROLE
16
 COB 17
COB, cobb or clom (in Wales) is a natural
building material made from subsoil, water, some kind
of fibrous organic material (typically straw), and
sometimes lime.
 Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and
inexpensive.
The etymology of cob and cobbing is unclear but
in several tenses means to beat or strike which is
how cob material is applied to a wall.
 In a conventional house, the walls usually cost
less than 25% of the total price of the building.
With a cob home that proportion may be far
lower.
It can be used to create artistic, sculptural forms
and has been revived in recent years by the
natural building and sustainability movement

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/QandA/cob/cost.htm
COB 18
 With only a little water to form a very stiff
mud, a large lump is roughly moulded into
the shape of a huge elongated egg.
 The usual size is anything between 12 to 18-
inches, (30 to 40-cm) long and about 6-
inches (15-cm) in diameter.
 A row of these cobs of mud are laid neatly
side-by-side - preferably somewhat pressed
together.
 Then another row of cobs is laid on top.
 When three or four courses have been laid,
one above the other, the sides are smoothed
over so that the holes and cracks disappear.
 Openings for doors, and windows are a
problem, which can be solved by using
temporary vertical planks or shuttering.
 Another very simple shuttering for openings
is to use empty kerosene tins.
RAMMED EARTH 19
This is a method in which the strength of the wall
can be increased by increasing the thickness of the
wall.
Time Schedule - Slow progress, the construction
of one unit requires more than two weeks for
completion.
Durability - High-quality house last for hundreds
of years, resistance against earthquakes is only
low to medium, hurricane
good, rain medium, insects medium. The ideal
climate is hot and dry, upland climates.
Potential for recycling - 100% if no stabilizing agent
was used in the soil. Energy requirement is only a
fragment of the amount compared to other
technologies. No wastage, no pollution, 100% natural
material. Soils without stabilizer can be reused easily.
Cost per m2 - The rammed earth construction
adding structural parts to the clay, belong to the
cheapest building technologies available. The cost
http://www.builditinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/B
remains below 40 $/m2. It-International-Fact-sheets-on-sustainable-technologies-for-walls.pd
 RAMMED EARTH 20
The compressive strength of rammed earth can be Rammed earth using rebar, wood or bamboo
up to 4.3 MPa (620 psi). This is less than that of reinforcement can prevent failure caused by
concrete, but more than strong enough for use in earthquakes or heavy storms.
domestic buildings.
WATTLE & DAUB METHOD 21
Cement is used as stabilizer.
WATTLE & DAUB is elegant and fine for Seismic Zones.
Flooring of verandah made from locally available wood.
Columns constructed using stabilized rammed earth block technique employing
‘ram rod’ technique.
Walls made of bamboo mats plastered with mud or lime mortar.
CGI sheet roofing over space frame truss instead of wood. Bamboo CGS can be
used.
Due to excessive rainfall the Wattle and Daub structures gets washed off.
However, the mesh of cane or split bamboo remains intact and after the heavy
rain is over the mud is plastered on again.

REMOVING LUMPS OR MEASURING OF FILLING CONTAINERS

STONES BY SEIVING. COMPONENTS
 WATTLE & DAUB METHOD 22
FOUNDATION AND SRE COLUMNS
The foundation is in random rubble, except for the verandah
which is on stilts.
The soil should be tested for its quality and bonding
characteristics and then sieved through a wire mesh.
Recommended mixture of soil and cement is 92-93%: 7-8%.
Steel moulds or wooden frame work are assembled.
ASSEMBLING THE
Homogeneous mixture of sand and cement is poured in the
STEEL OR WOODEN
moulds layers and rammed with a rammer weighing 15-20kg. FRAME WORK
For vertical reinforcement in foundation 2-12 mm rods are
placed in vertical manner. PVC pipes are placed around the
steel bars and concrete is poured in it. TO HAVE VERTICAL
REINFORCEMENTS, PVC
WALLING PIPES ARE PLACED AROUND
In this technique, mud is used as plaster to cover thin THEM AND CONCRETE IS
panels of cane, split bamboo or other stalks that are POURED.
woven together and held in place by wooden or bamboo
posts and beams. This called WATTLE AND DAUB UNIT.
DAUB is a mix of clay: cow dung, bhusa in the proportion RAMMING OF
of 10:3:3. Red clay is soaked in water and thoroughly EARTH IN THE
mixed to break down bigger lumps. MOULD
WATTLE & DAUB METHOD 23
Sand is also added to improve the clay content of the soil. This mixture is kept for
one day prior to use. If some coal tar is added to the above mix, it serves as water
proofing agent.
The DAUB mixture is applied simultaneously on the bamboo mat. Ensure that the
mud pack is properly compacted within the grooves of the bamboo mat. Allow it
to settle for one day before second coating. Give the finishing coat of coal tar.
ROOFING
Space frame truss roofing is suggested as an alternative roofing system to the
normal wooden frame work with RCC roofing. This roofing can withstand medium
intensity cyclonic winds.
It is light weight and cost effective. The assembling can be done by unskilled
manpower also.
The space frame truss is usually built with simple pipes of 15-25mm diameter with
bolting.
It can be built over any span and can be formed in any shape – circular or conical
or two slopes or hipped roofing patterns.
The structure is detachable and can be reused.
Bamboo mat corrugated sheets are recommended as they are eco-friendly and
self -sustaining alternative material.
Fixing of sheets with J bolts should be done by bitumen washers on both sides to
prevent water seepage.
WATTLE & DAUB METHOD 24
PLASTERING
Plastering can be done in many cost effective
ways.
Mud and lime plasters were traditionally used.
Cement mixed with the mud and lime is
recommended as a finishing coat.
Crush and sieve dehydrated lime.
Prepare mixture with 50% sand and water, FIXING BAMBOO
which is kept for 6-8 days. NET ON WALL
Stir the mixture and keep it in a covered space
to avoid dust.
Mix gugal gum to lime mix before application.
STABILISED MUD PLASTER
Stabilised mud plaster consists of mud and
cement in the proportion of 3:1. This mix gives a
smooth and polished finish after the repetitive
rubbing process.
ADVANTAGES
Uses natural material
Gives better finishing and saves wall painting
cost APPLYING SOIL ON BAMBOO FRAME
Provides thermal comfort
WORK
Use of lime is a livelihood promotional activity
ANTI SEISMIC HOUSE
 ADOBE 25
COMPOSITION:
INTRODUCTION:
• The mixture is roughly half
• Adobe is a natural building material sand (50%), one-third clay
(35%), and one-sixth straw
made from sand, clay, water, (15%) by weight.
and some kind of fibrous or
organic material . • Bricks are made in an open
frame, 25 cm (10 in) by
36 cm (14 in) being a
• Adobe buildings are similar to cob reasonable size, but any
and mudbrick buildings. convenient size is
acceptable.
• Adobe structures are extremely
durable, and account for some of • The mixture is molded by the
frame, and then the frame is
the oldest existing buildings in the
world. removed quickly. After
drying a few hours, the
bricks are turned on edge to
• In hot climates, compared with finish drying. Slow drying in
wooden buildings, adobe buildings shade reduces cracking.
greater thermal mass.
 ADOBE 26
METHOD:

• Blocks kept covered with air tight

polythene sheets for 48 hrs with relative
humidity up to 100.
• Polythene sheets -removed after 48 hrs
Reinforcement can include manure, straw, cement,
and
rebar or wooden posts.
• The blocks - kept in shaded area having
enough air circulation. Mixture can all produce a stronger, more crack-
resistant brick.
• Sprinkle water over blocks daily,, during
28 days.
• Write date of production on block
corner. An adobe wall can serve
as a significant heat
• Cover stacks top with coconut leaves or
any other cover to avoid direct sunlight. reservoir due to the
thermal properties.
• Principle is that blocks shall not dry for
4weeks.
COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCK 27
• Compressed Earth Block
often referred to simply as
CEB, is a type of
manufactured construction
material formed in
mechanical press that forms
an appropriate mix of dirt,
non-expansive clay, and an
aggregate into a compressed
block

• CEB blocks are installed onto

the wall by hand and a slurry
made of a soupy version of
the same dirt/clay mix, sans
aggregate, is spread or
brushed very thinly between
the blocks for bonding.
COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCK 28
• The advantages of CEB are in the wait time for
material, the elimination of shipping cost,
• The low moisture content
• uniformity of the block - minimizing, use of
mortar and decreasing both the labor and
materials costs.

• CEB can be pressed from humid earth.

• Drying time is much shorter.

• A single mechanical press can produce from 800

to over 5,000 blocks per day, enough to build a
1,200 square feet (110 m2) house in one day.
• The Liberator, a high performance, open source
CEB press, can produce from 8,000 to over 17,000
blocks per day.
BINDING MATERIAL 29
• SUITABLE MORTAR FOR
MASONRY

• Stabilised Earth Mortar is best

suited for masonry using mud
blocks.
• Mud mortar shall be stabilised 1.5
times more than the mud blocks.
• Add course sand (0.2 to 2mm) to
reduce shrinkage.
• Prepare plastic mix rather than
dry mix.
• Ideal mix = soil suitable for mud
block + 40% to 50% of sand by
weight + 7.5% cement.
 ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES 31
 Environmental impact  Humidity
 Using neither cement nor rock  Humidity is the crucial factor , mud-
 To save natural resources. house will easily be fungus.
 To save building materials  Foul odour
 Main materials are soil and water,
mixed to be mud, if the mud is too  The brand- new mud-house may
sticky, we can add up with paddy have foul odor of crushed green
husky or rice straw or local fiber leaves
weed or bamboo.  Crack sensitivity, (low tension
strength)
 Energy use
 To save energy  Water sesnsitivity.
 Cool in summer
 Warm in Winter
 Greater thickness.
 Capital Expenditure
 The risk of surface erosion.
 To save money .
 No air – conditioning, no electricity
bills.
COMPARISON BETWEEN CEMENT AND MUD
01
MUD CEMENT /CONCRETE
Cost of bricks Rs. 1.50 – 1.75 per piece SIZE - 600 x 200 x 100
Rs. 80 -90 per piece
Thermal mass moderate to high thermal mass. Reduces heating energy consumption by 2
- 15%
Environmental impacts Mud bricks could have the Some effects are harmful; others welcome.
lowest impact of all Carbon dioxide emissions, Urban heat,
construction materials. Surface runoff
Concrete dust.

Durability and moisture mud brick needs protection Concrete resists weathering action,
resistance from driving rain and should chemical attack, and abrasion while
not be exposed to continuous maintaining its desired engineering
high moisture. properties
Sound insulation it is more effective for thermal reduce the transmission of sound,
and acoustic performance to particularly low frequency sounds such as
use mud brick for the partition those from audio systems.
walls and lightweight, well-
insulated external walls.
Fire and vermin earth does not burn, and earth Vermin and insects cannot
resistance walls do not readily provide destroy concrete . Concrete is one of the
habitat for vermin, most resistant to heat and fire but liitted
to some temperature .
HAND-MADE SCHOOL RUDRAPUR, BANGLADESH 32
ARCHITECT: ANNA HERINGER, EIKE ROSWAG
CLIENT: DIPSHIKHA SOCIETY FOR VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT
BUILT AREA: 325 M²
COST: 13,70,100 rs
• This village school adapts the traditional materials of
earth and bamboo to make them more durable.
• In terms of the earth construction, the most
important technical advances were introducing a
damp-proof course, adding a brick foundation and
mixing straw into the loam.
• The potential of bamboo construction is
demonstrated by the ceiling (a layering of bamboo
sticks, bamboo boards and earth) and the first-floor
walls and roof (a frame construction consisting of
beams - four layers of joined bamboo sticks - and
vertical and diagonal poles).
HAND-MADE SCHOOL RUDRAPUR, BANGLADESH 33
INTRODUCTION
 The school is in the village of Rudrapur, about
ten hours by road from Dhaka.
 The project is located in the compound of a
Bangladeshi NGO, Dipshikha (meaning
‘Sparkle of Light’), that is dedicated to helping
children in rural areas learn to read and write.
 Local traditional building materials have been
combined with learned construction
knowledge to produce a building that is not
only sustainable but also a much-needed
facility for the village children.
 The lower portion consists of rammed straw-
reinforced mud walls finished with battered
mud; the upper floor is a framed bamboo
construction with slatted bamboo for walls,
windows and doors; and the roof is finished
with sheets of corrugated galvanised iron.
HAND-MADE SCHOOL RUDRAPUR, BANGLADESH 34
CLIMATIC CONDITIONS
The climate is generally mild in winter and hot in summer. The thick mud walls are obviously
good for heat insulation and the thatched roofing does not allow heat to penetrate the interior.
This use of locally available construction materials appears to be a good solution, a traditional
method that is sustainable.

EVOLUTION OF DESIGN CONCEPTS

• With the encouragement of the client the architect
took up the challenge of using local materials to
explore a new building dynamics in the design of a
mud-wall construction.
• The project provides the classrooms which were
required by the client as well as additional spaces
for children to interact and be creative,
• The classrooms at the ground floor are enclosed by
a mud wall, with apertures and doorways
strategically positioned to allow light and wind
penetration.
• The classrooms on the first floor have walls of
slatted bamboo that allow diffused light into the
space as well as natural ventilation.
HAND-MADE SCHOOL RUDRAPUR, BANGLADESH 35
STRUCTURE, MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGY
• Three layers of bamboo post are bound together
for the floor beams and anchored at both ends into
the mud wall with a one metre by one metre mud
mass as a balustrade.
• The infills to the lightweight bamboo frames are
window frames with slats that allow light and air to
penetrate.
• There is no rendering per se, but the rammed
earth of the walls has been straightened with
shovels, exposing the straw reinforcement.
• Traditional village houses are formed from mud
balls reinforced with straw and stacked one on top
of the other.
• The mud walls are not properly compact and have
cavities that provide a ready habitat for rats from
the rice fields.
• The school project has devised a new method of
mud wall construction where the straw is laid
lengthwise in a stretcher bond fashion and then
knitted with straw laid perpendicular to the The roof is a frame construction consisting of
beams - four layers of joined bamboo sticks- and
stretcher bond.
vertical an diagonal poles..
HAND-MADE SCHOOL RUDRAPUR, BANGLADESH 36

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

SECTION
HAND-MADE SCHOOL RUDRAPUR, BANGLADESH 37

SOUTH EAST VIEW

NORTH EAST VIEW.

HAND-MADE SCHOOL RUDRAPUR, BANGLADESH 38

THE THREE CLASSROOMS IN THE GROUND FLOOR ARE CONNECTED TO THE STUDENTS SIT ON MATS AT THE RAMMED-EARTH FLOOR, AS IT IS
CAVES THROUGH HOLES. TRADITION IN BANGLADESH.

CAVE OPENING. THE AIRY FIRST FLOOR

THE PANELS, MADE OF SMALL BAMBOO STICKS, PROVIDE
SHADOW AND AIR FOR A GOOD TEMPERATURE.
 39

Mud House at Anangpur Village,

Surajkund, Haryana is a small residential
building designed by REVATHI KAMATH

Located on a land that was once a quarry,

mining quartzite and Badarpur stone dust.

Ecology of the area had been devastated

by the mining

Original scrub forest had been chopped

and ravaged for fire wood.
 40
A two storey structure
Has load bearing walls made of sun
dried, hand moulded mud bricks.
Intermediate floor is made of
sandstone slabs supported on the mud
walls
 41
Maximum use of natural materials
found in surroundings
Minimum and judicious use of
non-renewable, non-bio-degradable
and fossil resources such as metals,
stone, stone slabs, plastics, cement,
lime etc.
Network was also made to
channelize the rainwater into the
ponds
Ponds - major source of the clay
and silt used to make the mud bricks
for the construction.
Green roof with live grass and
vegetation tops the two storey
structure.
Structure has High thermal
capacity – thick walls , green roof