Clay is a naturally occurring aluminium silicate composed primarily of fine-grained minerals.

Clay
deposits are mostly composed of clay minerals, a subtype of phyllosilicate minerals, which impart
plasticity and harden when fired or dried; they also may contain variable amounts of water trapped
in the mineral structure by polar attraction. Organic materials which do not impart plasticity may
also be a part of clay deposits.

Clay as a building material

Clay is one of the oldest building materials on Earth, among other ancient, naturally-
occurring geologic materials such as stone and organic materials like wood. Between one-
half and two-thirds of the world's population, in traditional societies as well as developed
countries, still lives or works in a building made with clay as an essential part of its load-
bearing structure. Also a primary ingredient in many natural building techniques, clay is used
to create adobe, cob, cordwood, and rammed earth structures.

http://www.networkearth.org/naturalbuilding/clay.html

An Introduction to Traditional and Modern German

Clay Building
FRANK ANDRESEN

"Don't be afraid of being called unmodern. Changes in the old methods of construction are only
allowed if they can claim to bring improvement, otherwise stick with the old ways. Because the truth,
even if hundreds of years old, has more inner connection than falsehood which walks beside us."
Adolf Loos, 1913

The aim of this short introduction is to give an overall view of the qualities and varieties of the use of
clay as a building material in combination with straw and other elements.

Clay, pure or mixed with sand, is a universally existing material. Because of different geographic,
climatic and cultural conditions, regional building techniques were developed throughout the world,
which can be traced back for thousands of years. Now, after a period of decline, building with clay is
making a comeback. However, the so-called "Third-World" nations are not the only ones constructing
buildings with earthen materials; ecological and economical problems of the industrial nations are
leading to a return to clay there as well. Clay as a local, non-toxic, affordable and recyclable material,
is much more than just a substitute. Home-owners seeking money- and energy-saving building
materials are also seeing the advantages of the durable, healthy and agreeable room climate of
structures built with natural materials like wood, straw and clay.

Building with clay has a long tradition in Germany and other European countries. Framed structures
(half-timbered houses) from the 12th century, filled with a mixture of clay and straw fibers, still exist.
This traditional technique called "wattle and daub," is still in use in the preservation of historic
buildings. Oak stakes are installed vertically into the frame, woven with willow and covered with a
heavy mixture of clay and straw. When the infills are dry, they are plastered with a mix of lime, sand
and animal hair. Finally the surface is painted with lime. Some other historical techniques still
practiced are "Lehmwickelstaken" which consists of oak stakes wrapped with a mix of straw fibers and
clay paste, and mainly used as a ceiling infill; and "Lehmwellerbau," a technique practiced since the
middle ages which involves straw-clay loosely stacked with a pitch-fork and then compressed. After a
couple of days drying time, the layers are shaved with a triangular spade and the next layer is
stacked.

Due to a lack of building materials after World War II, an increased amount of interest was shown in
clay building and a standard clay building code was introduced. The advent of the "Wirtchaftswunder"
with its modern building materials and "modern thinking," ousted building with clay from everyday life.
Not until the end of the '70s were clay products again tested, improved and used with renewed vigor.
As a further refinement, "straw/clay" was developed. The term light-clay means the mixing of liquid
clay with large quantities of light materials such as straw, wood chips, cork or minerals.

For the production of straw/clay, clay "slip" is mixed with straw. More straw added to the clay will
result in a lighter mixture, while less straw creates one which is heavier. To get a very light mixture,
the use of a slip with a high-percentage of clay is necessary. Medium-weight mixtures are most
realistic for practical work on the building site.

The straw/clay mix is tossed together, then is covered with a tarp for a day or two before the mixture
is placed into a "slip form" and tamped. To preserve the mixture's insulation qualities, it is necessary
that the tamping not be too hard. After filling and tamping a section, the form boards can be removed
immediately, and moved up for the next section. Although dependent on water content, outside
temperature and wind conditions, final drying time for a 12 inch thick wall is approximately 12 weeks
(about l" per week) during the warm season. Walls thicker than 12" are not recommended as the
straw may begin to rot before it can dry.

The use of wood chips instead of straw as an aggregate in light-clay mixtures has increased in
popularity in the 90s. The drying time, shrinkage behavior and most importantly, labor intensity are
reduced when using wood chips. While temporary slip forms or permanent form work can be used,
the use of reed mats stapled to a light lath framework is common. The ingredients wood chips, fibers,
and shavings can be mixed easily with clay using a mortar mixer or even a cement mixer, then poured
or shoveled into the formwork with no tamping required. For mineral-light-clay, the plants and straw in
the mixture are replaced by an artificially-foamed clay product to reduce both the drying time and
shrinking problem. This is more energy intensive and not commonly used.

An industrial prefabricated dry board has been developed in the last few years called
"Lehmbauplatte," a fabric-coated, plant-fibre reinforced clay board in which a clay paste is applied to
an unrolled burlap fabric jute net. Two to five or more layers of reed mats are laid crosswise with
alternate layers of clay paste, over the burlap. Finally, it is covered with another layer of burlap and
transported to a drying station. Material tests with this board have shown excellent fireproofing, sound
proofing, deformation and diffusion values. The Lehmbauplatte can be used as a permanent form,
combined with blown in cellulose, or as a ceiling and insulation board. It can be screwed, nailed and
sawed.

Another possibility is the production of straw/clay blocks as a ceiling infill between the beams or as a
light dividing wall. By installing two laths (bamboo or branches) as reinforcement in the center of the
ceiling blocks, small amounts of weight can be supported temporarily during the time of construction.
As required, these blocks can be made either "light" or "heavy." In addition, these light-clay products
are easily sawn.

Frank Andresen is available for workshops and consulting on light-clay materials, plasters and dry
clay products.

 Clay Bricks
General:

Clay bricks shall be hand or machine moulded, allowance being made for shrinkage in
drying and burning. Clay bricks shall be free from cracks and flaws and nodules of free lime.
Bricks of 9 cm height shall be moulded with a frog 1 cm or 2 cm deep on one of its flat sides.
these bricks are used in general, for different types of building works.

Classification of Clay Bricks:

Class I Bricks - They shall have uniform color, shall be thoroughly burnt but not over-burnt,
shall have plain rectangular faces with parallel sides and sharp straight edges. They shall have
fine, compact and uniform texture, and emit a clear ringing sound when struck against each
other.

Class II Bricks - They shall have uniform color and may be slightly over-burnt. The bricks
may be slightly distorted and have round edges. They shall have fine, compact, uniform
texture and emit a clear ringing sound when struck.

Class III Bricks - They may be slightly under-burnt or over-burnt. They may be distorted
and have round edges. The defects in uniformity and shape shall not be such to cause
difficulty in obtaining uniform courses with their use.
 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Basement-Construction-in-Clay-Soils&id=724976

Basement Construction in Clay Soils

If you plan basement construction in an area that has clay in the soil, you need to take
precautions to avoid structural damage to your home. So here are a couple tips to consider
before you start basement construction in clay soils.

Before you start basement construction you need to know what type of soil you are building
on. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has soil information on most of the United States.
Soil testing can also be done so you will know what you are working with. Another important
step is to make sure the ground is compacted. Failing to compact the ground properly can
also lead to trouble in the future.

Expansive clay soils, such as bentonite and montmorillonite, can cause structural damage to
basements and home foundations when proper precautions aren't taken during construction.
When deciding to build a basement in an area that has clay soil you need keep in mind the
nature of the soil that you plan to build on. Clay holds moisture and as the seasons change the
amount of moisture in the soil also changes.

If you build on clay when it is holding large amounts of moisture, you can have your
basement sink as the moisture content of the soil decreases. If you build while the moisture
content is low, your basement may be pushed up when the moisture content increases. This
can end up causing structural cracks. There are several ways to deal with the seasonal
changes in the moisture content in clay when you are constructing a basement.

Before putting in the basement, you need to be building on stable ground. With clay in
particular, it is important to make sure you have the ground compacted properly so you do
not end up with the ground shifting under the weight of your home. It is possible to treat the
soil with a lime mixture to increase stability and control swelling. This is done by removing a
layer of the soil and adding several trenches under the area you want to construct your
basement or foundation. Once you have the trenches in place you fill them with a lime
mixture. This treatment adds about a month on the time you are going to need for
construction.

Basements that are built in clay soil need to be able to breathe or move up and down slightly
with the ground water in the soil. Concrete floors are not attached to the concrete foundation
so that this movement doesn't cause structural damage. To allow for this movement, all
internal walls in the basement need to be "floating walls" or raised walls. Floating walls are
suspended from the first floor and have a gap between the wall and the concrete floor slab.
When you build in some areas you are actually required to use floating walls in basement
construction. When you obtain your building permit you need to find out of this is a
requirement for your area.

When basement construction includes plumbing, a reverse of this floating wall process is
required. The floating walls are attached to the floor to create a solid base and the space is at
the top of the wall in these cases. Expansion joints and flex lines are used for basement
plumbing when working in clay soil to allow for the natural movement with ground moisture
changes. Space must be left for pipes to reduce the risk of pipe breakage.