11thInternationalConference onEnvironmentalScienceandTechnology Chania,Crete,Greece,35September2009

G.FIVOSSARGENTIS V.C.KAPSALIS N.SYMEONIDIS Nonprofitorganization, Astrapogiannou9,11526 Athens,Greece

1.

INTRODUCTION

2.

MODELDESCRIPTION

Inordertoliveinasustainableworld,newnormsofsocietyhavetoorganize theexistenceofpeopleinsustainableforms. Modernismsaidthatformfollowsfunctionandforthelastcenturythe functionwas:tomakemoney. Buttheworldnowisdifferent.Moneyislostandwehaveproducedso muchfakemoneywhichleadsustoafakeword.Thereforewehavetobuild anewworldwitheco(economicalandecological)principalsinordertofind thenormsofthenewcentury. Newworld(people)ismoving,becauseofimmigration,upcomingdisasters, neweconomybalance.Untilnowthereisenoughspaceintheworld,but stateoftheart livingconnectsallthepeopletothebigcities.Insidethese cities,buildingblocksandghettosaredesignedtokeepthesparepeople. Upcomingfeedbackofthisfunctionisthatlargeareasofthecitiesareinuse asdisposalcentresforpeople,withnolowandhighlevelsofcriminality. So,insteadofadisposalcentre,theprojectistodesigncentreswith respectofhumandignity. Earthbuildinggivestheopportunitytobethedesignandtheconstruction fromthepeopleandbythepeople. Earthbuildingis:fast,economic,recyclableandneedslittleenergyinorder toachievethermalcomfort. Therearemanymethodstobuildusingtheearth.Thesimplicityofthe constructionandtheabilityofachievingagoodqualityconstructionwiththe minimummoney,givesthehopethatthisactioncanprovideanswerstothe bigquestionsofourtimes. Therearefourbasictechniquestomakethisconstruction:adobe,cob,rammed earthandearthbug:adobe,cob,rammedearthandearthbag Earthbagisthefasterconstructionmethodbecausetheelastic mouldofthe bagisveryhelpfultocompressandstabilizethematerial.Butthematerialhas todryontheconstructionanduntilthen,thebuildingisunstableforasmalltime period.

3.

MODELTESTS

4.

ENVIRONMENTALEVALUATION

3.1DesignAnalysis ThestructureisanalyzedusingtheNastranNXcommercialcodeunderthe FEMAPv9.3postprocessor.The18degreeoffreedom(d.o.f)triangularshell elementisimplemented.Afinemeshof32155elementsisconstructedwitha totalof97986dofs.Thestructureispinnedatitsbase.NodalLoadsare computedandimposedintothestructure,takingintoaccountwindandsnow actions,accordingtotheEC1norm.

5.
Maximumshearstress 3.2Energytests Maximumcomprasivestress

DISCUSIONCONCLUSIONS

Evenifearthbuildingandeartharchitectureisanancientconstructionmethod inGreeceandspeciallyinCrete,todaytherearenotenoughstandardstobuild withearthinGreece.Butcodesandstandardsofearthbuildingaretryingtobe solvedinothercountries. Morethanthat,earthisusedinbuildingasmortarbuildingmaterial(artificial stone)withlesscompressivestrengththanconcretebutusedandmadeuplike concrete.Itneedsthoughalotofexperienceandtestinginordertofindthe propermaterialtobuildwith. Anotherproblemisthatearthbuildingisnotrecommendedforhighlevel development.Butcitiesasweknowthemarehopelessanyway.Soearth buildinggivesthedesignprinciplesofnewformsofcity. Aspresented,earthbuildinggivestheopportunitytothepeopletobuildtheir homesinanecologicalandeconomicalwayandtobeabletoapplythis methodofconstructioninorganiccities. Thesecitieswilleasilybeconstructed,recycledandtransformedifnecessary. Andthisishowearthbuildingmaygivedodmanhisshell(shelter)ineach placeonmotherearth.

Conventionalconstructionin ECOTECT

Prototypeearthmodel

Resultsinconventional construction

Resultsinearthmodel