TYPES OF MUD WALL

CONSTRUCTION
 MUD…
 MUD IS A LIQUID OR SEMI LIQUID OF WATER AND SOME
COMBINATION OF SOIL, SILT AND CLAY. ANCIENT MUD DEPOSITS
HARDEN OVER GEOLOGICAL TIME TO FORM SILTSTONE OR SOLID,
MUDROCK LUTITES.

 WHEN GEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS OF MUD ARE FORMED IN

ESTUARIES THE RESULTANT LAYERS ARE TERMED BAY MUDS.
MUD IS CLOSELY RELATED TO SLURRY AND SEDIMENT.

 MUD, IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, REFERS TO WET PLASTER,

STUCCO, CEMENT OR OTHER SIMILAR SUBSTANCES.

 MUD IS SIMILAR TOMUCK, BUT LACKING SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES

OF HUMUS, AND OFTEN CONTAINING HIGHER PROPORTIONS OF
SAND.
 CLASSIFICATION
THE MAIN CLASSIFICATION SCHEME USED
BROADLY SEPARATES THE MUD INTO 3
CATEGORIES BASED ON THE MAIN
COMPONENT THAT MAKES UP THE MUD:
 1)‘WATER BASED MUD’ (WBM).
THIS CAN BE SUB DIVIDED INTO
DISPERSED AND NON-DISPERSED
 2)‘NON AQUEOUS’ OR MORE COMMONLY
OIL BASED MUD’ (OBM) THIS ALSO
INCLUDES SYNTHETIC OILS (SBM).
 3)GASEOUS OR PNEUMATIC MUD.
 TYPES OF MUD WALLS

COB WATTLE AND DAUB

RAMMED EARTH

ADOBE STABILIZED BLOCKS

 COB

 A LARGE LUMP OF CLAY IS

ROUGHLY MOULDED INTO A BALL
 A ROW OF THESE COBS OF MUD ARE
NEATLY PLACED SIDE BY SIDE
 SIDES ARE SMOOTHENED AFTER 3 OR 4
LAYERS
 COB
• For cob construction you mix straw and often small gravel into a sandy soil. You form
the mixture into lumps or cobs, which you then throw on to the wall and stamp or work
into the previous layer. The rough surface is later trimmed up, and usually rendered to
give a smooth surface. The result is often a softly undulating surface, which can follow
whatever shape you choose to build into the wall. Cob builds extra thick or curved walls
easily, and it is common for them to taper inwards towards the top.
• This technique is also very shrinkage sensitive and a mixture has to be found that
minimises shrinkage. Because of the comparative lack of modern experience in New
Zealand with cob, it is included in the Earth Building Standards only as an informative
section, so careful analysis of materials and design is required.
 RAMMED EARTH(pise)
AN IMPROVED TECHNIQUE COMPARED TO COB & IT
REGULARISES THE THICKNESS & IS MORE
COMPRESSED

STIFF MUD IS THROWN IN BETWEEN TWO

PARALLEL PLANKS HELD TOGETHER AND RAMMED
DOWN USING A RAM ROD

IT IS BETTER TO FOLLOW A BONDING PATTERN

THE THICKNESS OF THESE WALLS ARE AROUND

600mm BUT RECENTLY WALLS BUILT FROM EARTH
STABILISED WITH CEMENT ARE AROUND 300 mm
 RAMMED EARTH
 RAMMED EARTH BUILDINGS ARE COMMON IN ARID
REGIONS WHERE WOOD IS SCARCE .
 IT INVOLVES A PROCESS OF COMPRESSING A DAMP
MIXTURE OF EARTH THAT HAS SUITABLE
PROPORTIONS
OF SAND, GRAVEL AND CLAY.
 TRADITIONAL STABILIZERS SUCH AS LIME OR ANIMAL
BLOOD WERE USED TO STABILIZE THE MATERIAL, BUT
CEMENT HAS BEEN THE STABILIZER OF CHOICE FOR
MODERN TIMES.
 IN MODERN VARIATIONS OF THE METHOD THE
RAMMED EARTH WALLS ARE CONSTRUCTED ON TOP
OF CONVENTIONAL FOOTINGS OR A REINFORCED
CONCRETE BASE.
 RAMMED EARTH
• Rammed earth walls are constructed by ramming a
mixture of earth, with gravel, sand, silt and clay, into
place between formwork. Ramming is done with manual
or mechanical rammers.

• Sand is added to most soils to reduce shrinkage which

can otherwise be a problem. Stabilised rammed earth has
5-10% cement added to give extra strength and
durability.

• they can be stuccoed, plastered painted or left natural

and sealed to better waterproofing them.
 RAMMED EARTH

• The mixture must be carefully mixed and almost dry. The formwork can be removed
immediately after the wall is finished.

• Earth buildings should not contain any organic matter. This will rot, allowing mould and
fungi to grow, and also weakening the structure.
•
• Rammed earth walls are limited to the shapes that can be built with your removable
shuttering
• External walls are usually 30cm thick, and internal walls may be 20cm. Curved walls are
possible but need more expensive formwork.

• The appearance of rammed earth walls depends on the materials used. It often has a
stratified look caused by the ramming process.
 WATTLE & DAUB

 THIS SYSTEM USES MUD AS

A PLASTER TO COVER THIN
PANELS OF CANE/SPLIT BAMBOO
THAT ARE WOVEN TOGETHER
AND HELD IN PLACE BY POLES
 WATTLE & DAUB
 THIS IS USED PARTICULARLY FOR MEETING
HOUSINGREQUIREMENTS IN AREAS PRONE TO
CYCLONES OR EARTHQUAKES.
 WATTLE IS USED TO FORM THE STRUCTURE OF
THE HOUSE AND MUD IS USED TO DAUB THE WALLS.
DURING THE RAINS, THE DAUB MAY BE WASHED AWAY
BUT IT IS EASILY REPLACED. THE WATTLE CAN WITHSTAND ANY
EARTH TREMORS.
 THE WATTLE IS MADE BY WEAVING THIN BRANCHES (EITHER
WHOLE, OR MORE USUALLY SPLIT) OR SLATS BETWEEN UPRIGHT
STAKES.
 THE WATTLE MAY BE MADE AS LOOSE PANELS, SLOTTED
BETWEEN TIMBER FRAMING TO MAKE INFILL PANELS, OR IT MAY BE
MADE IN PLACE TO FORM THE WHOLE OF A WALL.
 ADOBE OR SUNDRIED
BRICKS

A SMALL BOX OR MOULD OF

WOOD OR METAL IS USED AND THE
STIFF CLAY IS SQUASHED INTO THE
MOULD AND THEN TURNED OUT TO ORDINARY MOULD

CURE AND SLOWLY DRY.

USE SAME AS BURNT BRICKS OR

CEMENT BLOCKS
ONE TIME MOULD FOR
SEVERAL BLOCKS
 ADOBE OR SUNDRIED
BRICKS
• Adobe bricks are made by blending together soil and water
into a goopy mix.
• Often straw or other fibres are added to help reduce
cracking.. You can cast different shapes of bricks to create
wedges for corners or arches, 45-degree corners, or rebates
for jambs. You can cut holes in newly cast bricks for
reinforcing or services

• Once they are firm enough you lift the bricks onto their
sides, trim them, and then stack them to air-dry and cure
 ADOBE OR SUNDRIED
BRICKS
• Any shrinkage occurs during this drying. In the summer, it takes about a week of
hot, dry weather for the bricks to cure adequately before they can be handled and
used. In the summer, it takes about a week of hot, dry weather for the bricks to cure
adequately before they can be handled and used.

• Mud bricks are laid with a thick layer of mud mortar between them. This mortar is
also rubbed over the walls to fill in any gaps and cracks.

• Mud brick allows a greater range of soils to be used compared with rammed earth.
 STABILIZED MUD BLOCKS

F E A T U R E S
 20% - 30% CHEAPER THAN FIRED BRICKS
 MEDIUM TO GOOD STABILITY
 GOOD RESISTANCE TO HURRICANE AND RAIN
 LABOUR INTENSIVE
 SUITABLE FOR ALL CLIMATES
 TECHNOLOGY BASED ON SELF-HELP METHOD
 STABILIZED MUD BLOCKS
MAKING STABILIZED MUD BLOCKS

 TESTING THE SUITABILITY OF THE SOIL

 MIXING OF STABILIZER, SOIL AND WATER

 MECHANICAL PROCESS OF COMPRESSION

 STACKING AND CURING

 STABILIZED MUD BLOCKS
• Stabilized mud blocks (SMBs) are manufactured by compacting a wetted mixture
of soil, sand, and stabilizer in a machine into a high-density block. Such blocks are
used for the construction of load-bearing masonry. Cement soil mortar is commonly
used for SMB masonry. This paper presents the results of an experimental
investigation in characterizing the properties of SMB masonry using cement-soil
mortars. The compressive strength, stress-strain relationships, and elastic properties
of SMB masonry using three types of SMBs and cement-soil mortars are discussed.
The influence of a cement-soil mortar's composition and strength on masonry
characteristics is examined. The results of masonry using cement-soil mortars are
compared with those using conventional mortars (cement mortar and cement-lime
mortar).
 STABILIZED MUD BLOCKS

• Some of the major findings are: (1) SMB masonry strength is sensitive
to block strength and increases with increase in block strength; (2) the
strength of SMB masonry using cement-soil mortars is more sensitive
to the cement content of the mortar than to the clay fraction of the
mortar mix; (3) the masonry modulus increases as the block strength
increases; and (4) SMB masonry with cement-soil mortars shows
higher modulus than the masonry using cement mortar and cement-
lime mortar.
 SUPERADOBE

• Super Adobe is a form of Earthbag Construction that was developed

by Iranian architect Nader Khalili. The technique utilizes long
snake-like sand bags to form a beehive shaped compressive
structure that employs arches, domes, and vaults to create single and
double-curvature shell structures that are strong and aesthetically
pleasing. It has received growing interest for the past two decades in
the Natural building and Sustainability movements. Due to Super
Adobe’s inexpensive nature, ease in construction, and use of locally
available materials, it has also been proposed for use as a long term
emergency shelter. Super Adobe is also known as Superadobe, and
Superblock.
 PRESSED EARTH

• One of the more modern additions to the earth building scene, dating from last century,
the making of compressed earth bricks in manually or engine-operated presses is now a
widespread practice around the world.
• make the bricks from a dry mix, often stabilised with up to 10% cement. The
compression given by the machine compacts the soil particles together to make dense
regular shaped bricks, usually around 300 x 300 x 130mm in size.
• Most presses will enable some variety of shapes to be made so holes for reinforcing and
rebates for window jambs can be pre-formed, but bricks of a different size are usually
difficult to produce. You can produce the bricks on-site using a manual ram, or buy

them from a manufacturer .

 PRESSED EARTH

• Being hard, dense and regular, earth bricks can be

laid up very precisely to form geometric shapes, or
laid more loosely depending on the aesthetic results
required.
• These bricks are the nearest things in earth building
to concrete blocks in design and finish
considerations.
• You can sometimes use a sand/cement/earth mix for
the mortar, although often a mix of hydrated lime,
cement and sand performs better.
 SUMMARY

Cost
• Earth building uses inexpensive materials but is very labor intensive.
• It is more cost effective to have a source of suitable earth on-site.
Durability and weather tightness
• Earth buildings can last a very long time and generally require very little maintenance as long
as they are not exposed to driving rain. To provide this protection, overhanging eaves or
verandahs
are needed.
Strength
• In general, earth buildings are very strong in compression, but not so strong in tension.
• Earth walls can be reinforced to withstand earthquake loads and are fire resistant and vermin
resistant