We are planning a trip to Congo in the near future to investigate the possibility of providing tech training for an indigenous community development organization already operating there. This is how they are currently milling the lumber to build their houses and training facilities. And another picture of them building two lane roads by hand. I was rather impressed. We are hoping that maybe we can help them with skills to build or acquire a little better technology if we can do it in a sustainable, “non-welfare” way.
Pierre, great vid. Thanks. Too bad they don’t have eye and ear protection or a gaurd on that blade.
Hi Billy,
Zooming to 1968, I was running a survey crew(MCB 7) on route 9 near Cam Lo vil. I’m watching some Vietnamese
town folks doing this same sawing. I was totally amazed at their display of finished wooden chairs.
I never got a pic of any of it, thanks for posting.
A good memory and connection with every day people for me.
Pepe
This technology looks to me much superior to milling wood, or most any other building technique, especially where labour isn’t a significant cost factor.
It’s apparently superior to fired bricks in compressive strength, withstands indefinite submersion. Popular enough in some states that Vermeer sells an automatic hydraulic pressing machine.
We have a long experience with this machine of earth blocks (more than 30 years) I´ll try to post some pictures. We called it SINVARAN (we learned about these in Colombia and we builded some), we have walls standing up for 30 years now (I´ll have to fetch the pictures). It´s fast and durable. It´s a long term and unexpensive solution. In my humble opinion, that´s the way to go.
According to what I read, the compressed earth block press was invented in Guatemala, following a seismic disaster in the 1970’s, look up CINVA. It has been widely adapted and presses improved since then. A brilliant system, I like the “Lego” style, which allows reinforced concrete grouting, and easy running of electrical cables. The mass of the bricks will provide excellent sound deadening, and will help maintain interior temperatures, cool or warm.
Great video Pierre. Very detailed construction information, practically plans to build one. Very seldom that you see so much build information of a commercial product. Many of the designs could be used on other projects, motor mounts, tensioners, adjusters, guards, very efficient and straight forward build.
BillS asked the important question of what type of “woodstove” in Eastern Europe is driving the need for a wood chunker to feed it?
BillS I have seen videos of these - basically in-home hot water boiler systems for whole-house warming and domestic hot water. The commercial fuel is large formed spec made wood products pellets. The home systems are not in-room for pleasure/monitoring/feeding, but out-of-sight enclosed batch burning systems. VERY automated. Need outside electrical power to function.
This home-grown chunked up wood is for make-your-own freedom fuel into what are really commercial spec fuel designs. https://woodstoves.net
Has a decent blog-out on overall systems pros&cons (comparing to N.A. outside woodboilers) article titled, “The Problem With European Style Batch Burner Boilers”
Actually searching for some Eastern European woodboiler manufactures and all’s I got was a bunch of masonry stove links in Eco published sources. . . . and a bunch of burning ANY Wood In Any of Europe IS Very Bad, links.
Here is just one of those:
So see fellows . . . ANY change that would toes step on existing energy supplier networks; or offend intelligentsia’s New-Man/New-Era/New-Age/New-Millennia spins will get vilified.
Grumpier getting day-by day
tree-FARMER Steve unruh
Darn. I cannot get thier site blog section to link up.
In the Obadiah’s site links above open up “Biomass Boilers” and then open up and look over the PELCO systems.
Also open up “Pellet Boilers” and then open up and expand out and look over the WINDHAGER systems.
You will get the idea.
S.U.
Sigh. Here: https://woodstoves.net/blog/wood-heating.htm
Read the “Problem With European Style Batch Burner Boilers” to the end conclusion and you will find essentially J.O.'s evolved whole-house system in the recommended commercially built Glenwood Residential wood/coal/oil systems.
S.U.
Seems impossible that “bricks” made of dirt and a bit of Portland cement would have any long-term structural integrity. If you say it does, I believe you and would try it myself!
If you read the info for CEB, they are composed of a specific mix, certain percentage clay, certain amount sand, no topsoil or organic material. The last video I posted shows a block that has been soaking in water for 10 years. They say the compressive strength is greater than fired bricks.
Seems like an amazing step forward to be able to use earth from on site to produce such a good building product. But for me this is only information and theory. Hopefully Abner will show his results soon.
Meanwhile, here’s a construction video from the southwest US, I believe.
Very true on all the unnecessary gizmos. Why I started looking around for gasification boilers without them 20 years ago. I found two Swedish made models and had a clone of one of them made. Ash cleanout once a week is the only maintence I’ve done since I installed it 2003.
The whole system runs just fine even without electrical power. Natural draft and heat driven circulation is enough.
Also the refractory combustion chamber is a simple contruction. I plan to cast my own when the original one wears out.
OK, here comes the wall (I hope) It´s been hard because I live in a forest and my comunication is with a pen drive modem, it comes and goes with hicups and epilepsy.
The old wall (32 years) covered by roof.
Old wall uncovered because the roof colapsed (notice the diference in texture, but also 32 years old)
Old wall by the inside (uncovered, no roof). The white wall on the right is covered with adobe mix and painted with lime paint.
Inside the studio with good roof, also 32 years old. You can see the texture of the earth blocks is perfect.
Found the machine. I´ll try to take it out and make good pictures or a short video of it.
What we did was agregate 10% dry cement on the earth and 0,25% of sulfure (this prevents bugs an other parasits to live on the wall and if they lay eggs, these die. Beaten dry and than, after the tests we put or not put a little water on the mix.
Hope you like the results. We know this really works.
As I understand it, “CINVA” was invented in the 1950’s and then improved upon in 1976 after the Guatemala earthquake of that year with a different form called “CETA” ram bricks. Each name coming from the governmental org. and NGO involved in making each of them respectively. (But my info could be wrong, I wasn’t there. haha)
We have a CINVA ram press down at SIFAT that came through Habitat for Humanity. Their preferred brick housing method for central America through the 1980’s-90’s.
And we have a CETA press here at ADAPTech which we use to teach classs. Interestingly enough, our press was manufactured in Thailand from Chinese steel made from American scrap metal, and shipped here to a missionary from Equip International in North Corolina working in Beliz, then donated to us at ADAPTech in Alabama for teaching people from all over the world.
It is an incredible technology. We are planning to use it to build our mechanic shop if we ever get around to it.
We make good cheap bricks with only 10-15% portland cement and the rest local Alabama cotton clay.
Every place is a little different as to mixture depending on local materials. We have buildings here built as early as 1982 still in great shape.
The CINVA is a solid brick. The CETA a brick with linking convex/concave parts and two hollow spots for linking with concrete cylinders or metal rebar etc. to allow the wall to move without crumbling.
This is my daughter´s house. It´s made from rice bags filled with cob and same combination of cement and sulfur. Compressed by feet. Cheap, efective, thermodynamic, solid, antiearthquake, antistorm (supports winds over 300 kph), durable (about 500 years), easy to enlarge, etc…
This also works, but needs the bags, and barbwire, and chicken fence screen to build it and much more work.
Since this “Wood supply” topic has turned to building materials, I thought i would add my little Rwanda video of building with rammed earth. No cement necessary with the right mix of sand, clay, aggregate and water. Hard like concrete. Thomas Jefferson’s favorite. Slip form with 6"-8" layers rammed with metal tampers until it rings then add another layer.
