An earthbag wall is built one course at a time: fill each bag to about 80% of its volume, set it fold side down, tamp it flat to roughly 10-12 cm high, lay two strands of barbed wire along the course, and offset the next course by half a bag length. The openings, the bond beam on top, and the plaster finish all follow from this repeating cycle.
Part of Earthbag Building
Earthbag wall construction is a repeating cycle of filling, placing, tamping and wiring, with framing for openings and a beam to finish the top.
One Cycle, Repeated Until The Wall Is Full Height
The whole wall is the same four actions repeated, which is why unskilled crews can do it. Each cycle must leave the course level, flat and locked, because errors carry up through every course above. The detailed articles cover each part:
- Filling and placing bags: Bag Filling and Placement, with the fill details in Fill Ratios and Consistency and the compaction in Tamping Technique.
- Wire: Barbed Wire Between Courses.
- Openings: Window and Door Framing.
- Finishing the top: Bond Beam and Top Plate.
What You Need
- A finished foundation with gravel-filled base courses.
- Fill soil that has passed the field tests.
- Bags, barbed wire, a tamper, a string line and a level.
Method: The Cycle
Step 1: Fill the bag to about 80% of its volume, so it can be closed and is not overstuffed.
Step 2: Place it, fold side down, so the weight of the courses above locks the fold.
Step 3: Tamp it until the top is flat and the bag is roughly 10-12 cm high, spreading to fill the wall thickness.
Step 4: Check the course is level with a string line between the corner points.
Step 5: Lay two strands of barbed wire along the full length of the wall.
Step 6: Start the next course offset by half a bag, in running bond, so vertical joints never line up.
Common Mistakes
- Overfilled bags. They do not tamp flat and make unstable courses.
- No wire. The wall then has minimal tensile strength.
- Aligned vertical joints. The wall then has continuous weak lines.
Safety
Falling bags and wire
A bag on a high course is heavy. Work from a stable platform, never lean over the wall edge while lifting, and wear heavy gloves around wire.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Bag Filling and Placement — the first step in detail
- Combine with: Domes and Arches — when the walls close into a roof