The external walls of our rammed earth buildings are a minimum of 300mm (1 ft) thick, providing excellent protection from extremes in climate. The thickness and density of the material means that heat (or cold) penetration of the wall is very slow and the internal temperature of the building remains relatively stable, with the end result of it feeling warmer in winter and cooler in summer than the outside temperature. Rammed earth is a popular choice for buildings where temperature fluctuations need to be kept to a minimum, such as the National Wine Centre of Australia.

The thickness and density of the walls mean that unwanted sounds such as traffic noise are kept out. Internal walls in rammed earth can also be extremely useful in providing sound insulation between areas with different needs — for instance between living and sleeping areas, between a public or family room and a study area, or in party walls between townhouses. CSIRO tests indicate a sound transmission rating of over 50 decibels for a rammed earth wall of 250mm.

As CSIRO research (and thousands of years of use worldwide) has proved, rammed earth can withstand pretty much anything nature can throw at it. Our 20+ years of experience, backed up with scientific testing, ensure maximum strength and durability for every project.

Rammed earth walls are maintenance free. They are features that stand alone and don’t need finishing with gyprock, render, paint, wallpaper, tiles or anything else. There is no need to ever again spend time and money painting! But should you prefer any of these other finishes they can be applied to rammed earth walls in just the same way as to other masonry walls. Rammed earth walls are permanent and require no ongoing maintenance.

Earth doesn’t burn. This is an ideal material for bush settings and leafy suburbs. CSIRO tests showed that a 250mm rammed earth block wall achieved a 4 hour fire resistance rating. A 150mm wall achieved a rating of 3 hrs 41 minutes. Our walls are even stronger, being 300mm thick and of monolithic rather than block construction (so have no vulnerable mortar joints).

Engineers recognize rammed earth as load bearing, so you are unlikely to need other structural framing for your home, cutting costs, fire and pest susceptibility. Rammed earth also provides substantial bracing to buildings — usually well in excess of the minimum requirement achieved by most timber framed homes. It provides a feeling of stability and security in even the worst weather conditions.

Rammed earth walls are fast to go up. The walls of an average home can be up and ready for the roof framing in as little as a week.

Unlike most types of masonry, rammed earth walls don’t need core filling or reinforcing. Nor do they need gyprocking, plastering, painting or wallpapering. This saves money and energy when you build — and goes on saving them for years.

Architects are using rammed earth in commercial and domestic buildings of many styles and for many functions. Variations in texture, colour and finish are possible, and elements such as relief details, circular windows, alcoves and feature stones can be incorporated. It is a natural product which blends beautifully with the environment and other natural building materials. Yet it also looks stunning when used in conjunction with man-made materials such as iron, glass and plasterboard — a combination used in several recent award-winning homes

Termites and other pests simply aren’t interested in rammed earth. And since the walls are load bearing structural timber isn’t generally needed with rammed earth construction so the risk of termite attack is even further reduced. There are no cavities in rammed earth walls for pests to live in or use as a route to the roof or other timbers.

Rammed earth is non-toxic, non-polluting and ‘breathes’. This creates safer, more people-friendly buildings. It is very low in embodied energy, and extremely comfortable to live in.