Our Bermed Earth Home with 20,000 Used Tires

Discussion in 'Builders' Talk' started by JimGagnepain, Jun 28, 2015.

  1. JimGagnepain

    JimGagnepain New Member

    I wanted to share some pictures of our bermed-earth home:

    HallSittingArea_TileBrick_Redux.jpg Earthship_Green.jpg LivingRm_Adobe_Stove_Redux.jpg Guest_Bedroom2_Redux.jpg Glass_Block_Redux.jpg Hallway_Lights.jpg Earthship_Turbine_Solar029.jpg

    We used tire bales for this home. Each bale measures approximately 5'x5'x2-1/2' high, with between 80 and 120 compressed tires. They weigh about 1 ton each, and are stacked like bricks. A reinforced concrete bond beam, surrounds the bales. The bales were shotcreted (optional), and then an adobe finish applied over the shotcrete. Between the home, and a large outdoor retaining wall, I estimate there are about 20,000 tires.

    We love living in this home, and would never desire to live in a conventional home again. Our "quality of life" has improved dramatically, primarily in four ways: Quietness, Views, no Forced Air with the Associated Dust, no Utility Bills.

    This type of home originated as the Earthship, and the original designs were from a pioneer architect named Michael Reynolds. His designs used individual rammed earth tires. This also works very well for the same insulative properties, and thermal mass, but it is quite intensive from a labor standpoint. I have friends who pounded dirt in tires for 9 months. We erected our tire bales in 2 days, using a skid steer. We broke ground in April of 2011, and got our occupancy permit in early January, 2012.I acted as General Contractor for this home, but we used the talents and expertise of a number of fantastic contractors, and good people.

    There is a reason why you seldom see Earthships for sale, unless there are construction issues (often limited budgets or some early design flaws resulted in issues). The residents never want to move out of them!
     
    proby likes this.
  2. proby

    proby Active Member

    That looks fantastic, have seen the rammed tyre builds on the TV and they where great as well. Where in the world are you as I cannot see it being built in the UK legally with building regs.
    Looks great though well done mate I'm jealous :(
     
  3. parahandy

    parahandy Screwfix Select

    It should be OK as long as you get it MOTd every 12 months.

    Looks fantastic Jim.
     
  4. JimGagnepain

    JimGagnepain New Member

    I'm in Colorado. Is this Forum mostly UK?
     
  5. Rulland

    Rulland Screwfix Select

    The forum is primarily UK based, as is, but heh, nice thread and nice house tbh.
     
  6. proby

    proby Active Member

    Yes mostly UK but you are very welcome :)
     
  7. Cliffe Packaging

    Cliffe Packaging New Member

    Looks great Jim! We've recently had something like this on television in the UK recently and I think we'll get more people doing this in the UK (if the authorities allow it). We make bulk bags and so I can see us moving into making bags for this type of thing in the future.

    Hope it goes well!
     
  8. proby

    proby Active Member

    Jim you obviously get plenty of sun light do you use solar panels if so how much of your own power do you generate. No utility bills , none at all how about water.
     
  9. JimGagnepain

    JimGagnepain New Member

    Yes, we have solar PVs and a wind turbine, with Netmetering (do you have netmetering in UK?). In 4 years, we have yet to have a month where we didn't have a surplus. Usually we get a check at the end of the year for about $200-300.
     
  10. I love the smell of rubber in the morning :rolleyes:
     
  11. JimGagnepain

    JimGagnepain New Member

    Well unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to enjoy the aroma here. The tires are used, so they're "gassed out". In addition, they're covered by the masonry layers. You'll get a lot more petro vapors from carpeting.
     
  12. Cool - I was yanking yer chain :).

    Much of what you've done there is really impressive and I like it much. Some of the aesthetic decisions are meh, tho', to my taste.

    (I'm really really trying with my Americanisms here... :oops:)

    What do the tyre bundles actually bring to the build? A cheap 'filler'? Do they have good insulation qualities? If so, how?
     
  13. JimGagnepain

    JimGagnepain New Member

    Tire bales have between R-45 and R-60 insulation, which is among the best. At the same time, they offer thermal mass. So they both help to cool, and heat. It's amazing, that often, it will be freezing outside, and we'll wake up to a 70+ deg F house, without any external heat on.

    If I would have used a reinforced concrete wall for my berming, my regional building department would have required that it be insulated, similar to the requirement for basement walls here. This would have negated the thermal mass, and it would have only provided about an R-20 or R-30 insulation.

    The only downside to the bales, is that they require a lot more footprint. So if one doesn't have the land, this could be a problem.
     
  14. Fascinating stuff.

    How do these bales have such a good thermal value - trapped air? If so, how come they are better than other materials? (Or are they 'just as good' but cheaper?

    And how do they also have this thermal mass? I'd have thought the two factors would be mutually exclusive?
     
  15. JimGagnepain

    JimGagnepain New Member

    Yes, trapped air and rubber. Covered by adobe, the air is completely trapped. I don't think it's an exact science. Our local Building Department told me I had to use R45 for the R-value, even though it could be higher.

    Thermal mass is related to the temperature gradients. Say it's 75 deg F in the house. The outside dirt in a bermed home is about 55 deg F. So halfway into the bales, it would be about 65 deg F. This is why the Building Department requires insulation on a concrete wall, which has a very low R value. Without insulation, the house would be very difficult to heat, because 55 deg F walls would constantly be removing the heat. You've been in a cave? It gets cold after a while, and it would be impossible to heat. People who live in caves, huddle around open fires. Covered tire bales, with the high R value, remove very little heat. However, on a hot day, if the temperature starts climbing in the house, the wall will absorb heat.

    That's the bermed walls. The more mass in the rest of the home, that you can keep at a comfortable temperature, the more heat will be absorbed when the room temperature starts to vary. If it's hot, heat is absorbed into the walls. If the air is cold, heat will radiate from the walls.
     
    Deleted member 33931 likes this.
  16. Rob_bv

    Rob_bv Active Member

    Great stuff - would love to see some photos from the construction phase if you have any.
     
  17. Thanks Jim.

    I'd love to see some construction photos too :).
     
  18. JimGagnepain

    JimGagnepain New Member

    Pictures in Order:
    1. Bales set in Place.
    2. Digging French drain.
    3. Plastic and Berming complete.
    4. Bond Beam pour.
    5. Shotcrete over Bales
    6. Floor pour at Mudroom, which links garage to house.
    7. House section floor pour.
    8. Back Wall framing (attached to J-Bolts on bond beam.
    9. Front Wall framing (faces South, holds passive solar glass).
    10. Indoor Framing.
    Bales_in_Place.jpg French_Drain.jpg Bermed_w_Plastic.jpg Bond_Beam_Poured.jpg Shotcrete.jpg Floor_Pour_Garage_Break.jpg Floor_Being_Poured.jpg Back_Wall_Framing.jpg Front_Glass_Framing.jpg Indoor_Framing.jpg
     
  19. proby

    proby Active Member

    Yes Jim we have a feed in tariff but not having solar panels I don't know if it's any good. How do you get on with water are you totally off grid or do you have mains supply.
     
  20. JimGagnepain

    JimGagnepain New Member

    We have a well. We also have a septic. Both pretty standard for this area. The water is good, but it's fairly high in iron, and has a metallic taste, so we have a whole house filter to remove the iron.
     

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