Rammed earth (pise) wall construction

Moist subsoil compacted in temporary formwork, layer by layer, into a dense monolithic wall. Excellent thermal mass (a 30cm wall delays heat transfer by 8-9 hours) but genuinely poor insulation value on its own, needs supplementary insulation, ideally on the interior face, to perform thermally rather than just thermally-massively.

Cost

Low

Upkeep

Occasional

Skill to build

Intermediate

Lifespan

60->200 years, unstabilised rammed earth has a documented extrapolated lifetime beyond 60 years, with examples over 200 years old

Embodied carbon

Low

Space / material use

High

Output timing

None

Skill to repair

Basic

Regulation (FR example)

Part of the structure or footprint: covered by the building permit (permis de construire) for a new dwelling. Rural sites are additionally constrained by the commune's PLU zoning, outside a constructible zone, a new dwelling is generally refused.

Note: Cost, carbon and footprint are rated against the other options for this same need, not in absolute terms.

Inputs

none

Outputs

none

Sources

• Rammed earth durability literature (ScienceDirect 20-yr rammed-earth weathering study)

Tutorials

• https://www.zestarchitecture.com/learning-to-design-and-build-a-rammed-earth-wall/
• https://www.architectureterrebois.fr/comment-monter-un-mur-en-pise/

What this page does not tell you

No sizing or quantities: how much a technique yields, and how much a household needs, both depend on the build and the people, so the catalogue compares options rather than dimensioning them. It carries no bill of materials and no build sequence, and it is written for an oceanic, clay-soil climate (Normandy, France). Regulatory notes are indicative and need confirming locally.