Localization Study, Demonstration and Extension of Upgraded Rammed-earth Technology in Rural China

Construction with earthen materials, one of the oldest traditional technologies, has been widely employed all over China in the past millennia. However, regarded as a symbol of “poverty” in recent years, more and more rammed-earth dwellings have been abandoned and replaced by conventional concrete and fired brick constructions. Unfortunately, these often poorly executed concrete-brick dwellings offer poor results in terms of comfort, anti-seismic capacity and sustainability, in connection with the limited economic, technologic and educational conditions within rural China. Authorized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China (MOHURD), in 2011 a demonstration research project was launched by the Wu Zhi Qiao Charitable Foundation with the scientific support of CRATerre-ENSAG. Based on the innovation and improvement of local traditional rammed-earth technology, it aims to illustrate an affordable, sustainable and ecological way to construct rural dwellings, which could be adopted and passed on by villagers in regions where rammed-earth construction is traditionally practiced. With the village of Macha (Gansu Province) as the starting point, earth-material science and its related technical theories were first identified and tested through a series of adapted experimental and practical studies. Promoted by MOHURD, by 2016, research outputs have been successfully extended to 10 other regions.