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Material · T-01 Established Materials & Methods

Earth (subsoil)

Clay, sand and silt dug from the site or nearby. Strong in compression and heavy, but a poor insulator and weak when wet.

Origin
local
Insulating value
About R-1 per foot of soil
Moisture
Keep it dry at the base and top. Earth walls fail from water long before they fail from load.

Sources

  1. Earthship. Wikipedia. · accessed November 4, 2026
  2. Pisé de terre. South Carolina Encyclopedia. · accessed November 4, 2026

Fact-checked November 4, 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us.

In the Journal

Material Notes

Forty feet of rammed earth

The Church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg, SC, has rammed-earth walls about 40 feet tall. A material note on pisé and how it ages.
Field Notes

Is it legal? Natural building and the code

A plain guide to model-code appendices for cob, straw bale and tiny houses, and why an appendix existing is not the same as your town allowing it.