Final Day

Overall the wall was constructed quite well being able to withstand the water being pumped at differents pressures. It was a lengthy process however we did discover that once the mubrick wall was constructed and hardened, little damage was done. Here are a few more photos that have been taken of the final completion of the wall.

Final Thoughts

This project was easier then fist thought. We all quite enjoyed it. Our favourite and messiest stage was the building of the mudbricks. Wet met 4 times during the last 5 months to complete this task.

On our 1st day we met we started work on the wooden moulds. This took longer than we first thought. He had made 2 moulds each holding 12 mudbricks. The moulds were the in simular size of normal masonry bricks. (230x110x 80)

Our 2nd that we met we made the mudbricks. For this stage we needed:
• Sand
• Soil
• Clay Soil
• Grass Clippings
• Water
We mixed all these together in a large pot, and added water or more soil to get the right consistency. The mixture was cold and sticky. We then scooped an amount of this mixture and placed it into the mud brick moulds, levelling it off at the top with a wet piece of wood.
We waited for around 45 to 1hr for it to set a bit, before we removed the wooden mould and refilled it will more mudbrick mixture. Having 2 moulds were great, as one was setting we were making and filling the other mudbrick mould.
We had made around 6 batches of the mixture that day, which was enough and had in total 84 mudbricks.

On the 3rd day, we constructed the timber frame and mudbrick wall. The frame was quite easy to create; we added some noggings and studs and sill trimmer for the window, just like a regular timber frame. This took a very short time to complete. Our next job was to build up the mudbrick wall. We started with the first layer of bricks, of which we then filled the cavities and top with a layer of the same mixture that we used to make the mudbricks , that we made earlier on that day. This was our mortar. Quite quickly the mudbrick wall went up. We also added steel fixings from the timber frame into the wet mortar mixture so that the wall would not fall forward. We added a steel flashing off cut as our sill which worked very well and fitted nicely, and a 10mm thick piece of timber across the top of the window as our lintel. Once we had completed the building all we needed to do was to wait till it dried. To keep it dry from the rain we covered it with plastic all around and tied it down.

On the 4th day , we took off the plastic to find that the mudbrick wall dry and that the mortar had set. It was in excellent condition considering all the rain we had is the time we constructed the wall. We started with the building of the 2 timber rafters, which was a very simple task that only took us 10 minutes. We used 90X45mm pine We fixed these rafters to the timber frame with a steel angel bracket. We created an eave of 400mm. On top of these rafters we used 2 small lengths of timber as roof battens, to support the roof sheeting. We used 3 clip lock roof sheets to cover the wall.

Our next and final task was to do the water test on the mud brick wall we had constructed. Using a hose for 3 minutes we sprayed the roof and the wall with water.
The result was very pleasing. The wall had remained intact. Only a very small amount of dirt had washed off the face off the wall. The water had stayed off the wall when we sprayed the roof, and Mus bricks were still hard when we sprayed directly onto them. (Which was very surprising). I thought that once we applied the water onto the mudbricks that the mudbricks would have begun to disintegrate and we would be left with a large pile of mud at the base. This was not the case.

The task went exceptionally well, and I am very happy with the result.

Michael Angelini

Judgement Day...

All the hard work and effort put in by the team now comes to this very moment where we must now put the wall made of mudbricks under the water test... D:

To our anticipation, the wall stood up quite well under the light spray of water. So we cranked up the hose and sprayed the wall on full blast. Although there was only a little bit of dirt and mud were coming off the wall due to the force of the water, the wall remained relatively undamaged and was still standing. Overall the water test was a success!

Here are some photos of the finished wall...as you can see even a little bit of grass was growing out from the mudbricks ~

Stage 4 Video Of The Final Stage - Watering Down The Wall

Watering Down The Wall 2

After attaching the roof sheeting. we did the water test. it was a great SUCESS. Only a very small bit of the mud had wasted off. after we did the experiemnt we touch the mud bricks and they were still hard.

Watering Down the Wall

Today we finished off the task. We uncovered the wall that we made a few fews ago and started to create the roof.

Today 9/08/2010, we started the building of the roof and conducted the water test. The overall result was successful as the wall withheld the pressure of the water for 3 minutes.

Building Of the wall

it took us 5 hours to build the wall up, though it seem like 1. we had so much fun doing it.

Construction of Mudbrick Wall

Upon beginning the mud-brick wall we were unsure whether the wall wall stay steady and not collapse. We had decided to place brick ties between the mortar connecting to the stud wall to give it it's extra strength as shown in the video. On completion of the wall it held together pretty well together.

Tarps where used to shield the mud brick wall from weather conditions while we wait for the wall to dry out. Wish us good luck.
The next stage of construction would possibly be:
1. Complete rafter/roofing system.
2. Add window.
3. Complete 5 minute water test.

Stage 4: Construction of the wall

Today turned out to be excellent with the weather holding off, allowing us to construct our wall.
When the group arrived we were happy to see that our bricks had turned out quite well. Something that as a group we were all worried about, however after seeing them stacked today we were quite happy at our effort.
The day started off with a lot of preparation. Having come to an agreement on where it would be best to construct our wall. So we created a strong level surface that would be suitable for the wall.

After organising materials for the days work. We then started on the frame using MGP10 timber to create a stud.
Once in place and propped up, we began construction and then formed our wall.

As a group we were very pleased with the performance of the day. Considering both walls were put up. By doing this we will allow the wall to set and mean that the next time we meet, we will be able to construct the roof and come close to finalising the wall.

Photos from today:









Here is a close up showing the accuracy of the level of our lintel. As a group we were worried that the wall would be out of shape either side, or that the bricks wouldn't line up at the top, however from the placing the lintel and checking the level, we were very pleased.






- As a conclusion this is the end of a long days work. We had successfully constructed the wall with the window boxed out ready to be installed. As a group we were very pleased with the outcome.

Now we nervously wait and hope the wall will set in this weather.

Tomorrows Agenda

Considering the last account in which the group and myself were together we had a successful run making the bricks. It was good considering everything went to plan and the ingredients were at hand when needed. An issue we had was the worry that the bricks wouldn't set, after a day or two the bricks remained moist, however now that a month has gone by, the bricks are completely set.

Just some snapshots from the day:












We were fortunate enough to have an excellent day of weather that day. Something in which we are hoping for tomorrow, as tomorrows plan is to construct our wall.

We are facing the issue of rain at the moment, this will effect us, as it wont help the wall mortar like joins to bond, therefore the wall will be constructed in a covered area, however when the time arises in which we put it under the test of a constant spray of water, the wall will have to be moved, this is something we will have to resolve in tomorrows construction.

Making of Mudbricks Photos 2

Making of Mudbricks Photos

Mud bricks created 24-04- 2010

Making of the mudbricks

Stage 3 - Information on Mortar - Ready to Lay

"Mortar soil should have approximately 30-35% clay with the remainder being silt and sand. You are aiming for a well graded material with a range of particle size from clay to silt and sand. The maximum sized particle should not exceed 10mm. Remember the smaller the largest particles, the easier it is to obtain a smooth finish, so it is often desirable to screen the mortar soil to remove any large stones. The mortar soil should not include any organic material such as topsoil, roots or leaves."

http://www.makeitmudbricks.com.au/mortar.html#Anchor

Stage 2 - Making the mudbricks...

In the process of creating our mudbrick wall, stage 2 got under way in making the mudbricks. In doing so the team had managed to produce approximately 80 bricks out of the two molds in which our mudbrick mixture were placed in. It was a rather precise mixture of sand, soil, straw/dried-up grass and water ending up with a soupy but firm consistency. Currently the mudbricks are drying up in the sun. Hopefully the weather is good in the next couple of days or so in order for the bricks to dry thoroughly as possible ready for the constructing stage.

~dave.

Stage 1 of Construction

Stage 1 of Construction

Stage 1 of Construction

How is mud bricks environmentally friendly??

"• The earth for making the bricks can often be taken from the property itself, which eliminates the energy use and greenhouse emissions from transporting the bricks.

• Mud brick can have very low embodied energy: no energy is needed to make the bricks, except human labour and the sun's heat. (It takes a lot more energy to fire conventional bricks.)

• At the end of the building's life, mud bricks can simply be broken up and turned back into earth.

• Mud brick provides good thermal mass, which can be used for effective passive solar design to store heat during the day for slow release at night - good for climates with warm days and cooler nights.

Finishes
Mud brick walls can be finished to provide different effects. For a smooth finish, you can fill in the mortar level with the bricks, or render the wall by smoothing an additional layer of mud over the surface. Alternatively you can scrape out the mortar so the bricks stand out to emphasis the natural, organic look of mud bricks."

-http://www.homeimprovementpages.com.au/article/mud_bricks

A Way to Make Mud Bricks

1. Build a mold out of 2-by-4s for manufacturing your mud bricks. It should contain several separated sections, each of which will make one brick. The bricks themselves need to be about 14 by 10 by 2 inches, and are quite heavy. You probably shouldn't build a mold for more than 6 bricks. You may want to make several molds.

2 Place a small children's wading pool on the ground and fill it with 3 parts sand and 2 parts clay. Add some water and mix with a shovel. The amount of water you add will depend on many factors, so just try to achieve a smooth but thick consistency, adding more water as necessary. Remove your shoes and socks, step into the pool, and step up and down to mix the clay into the sand. Mix the clay into the sand until the mixture becomes loose dough.

3. Shovel some of the clay-sand mixture into another wading pool. Then add some straw. The ratio of clay-sand to straw should be 5 to 1. Again, step up and down in the mixture. Then roll the mixture together and knead it until it stiffens.

4: Place the mold (or molds) you constructed on a flat surface. Scoop up some of the mixture from the second wading pool and press it into the mold. Make sure there are no air bubbles. Use a trowel or knife to scrape off the excess. After 30 minutes, remove the bricks from the mold and let them finish drying. This will, depending on the weather, take several days

5 Lay out the shape of your building using guide lines. Then start laying the bricks for the walls. Use some of your remaining mixture as mortar. Make sure that with each level of bricks, you let it set long enough to dry before adding another layer. Alternate the layers for greater stability. An hour or two should work.

6 After this, you can add a roof using the standard joists and roof rafters that you would with any house. Add sheathing to the roof, and then shingles. Remember to insulate the roof as well.