A block must not absorb or allow moisture to penetrate any more that 2 1/2 % of the block's dry weight.

No, if block is fully stabilized.

No.

Standard size block, 4"x8"x12", 25 to 30 lbs. each.

100 to 117 lbs. per cubic foot .

300 lbs. psi. and 50 lbs. modulus of rupture.

For motar you use the same material as the block .

For pilasters use concrete with rebar, for bond beams use concrete with rebar, for lintels you may use concrete and rebar or wood. Preferred rebar is Frp.

One half of an inch.

1/4 inch in 50 years. Less if EarthZyme is added.

Any EarthBlock will hold a nail. You may also use deck screws. Do not use dry wall screws. You may also use an adobe anchor.

Blocks from the EarthBlocks machine were used in 1993-1994 in Honduras for an elementary school construction project for USAID. It was so successful, they have been in use continuously since then. This is only one example of many available.

Block is fireproof.

The PH factors in EarthBlocks are of little or no consequence. Salts are the enemy of all blocks. If moisture high in salt gets into a block wall the salt tends to cystalize and cause a "coving"effect along the base of the wall where it meets the ground, over a period of time this may cause the wall to collapse. EarthZyme stabilizer protects against this.

Almost any clay based soil is acceptable for EarthBlock construction. EarthBlocks have a great advantage of being tested by its manufacture in the field before they are used in a wall and there are a number of tests for EarthBlocks.
The ideal Block mix is: Coarse Sand 19%, Fine Sand 42%,Silt 22%,Clay 17%,Calloids 3%

To color EarthBlocks you use chalk dust and mix with the earth material until all of the material reaches the desired color.

EarthBlock walls must be laterally supported at least every 24 feet.

In using a compressed EarthBlock you may use the block to construct a wall right out of the machine. All testing of EarthBlocks is done with fully cured blocks of a least 28 days.

Unaffected.

700 to 1,000 blocks an hour. Block size is 4"x 8"x 12".

Soil may be obtained from any source as long as it is clay based, stockpiled and ready for use, however material should be covered, as all material should be dry before mixing. At time of manufacture you mix the EarthZyme with the water being used to construct blocks, mix material with machine or by hand and press blocks.

For attaching structrual elements to the block wall.
Roof rafters:
1. Anchor Bolts 1/2" to 5/8" dia. through bond beam and at least 3 coarses of EarthBlocks.
2. T-bolts through bond beam and at least 3 coarses of EarthBlocks.
3. FHA straps
4. Duro-Wall
Floor beams and joists use a leadger plate bolted to block wall.

The fact is that most machines will make a block of some sort and most will make a fairly decent block given the right kind of dirt. Typically the following criteria are used when choosing the right dirt:

1. Clay content, 30% is optimum. Dirt with as much as 70% clay and as little as 20% is ideal.

2. Water Content, 6% to 10%. Too wet and you have a soft block that has to dry befor placing in a wall, too dry and the block will fall apart. The water is what causes the clay to yield making a solid strong block.

3. Sand content, the rest of the mixture can be sand with some gravel. Remember the clay mixes with the sand so larger rocks decrease the strength of the block.

4. Straw, leaves etc, NONE, Organic material will not remain compressed and will crack any block, usually immediately.


The best material is well decomposed granite near or downstream of granitic formations, Granite is composed of three main minerals: Feldspars, Silica, and Hornblend. The feldspars decompose to an aluminum silicate (Clay) and the silica and hornblend decompose into sand. Actually the hornblend adds iron and nickel to the mixture, the more hornblend the darker the sand and so on.


To Test:

1. in a glass jar (quart or liter ) fill 1/3 with dirt, fill to top with water. shake, swirl until all the dirt is suspended in the water then leave to settle for a few hours. The different soil types will be layered with the clays on top, the ratio of clay to sand will be evident.

2. When out in the field squeeze some freshly dug "moist" dirt in your hand. If it remains in shape you probably have good dirt.

3. Same Dirt & Same Field, adding a little more moisture, try to ball some of the dirt between your thumb and fingers using one hand. If the dirt balls then your clay is sufficient, if it crumbles the clay is too little and if it smears the clay is too much.


Some clays don't yield as well as others so part of the clay acts like sand so press some blocks and experiment. If the block cracks (lots of little cracks) and there are no organics then the clay content is too high. If the block falls apart and the moisture content is adequate then the clay content is too low.

Careful consideration of the machinery is important when adding oil to the system, hydraulics or engine, to clean all the dirt from the reservoir cap before you open it. EarthBlocks have machines that are still working after fifteen years continuous use in a multidude of applications and environments. Yes the molds do wear out and the lifespan of the mold is directly proportionate to the abrasiveness of the dirt. You can count on 100,000 blocks and could exceed 1,000,000 again depending on the dirt. The molds for both the EarthBlocks PGH-240 and PGH-360 are the simplest in the industry as well as being instantly servicable in the field by a qualified welder without needing to completely disassemble the machine.

This answer is dependent upon the moisture content and dirt quality. With optimum dirt you would require about 1400 PSI to make a quality block. This is based on the formula: system pressure * cylinder area / area of press foot. A dryer mix would require more pressure and a wetter mix less. EarthBlocks machines are set to press at 1700 PSI. This is adjustable down to 0 and up to 2000 PSI on the block as 2000 PSI is the maximum pressure capable. The wear on the machine would then be considerably greater. EarthBlocks machines are capable of withstanding great wear over long periods but like all machinery, maintenance is important.

4"	x	8"	x	12"
0.102 m	x	0.204 m	x	0.305 m	= 0.00634 m³ --> (6.43ml per Block)

1m³ / 0.00634 m³ = 157 Blocks per m³
1Litre EartZyme treats 35.5 m³
35.5 m³ / 0.00634 m³ = 5599
therefore 1 litre of EarthZyme produces 5600 EarthBlocks.