ABTECN5S

Building Technology 5:
Alternative Building Construction Systems

CONVENTIONAL CONSTRUCTION MAT

and METHODS OF BUILDING CONSTR
 ABTECN5S
Building Technology 5:
Alternative Building Construction Systems

TOPIC OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

Identify theories and structural concepts in

relation to materials and building construction
systems.

Apply materials in design and specify them in

the construction drawings.
 ABTECN5S
Building Technology 5:
Alternative Building Construction Systems

TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

1 2 3 4
Adobe Construction Rammed Earth Cob Construction Strawbale Construction
Construction

5 6 7
Log Construction Timberframe Construction Earth Ship Construction
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

1 ADOBE CONSTRUCTION
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

1 ADOBE CONSTRUCTION
Adobe
• simple brick made of sun dried mud
• made up of sand, clay, straw and water
• dimensions varies
• similar to cob
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

1 ADOBE CONSTRUCTION
Characteristics

• fire-resistant • provide sufficient thermal mass

• flexible to ensure good energy efficiency,
• durable and good sound insulation
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

1 ADOBE CONSTRUCTION

TRIV
Adobe is Spanish for 'mudbrick',
IA
but in some English-speaking Medieval adobe house facade
Calatanazor, Spain

regions of Spanish heritage the

term is used to refer to any kind
of earthen construction.

At-tawbu or at-tubu in Arabic

Traditional Midmakh (Adobe Brick) Homes
Najran, Saudi Arabia
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

2 RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION

 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

2 RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION

Rammed earth, or tapial
• ram (rammed past tense) – compacted, packed
• ancient construction technique used to create structures in
locations lacking appropriate forest resources.
• use of natural raw
materials such as earth,
chalk, lime, or gravel
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

2 RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION

 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

2 RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION

 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

2 RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION

Characteristics
energy efficiency
• absorbs suns heat
• in the winter, it keeps the heat inside
• in the summer, it keeps the excess heat in the walls

natural and safe

• non-toxic, no off-gasing

long lasting
• there are buildings still standing that are hundreds of
years old
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

2 RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION

Characteristics
fast
• can make 10 blocks per minute
• 600 blocks an hour
• can be stacked immediately
• no drying time

low maintenance
• walls are significantly stronger than adobe
and cob and require much less maintenance

cheap
• dirt is free and available on site
• only paying for energy to make the blocks and labor
• simple: unskilled workers can do it
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

2 RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION

TRIV
Rammed earth is also known as:
IA• A hangtu section of the Great Wall of China

Tapia in Portuguese
• Tapial or Tapia in Spanish
• Pise (de terre) in French
• Hangtu in Chinese

Rammed-earth edifice on a farm in France

 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

3 COB CONSTRUCTION
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

3 COB CONSTRUCTION
• is a natural building material
• made from subsoil, water, some
kind of fibrous organic material
(typically straw) and sometimes lime
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

3 COB CONSTRUCTION
Depending on the contents of the subsoil, sand or clay can be added
to achieve the best possible mixture for building.

• clay
holds the mixture together

• sand
hardens the mixture

• straw
reinforces the mixture
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

3 COB CONSTRUCTION

Characteristics
• won’t catch on fire
• can withstand earthquakes
• energy efficient
• extremely durable

• environmentally friendly
• materials are readily
available
• very inexpensive
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

3 COB CONSTRUCTION
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

3 COB CONSTRUCTION

• cob, cobb or clom (in Wales)

TRIV
IA

"Cob stitch" repair on old traditional cob cottage A modern cob house
Devon, England Ottery St Mary, United Kingdom
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

4 STRAWBALE CONSTRUCTION
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

4 STRAWBALE CONSTRUCTION
• is a building method that uses bales
of straw (commonly wheat, rice, rye
and oats straw) as structural
elements, building insulation, or both.
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

4 STRAWBALE CONSTRUCTION
• straw houses have been built on the African
plains since the Paleolithic Era
• straw bales were used in construction 400
years ago in Germany
• straw-thatched roofs have long been used in
northern Europe and Asia

When European Settlers came to North

America, teepees were insulated in winter with loose
straw between the inner lining and outer cover.
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

4 STRAWBALE CONSTRUCTION

Characteristics

• renewable nature of straw

• low cost
• easy availability
• naturally fire-retardant
• high insulation value
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

4 STRAWBALE CONSTRUCTION
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

4 STRAWBALE CONSTRUCTION

TRIV
IA
The first documented use of
hay bales in construction was
a Nebraska schoolhouse built
in 1896 or 1897. Burke House
Bayard, Nebraska

• Unfenced and unprotected by stucco or plaster, it was reported in 1902 to have been
eaten by cows. From then on, builders began plastering their hay-bale structures.
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

5 LOG CONSTRUCTION
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

5 LOG CONSTRUCTION
• refers to a building technique in which a structure
is built from logs that have not been milled into
conventional lumber
• horizontal logs
interlocked at the
corners by notching
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

5 LOG CONSTRUCTION

Characteristics
• Trees are Renewable Resources
• Long Lasting
• Fast Framing
• Warmth of Wood
• Super Energy Efficient
• Superior Craftsmanship
• Peace and Quiet
• Fit the Land/Blend with nature
• Withstand Mother Nature’s Wrath
• Rustic Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t High Tech
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

5 LOG CONSTRUCTION
• most common building technique in large regions
of Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Baltic
TRIV states and Russia, where straight and tall coniferous trees,
such as pine and spruce, are readily available

IA
• widely used for vernacular buildings in
Eastern Central Europe, the Alps,
the Balkans and parts of Asia, where
similar climatic conditions prevail

• In warmer and more westerly regions

of Europe, where deciduous trees
predominate, timber framing was
17th-century log buildings
favoured instead. Heidal, Norway
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

6 TIMBERFRAME CONSTRUCTION
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

6 TIMBERFRAME CONSTRUCTION
• traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating
structures using squared-off and carefully fitted
and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

6 TIMBERFRAME CONSTRUCTION

Characteristics • Ecology and sustainability

• Natural material • Low in production energy
• Offers great insulation • Energy efficient timber houses
• Easy to work • No limits on design and size
• Quick build time • Durable and easy to maintain
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

6 TIMBERFRAME CONSTRUCTION

TRIV
IA
• has been around for centuries

• ancient civilizations like Egypt

and Rome used mostly stone to
build, they also used timber
framing methods for many of The truss roof of the 4th-century church
their roof systems Old St. Peter's Basilica, Rome.
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION

Characteristics
• Comfortable temperatures
• Modern amenities
• Recycled materials
• Renewable energy

• Financial freedom
• Inexpensive materials
• Simple construction
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION
• popularized in the 70’s

• a kind of passive solar home or

community of homes typically made of
natural and recycled materials such as
old tires and recycled cans

• make use of non-polluting renewable

energy sources and smart design to
meet most if not all heating, cooling and
power needs
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION

TRIV
IA
• derived from the homes being in and of the Earth—that is,
constructed responsibly out of earthen materials and built into
the ground

• refers to living in a ship, which requires inhabitants to be

autonomous from outside help (such as a power grid)
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION in the Philippines

• a food hub
where good
food and art
collides

Ili-likha Artist Village

Baguio City
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION in the Philippines

Ili-likha Artist Village

Baguio City
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION in the Philippines

Ili-likha Artist Village

Baguio City
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION in the Philippines

Ili-likha Artist Village

Baguio City
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION in the Philippines

Ili-likha Artist Village

Baguio City
 TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

7 EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION

TRIV
IA

Kidlat Tahimik (Eric de Guia)

Baguio City
• National Artist for Film, 2018
• Father of Philippine Independent Cinema
• Conceptualized Ili-likha ArtistVillage