Cannabrick building in Spain

M. Carmen Jiménez Delgado^{, a,} and Ignacio Cañas Guerrero^a,

^aDepartamento de Construcción y Vías Rurales, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain

Received 23 July 2004;

revised 10 February 2005;

accepted 13 February 2005.

Available online 21 April 2005.

Abstract

This paper is a review of the state of use of the earth building in Spain nowadays. We present researching organisations, modern projects carried out or the existing manufacturers for compressed earth blocks. Besides, we offer an overview of the Spanish general building regulatory system to find that earth construction is not included in it, although there is a pair of non-regulatory guides that could act as national reference documents and whose provisions we examine. Although earth as a construction material is unknown for most people, a growing interest is noticed in two ways, for rescuing the heritage and as a rediscovered environmentally friendly building material. In these areas, we find the problems of how to carry out the conservation works of the great built heritage, usually adobe and rammed earth, as well as the lack of skilled people at all levels, from designer to masons, because it is a forgotten technique.

Keywords: Rammed earth; Adobe; Compressed earth blocks

Article Outline

1. Introduction

2. Earth construction organisations

3. General building and earth building normative in Spain

4. Current activities related to the earth building practice

4.1. Construction of buildings

4.1.1. Luis Salazar house

4.1.2. Houses in ecovillage Amayuelas

4.1.3. “La Tenada de Covachuelas”

4.1.4. Theatre of Balaguer

4.1.5. Domingo Chorpos house

4.1.6. “Pinariega” house in Navapalos

4.1.7. Steve Graham house in Valdemaluque

4.2. Earth product manufacturers

4.2.1. CANNABRICK blocks

4.2.2. BIOTERRE blocks

4.2.3. Adoberos

5. Summary

Acknowledgements

- ScienceDirect