Home Study Mud Brick Construction Course
"Learn the complete process to planning and building a mud brick building"
Develop an understanding of building with mud, primarily mud bricks. This course takes you step by step through the building process, showing how to plan a building, sorting through permits and other legalities, doing the site works & foundations, different construction techniques, laying bricks, frames & roofs, installing services, wall finishes and more.
COURSE STRUCTURE
1. Scope of Mud Brick
What is Mud Construction (Adobe, Pise)
Advantages of Earth Construction (Cost savings, Self satisfaction, Aesthetics, Eco friendliness, Health benefits)
History of earth construction
Pise (Rammed Earth)
Mud Brick
Wattle and Daub
Cob
Cinva Ram
Cement Stabilisation
Bituminous stabilisation
Mortar
Variations in Earth Building Techniques
Appropriate Soils for Earth Construction
Finding Resources
2. How to make a mud brick
Testing and working with different soils
Soil Tests
Steps in making a brick
Plasticity Soil Test
Cake Soil Test
Compression Tests
Brick Size
Brick Weights
Moulds
Binding Materials
Mixing Mud
Treating Bricks after they are Cast
Stacking Bricks
Troubleshooting
3. Planning and Site Works
Choosing Building Materials
Timber (Characteristics –Selection)
Adhesives
Plastics
Masonary, Bricks and Concrete
Insulation Materials
Selecting a Building Site
Solar House Design
General Principles of Building Design
Impact of Buildings on Health
Dangerous Building Materials (Awareness and factors)
4. Legal Considerations
Building Regulations (Variations between jurisdictions)
What might be regulated
Types of Permits
Building Codes
5. Foundations
Strip Foundations
Slab Foundations
Specialist Engineering Advice
Rock and Rubble Foundations
Problems to Avoid
Sealing Foundations
Other Options (Masonary pillars, timber pylons)
Earth Floors
6. Laying Bricks
Damp Proof Course
Methods for laying bricks
Making mud mortar
Laying mortar
Bonding
Reinforcing Walls
7. Doors, Windows and Roofs
Roofing Options
Roof Pitch
Roof Weight
Roof Gardens
Doors and Windows
Lintels
Fixing, Joinery and Plugs
Ceilings
Timber Finishes
Slab Floors
Supported Floors
Floor Surfaces
8. Finishes
Wall Finishes
Whitewash
Bondcrete
Dagga
Lineed Oil
House Paints
Natural Loam Render
Cement Render (Plaster)
Latex Paint Render
Other Options
Floor Finishes
Applying Paints and Renders
Natural Healthy Paints
Making Lime Wash Paints
Problems with Lime Wash
Aly’s Clay Paint
Tallow and Lime Based Coating
Using Commercial Paints
Timber Treatments
9. Services
Electricity
Water
Gas
Toilet
Working with Eartyh Walls
Plumbing
Electricity Supply Systems (Turbines, generators, batteries, Solar Cells, etc)
Safety with Electricity
Electro Magnetic Radiation (Managing EMR)
Terminology
10. Other types of Earth Building
Making Rammed Earth Walls
How to Build Forms
Tampers (Hand and air)
Rammed Earth Construction
Wattle and Daub
Sod Buildings
Cob
AIMS
Discuss the nature and scope of Mud Brick construction
Identify the legal considerations which need to be met when building in mud.
Determine the requirement for foundations for a mud construction.
Determine options for building doors, windows and roofs into a mud building
Analyze options for coating or finishing the surface of a mud wall or other mud construction.
Compare options for providing water, electricity or any other required services in a mud building.
Describe a variety of mud construction techniques other than mud brick.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MAY DO IN THIS COURSE
Get together a sample of earth which you might like to use to make mud bricks. This earth might be on a property where you wish to build a mud brick house, or it might be from a friend's property. Collect earth from at least a few inches below the soil.
Find different types of soil. Give your assessment on the suitability of each for making mud bricks. Send a sample of each soil type along with your assessment of it's suitability for making mud bricks.
Using different types of soil make test mud bricks. One mud brick should be made with each type of soil plus straw. Make another brick out of each type of soil without straw.
Visit or contact your local council's building department. Find out from them where you can obtain a copy of `Standard Specifications' from.
Explain step by step how you would go about putting down a concrete strip foundation for a small single storey mud brick workshop.
Duration : 100 hours (study at your own pace, the average time to complete this modle is 5-7 months)
Distance Learning Mud Brick Constuction Course
"Learn the complete process to planning and building a mud brick building"
