Construction Methods: Soil Preparation Outline In the ideal situation sufficient quantities of soil suitable for rammed earth

construction will be sourced from the spoil material arising from foundation excavations and other ground works and/or a suitable borrow pit on site. The ideal soil will require no further treatment (screening or blending) and will be at its optimum moisture content for the chosen method of compaction. In-situ soils are likely to require some processing, such as drying or screening, following excavation. Soil homogeneity is of course important in rammed earth construction both for structural integrity and architectural finish. Therefore, it is important that once the soil has been excavated and prior to placing it into the formwork, variations in soil quality, including most importantly moisture content, are minimised. Pre-processing of soils for rammed earth construction depends on the type of soil, but broadly speaking consists of excavation, screening and mixing thoroughly to correct moisture content.

Excavation Soil for rammed earth should not include significant levels of organic matter content. Topsoils should be removed and stored for future landscaping, if required. There are no special requirements when excavating soil for rammed earth construction. Mechanical equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, angledozers and scrapers can be used for excavation of large volumes of earth. For smaller scale work, a power cultivator fitted out with a cutter has the advantage of combining excavating and aeration Operations.

Screening

It is not unusual in rammed earth construction to sieve out soil particles exceeding recommended limits. Gravel not greater than 10-20 mm are commonly specified. Excessively large gravel pieces and cobbles increase the likelihood of surface finish problems such as boniness, especially around corners and other edges. Soils imported from a local quarry may be provided screened to pass a specified maximum size. However, soil excavated in-situ or provided un-sieved can be screen sieved on site during preparation prior to mixing. Coarse sieving can be achieved by removing the largest particles manually, usually suitable for those particles having diameter greater than 50mm. For finer sieving both static and vibrating screens are available.

Pulverization Pulverization, the breaking down of cohesive aggregations of soil, is by no-means always essential. It is usually required for dry clayey or chalky soils that contain hard lumps that need to be broken down effectively before blending with sand or other additives and prior to wetting, mixing and ramming. Pulverization is most effective when undertaken on dry soils. Pulverization can be simply achieved by passing the pneumatic rammer over soil prior to mixing. The pulverizer should be able to handle stony and sandy soils and project the earth some distance to ensure good aeration and proper premixing.

Stockpiling Rammed earth soils should always be compacted at their optimum moisture content for the chosen method of compaction. Limiting soil moisture content during inclement weather is therefore an important consideration to be considered during organisation of works. Measures to prevent excessive wetting of stockpiled soil should be available during rainfall. Similarly soils should be allowed to air dry freely during dry spells if necessary.