Compressed Earth Bricks
C.E.B’s
Using an extraordinary enzyme product Epoc-zyme, this product when mixed with ordinary soil, results in a very hard substance. It has properties very similar to concrete. Because there is no need for buying or hauling in materials, the cost savings are tremendous. Utilizing enzyme technology, there is no chemical used, thus making it a 100% natural and green house building product. The resultant product is known as Compressed Earth Bricks or Compressed Earth Blocks (C.E.B.’s). A huge advantage of this brick manufacturing process is, of course, that it involves zero combustion.
How it works …
The major weakness of compressed earth blocks as a construction material, is their vulnerability to fall apart due to weathering. Using safe and non-toxic Epoc-zyme as an admixture during compressed earth brick constructions solves this weakness by making the CEB’s stronger and more water-resistant due to Epoc-zyme superior binding qualities. While using Epoc-zyme as an admixture does increase the construction costs for CEB’s, the resulting block is a stronger and more durable product. To further weatherproof a structure built from CEB’s, experienced earth builders recommend that one or more layers of plaster should be applied to the exterior surfaces of earthen walls. This exterior plaster should be made of the same or similar ingredients as the wall itself, but with increasing amounts of Epoc-zyme to create a harder layer.
Manufacturing C.E.B’s
To manufacture compressed earth bricks, moistened soil is compressed under moderately high pressure using a device made specifically for this purpose, commonly known as a compressed earth block press. The original “CINVA RAM” earth block press (developed in Columbia during the mid-1950s to address the need for low-cost housing) was a portable, manually operated machine that could produce building blocks made from soil available at the building site. Hydraulic and compressed air earth block presses are now also available and produce a compaction force far greater than that attainable by human power alone; however, manually produced blocks are virtually indistinguishable from those produced by power-assisted machines. Please note that your local building codes will specify whether compressed earth bricks may be used for footings; typically, for larger structures a concrete footing is used before installing the compressed earth brick walls.