NEW PARTNERSHIP: RAMMED EARTH TO REDUCE CLIMATE IMPACT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FUTURE
A green transition of the construction industry requires new building materials, and one of the solutions can be rammed earth. Therefore, a new partnership, the 'Rammed Earth Alliance,' is now investigating the possibilities of constructing buildings using rammed earth. The goal is to contribute to reducing the climate footprint in the construction industry and to gather knowledge about new building methods. With support from Realdania, the initial investigations are being initiated.
When constructing new properties in Denmark in the future, concrete might be replaced by rammed earth. Rammed earth possesses a range of appealing qualities that, among other things, contribute to significantly reducing CO2 emissions during the construction of new buildings. This is the rationale behind the collaboration of PensionDanmark, KIRKBI, and CPH Village, along with architectural firms Juul Frost Arkitekter, ReVærk, and MEE Studio, in forming the 'Rammed Earth Alliance' to investigate how rammed earth can be utilized. The alliance has just received funding from the philanthropic association Realdania to carry out the initial investigations.
The 'Rammed Earth Alliance' addresses current challenges in production, where time and cost complexities hinder the industrialization, commercialization, and scaling of rammed earth as a construction material. The partnership also explores the possibility of employing new robot technology for rammed earth production, which could significantly reduce costs and production time.
The numerous positive attributes of rammed earth can help mitigate CO2 emissions in construction. Primarily, substituting concrete with rammed earth provides a substantial climate advantage. Additionally, there are gains to be made in addressing the disposal of construction surplus soil, and rammed earth is also circular, as it can be compacted into new elements or crushed and returned to the soil.
Through the upcoming projects, the 'Rammed Earth Alliance' hopes to uncover any potential risks and provide knowledge and a concrete construction method through three exemplary building projects.
The Green Effects of Rammed Earth
- On average, we currently emit nearly 10 kg CO2-eq./m²/year during residential new construction (according to LCAbyg and the AAU BUILD report SBI 2020:04).
- The initial life cycle calculations of the pilot project demonstrate that rammed earth in combination with wood has the potential to create a hybrid building with a footprint of 2.5 kg CO2-eq./m²/year. This corresponds to a reduction of 75% in CO2 emissions.
- Furthermore, there is a circular potential in being able to reuse earth in new elements or crush it and return it to the earth. Additionally, a significant amount of Danish earth can be directly sourced from a potential construction site, which greatly reduces transportation and surplus soil.
Partners in the Clay Alliance
- Developers: PensionDanmark, KIRKBI, and CPH Village
- Consulting Team: Juul Frost Arkitekter (project management), ReVærk, and MEE Studio
- Sub-consultant and Engineer: Werner Sobek GmbH
- Subcontractor: Én Jord
- Sub-consultant: Odico Construction Robotics