New
Code for Adobe, Earth Block, and Rammed Earth
Can you imagine adobe construction
being outlawed in New Mexico? Well, that would be like excluding
chile from our menus, wouldn’t
it?
That was exactly the situation a few years ago when Adobe was
threatened to become extinct as the new International Building
Code (IBC) was coming in to replace the Uniform Building Code.
Spearheaded by Joe Tibbets,
the editor of the Adobe Builder Magazine a few of us got together
to write a code that would improve the old Adobe Code
and combine it with the Compressed Earth Block and Rammed Earth
Code. In fact, we now have a code for Compressed Earth Blocks
for the first time. After three years of work a code with the
lengthy title of New Mexico Earthen Building Materials Construction
Code was born and has now been adopted by our state as part
of the IBC.
The new code includes some
new features and changes like a seismic chart that informs
you about allowable wall heights and wall thicknesses based
on your specific seismic zone. As affordability was as much
a concern as safety for writing the code, it now allows the builder
to go right to the chart and find the information without having
to hire an engineer.
New are also the wood lintel chart and the concrete lintel chart
which provide the dimensions and specifics like the length of
bearing on the wall for most cases. All the valuable engineering
work was contributed by Jim Hands of Red Mountain Engineering
in Santa Fe.
The new code sets a better standard for quality control in earthen
building materials and speeds processes up considerably which
is of great importance for developers and home owners.
Compressed Earth Block (CEB) is a technology that can provide
great efficiencies. Our local Taos soil is excellent for compacting
it into blocks. In an ideal situation the code allows using the
dirt on site if tested, take them out of the machine and lay
them right into the wall. Proper bonding can be achieved by pouring
a clay slip between the courses. The entire process of mortar
sifting, mixing and laying is eliminated which adds tremendous
speed to the construction. It is fairly easy to make and lay
1000 Earth Blocks a day in this fashion. Earth Blocks are the
perfect material for the owner builder as well as for the professional
builder.
The new code grants the survival of adobe in the Southwest and
comes just in time for the revival of earthen materials as the
top choice in the arena of residential Green Building. Building
inspectors, code officials ,engineers, architects, builders and
home owners have now a reliable quality standard to go by. The
stage is set for the renaissance of these timeless materials.
Finding the Earthbuilding codes on the NM CID State site
Go to:
www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/
On their home page, select
the "browse compilation" choice
on left of screen
This will take you to NMAC Titles. Click on Title 14 from the
list.
Under Title 14, you'll see a list of chapters. Click on Chapter
7.
Under Chapter 7, click on 14.7.4 NMAC ~ Earthen codes.
Keep in mind that the language for all three codes (Adobe/Rammed
Earth/ and Compressed Earth block) run one after the other without
any visible or bold title as to where one starts and the last
ends. Best to go by the numbering system, or:
Adobe starts at 14.7.4.9
Rammed Earth starts at 14.7.4.12
Compressed Earth Block starts at 14.7.4.23
News
& Recent Articles Index
|
