1924 Modern Pisé - Rammed Earth Building Methods - CD

Preserving the Past, Digitally

 

From the Introduction:

In giving this volume to the public I want to have it understood at the outset, that I do not propagate the method of pisé-building -- Pisé de terre -- rammed earth -- merely as the way out during a crisis or while building materials and building labor come high.  The merits of the pisé-method are such, that the method can be utilized with profit at any time and under any conditions wherever land is cultivated.

 

Almost everyone who is not acquainted with pisé, will ask the question why pisé has not come into universal use long ago, if it really be true that with pisé we can build fairly good houses and at a cost that comes considerably below the cost of brick, concrete, wood or any other material else used.  The fact that the pisé method is not known everywhere is by many taken as indicating or proving that pisé must have been tried and found wanting. 

 

But anyone who will give a little more attention to the subject will find that in some parts of the world the pisé-method has been in use for several thousand years.  And in countries where the pisé-method has not been practiced it has never been tried because of the presence of wood or brick or other materials, -- and tradition has cared for the continued use of methods once established just as pisé has kept its ground from times remote and until the present day in localities where everyone knows the merits of the method and is familiar with the requirements in utilizing it.

 

If it only was as easy to remove prejudice as to build with pisé, the method would be in use everywhere today.  And the purpose of this book is to enlighten the doubter and to give doubter and believer alike all the information necessary to enable him to go ahead and build his cottage or barn or any kind of building with no other material than the soil laying at his feet in his suburban lot or on his farm.  And so simple is the method that one one need to wait for some "expert" to do the work, for anyone can be this expert himself by studying this book and also being careful that the shutters and rammers are made right.

 

True -- there is some woodwork needed even in a house built with pisé, but the man who prefers to expend a little more of muscular energy instead of hard cash, can  save from one-half to two-thirds of the cost by using pounded earth materials as described in this volume.  And there are further reductions of cost possible by omitting brick masonry for fire places, and making smoke channels directly in the pisé-walls instead.

 

Pisé means good houses at about half the usual cost.