Modern Earth Building – the Current State of Earth Building from a German Perspective

Abstract

Modern earth building today is in quite dynamic development process. While it was a quite “exotic” building material in the end of the last century it is today well know as a sustainable and appropriate building material. This paper will focus on Standards and Regulations, Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), Earth building in teaching and vocational training as well as on innovative earth building products introduced in the market. The new and revised DIN on earth building products will be published within a year as well as the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). Strategies to embed earth building in teaching and vocational training of building professionals are ongoing and will be presented like introduction of earth building skills in the formal educational framework of building trades. Innovative earth building products are introduced in the market with prefabricated rammed earth elements, a number of clay boards and combined construction techniques of wood and earth panels not to forget the use of straw bale building in combination with earth products to mention just a few aspects.