Week 6

The week started with the visit of Mashambo, the district engineer, to check the development of the project and give us advice. Together we checked the different tests for both rammed earth and cob and we decided which earth mixture was the most suitable. The best options for rammed earth were either 40% soil + 60% sand or 45% soil + 45% sand with small cement stabilization. For the cob the suggestion given by the engineer was to add some more banana fibers to give the mixture more strength. He congratulated us for the advances with the earth work and he explained us his aim to implement earth building techniques in his hometown!

The construction of the gabions has been completed. The last step before bringing them to site was painting the metal net with anti-oxide, which turned its color to red. Afterwards, the 12 gabions were placed on site and filled up with stones.

We have continued with the over foundations of the verandah, that have been built following the same procedure than for the rest of the over foundation, but with a total height of 30 cm and leaving a hole where the junction with the wooden pillars will come.

We keep on digging! The hole from where we obtain the soil is getting bigger and bigger. We have started to prepare earth mixtures following the proportions of 45% soil + 40% sand + 5% cement + 10% water, although cement and water will not be added until we are completely ready to pour the mixture. The preparations for cob have mainly consisted on collecting and peeling the banana tree fibers, in order to get thin and long fibers that will reinforce the earth mixture.

We have cut the wooden pieces for the formwork and the frames that will support it and we have ordered and picked up the first wooden window, to be used as one of the sidewalls of the formwork. Once the first formwork was finished, we took it to the site and placed it fixing it to the wooden frames using metal rods. The first layer of earth mixture was poured into the formwork and was tamped until its height decreased from 15cm to 8cm. We have successfully achieved to build the first section of rammed earth! After a couple of days we removed the formwork and we had to shape the side faces because the formworks sidewalls had slightly moved with the strong tamping movement.

We have also been testing and developing some possibilities of recycled furniture; getting old tires and turning them into seats for the library.

The week ended with a trip to Kalasia waterfalls in Marangu, where we enjoyed taking a short bath, having a picnic and walking around the nice forest. Before arriving we stopped on the road to buy some baskets and collect some information about its fabrication, because we would like to include the pattern as enclosure in the library. On the way back we stopped in Mamba, where the produce and sell speers. The day ended up at Mr.Matolis house in Kibaoni, where we were invited to banana beer.