Prospective home owners have been presented with an alternative to own a 3-to-4-bedroom rammed earth house at 25,000 to 35,000 cedis.

Rammed earth buildings are constructed with compressed natural raw materials like clay, silt and gravels, commonly found in soils.

It is an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative that has been used for centuries.

A number of historical buildings found in China, Morocco and Spain were built with rammed earth.

It is gradually becoming a cheaper alternative for building compared to the popular cement and laterite.

Representative of the Earth Rammed Housing Company in Ghana, Dickson Ansah Baah, says 20 bags of rammed-earth can be used in place of 50 bags of cement in constructing a 3-bedroom house.

“The soil around us contains the materials used in building the rammed earth houses. The clay and silt are found on every land. We take the soil to the laboratory and test the components. Testing the clay especially will determine if we should add cement for bonding. Sometimes, depending on the clay, you may not need the cement at all,” he told Luv FM.

In building, the soil is compacted in batches to gradually erect the wall to the top of the form-work. This requires consistent pounding in layers.

This makes it laborious, yet the durability of the building is assured.

Building experts say it can withstand earth tremors and possible earthquakes.

“Durability depends on the pound. You compress it by pounding it more. The more you compress it, the more it becomes heavier,” said Dickson Ansah Baah.

It is seen as a simple construction technique as it requires 3 weeks or a month to complete a 2-bedroom earth rammed house.

But electricity wiring and plumbing have to be done alongside construction of the buildings.

Adding a coat of paint is an option to the homeowner, as iron oxide is added to the building materials to give the building a colorful and polished look.

Building experts lauded the affordability of the earth rammed buildings.

In 2019, a 4-bedroom rammed earth building was sold at 2,500 dollars.

However, as the prices of building materials continue to inflate, the price of a 2-bedroom rammed earth house now ranges from 25,000 to 30,000 cedis, while a 5-bedroom house is selling at 50,000 cedis.

With the current price, prospective homeowners have an alternative to affordable construction.

Patrons of the Luv FM Habitat Fair in Kumasi will have the opportunity to access quality services in everything building and construction.

The Fair will be held from September 30 to October 2, 2022 at the Kumasi City Mall.