ISE Lecture - Earth Construction Today: Building Systems, Fabrication and Delivery

This session focuses on earth construction as it is designed, fabricated, and delivered today, drawing on first-hand project experience across Europe and the Middle East. It covers prefabricated rammed earth (PRE), compressed earth blocks (CEBs), and moulded earth blocks (MEBs), examining how different production routes influence structural capacity, tolerances, durability, and buildability.

The reuse of site-excavated material is central to the discussion, reframing excavation soils from waste into high-performance building components, with clear implications for material circularity, reduced transport, and lower embodied carbon.

Reference is made to the new German DIN 18940, which enables the structural use of unfired earth blocks in buildings of up to five storeys, offering a clear and transferable framework for engineers and designers.

The session is aimed at structural engineers and designers seeking a practical, evidence-based understanding of what unfired earth can deliver today — and how it can be integrated into real projects with confidence.