Earthbag building and rammed earth construction are very similar. Both methods utilize earth that has been tamped solid. In the case of earthbag building, polypropylene bags or tubes contain the soil and eliminate the need for expensive forms. Since they are very similar in composition, we can reasonably speculate that earthbag houses will last for a very long time – possibly thousands of years – the same as ancient rammed earth structures.
It’s worth emphasizing that earthbag building is not just bags of dirt stacked upon each other. The most common earthbag fill material is clay/aggregate soil mixture. In other words, most ordinary subsoil (mineral soil) that has enough clay to bind the sand and gravel together. When this mix is lightly moistened and tamped solid, it becomes densely compacted and extremely durable as evidenced by the following ancient structures.
A remote western section of the Great Wall, Jiayuguan, Gansu, China that has been around for over 2,000 years.
The Alhambra Palace overlooking the city of Granada, Spain stands out as the most famous example of Moorish architecture, and perhaps it is the most known Muslim construction all in all. It was built 1,200 years ago.
Kasbah Caid Ali, Morocco
More information: Historic Rammed Earth
Earthbag Building Blog 
[…] Earthbag building and rammed earth construction are very similar. Both methods utilize earth that has been tamped solid. In the case of earthbag building, polypropylene bags or tubes contain the soil and eliminate the need for expensive forms. Since they are very similar in composition, we can reasonably speculate that earthbag houses will last for a very long time – possibly thousands of years – the same as ancient rammed earth structures. It’s … Read More […]