oq-gem

Glossary for gem taxonomy

Authors: Luke Allen, Andrew Charleson, Svetlana Brzev, and Charles Scawthorn

This online Glossary explains around 400 terms contained in the GEM Building Taxonomy v 2.0 and nearly 700 images.

The terms have been listed in alphabetical and numerical order. Text description of each term is accompanied by illustrations (photos and/or drawings) where possible.

We welcome contributions in the form of photographs or images, illustrating glossary terms. If you have any questions you can also contact us at buildingtaxonomy@globalquakemodel.org


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Rammed earth [ETR]

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Category: terms
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Wall construction of earth which is compacted by hand or mechanically into formwork that is then removed and the wall allowed to dry. This technique makes it possible to build monolithic walls in compacted earth.

ETR_Afghanistan_AKDN_1

Rammed earth construction in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan (Aga Khan Development Network)

ETR_Afghanistan_AKDN_2

Rammed earth walls are constructed using local soil mixed with pebbles and water. The mix is compacted in wooden formwork (made of planks placed at regular intervals) to form monolithic walls (Aga Khan Development Network)

ETR_Tajikistan_Niyazov_1ETR_Tajikistan_Niyazov_2

Rammed earth construction, Tajikistan (J. Niyazov)