Sandbag Houses

MMA Design Studio

Sandbag Houses uses sandbags to construct walls inside timber frames.

Discontinued

Snapshot
Manufacturing & delivery
Performance & use
Research & standards
Feedback

Product description Brand name and product description

Sandbag Houses use sandbags instead of traditional brick-and-mortar to build a house that does not require skilled labor or electricity.

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

Freedom Park, South Africa

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

MMA Architects

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

6,150 USD

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

Lifeshelter LS5-LS6

Earthen Bag

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Low-income neighborhoods

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

To construct the walls for the Sandbag House, sandbags are assembled inside timber frames and then plastered over, with strong wire attached to the corner section.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

This technology is open-source.

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

Design is open-source and building materials are local

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

10 houses

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

Unique Design (Yes/No)

Indication of whether design can be replicated in multiple locations

Yes

Intended number of occupants (#)

Number of individuals. 1 family = 5 persons.

5 occupants

Duration of construction (days)

Number of days from start of construction to completion

84 days

Footprint area (m²)

Surface area of footprint

40 m²

Internal volume (m³)

Internal volume

Number of storeys

Number of occupiable floors (ground floor only = 1)

1 storey

Material composition

Primary materials used

Sand

Flammable flash point temperature (ºC)

Combustion temperature

Unknown

Thermal insulating capacity (m²*K/W)

Composite estimated R-value

Unknown

Maximum wind speed (km/h)

As calculated by designer

Unknown

Maximum snow load (kg/m³)

As calculated by designer

Structural Occupancy Category

Based upon primary structural system as per the International Building Code

Unknown

Seismic Design Category

Based upon Structural Occupancy Category and soil conditions of site; as per the International Building Code

Unknown

Suitable Climates

List of suitable climates for use of this design

Unknown

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

Each Sandbag House unit takes 3500 sandbags to build, with the sand is providing fireproofing, waterproofing, and soundproofing. The walls are made of sandbags in-fills between Eco-beam frames, with a plaster applied over a wire mesh as a wall finish. The Eco-beam frames are made in a Cape Town factory and transported to the building site.

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Technical support Technical support provided by

Technical support on the use of this technology is available from Ecobeam International.

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

None

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

Unknown

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

This construction method targets low costs of construction and sustainable appropriate technological transfers.

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

Unknown

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Agrément South Africa

South African Bureau of Standards

National Home Builders Registration Council.

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

No known safety hazards are related to this product.

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

The sandbag construction is designed to operate along with eco-beams.

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

None

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

The product is certified by Agrement South Africa the South African Bureau of Standards and the National Home Builders Registration Council.

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

Unknown

Other information

The building technology is certified under Agrément Certificate #2011/398.

In context photographs (0)

You can use the form below to contribute a photo of this product.

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors

Please let us know your experience in using this product through comments below.

Snapshot

Product description Brand name and product description

Sandbag Houses use sandbags instead of traditional brick-and-mortar to build a house that does not require skilled labor or electricity.

Target region(s) Target region for distribution/implementation (listed by country if specified)

Freedom Park, South Africa

Distributors/implementing organizations Organization(s) distributing/deploying this product directly to communities/individuals?"

MMA Architects

Market suggested retail price Price per unit or service price per usage/terms (USD). Subsidies noted.

6,150 USD

Competitive landscape Similar products available on the market. May not be a comprehensive listing.

Lifeshelter LS5-LS6

Earthen Bag

SDG targeted United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted with this product/application/service

Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities

Target user(s) Target user/consumer base (country, income segment)

Low-income neighborhoods

Manufacturing & delivery

Manufacturing/building method(s) Detail regarding solution production or construction method (instructions, mass production capacity, custom made,etc...)

To construct the walls for the Sandbag House, sandbags are assembled inside timber frames and then plastered over, with strong wire attached to the corner section.

Product Intellectual Property Open source/IP protected (note patent)/trade secret/other?

This technology is open-source.

User Provision Model Where can the product be purchased/acquired by end users?

Design is open-source and building materials are local

Distribution to date Number of units that have been deployed, downloads or users to date

10 houses

Performance & use

Fields marked are sourced values that have been evaluated by the manufacturer or a third party, all others are design specifications.

Unique Design (Yes/No)

Indication of whether design can be replicated in multiple locations

Yes

Intended number of occupants (#)

Number of individuals. 1 family = 5 persons.

5 occupants

Duration of construction (days)

Number of days from start of construction to completion

84 days

Footprint area (m²)

Surface area of footprint

40 m²

Internal volume (m³)

Internal volume

Number of storeys

Number of occupiable floors (ground floor only = 1)

1 storey

Material composition

Primary materials used

Sand

Flammable flash point temperature (ºC)

Combustion temperature

Unknown

Thermal insulating capacity (m²*K/W)

Composite estimated R-value

Unknown

Maximum wind speed (km/h)

As calculated by designer

Unknown

Maximum snow load (kg/m³)

As calculated by designer

Structural Occupancy Category

Based upon primary structural system as per the International Building Code

Unknown

Seismic Design Category

Based upon Structural Occupancy Category and soil conditions of site; as per the International Building Code

Unknown

Suitable Climates

List of suitable climates for use of this design

Unknown

Design specifications Component and Operation overview including power, portability, facility requirements, preventative maintenance and user training requirements

Product schematics Design and assembly illustrations

Technical support Technical support provided by

Technical support on the use of this technology is available from Ecobeam International.

Replacement components Availability of replacement components (in-country, by order,...)

None

Lifecycle Disposal and warranty

Unknown

Manufacturer specified performance targets Designer / Manufacturer specified targets

This construction method targets low costs of construction and sustainable appropriate technological transfers.

Vetted performance Findings of manufacturer evaluations or independent testing centers

Unknown

Testing organizations Independent lab, academic research centers, etc.

Agrément South Africa

South African Bureau of Standards

National Home Builders Registration Council.

Safety Potential hazards / risks related to operation of this product

No known safety hazards are related to this product.

Complementary technical systems Performance of this product is improved with another technology (eg. Cookstoves and Wind-blocking skirts)

The sandbag construction is designed to operate along with eco-beams.

Research & standards

Academic research Academic research related to the product (e.g. published papers in peer-reviewed journals)

None

Compliance with regulations Product certifications and standards referenced by designer/manufacturer

The product is certified by Agrement South Africa the South African Bureau of Standards and the National Home Builders Registration Council.

Evaluation methods Evaluation methods/protocols/guidelines referenced by designer or manufacturer.

Unknown

Other information

The building technology is certified under Agrément Certificate #2011/398.

Feedback

In context photographs (0)

You can use the form below to contribute a photo of this product.

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors

Please let us know your experience in using this product through comments below.

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In context photographs (0)

In context files & documents (0)

Feedback from users, customers & distributors