Sandbags
Enactus Cairo University
Solution Overview & Benefits
Enactus Cairo University builds low-cost, sustainable Earth Bag buildings that provide an alternative to traditional housing during housing shortages. The main focus of building Earth Bag houses is to provide suitable homes for homeless populations by utilizing Earth Bags, which have many economic, environmental and social advantages.
In addition to providing shelter for the homeless, the organization is also aiming to decrease the unemployment rate by teaching the Bedouin youth the craft of building Earth Bag houses.
Constructing a fully functioning house using sandbags is done using sediment material that is extracted from the earth. Using readily available materials from the ground is significantly less expensive than building a traditional concrete house, while it also reduces pollution and saves time, as an Earth Bag house can be fully constructed in approximately 15 days.
This use of Earth Bags (sandbags) is both an old and and new application. Sandbags have long been used particularly by the military to create strong, protective barriers, as well as for flood control. These applications carry over to housing construction. The sandbags create substantial walls, allowing them to resist severe weather, bullets, earthquakes and floods.
History & Development
Organized by Kelly Hart and Dr. Owen Geiger in an effort to bring the concept of earthbag building to the broadest possible audience. It is offered with an attitude of good will toward all of those who might employ the ideas and further this very sustainable approach to building.
The idea of making walls by stacking bags of sand or earth has been around for at least a century. Originally sand bags were used for flood control and military bunkers because they are easy to transport to where they need to be used, fast to assemble, inexpensive, and effective at their task of warding off both water and bullets.
Availability
- Publicly available: yes
- Countries where available: Worldwide
- Price range (USD): Free
- Offered or can be licensed for local manufacture: Yes
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