Adobe

George outside the oldest house in the USA, made of adobe blocks in Santa Fe.

Adobe bricks are made from a mixture of clay, water and sand, combined with straw or sometimes manure. Which give the blocks strength and stop them cracking.  The are usually made into a brick shape by using a wooden frame.  They are then dried in the sun. The bricks take about a week of hot, dry weather to dry before they can be used.  The bricks are very sustainable as the materials to make them are readily available and they use little or no energy to make.  Therefore they have a very small impact on the environment.

Adobe buildings can last for hundreds of years in dry environments.  They are ideal for hot climates, keeping buildings cool during the day and warm at night. Their strength means it is not easy to build more than two floors high and they can be weak in earthquakes.

 

 

George the Geographer

 

Geogger Blog | Geography Dictionary | George's Travels | Schools | Where in the World