One cheap and best housing technology—proven, sustainable, and suitable for many climates—is Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB).
🌍 Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (CSEB) Housing
✅ What It Is:
CSEB are bricks made by compressing a moist mixture of soil (often local), sand, a small amount of cement or lime (stabilizer), and water in a manual or mechanical press.
💰 Why It's Cheap & Best:
-
Low material cost: Uses local soil, reducing transport and material expenses.
-
Energy efficient: No need for kiln firing like in conventional bricks.
-
Minimal cement use: Only 5–10% stabilizer, reducing costs.
-
Thermal insulation: Keeps houses cool in summer and warm in winter.
-
Long lifespan: With proper construction, they last 50+ years.
🛠️ How It Works (Construction):
-
Soil selection and testing: Preferably sandy-clayey soil.
-
Mixing: Soil + stabilizer + water.
-
Compression: In a simple hand-operated or motorized press.
-
Curing: Kept moist for 7–14 days.
-
Drying: Naturally sun-dried, then used for building.
🏠 Notable Features:
-
Earthquake and flood resilience (with proper design)
-
No firing means low carbon footprint
-
Simple DIY process or local community training possible
🌏 Where It's Been Used:
-
Auroville, India – pioneers in CSEB homes.
-
Widely adopted in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia.
-
Endorsed by organizations like UN Habitat and Development Alternatives.