NZS 4298:2020
Materials and construction for earth buildings
Objective is to provide a core resource for building consent authorities determining compliance with the New Zealand Building Code (NZBC) and has given guidance to designers, builders, owner-builders and others involved in the construction of successful earth walled buildings in New Zealand, and elsewhere around the world. There has been no failure reported to date of any earth building built in accordance with this suite of standards. Earth walled construction continues to be relevant at a time when the sustainability and decarbonising of the built environment is under scrutiny. Earthen materials are minimally processed, have low toxicity, and are available locally. This will encourage and enable the uptake of local earthen materials with very low embodied energy within a decarbonising building industry. The revised standard continues to be a core resource and reflect advances in earth building practice, research, changes in referenced standards, and changes in building legislation: the Building Act 2004 and the New Zealand Building Code.
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NZS 4298:2020 Materials and construction for earth buildings
1 GENERAL
1.1 Scope and objective
1.2 Interpretation
1.3 Definitions
1.4 Abbreviations
1.5 Construction monitoring
1.6 Construction
1.7 Application
2 MATERIALS and CONSTRUCTION
2.1 General
2.2 Soil
2.3 Materials other than soil
2.4 Mortar
2.5 Materials testing for standard grade earth construction
2.6 Materials testing for special grade earth wall construction
2.7 Initial preparation
2.8 Reinforcement details
2.9 Quality control
2.10 Bracing during construction
2.11 Cold weather construction
2.12 Hot weather construction
2.13 Protection during construction
2.14 Control joints
2.15 Surface finish
2.16 Bond beams
2.17 Timber diaphragms and timber bond beams
3 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR RAMMED EARTH
3.1 Moisture content
3.2 Compaction
3.3 Tolerances
3.4 Control joints
3.5 Construction joints
3.6 Cracks
4 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR ADOBE BRICKS
4.1 General
4.2 Conditions of brick manufacture
4.3 Cored units
4.4 Straw or other natural fibres
4.5 Laying rate
4.6 Bonding
4.7 Mortar joints
4.8 Control joints
4.9 Finishing
5 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR PRESSED BRICKS
5.1 General
5.2 Conditions of brick manufacture
5.3 Cored units
5.4 Grout spaces
5.5 Laying
5.6 Mortar joints
6 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR COB
6.1 General
6.2 Cob mixing
6.3 Cob placing and bonding
6.4 Construction joints and cold joints
6.5 Services and reinforcing
6.6 Shrinkage
6.7 Control joints
6.8 Finishing
7 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR POURED EARTH AND IN-SITU ADOBE
7.1 Material and mixes
7.2 Method of construction
7.3 Curing and drying
7.4 Surface coatings
7.5 Formwork
7.6 Panel sizes
7.7 Bonding
7.8 Reinforcing for all poured earth or in-situ adobe
7.9 Shrinkage
7.10 Control joints
7.11 Testing
8 SURFACE COATINGS
8.1 General
8.2 Purposes of surface coatings
8.3 Surface preparation
8.4 Coating materials
8.5 Coating types
8.6 Bagging
8.7 Earth plasters
8.8 Whitewash or limewash
8.9 Gypsum plasters
8.10 Lime plasters
8.11 Plaster finishes and maintenance
APPENDIX A – ASSESSMENT OF CLAY CONTENT
A1 Field assessment
A2 Laboratory assessment
A3 Suitability for earth buildings
APPENDIX B – BALL TEST OF CLAY CONTENT FOR MORTAR
B1 Sample preparation
B2 Acceptance criteria
APPENDIX D – ASSESSMENT OF DESIGN STRENGTH VALUE FROM TEST RESULTS
D1 Assessment of test results
D2 Test specimens
D3 Test results
D4 Evaluation of characteristic strength
D5 Reporting of results
APPENDIX E – COMPRESSION TESTS OF EARTH WALL MATERIAL
E1 Sample preparation
E2 Testing
APPENDIX F – EARTH BRICK DROP TEST
F1 Brick drop test
F2 Pass criteria
APPENDIX G – FLEXURAL TENSILE STRENGTH TEST
G1 Stacked bricks method
G2 Lever method
APPENDIX H – SHRINKAGE TEST
H1 Shrinkage test equipment
H2 Procedure
H3 Calculation of results
APPENDIX I – RAMMED EARTH MIX MOISTURE CONTENT DROP TEST
I1 Moisture content drop test method
I2 Acceptance criteria
APPENDIX J – WET/DRY APPRAISAL TEST
J1 Elimination of unacceptable soils
J2 Equipment
J3 Procedure
J4 Acceptance criteria
APPENDIX K – EROSION TEST (PRESSURE SPRAY METHOD)
K1 Pressure spray test
K2 Procedure
K3 Results
K4 Penetration of moisture
K5 Cyclic wet/dry appraisal test
K6 Surface coatings
APPENDIX L – DRIP EROSION TEST
L1 Drip erosion test
L2 Sample bricks
L3 Measurement of pit depth
L4 Cyclic wet/dry appraisal test
L5 Surface coatings
L6 Moisture penetration
L7 Results
APPENDIX M – DENSITY TEST
M1 General
M2 Sample preparation
M3 Measurement
M4 Density calculation
APPENDIX N – FLEXURAL TENSILE STRENGTH BY BOND WRENCH TEST
N1 General
N2 Number of specimens per sample
N3 Apparatus
N4 Set-up measurements and calibration
N5 Test procedure
N6 Calculation of flexural bond strength
APPENDIX O – DETERMINATION OF STRENGTH OF EARTH BRICK PIERS
APPENDIX P – PRESSED BRICK LAYERING TEST
P1 Sampling
P2 Examination
P3 Acceptance criteria
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References
On-site domestic wastewater management
Specification for concrete construction for minor works
Solid plastering - Cement plasters for walls, ceilings and soffits
Engineering design of earth buildings
Materials and construction for earth buildings
Earth buildings not requiring specific engineering design
Related Information
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NZS 4298:2020 Materials and construction for earth buildings
1 GENERAL
1.1 Scope and objective
1.2 Interpretation
1.3 Definitions
1.4 Abbreviations
1.5 Construction monitoring
1.6 Construction
1.7 Application
2 MATERIALS and CONSTRUCTION
2.1 General
2.2 Soil
2.3 Materials other than soil
2.4 Mortar
2.5 Materials testing for standard grade earth construction
2.6 Materials testing for special grade earth wall construction
2.7 Initial preparation
2.8 Reinforcement details
2.9 Quality control
2.10 Bracing during construction
2.11 Cold weather construction
2.12 Hot weather construction
2.13 Protection during construction
2.14 Control joints
2.15 Surface finish
2.16 Bond beams
2.17 Timber diaphragms and timber bond beams
3 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR RAMMED EARTH
3.1 Moisture content
3.2 Compaction
3.3 Tolerances
3.4 Control joints
3.5 Construction joints
3.6 Cracks
4 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR ADOBE BRICKS
4.1 General
4.2 Conditions of brick manufacture
4.3 Cored units
4.4 Straw or other natural fibres
4.5 Laying rate
4.6 Bonding
4.7 Mortar joints
4.8 Control joints
4.9 Finishing
5 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR PRESSED BRICKS
5.1 General
5.2 Conditions of brick manufacture
5.3 Cored units
5.4 Grout spaces
5.5 Laying
5.6 Mortar joints
6 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR COB
6.1 General
6.2 Cob mixing
6.3 Cob placing and bonding
6.4 Construction joints and cold joints
6.5 Services and reinforcing
6.6 Shrinkage
6.7 Control joints
6.8 Finishing
7 REQUIREMENTS ADDITIONAL TO SECTION 2 FOR POURED EARTH AND IN-SITU ADOBE
7.1 Material and mixes
7.2 Method of construction
7.3 Curing and drying
7.4 Surface coatings
7.5 Formwork
7.6 Panel sizes
7.7 Bonding
7.8 Reinforcing for all poured earth or in-situ adobe
7.9 Shrinkage
7.10 Control joints
7.11 Testing
8 SURFACE COATINGS
8.1 General
8.2 Purposes of surface coatings
8.3 Surface preparation
8.4 Coating materials
8.5 Coating types
8.6 Bagging
8.7 Earth plasters
8.8 Whitewash or limewash
8.9 Gypsum plasters
8.10 Lime plasters
8.11 Plaster finishes and maintenance
APPENDIX A – ASSESSMENT OF CLAY CONTENT
A1 Field assessment
A2 Laboratory assessment
A3 Suitability for earth buildings
APPENDIX B – BALL TEST OF CLAY CONTENT FOR MORTAR
B1 Sample preparation
B2 Acceptance criteria
APPENDIX D – ASSESSMENT OF DESIGN STRENGTH VALUE FROM TEST RESULTS
D1 Assessment of test results
D2 Test specimens
D3 Test results
D4 Evaluation of characteristic strength
D5 Reporting of results
APPENDIX E – COMPRESSION TESTS OF EARTH WALL MATERIAL
E1 Sample preparation
E2 Testing
APPENDIX F – EARTH BRICK DROP TEST
F1 Brick drop test
F2 Pass criteria
APPENDIX G – FLEXURAL TENSILE STRENGTH TEST
G1 Stacked bricks method
G2 Lever method
APPENDIX H – SHRINKAGE TEST
H1 Shrinkage test equipment
H2 Procedure
H3 Calculation of results
APPENDIX I – RAMMED EARTH MIX MOISTURE CONTENT DROP TEST
I1 Moisture content drop test method
I2 Acceptance criteria
APPENDIX J – WET/DRY APPRAISAL TEST
J1 Elimination of unacceptable soils
J2 Equipment
J3 Procedure
J4 Acceptance criteria
APPENDIX K – EROSION TEST (PRESSURE SPRAY METHOD)
K1 Pressure spray test
K2 Procedure
K3 Results
K4 Penetration of moisture
K5 Cyclic wet/dry appraisal test
K6 Surface coatings
APPENDIX L – DRIP EROSION TEST
L1 Drip erosion test
L2 Sample bricks
L3 Measurement of pit depth
L4 Cyclic wet/dry appraisal test
L5 Surface coatings
L6 Moisture penetration
L7 Results
APPENDIX M – DENSITY TEST
M1 General
M2 Sample preparation
M3 Measurement
M4 Density calculation
APPENDIX N – FLEXURAL TENSILE STRENGTH BY BOND WRENCH TEST
N1 General
N2 Number of specimens per sample
N3 Apparatus
N4 Set-up measurements and calibration
N5 Test procedure
N6 Calculation of flexural bond strength
APPENDIX O – DETERMINATION OF STRENGTH OF EARTH BRICK PIERS
APPENDIX P – PRESSED BRICK LAYERING TEST
P1 Sampling
P2 Examination
P3 Acceptance criteria
Previous versions
NZS 4298:2020
Online Library subscription information
Online library subscriptions provide a cost-effective solution for organisations of any size to access the latest standards, offering 24/7 access to a personalised catalogue. The service ensures subscribers have have the most up-to-date version of selected standards, incluing automatic updates for any amendments or versions. Pricing is dependent on the chosen standards and the number of concurrent users, with discounts applied from the standards PDF price. For customised subscriptions or further inquiries, contact the Online Library team.