Services at Auroville

Our Services

Soil testing

You are interested to build with earth, but you don´t know if your soil is suitable or how to compose your mix? We can do soil testing for you: you just need to send us one sample of 1 Kg, with references: sampling depth, sampling conditions, etc. In case the quarry has really different soil type´s veins, it is preferable to send various samples. Another advice: never take the topsoil with the sample, only the subsoil. Sensitive analysis can be done but also laboratory analysis. For more information, you can contact us at info@earth-auroville.com

Block testing

At the Auroville Earth Institute, we can test your blocks with our compression testing machine. You can get dry compressive strength or wet compressive strength. Our tests follow a strict procedure to get reliable results. Contact us at info@earth-auroville.com for more information.

CSEB Order

Do you plan to build with CSEB´s? We are producing blocks for the Auroville area (until Chennai), but we have also a worldwide network of producers. Contact us at eblock@earth-auroville.com for any enquiry and visit our website : http://eblockindia.com if you wish to become a producer.

Auram Equipment

The Auram equipment has been designed by Satprem Ma�ni but the presses and peripherical equipments are currently manufactured at the Aureka workshop. For any enquiry please contact us or contact them at aureka@auroville.org.in.

Training

Regular training courses are given at the Auroville Earth Institute, but we can also organize a training course on your demand, inside and outside India. Please contact us at training@earth-auroville.com.

You have bought one machine, and you want to set up a production unit, but your team need to be trained: we can organize a technology transfer at your place, usually in 9-12 days. If you have already earth blocks but you want to be trained to build with them, we can organize a CSEB Masonry training course: the duration is related to the size of your building. We usually recommend a demo-house or simple house to start. We can also train your masons to build arches, vaults and domes also, thus saving money and improving the design of your building.

Architectural consultancy

You wish to get your house or building with CSEB´s, but you don´t know how to use properly and efficiently earth blocks, or how to detail bond patterns? Our architect team can prepare design and details plans with you. For any enquiry, contact us at architecture@earth-auroville.com

Building with earth from A to Z

It is also possible to integrate all the consultancies: concept, design, detailed plans, and construction. See the example of the Al Medy Mosque in Saudi Arabia done in 7 weeks. Note that the Auroville Earth Institute has an expertise in building vaulted structures, from the stability study to the construction and supervision on site. See for example the Dyanaliga dome.

Buying Blocks

What is E´Block?
Promoting and researching on Earth Architecture since 1989, the Auroville Earth Institute now takes another dimension by making Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks technology available to everybody.

E´Block has been created in 2009 to produce, sell and promote high quality Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks in Pondicherry surroundings with the aim of replacing Country Fired Bricks on the mainstream market. Building with CSEB is an eco-friendly and economical method that can suit all your needs.

At E´Block India we aim to train and empower local unskilled labor to manage production units. We help people to make a positive change by actively participating in sustainable development through the use and promotion of earthen materials and techniques.

What does E´Block also do?
Financial analysis: E´Block would evaluate capital investment and working capital needed, financing options.
Blockyard setup: E´Block would setup an efficient blockyard.
Production Analysis: E´Block would provide a monthly business check up including an interpretation of results and advice on production optimization towards profit maximization.
Maintenance: E´Block would conduct an onsite machine adjustment and suggest precautions and repairs once every month.
Quality Control: E´Block would ensure quality control on the production process through intermittent monitoring, site inspections and checkups.
Monitoring: E´Block would provide to the producer production monitoring tools to help him manage and improve the results of his unit.
Marketing: E´Block would provide marketing materials such as logos, brochures, posters, website, etc., carry out market survey and develop a network of customers by advertising and assessing the customers' satisfaction.
Order Management: By creating a network of producers, E'Block would centralize the orders and transfer them to the most adequate unit of production.

Download EBlock price lists for projects within and outside Auroville.
For more information visit our website : http://eblockindia.com

Achievements with the Auram Equipment

Achievements with the Auram Equipment

All earthen buildings in Auroville have been realised with the Auram equipment: See Earth in Auroville. The Auram press 3000 has been sold to many countries on all continents around the world. But most of the time people who buy the presses do not give any feedback on their achievements. The main feedback which was given to us was about the realizations done in Gujarat, India, for the rehabilitation the zones affected by the massive earthquake, which devastated huge areas of the district of Kutch in January 2001.

A few achievements of the Auroville Earth Institute in various countries

Earthquake resistant house built at Istanbul, Turkey	Al Medy Mosque built in 7 weeks at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Shri Karneshwar Nataraja Temple in Tamil Nadu, India
Low cost house built at Simunye, South Africa for technology transfer	School at Marakanam, Tamil Nadu, India	School at Jantanagar, Nepal built with community participation

Rehabilitation of Gujarat India: a few thousands of houses built in 2001 after the earthquake

The international charity organisation Catholic Relief Services (CRS) committed itself for assisting several rehabilitation programmes. They built 2,698 houses of various types in 39 villages (houses of 28 to 35 m²area). They produced about 8 millions hollow interlocking blocks for earthquake resistance and trained/employed more than 2000 people.

The technology with hollow interlocking blocks developed by the Auroville Earth Institute, which is earthquake resistant, has been approved by the Gujarat State Government. 75 presses 3000 have been supplied to Gujarat and some were operating on a continuous double-time-shift basis in the area. The average wet compressive strength achieved with the local soil stabilized with 8-9 % cement using these presses is around 50 kg/cm² (after 24 hours immersion).

These Auram Presses remained in the villages after the initial construction period was over, and they were meant to set up local production and construction units to help the villages in their ongoing development. The coordination of such a project was done by Architect Mehul Savla, who had been trained previously during one-year training at the Earth Institute. His team did an excellent work and the Auroville Earth Institute assisted them regularly in their works.

On site production by the CRS with 60 Auram presses 3000	Mass production by the CRS with 60 Auram presses 3000	Production of ~8 million CSEB by the CRS in 39 villages
Mass production of ~8 million CSEB by the CRS	Reconstruction among the ruins	Reconstruction among the ruins
A community centres built by the CRS	One of the thousands of houses built by the CRS	Model house with Mangalore tiles, built by the CRS
Model house with ferrocement channels, built by the CRS	Presentation to villagers of a model house built by the CRS	House built by the CRS

Achievements from Earthworks in Gambia lpha.omar.jallow@gmail.com

Mr Alpha Jallow, manager of the company Eathworks, followed a one-month training in Auroville for the production and use of CSEB and building with arches, vaults and domes. Earthworks are producing blocks for sale and they are taking up architectural design, construction contracts and doing consultancy.

Auram Press 3000 in Gambia	Construction site at Sandele, Gambia	Resort at Sandele
Vaulted structures for the resort at Sandele	Corbelled domes at Sandele	Water tank with CSEB, built on round blocks 290

Achievements by Ben Ogun in Nigeria ben_ogun86@yahoo.co.uk
Mr. Ben Ogun was trained at Auroville and he went back, assisted by a mason from the Auroville earth Institute to start his company

Team of Ben Ogun

First house built in a few months

House built with the Auroville Earth Institute technologies

Achievements by AnyWay Solutions

AnyWay Solutions is a company based in Israel who develops among other things a stabiliser for soil. Their endeavour is not just to develop and market a product which is an alternative to cement but they are looking to propose sustainable and endogenous development with local communities, especially in Africa. AnyWay Solutions sent 2 trainers in Auroville in 2005 and Satprem Maïni went in 2006 to train again more people at Tel Aviv, Israel. Since then there are regular collaborations between AnyWay Solutions and the Auroville Earth Institute. Among their projects we can note:

•    Madagascar, Prison camp Project
In the framework of the “Madagascar Action Plan” (MAP), a rehabilitation programme of prisoners included training in block production and building trades for the construction of housing for teachers. The project was sponsored by Delta Norway Madagascar Ltd.

•    Madagascar, La vitrine Project
The president of Madagascar selected this project called: La Vitrine” where the future technologies and techniques for the MAP would be presented. The project was to build 17,000 houses for teachers and 7,000 classrooms. AnyWay Solutions sent experienced trainers from Israel to train skills of compressed stabilized earth block production and with the trainees they built 1 house and 1 classroom as demonstrations.

•    South Africa, Simunye Project
In collaboration with the Gauteng Economic Development Agency (GEDA), the Sinqobile Community Youth Trust and Desert Star, AnyWay launched its Rural Community Development Plan (RCDP) for the first time in South Africa. The scale of the project was to build 4,000 houses. The manufacturing of blocks for a house was done during December 2006. It was followed by the construction of a demonstration house with the assistance of the Auroville Earth Institute. A section of road was also done by AnyWay Solutions. All activities were done with the active participation of the local community.

•    South Africa, Exxaro’s Project
Concurrent with the expansion of one of its mines in the northern part of South Africa, Exxaro Coal embarked on a demonstration for Breaking new ground that would incorporate also Compressed Stabilized Earth Block stabilised the AnyWay’s products. The scale of the project was to build 600 houses. The project seeks to establish sustainable development through the use of the CSEB technology. Two different demonstration houses were built by AnyWay Solutions with an aim of sustainable and environmentally friendly development.

Madagascar, La vitrine Project – Block making	Madagascar, La vitrine Project – Demonstration house	South Africa, Exxaro’s Project – Block making
South Africa, Exxaro’s Project – Demonstration house	South Africa, Simunye Project Demonstration house built in 12 days	South Africa, Simunye Project – Inside of the house

To download complete Achievements with the Auram equipment as PDF file, Click here