268 JOUIJNAL OF THE DErAKTMEAT UE AciKlGELTUKK. SeI'T., 1922. 



PISE-DE-TERRE. 



By P. B. AiRD, Engineer, School of Agriculture, Cedara, Natal. 



In a description of constructional work, 5,ucli as pise-de-terre, illustra- 

 tions assist in forming' correct ideas, and the acconif)anying- photo- 

 graphs may serve this purpose. 



No. (1) shows lack of unifojmity, the resuli of carelessness, and 

 indicates the necessity of placing- not moie than 4h inches of earth 

 in the moulds, so as to measure 2^ inches when compressed. The 

 faults shown in the photograph are due to placing' excessive quanti- 

 ties, thus resulting' in layers of 5 inches to 9 inches thick, which 

 have not been properly compressed. This emphasizes the desirability 

 of not exceeding' the (juantities mentioned. 



This photograph, whilst displaying- the result of defective work, 

 also shows to advantag*o the rounded corner and the arrang-emenf of 

 the shuttering- at close quarters. Owing- to the defects it was decided 

 to level the whole structure, and this was only accomplished with 

 difficulty. A 16-H). hammer proved aborti"ve, and it was ultimately 

 necessary to use i)ick-axes and remove the layers. Two or three 

 hundredweights of the best compressed material thus obtained were 

 letained as samples for distribution, the balance being- resifted and 

 utilized in reconstiuction. The resultant compressed layers of 2^ 

 inches proved very satisfactory. 



No. (2) shows a corner of the building- — the uniformity of the 

 layers can be traced, also the method of preparing a keyed surface to 

 leceive plaster, cement, lime, or " dag-g-a." The wires are also shown 

 which hold down the wall plates. Cement pla-sters 9 to 1 and 12 to 1 

 we're tried witliout success. Blue-lime plaster 4 to 1 (4 parts sand to 

 1 part blue plaster lime) was tried with a certain degree of success. 

 The outside of walls were plastered over with the same kind of earth 

 used for making the walls, but in conjunction with a mixture of two 

 parts sand to one part " dagg^a." Finally, the surface was treated 

 with two coats of Polar Bear Compo, and a satisfactory result was 

 obtained, as shown in photograph No. (3). 



Although quite a lot of pise-de-terre work has been carried out in 

 various pajts of Natal, it should be stated that a Mr. Goldie, of 

 Escombe, has had exceptional experience, and has constructed at least 

 three fairly large dwelling--houses, with their outbuildings, etc. Some 

 ])hotog'raplis of his work are given, which show to ])articular 

 advantage his shuttering and Avorking tools. In photog'ra])h No. (4) 

 flic tools are displayed, and it is advanced by Mr. Goldie that a 

 wooden rammer (marked 4) when used as a finisher makes a better 

 keyed surface for receiving the successive layers than the bricklayeir^s 

 hammer. 



No. (5) shows the inside corner-piece, door, window, and break- 

 joint stop end. 



No. (6) shows the shuttering. In this photograph attention is 

 drawn to the rough surface finish of the walls, and the contrast 

 between this and the walls shown in ]iliotng-ra])h No. (7) should be 

 carefully noted. 



