Resources

Rammed earth in France

France has had an enormous impact on the rest of Europe in the realm of rammed earth construction, pisé de terre or terre à compacter. Across the English speaking world the technology is still often referred to as pisé. This was in the period of the revolution and in the early 19C, when much of Europe was under French control. Although Britain was not conquered at that time the influence of the innovations in France spread across the sea, and the growth in the use of the technology in the UK in the 19C and early 20C are directly influenced by French practice.
France once again became a key player in the use and knowledge of rammed earth and other earth building technologies through the work of Craterre from the mid 1970’s.