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An earth sheltered house in Switzerland (Peter Vetsch) An earth shelter, also called an earth house, earth-bermed house, earth-sheltered house, [1] earth-covered house, or underground house, is a structure (usually a house) with earth against the walls and/or on the roof, or that is entirely buried underground.
Water intrusion into the indoor environment can be attributed from causes other than rising damp. Moisture penetration has been an ongoing problem for residences as evaporation occurs at the edge of the damp area, resulting in "tide marks" due to salt deposition. [30] The "tide mark" is commonly distinguished as a feature of rising damp.
Nutrient management can help to improve the fertility of the soil and the amount of organic matter content, which improves soil structure and function. Tilling the soil, or tillage, is the breaking of soil, such as with a plough or harrow, to prepare the soil for new seeds. Tillage systems vary in intensity and disturbance.
The rows formed slow surface water run-off during rainstorms to prevent soil erosion and allow the water time to infiltrate into the soil. Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the topmost layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination
The benefits of improving soil structure for the growth of plants, particularly in an agricultural setting, include: reduced erosion due to greater soil aggregate strength and decreased overland flow; improved root penetration and access to soil moisture and nutrients; improved emergence of seedlings due to reduced crusting of the surface; and ...
Water is pulled by capillary action due to the adhesion force of water to the soil solids, producing a suction gradient from wet towards drier soil [50] and from macropores to micropores. [51] The so-called Richards equation allows calculation of the time rate of change of moisture content in soils due to the movement of water in unsaturated ...
Shallow foundations of a house versus the deep foundations of a skyscraper. Foundation with pipe fixtures coming through the sleeves. In engineering, a foundation is the element of a structure which connects it to the ground or more rarely, water (as with floating structures), transferring loads from the structure to the ground.
Generally, damp proofing keeps exterior moisture from entering a building; vapor barriers, a separate category, keep interior moisture from getting into walls. Moisture resistance is not necessarily absolute; it is usually stated in terms of acceptable limits based on engineering tolerances and a specific test method.