Editing Adobe (section)

===Adobe bricks===
[[File:Milyanfan-adobe-bricks-8038.jpg|thumb|Adobe bricks near a construction site in [[Milyanfan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]]]]
Bricks made from adobe are usually made by pressing the mud mixture into an open timber frame. In North America, the brick is typically about {{convert|25|by|36|cm|0|abbr=on}} in size. The mixture is molded into the frame, which is removed after initial setting. After drying for a few hours, the bricks are turned on edge to finish drying. Slow drying in shade reduces cracking.

The same mixture, without straw, is used to make [[Mortar (masonry)|mortar]] and often [[plaster]] on interior and exterior walls. Some cultures used [[Lime (material)|lime]]-based cement for the plaster to protect against rain damage.{{Citation needed|date=October 2008}}

Depending on the form into which the mixture is pressed, adobe can encompass nearly any shape or size, provided drying is even and the mixture includes reinforcement for larger bricks. Reinforcement can include manure, straw, cement, [[rebar]], or wooden posts. Straw, cement, or manure added to a standard adobe mixture can produce a stronger, more crack-resistant brick.<ref>{{cite web|author=Technical Information Online |url=https://infohub.practicalaction.org/bitstream/handle/11283/314561/5110df27-5b44-4243-920e-37c50a310b36.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://infohub.practicalaction.org/bitstream/handle/11283/314561/5110df27-5b44-4243-920e-37c50a310b36.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Mud Plasters and Renders |publisher=Practicalaction.org |access-date=9 November 2010}}</ref> A test is done on the soil content first. To do so, a sample of the soil is mixed into a clear container with some water, creating an almost completely saturated liquid. The container is shaken vigorously for one minute. It is then allowed to settle for a day until the soil has settled into layers. Heavier particles settle out first, sand above, silt above that, and very fine clay and organic matter will stay in suspension for days. After the water has cleared, percentages of the various particles can be determined. Fifty to 60 percent sand and 35 to 40 percent clay will yield strong bricks. The [[Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service]] at New Mexico State University recommends a mix of not more than {{frac|1|3}} clay, not less than {{frac|1|2}} sand, and never more than {{frac|1|3}} silt.<ref name="NMSU">{{cite web |last1=Dominguez |first1=Thomas |title=ABCs of Making Adobe Bricks |url=https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_g/G521/index.html |publisher=New Mexico State University |access-date=26 October 2022}}</ref>

During the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]], designer and builder [[Hugh W. Comstock]] used cheaper materials and made a specialized adobe brick called "Bitudobe." His first adobe house was built in 1936. In 1948, he published the book ''Post-Adobe; Simplified Adobe Construction Combining A Rugged Timber Frame And Modern Stabilized Adobe,'' which described his method of construction, including how to make "Bitudobe." In 1938, he served as an adviser to the architects [[Ernest J. Kump|Franklin & Kump]] Associates, who built the [[Carmel High School (Carmel, California)|Carmel High School]], which used his Post-adobe system.<ref name="Seavey">{{cite book|last=Seavey |first=Kent |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vsfoKsxi4q4C&q=Comstock|title=Carmel, A History in Architecture|publisher=Arcadia Publishing |location=Charleston, South Carolina|date=2007|page=114|isbn=978-0-7385-4705-3|access-date=2022-01-16 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/58880807 |title=Post-adobe; Simplified Adobe Construction Combining a Rugged Timber Frame and Modern Stabilized Adobe|last= Comstock |first= Hugh W.|date= 1948|oclc=58880807 |access-date=2022-02-27}}</ref>