ENGLISH

Videos English
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHzZzeWJJK8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9XqNy2mG_w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3XKmjH8rpk 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI84FCyDEPQ

FAQ Communication.
Hi Gabriel,
Good to see you on Saturday. And good to hear about your take on earth blocks. It sounds like you've got some very great ideas and practical knowledge. Would it be possible to meet up with you and have coffee or lunch. I'd like to have a chat about your project plus ours.

Cheers
Rick



Hello friends and colleagues,

First, please, accept my apologies for being a bit out of touch lately, I’ve been busy working on several of my own very time consuming projects. I was glad to learn that the bricks that we have produced passed the lab tests for quality and resistance.
Meanwhile I have given the eco-bricks some thoughts in the last few weeks and would like to share some of my suggestions.

Some of the challenges that you might be facing are ones that we have faced in Mexico
 while  developing our "eco-brick" – here are some of our findings.

     -      The construction system that we have in pending patent uses interlocking (i.e. male female) bricks, 
            which presents a  better solution in the following aspects:
1).  The manual labour involved in brick-laying, using mortar or cement as would  be required for your current design is considerable and costly, particularly given the expertise required to ensure that walls are laid square and level…. We found that the manual labour involved in such systems could account for up to and over 75% of project costs, whereas our interlocking system would allow for any labourer with little or no previous experience to perform the job in a much shorter time frame.
2).  The stability afforded by interlocking bricks is considerably higher than that of the bricks laid using mortar, as shown in 
University tests studying the potential impacts of earthquakes.
3). The hollows in the bricks can be utilized for electrical cables and plumbing pipes as well as soy based polyurethane insulation that reinforces the structure therefore eliminating the need for breaking additional holes in the structure or/and adding additional layers to the structure. 
4). Finish - allows for the external and internal finish to be either left natural, or to be covered with a very thin layer of stucco according to the aesthetic preferences of the client, whereas having insulation as an additional external or internal layer will require other costly and labour consuming solutions.   
5). Related to seismic stability, University tests further showed that having vertical and horizontal metal bars spaced 4 feet 
             apart resulted in a structure being capable of withstanding earthquakes, which those that lacked the bars could not.
             This is why our eco-brick was developed with hollows to allow passage of vertical and horizontal bars.
             6). At present there is no known comparable construction system anywhere in the world. There are some similar systems
              used in different countries, but none of them comprises all of the features that my system does.               


          I am currently considering the following options for continuing the work with the eco-brick in Canada.
1). Relocating machines that produce single eco brick and constructing machines that are capable of producing up to 32 bricks in 3 minutes
      ( using design of hydraulic or high impact press ).
2). Selling designs, molds, plans and prints of the interlocking construction system using eco bricks and providing personal 
      assistance with the building of the machines and the developing of the eco bricks using these machines, 
      including my expertise in working with manual, hydraulic and high impact press systems.    

 I’ve enjoyed the cooperation and the sharing of the experience we’ve had so far, and despite being busy with my own projects, I would be glad to continue with participation in your development.

Best regards,
Gabriel Martinez


Thank you for sharing your thoughts Gabriel. I believe what you suggest  would push our project ahead by light years. You have my full support and will look forward to working with you on any future developments.
We all need to sit down and discuss what needs to be done and how we can help you.
Rick

I agree completely with Bill. I believe we should continue working with Gabriel and explore some sort of ongoing working agreement.  



My thoughts on eco-bricks:

* We are not committed in any way to any particular manufacturer at this point. 
* Earthquake resistance is one of our highest hurdles to mainstream acceptance, and whatever system we use will require earthquake proofing. I like the idea of interlocking bricks for earthquake resistance and ease and consistency of assembly. If there are university studies documenting any method, that is a plus.
* Gabriel mentioned a citrus/bacteria mix that acted as a cement - and sequesters carbon in the process - we should look into that. Perhaps it can be made with apple pulp...

All the best,
Brian
Thanks Gabriel,
 
This is great input.  I think we should look for a chance to discuss you plans in detail and identify possible areas of cooperation.
I talked with Brian C. this afternoon and we had a discussion about
the LeHigh dirt.

I mentioned that if we have to go through weeding out the big and
medium pieces in order to make 800 or so bricks then we'll be finished
sometime next summer.

I suggested we use Treo dirt and work with it. Let's find a way to
make a great block without screening. Can this be done. This would
speed up progress considerably and we'll have Bill's greenhouse up and
running this summer. And everyone, including me, will have run out of
gas.

We really need to speed this up.

Also, I'd like to propose a meeting with Gabriel and use his expertise
to help us. Why re-invent the wheel when it's up and running already?
How does this Thursday evening at Bruce's or Bill's?

Thoughts?

Rick
-- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Gordon

Presenter, An Inconvenient Truth and The Way Home
Cohost, Breakin' Ice: The Climate Change Reality Radio Show
The Way Home: www.briangordon.ca

-------------------------------------------------------------------
With the 'ecoladrillo' (eco-brick) construction system it is possible to:
- pass cables (elecrticity, internet etc.), and water tubes or piping of up to 2 inches vertically and 0.5 inches horizontally
*The Earth Block Compress (EBC) can be made
1. similarly to the ones that we've been making
2. With an interlocking system (solid or with holes/tunnels)
3. With U-shaped cavities for the top row of bricks, to enable a space for a rod that can support the weight of the roof; this rod can act as a ring for the entire wall, thus ensuring that the walls don't start to spread/open
- It is possible to include horizontal and vertical bars (or not) to add increased strength in seismic zones
- It is not necessary to paste/use mortar to attach the bricks one to another, just to assemble them mechanically (like lego)
- Walls can be insulated using soy-based polyurethane, aerated concrete (cellular concrete) or 'cellular green cement', a product that we will receive in the coming days
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----- Mensaje reenviado ----
De: Richard Habgood <rh Para: earth-blocks-incorporated@googlegroups.com
Enviado: miércoles, 16 de junio, 2010 0:13:52
Asunto: Re: [EBI] Further discussion about brick presses

Thankyou Gabriel for your insights.
One interesting observation is that you always refer our blocks as bricks. Are they called bricks in Mexico? What would you call a block? I've noticed that Brian has done the same.
I think that interlocking blocks sounds like a better idea as we will have to confront questions about earthquakes and, although I'm no expert, it seems that interlocking blocks would be more stable than non-interlocking. And the ability to make holes for wires and pipes seems a only logical.
I also like to see you make the machine. Maybe Brian Cockburn would be interested in working with you.
Protecting the design of the machine is very important so we must move ahead and patent it.
I think using electric is also rational. Do you know how many amps it would use? I believe that most job sites have temporary 100amp panels attached to a pole. Would it require more than 100amps?
And I for one would love to visit Mex. and see it in action.
Thankyou again Gabriel for all you effort. We all have put in great effort, and now, thanks to Brian C. we have created a superior block which we can, in time improve on, once we get our bio char and co2 sucking cement  And now, with Gabriel's machine, and hopefully Karen's help, the puzzle is coming together. Slow I know, but we're all working together for the greater good, which is a strong, easy to make, marketable low co2 earthblock/earthbrick that we sell everywhere.
Cheers'
Rick
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2010 10:40 PM
Subject: [EBI] Further discussion about brick presses

Dear team,
Thank you for the good work last Saturday, great to see you and continue on the brick-making progress.
I appreciate the discussion surrounding brick press possibilities, and the interest in what I can offer in this regard (as well as what other options may be available to us).   I have been reviewing some of the past and current suggestions of machines available, and think, now that we’re more familiar with brick options, it’s probably a good time for us to be clear on what exactly we want out of a brick press, in order to make the right decision about what’s best suited to our needs.
One of the primary decisions is whether we want to have interlocking bricks or not. I think we’re all familiar with the benefits and drawbacks of interlocking vs. non-interlocking (I’m happy to go over my perspectives on the matter if not). This is a key distinction, because the machines to make each one will be different, it would be like comparing apples to oranges. Generally, machines that can make interlocking bricks have the option of also making non-interlocking, but the reverse is not true. Machines for non-interlocking bricks are simpler, often cheaper, sometimes produce a higher number of bricks/day, and don’t have the interlocking option. So let’s make this decision first, whether or not we want to pursue interlocking bricks.
Once we are settled on that, there are of course other options to discuss, the main ones which comes to mind are whether the machine will be electric or diesel; whether the bricks have holes or not; whether the machine has a mixer included, and if so, whether this is one the top of the machine (in this case we’d have to include the price of a bobcat in addition to the machine, which would be necessary to “feed” the machine);  and surely other minor details beyond these options.
Once we’ve settled on these matters, it will be easier for me to offer a sense of the machine, and price (and quality, and warranty) that I could offer. I’m confident that I could produce this for a reasonable price (comparable or better to what’s on the market). I understand that the profits will be in the production of bricks and construction, as opposed to the sale of the machine itself. As mentioned at our last meeting, I can provide a design of the machine for our review once we have made the decisions on the elements that we require; if I was to do this before we have a firm agreement in place about whether we will purchase this machine, then I would respectfully request that we all sign contracts guaranteeing that the designs will not be used by anyone else for the production of brick presses.   
I’m not trying to pressure any of us to go with one of my brick press designs, but just to offer information for if we do decide to go this route, I’ll mention that I do have some of the materials in Mexico that we would require so not all these would need to be purchased. Again, *if* we decide to go with one of my machines, I would only require some sort of advance to get started with the work in Mexico; you would be welcome to come down and see it as it progresses or is finished (as suggested by Rick, to take a trip to Mexico to see it in action), or we can be in touch by other means throughout its progress.   
 My main interest in this is that we collectively come to a good decision about which brick press is best for our requirements, I’m not trying to push my own machines, and am supportive of whatever we come up with, and whomever we decide is best suited for the task (i.e. if there is someone local who can produce what we need for a cheaper price, then this would obviously make the most sense). I look forward to continuing to be involved with this initiative (including my time, knowledge, resources, and experience) apart from this one issue in any case, I believe strongly in the good work that we’re doing and in the possibilities for future endeavours.  
Best regards,
Gabriel
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Hello colleagues,
I'm very happy to send my greetings, and I feel proud to be part of this group, thank you to all for including me and especially to Brian Cockburn for having invited me and introducing me to all of you.
There are several things I'd like to comment on, but we can do this in person on Saturday, I'll just touch on a  few points:
- It's certain that we live in a zone that is prone to earthquakes. And yes, some interlocking blocks can be more resistant to earthquakes. The majority of the dead, injured, and mutilated in Haiti were found beneath the adobe walls (earth blocks) of their homes when these collapsed.
- Most of the time blocks can be made where there is access to electricity; when there is no access we can rent a diesel or gas generator, economically and more importantly ecologically it's the better option, I believe.
- Interlocking: if we choose interlocking blocks I believe it will be important to analyze and compare the different interlocking systems, and different forms of molds and of holes, the advantages and disadvantages. So, we will also need to compare and analyze the different machines that make interlocking blocks- their quality, speed, price etc. etc. And after this acquire the best system and best machine, which may or may not be what I am offering; I believe we need to choose this not based on the fact that someone belongs to the group, or because it is the cheapest, rather because it is the best option. I am a professional, I recognize that the benefit to the group takes priority over the benefit to one person, I'm a team player.
Electricity: Generally the energy required is the same as what is used by a large house. If there are three power lines (330) the power consumption is more economical and efficient. How much energy will we need? This is something that we need to discuss in detail. I believe that  if we optimize the whole system of deposition of primary material, feeding of the press, production, storage, and distribution, with the best possible use of energy and labour wth the least possible use of energy and labour we can be an ecological and economically sustainable company.
I'm sending some select links about interlocking blocks and machines,  I imagine you've seen the majority of them, each one has interesting aspects to observe.
Best regards,
Gabriel
Tijolos (bricks) Brazil:
other interlocking option:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuJ8q7Cu4s0&feature=related

and the other from India that we know:http://www.habitech-international.com/  
The next two are Brazilian machines that make "tijolos" (bricks); it's interesting to compare the time that it takes to produce one, and how much is lost producing two, with more energy wastage and more complications to remove them by hand:
Cheers,
Gabriel
ps:
1. This Saturday we'll have almost all of the molds to make some samples, and next Saturday the machine designs
2. We could soon use some of the hydraulic machines that I have in Mexico, pay someone to give them some maintenance as it's been years since they've been used and to send them to us, I don't believe it would be very expensive 
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I'd like to start by saying that I don't have and university studies related to civil or mechanical engineering or architecture; my university studies and Masters degree (si asi es?, una maestrial/Masters?) had more to do with capacity building and environmental issues. I have become a researcher of alternative construction, designer of systems and of machines for construction, and problem-solver through experimentation and practice, so I ask forgiveness and for feedback/corrections if I'm mistaken in anything.

I believe:
  • The recipe for the "mortar" mix to attach the blocks can't be the one that we've been using; it's much weaker than the blocks are because it's not compressed
  • The mix that we use for the mortar needs to have the same (or greater) resistance to compression than the blocks, to ensure a solid, uniform wall that's resistant to humidity, temperature change and to a certain extent seismic activity. If the mortar mix is much weaker than the the wall could crack, be compromised, or deteriorate
  • The thickness of the mortar usually varies between 1/4 to 3/4 inch to permit expansion and contraction of the materials, as to correct for differences in the thickness of the blocks
  • I'm not particularly good at brick-laying using mortar, although I've done it many times and I can happily try to do more in this instance. Mainly though my workers who are experts in construction would do this type of work for me
Gabriel   
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Hello all, and warm greetings,
Please allow me to share with you a few observations and my perspective with respect to block presses, and I'll start with a few observations that I'm sure some or all of you are all aware of:
  • Our blocks have different measures of thickness, which is obvious, logical, and inevitable even with the best block presses in the world.  There are various factors influencing this, for example the amount of sand and/or gravel, the humidity, the type of soil, the ambient relative humidity while the blocks are being cured and other factors that we will touch on. But how, in one form or anther, can we attempt to control these and achieve better homogenization? I had commented that all of our measures of half blocks had uniform measurements, but it is not quite so, there are also variations in their thicknesses; why? In addition to the facotrs I just mentioned, there are others that inflluence almost all blocks made with almost all of the presses available (except for very few, as far as I know)
  • Our blocks, when we check their resistance to compressions, give us a result of 'x'. This is for the whole block in general, but the lower part is much more resistant that the upper part. This can be easily observed by seeing that for the majority of blocks that are damaged, the damage affects the part of the block opposite to where they were compressed, and it can be noted that they crumble more easily than the part of the block that received the force of the compression. This is because the side of the block that receives the most compression (i.e. upon which the plate presses against) gets all of the direct pressure; it then directs pressure to the part above it, which successively passes on pressure up the gradient, but it is the part next to the plate that gets the entire amount of pressure. If any of you belive that I may be wrong in this please correct me. This passes with 99.9% of block presses as well.
  • Our blocks are also unequal in compactness and likely some have different measurements from one side of the block to the other. This is due to the fact that the compression plate does not rise horizontally. This can be easily checked by raising the plate with the top off and measuring the depth from one side to the other at different compression levels (obviously to be done without soil inside). This also happens with many other presses, it's for this reason that they compress much more than what we require, so that the block has a certain resistance, which implies a greater expense of energy to compress them, despite the fact that the resistance in the upper and lower part of the block is different. It would be great to be able to channel this extra energy (in addition to what is required for adequate compression), into pressing twice the number of blocks.  
Alternatives:
  • A press that maintains the upper and lower part of the blocks completely horizontal
  • One that has an exact stopping point to make blocks that have consistent measurements
  • One that compresses the base to the same extent as the upper part of the block
Options:
  • Some presses have the first alternative, some the second, some the first and second, but none of those that I know have all three alternatives (neither manual nor hydraulic ones). I can't imagine a press with two "gears", one compressing from the top to the bottom and the other compressing from the bottom to the top, or one on each side. Or a hydraulic press that uses a large amount of energy with two pistons compressing from opposite sides; from what the experts in hydraulics have told me this is not viable

The solution:
  • This would be one single hydraulic piston or one single gear that compresses the top and the base in opposite directions at the same time. If any of you know of a press that does this I ask you to please let me know,  I always appreciate keeping up to date with my competitors  


Warm regards,
Gabriel
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There are companies that make block presses that claim to have double or triple the required resistance standard; but this also implies that the waste and energy required is double or triple or much more per block; so double or triple the number of blocks could have been made with this same energy. What they don't say (perhaps they don't know) is that this extra expenditure of money is required to cover the deficiency of their compression system, which compacts only on one side of the block.

That is one reason that blocks from the majority of presses are from 3-4.5 inches; when they are larger the difference in compression between the upper and lower part of the block is more apparaent, i.e. the part that was compressed and it's opposite

Taking each recently-made block by hand and putting them to dry, in addition to being stressful and taking a fair bit of time, can damage many blocks during handling. I can't imagine the number of blocks that are damaged by those machines that claim to propduce hundreds or thousands of blocks per hour or per day, with all of these blocks need to be handled one by one, by who knows how many workers.

Many press builders are only interested in selling their machines to make a profit; they aren't interested in optimizing energy or labour, production quality, product quality, hence quality for the producer or the final beneficiary.

In contrast, we are most interested in the final beneficiary and in environmental protection; for this reason we must ofer the best products, made with the optimal use of energy, produced in such a way as to minimize environmental impacts; not only blocks that are produced at the highest speed, lowest cost, although this could leave us with the highest potential profits.

Thinking that a press is best simply for the quantity of bricks it makes per minute is like thinking that a car like Chrysler which runs faster than a Mercedes Benz is better simply for that reason; although from other perspectives Mercedes  is better than many brands (e.g. Mazda or Kia) and not just because it’s a famous name.

Compressing blocks 3 or 4 times more than what’s required is a loss of energy; instead of 1, we could make 3 blocks, instead of 8, we could make 24 etc. Considering that making blocks 20% more resistant than what is required is more than sufficient. Making blocks that last 1,500 years instead of 500 years is a huge loss of energy. In Mexico I’ve been in 2-storey buildings constructed over 480 years ago with adobe without compression and with horse poop, with a resistance to compression of less than 20 kilos per square cm. Our blocks have 5 or more times that resistance (but its not uniform)
 
We would save energy and money compressing blocks on both sides instead of just one, they would stay very resistant, are more attractive, would give us more pride… and more money of course.

Another allegory: if, with all your force, you compress a mattress, and then with that same force you compress a pillow, the latter will of course be better compacted. Blocks with holes in them, in addition to requiring from 35-70% less material, requires less force to compact  them, or, they compact much more than a solid block. In addition, if we fill blocks with holes in them  with polyurethane or cellular concrete, the wall’s resistance can increase enormously, while giving us thermal  insulation that we require, without having to make double-walls or put insultation and then having to adhere and protect it with stucco from outside.

Probably in the worst case scenario we’d have to make 8 inch blocks instead of 6, but it could be that we would only need 6 inches.

One more: if, when packing things up in the grocery store, you put solid things on the bottom, soft ones in the middle, and put solid and heavy items on top it’s certain that your wife won’t be very happy if you get home with smushed tomato puree mixed with the strawberries (translator's note: unless she's pregnant, in which case that might actually sound rather tempting...)  

If we made a wall, say, 8 feet tall, with our blocks, the first rows would support the weight of all of the blocks that go on top of it, plus the roofing, plus the dilation, contraction, wind resistance and eventually seismic movements. The bottom part of our blocks would, with all confidence, support all of this; the upper part, which is softer, I’m not so sure. The mixture that we use to mortar and attach the bricks should be strong enough to support this as well.

I imagine that you’ve checked some videos to test resistance to earthquakes, that they’ve done to constructions made of adobe and compressed earth blocks; there are various in you tub e or in google video.

Gabriel
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The majority of presses to make CEB have four straight vertical walls where the blocks are compressed; it makes sense for the producers as it's simpler and cheaper to contruct them this way. Press-builders aer also trying to make a profit, and constructing them with a slight conical shape would involve more work, time, and of course less profit. Given this, the higher energy waste to eject blocks isn't a high priority for them; they'll sell the machines regardless and will earn money.  If the bottom part of the walls where the blocks are compressed are a couple mm reduced compared to the upper part however, it facilitates the removal of the blocks in that within less than 1/4 inch of movement the block will be unattached from the mold and can be ejected with a minimum of force or energy (as no pressure is necessary on the walls to then remove the blocks completely). In addition to saving energy this produces a better-finished block and reduces the risk of damage when removing them.
For example some of our blocks, at the moment of removal, are damaged on the right corner of the block, near the plate used to remove the blocks, and it can clearly be seen in the sides of almost all of the blocks how they adhered to the walls when being removed. The most obvious sign, and one we've all experienced, is that, when removing each block we need to apply a certain amount of force. If the resistance from the block wasn't present, the machine wouldn't have to work so hard upon ejection.   
Blocks made with presses that have compression chambers which are slightly "conical" are a couple mm wider at the top than at the bottom, but this is almost imperceptible, as the difference in width will be spread throughout the whole block.
Lever / Hydraulic
These are the only two common types of machines to make CEB. The antecedent of CEB were "striken bricks" made with mud stabilized with straw/hay, and cow or horse manure. This is emptied into a wooden box, which the worker raises above his/her head. They hold the bottom of the box firmly with both hands, and bring it down hitting the floor hard after turning it over in the air so that the top of the box (or mold) hits the floor; the impact of this hit is what compacts the brick.
Towards the end of the '50s the Colombian Raul Ramirez invented and patented the 'Cinva Ram', the first press to make compressed high-resistance adobe (now called CEB), with a lever system that multiplied human force. There have since been other lever presses, but not were better than the Cinva, which was queen of CEB lever-machines for over two decades.
The application of hydraulic pistons to compact CEB only increased the block's resistance to compression, and only increased production speed slightly; it was just about in the last decade only that automatic and semi-automatic hydraulic presses capable of considerably increasing production came onto the scene, but....
 Those who introduced hydraulic force to the production of CEB were affected by the euphoria of the newly increased speed of compacting many more blocks. They increased the power of the hydraulic pistons at the price of higher energy consumption (as it's not so expensive, charging this expense to the planet). They committed the cardinal sin of ignoring the advantages of their antecedents, the lever-presses, that multiply energy,  while the hydraulic systems merely transfer the energy.
If levers multiply human force, why not use the lever to multiply hydraulic force? You can imagine the enormous energy savings or the increase in the number of blocks that can be compacted with the same energy. Multiplying hydraulic energy could indeed give us the luxury of making blocks two or three times more resistant than the standard required (if that's what's desired)
Using the force of gravity, or the pulley or the gear, or the so many other options available, we could multiply the energy available, and this has not been applied to modern presses that make CEB.
My machine designs to make CEB are outside of the box. It may be said that I am crazy... and true enough..... but right.
They say that crazy folks make the paths by which sane people will later walk....
Gabriel 
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Hi Bill,
I'll show the group the designs for the blocks and machines, and I don't need anything signed. Good relations are based on trust and I trust in the honourability of all of those involved in this group
Gabriel
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And the last one! (of this series anyways):
See you all this evening (can someone send a reminder of the address please?) thanks!
I've designed various systems for interlocking blocks, and have constructed, by hand, over 15 models for machines with different systems for compression, ejection, size etc. I've also constructed hydraulic and piston- systems, I have a workshop located in the Centro de Capacitacion Ecological "El Huzache" (Centre for Ecological Training) in Mexico of which I was founder and director.

But the last machines that I made and those that I will make in the future went through (will go through) the following process:
- I make the design or the modification; Isaac, one of my sons, puts in his comments, we make drawings and scale-level, 3D designs; we analyze the pro's, cons, potential problems, other alternatives or different options; we modify or discard as appropriate
- I bring the design (divided into different sections) to different specialists
    *the hydraulic system to a workshop that constructs and repairs pistons and hydraulic systems for heavy machinery (they have the concession for Komatzu and other brands)
    *I bring the compression chambers and structure of the hydraulic system to a workshop that makes Monoblocks and transmission blocks for Nissan and other car makes
    * My proposals for system automation I bring to a company specialized in automation
    *I have the molds sent to a company specialized in 3-D mold-cutting using lasers

After having each component analyzed, modified, and adjusted (as suggested by the specialists), I bring the designs of each part to the engineer, who does the patent registry and modifications.

When the patent is in process, I have the parts of the machine being manufactured in the workshops (appropriate to their specialty). Each company installs and bills for its works, and writes out a guarantee of their work (as I do for my client). The motor, for example, whether diesel or electric, is new and comes with a guarantee from the manufacturer (Simens, Cumins, John Deere etc).

The design of my production and construction systems is the best of all that I know of, and of course we can compare them to any other that you're aware of.

While I focus more on quality, I do consider that in production quantity and speed I'm also strongly competitive with the best. I don't compete in price, my systems are definitely among the more expensive ones, the best is never cheap. Only in the case of EBI the price will be similar to those of the competitors' similar products.

Whoever buys the machines- my client- covers the anticipated work costs for each company, in accordance with contracts that I sign with each one;  once the work and written guarantee is obtained and I pass this on to the client they cover the rest of the cost. this amounts to approximately 2/4 of the cost of the machine. 1/4 of the cost is paid upon receipt of the machine, and the other quarter is after the client has tried and is satisfied with the machine.
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Press:
The presses come with molds to form blocks with dimensions of 6x12, 8x16, or as requested by the client. The mold can be purchased separately to have them make other dimensions. The press is designed to be able to interchange the molds, not only to make blocks, but also to make paving, tile, bricks,  "quesos" (interlocking circular blocks to make columns, the word translates as "cheeses"), roof tiles or whatever design is requested by the client.

The thickness of the material can be chosen from 1/4 inch to 6 inches, except for interlocking blocks, which can be made from 2-6 inches (making taller blocks is a possibility upon client's request).
Blocks:
Can be interlocking or not, with holes or without. The 3D holes can be from 2-4 inches (for 6x12 blocks) and holes of 2-6 icnhes (for 8x14 blocks).
For example the one which makes 8 blocks includes 8 molds for each of the options, as well as to make half-blocks. You can choose whether to make all 8 equal or to make some with one option and others with other options and/or half blocks at the same time
Gabriel
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Hello, it's a pleasure to send you greetings
I have looked over your website and am very interested in the good work that you are doing. The reason I'm getting in touch with you is because I have designs for machines (i.e. block presses) and systems of interlocking blocks to make Compressed Earth Blocks which, in my opinion, have quite innovative advantages in comparison to those available on the market.
I read in your webpage that you are open to new ideas; if you are any interest in my work I would be happy to send you more information, as I have similar interests and would be interested in becoming involved if possible.
Warm regards,
Gabriel Martinez
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Good day Gabriel,
Thank you for your interest in knowing our product and please allow me to answer your questions. The polymer is 100% natural and 100% ecological as it in no way affects the environment (of today or tomorrow), nor does it have any risks/effects on the residents of homes built with bricks made with the polymer as a cementing agent.
The polymer is water-based and is presented as a semi-liquid slurry (thick)
 It adapts to traditional/artisanal production systems for bricks (manual, semi-mechanized, or mechanized), or blocks (similar to concrete blocks but without using concrete), or adobe, as well as for rural roads, bases and sub-bases of roads.

The polymer functions with the majority of earths (mud, clay, tepetates {t.n.: apparently a brittle volcanic rock} etc) and/or with various stone-based materials (gravels, sands netc); either individually or in combined- for best results it is necessary to do an analysis of soils to use, obtain samples etc. and undergo diverse tests in our soil-testing laboratories. We now have some certifications of SCT and SEMADES.

The polymer is patented by ourselves and we have a production plant in central Mexico; the issue is freight to where it will be used, as this raises the cost.
Our idea is to install plants in strategic locations for its distribution nationally and internationally.

If you have any further questions please share with me and we will clarify them immediately

Best greetings,
Daniel
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Re: [EBI] update
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Richard Habgood <rhab
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Para:earth-blocks-incorporated@googlegroups.com


That's really amazing Gabriel. The video was very impressive and it shows you have taken earthblocks to a higher level. Looking forward to more. Wish I could read spanish..
I was going to ask you if you'd like to go for coffee tomorrow but I've been asked to do a job so I'm working tomorrow. I don't know how big the job is so let's see if we can do coffee on the weekend.
Great work
Cheers
Rick
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2010 11:08 AM
Subject: Re: [EBI] update

Hi all,

Congratulations on the continued good work. Again, sorry not to be very active lately, I've had to focus on various projects and wanted to share some of the work that we've been doing. I'm sending links to a blog (mostly in Spanish so far, but with english on it's way) and, on the blog, some videos (done in Spanish but translated into English, so they're both available there or on youtube). I'd love to have your feedback and comments on any or all of it, and truly appreciate the motivation that you've all provided towards 'furthering the cause'.

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