Civilization101Blueprint

Binders

Lime for mortar, plaster and whitewash, then hydraulic lime, pozzolana and cement.

Materials Levels 2–3 2 steps written
2
Level 2 · Forge · 1 of 2 in this track

Lime

Unlocks Masonry house and chimney · ShelterCanals and locks · TransportCement and concreteGlass · MaterialsThe four-course rotation, field drains and the seed drill · FoodAcids · MaterialsAlkalis · MaterialsBlast furnace and cheap iron · Materials
3
Level 3 · Mill · 2 of 2 in this track

Cement and concrete

Unlocks City water and sewerage · WaterIron-framed and multi-storey building · ShelterSteel frame and reinforced concrete · Shelter

Everything in this track

Every guide, build, reference sheet and book reached from the steps above.

Field guides

Level 2
Lime

Burn a rock, add water, and it turns back into rock in the shape you gave it. Mortar, plaster, whitewash, soap and tanning all start there — and so does an alkali burn that can blind in seconds.

 Level 1
Poisons

The poisonings a rebuilding community is most likely to meet: where each comes from, how it shows, and the first thing to do.

 Level 2
Minerals and ores

How to tell the ores that matter with nothing but a streak plate, a knife and your hand: colour lies, streak and weight do not.

 Level 1
Soils and plant nutrition

What a soil is made of, why its acidity matters, and how to read a nutrient shortage in the leaves before it costs a harvest.

 Level 1
Stone and earth building

How to build a dwelling that stays dry and standing for thirty years from subsoil, stone and timber: choosing the method, setting out, foundations, walls, roof, drainage, and how to inspect, repair and maintain it.

 Level 3
Chemistry

What matter is made of and how it changes: amounts, gases, acids, the energy and speed of reactions, electrochemistry, and the reactions every industry on the ladder runs on.

 Level 3
Properties of materials

Density, stiffness, expansion and melting point for the materials the ladder makes, and what each number decides.

Builds

A stone draw kiln cut into a bank — mortar, plaster and clean water all start here.
Level 2
Continuous draw lime kiln

Burn limestone into quicklime — mortar, plaster, whitewash, flux, tannery liquor and soil correction, from one shaft.
An updraught kiln at full firing. Pottery is the first step that needs real temperature control.
Level 1
Updraught kiln

The first machine that holds a temperature — pottery, brick and tile, and the training ground for every furnace above it.

Reference sheets

Drawn overview sheets, each with its corrections printed under it. They orient; they are never the thing you identify from.

Twelve panels in order: site, ground preparation, foundation, floor, walls, doors and windows, roof frame, roof covering, eaves and drainage, plaster, a cutaway of the finished house, and a final checklist with ongoing maintenance.
Permanent shelter: the complete construction sequence On: Stone and earth building: The order of work
Ten panels: a safe location, areas to avoid, sun, wind, shade and materials, soil types, slope and drainage, a homestead layout, orientation, clear space round the house, future expansion, and a site checklist.
Site selection and building layout On: Stone and earth building: Choose the site and set it out
Ten panels: why water control matters, eaves, gutters and downspouts, ground slope, drainage options, plinth protection, roof runoff, water management, common mistakes, and a checklist.
Rainwater, eaves and drainage On: Stone and earth building: Where the water goes
Nine panels: the trench, soil types, a gravel layer, the stone foundation, a cross-section, damp-proofing options, plinth and floor level, drainage round the foundation, and three common foundation types.
Foundation and ground moisture protection On: Stone and earth building: Foundations and plinths: the boots
Twelve panels: preparing the ground, the gravel base, the fill layer, surface options, a cross-section, finishes, the door threshold, damp-proofing, floors for different climates, common mistakes, and a checklist.
Floor construction On: Stone and earth building: Floors
Eleven panels: wall materials, adobe, rammed earth and stone masonry, cross-sections, corners and bonding, a thickness guide, openings, plaster, water protection, and common mistakes.
Earth and stone wall construction On: Stone and earth building: Building the walls
Nine panels: a typical door and window, lintel options, how a lintel carries the wall, construction steps for each, opening dimensions, common mistakes, and key checkpoints.
Doors, windows and lintels On: Stone and earth building: Openings, lintels, corners and arches
Eleven panels: roof parts, roof types, pitch and runoff, the frame, construction steps, eaves, the roof-to-wall joint, the ridge, covering details, common mistakes, and checkpoints.
Roof structure and construction On: Stone and earth building: Roofs: the hat
Ten panels: why to plaster, the three coats, material options, surface preparation, application steps, finishes, details and protection, common problems, repairs, and key checkpoints.
Plastering and weather protection On: Stone and earth building: When it goes wrong: diagnosis and repair
A labelled cutaway of the finished house (roof, eaves, walls, foundation, lintels, windows, interior, floor and site), cross-sections of the wall, floor and roof, and an inspection checklist.
Finished shelter: technical cutaway and inspection On: Stone and earth building: Maintenance calendar

Books and archives

Other tracks in Materials & Chemistry

Fibres, textiles and leatherCeramics and glassMetalsChemicals