Cob Re: A suggestion for superadobe

[Michael Blate]

Sorry to hear of your failure, Pat.  When I was designing a sandbag
"tent" -- before learning of superadobe -- I figured I'd nail together
some forms that would lean inwards toward each other (eight in all) to
form an octagon when leaned in to lie against each other.
   Thus supporting themselves by inward pressure, I planned on laying
the sandbags against the outside of these forms to create an obviously
octagonal structure.  The way I had it figured, I could even nail the
drywall on the "inside" of the form while the forms were lying on the
ground.  Then I would hoist the forms, wire them together, and the
inward pressure of the sandbags would keep it all steady and stable.
But I haven't yet tried it in the real world.
   The eight forms would have bases that were, say, ten feet at the
bottom and eight feet long at the top, with studs that ranged from
longer to shorter, depending upon how far toward the end or middle of
the form they stood.
   It would leave a gaping octagon where the roof ought to be.  But a
smaller, similar octagonal series of forms could be made that tilted
inwards much more sharply.  These would be set as a secnd storey, and
again, wired to each other and to the forms below.  Then a sheet of
plywood or such could be placed across the final opening, with plastic
to protect it and "finished" with enough sandbags to make a tiny "roof."
   Does all that make sense?
Michael Blate

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