Cob sledgehammers and heat retention

[David DeFauw]

Hi Cobbers,
	Bob Bolles has understood me perfectly.  Post and beam structures are
permitted everywhere.  The fact that the walls, which are not holding up
anything but themselves, happen to be kinda thick, use straw as insulation
instead of fiberglass, and are stuccoed, are relatively unimportant to
building officials.  Even though there is a straw bale code in only a few
locations, thousands have been built in all corners of the US (and the
world) and a big percentage of those were permitted.  Building officials
are not evil people who are out to get us.  Their charge is to protect the
public by making sure their houses are built to withstand earthquakes,
severe weather events, and other hazards, and serve such public goals as
energy conservation.  Virginia Carabelli (sp?) who built one of the first
permitted straw bale houses in New Mexico found the building officials
quite helpful and lamented the negative sentiment toward building officials
that was prevalent in the SB community.  
	It is true that the present building codes are biased toward today's
common building techniques, and that some standards seem to be written to
favor certain industries, but there is a way to amend the code and add
sections to it for a particular building style.  For cob building to be
more than a curiosity in the US it will need a building code based on
scientific testing just as the straw bale folks did.  Their tests proved
their buildings work and straw bale is on the verge of mass acceptance. For
cob we have the test of time in ye olde houses of England, but that holds
little relevance in earthquake country.  The folks in New Zealand are
almost finished with a code for earth building.  They said developing a
code is "not for the faint hearted."  I know I will get responses about
especially stubborn building officials.  It is difficult to build any house
not just alternative ones.  One way around the code is to have your plans
stamped by an engineer, but no engineer will stamp the plans without proof
that the building will withstand the worst natural events in the area. 
Thus the need for tests.  Sorry for such a long post
David DeFauw.

----------
> From: Bob Bolles <bbolles at cts.com>
> To: coblist at deatech.com
> Subject: Re: Cob sledgehammers and heat retention
> Date: Sunday, December 07, 1997 4:52 PM
> 
> Hola John
> 
> From:	David DeFauw [SMTP:davidde at hevanet.com]
> >...	A more energy efficient option for a severe cloudy climate might be
a
> wood
> >stingy post a beam frame, straw bale walls, a poured adobe floor,
interior
> >cob pony walls and benches, and passive solar design.  This is a proven
> >winner that is permitable anywhere.  
> 
> 
> > Could you give some details on how this would be permittable anywhere? 
> As far as I know, only a few states and counties have any codes to
support
> permitted straw bale homes.  I don't know of any that would allow
earthern
> floors, and all the ones I know of require cement stucco exteriors.  Any
> further info would be very helpful...
> 
> Bob
> I think you need to check that out with your building department - To the
> best of my knowledge, NO Building Code porhibits Straw Bales, Cob,
earthen
> floors & plaster etc
> 
> the CABO code states in section R-108 entitled Alternative Materials and
> Systems:
> 
> "R-108.1 General: The provisions of this code are not intended to limit
the
> appropriate use of materials, appliances, equipment or methods of design
or
> construction not specifically prescribed by this code, provided the
> building official determines that the proposed alternate materials,
> appliances, equipment or methods of design or construction are at least
> equivalent of that prescribed in this code in suitability, quality,
> strength, effectiveness, fire-resistance, dimensional stability, safety
and
> sanitation."
> 
> I think that we tend to fall into the trap of thinking that because it is
> not a "conventional" building system or material, it is prohibited.
> 
> I believe the key to what he (David) said was: "...a wood stingy post a
> beam frame...", which is, indeed permittable.
> 
> Regards
> Bob
>