Cob Fwd: Re: cob construction

[Steve Berlant]

>From: "Dean Still" <dstill at epud.org>
>To: <strawbale at crest.org>
>Subject: Re: cob construction
>Date: Sun, 28 Jun 1998 12:28:49 -0700
>X-Mailer: Microsoft Internet Mail 4.70.1155
>Sender: owner-strawbale at crest.org
>
>At Aprovecho Research Center, near Eugene, Oregon, we have the first Cob
>house built by Ianto Evans. Since the house does not meet building codes we
>are "busted" and must now tear it down. Be aware that building not to code
>structures may open you to the same fate...
>
>But, luckily, we did get a little data from the house and are intensifying
>research now that the end is near. Three temperature data loggers were
>placed inside the house, outside the house, and in the middle of the 18"
>thick wall. Data was gathered for two winter months. 
>
>The interior wall temperature followed the outside temperature with an
>average 18 hour lag. Interior temperature spikes, up to 90 degrees, caused
>by lighting the wood stove, travelled through the wall in an average time
>period of 5 hours. 
>
>The low R value of high humidity Cob (.25/inch?) allows temperature
>differences to travel through pretty quickly. Having an average exterior
>temperature wall made earthen walls great in some climates, maybe not
>really suited for others.The average temp. in the desert is comfortable,
>hot in the day, cold at night. The wall averages both and is performing
>admirably. In our valley, where winter temps. averge around 38 degrees, a
>Cob wall just cools inhabitants. 
>
>Our strawbale dormitory interior walls, on the other hand, are warm to the
>touch.
>
>Dean
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>