Cob: Better than a cob "sandwich"

[Shannon C. Dealy]

On Fri, 25 Aug 2000, Bob wrote:

[snip]
> Isn't straw bale too new to have a track record?  Can we assume it will not
> powder over time and lose its strength, something we know cob, with a long
> track record will not do.  

No, strawbale is not new.  There are at least a few structures I have
heard of that are in the seventy to one hundred year old range, and a few
years ago I saw a brief write up of one of these structures on which
the wall was cut/broken open (I can't remember why, tearing down,
structural changes, etc.).  They reported that the bales were in good
condition, no signs of moisture or other damage, and some nearby livestock
started to snack on the interior of the walls (apparently it was built
using hay bales) with no ill effects.  I don't remember the location, but
is seems to me that it was in the Nebraska area.

Shannon C. Dealy      |               DeaTech Research Inc.
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