Cob: Earth Floor!

[SANCO Enterprises, LLC]

Chuck,

The mix design was for a commercial application.  Not all code jurisdictions
permit an earthen floor so there has to be a compromise, 6" of compacted
base course crusher fines and 1-2" of flowable cement that needs no trowling
is perhaps second best.

I may agree with you on being spoiled with access to materials.  Mother
nature did not share her wealth of materials fairly--we have either all clay
or just blow sand and if we are really lucky a few stones.  Distribution
varies widely throughout the state of New Mexico.


SANCO Enterprises, LLC
Paul Salas, General Manager
P.O. Box 45741
Rio Rancho, NM  87174
(505)  238-1485
chansey at earthlink.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck & Linda" <clearned at bminet.com>
To: "SANCO Enterprises, LLC" <chansey at earthlink.net>
Cc: <coblist at deatech.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2001 7:32 AM
Subject: RE: Cob: Earth Floor!


> Paul,
>
> I am curious why you are not using just clay, sand/aggregate and linseed
> oil. The floors I am familiar with turned out quite nice and plenty hard.
I
> always cringe a little when I see portland cement, slag etc., when I know
> from experience people can build simple, affordable and beautiful floors
> without such ingredients. Maybe I am spoiled in Wisconsin where we have
> access to good earthen materials.
>
> Chuck
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-coblist at deatech.com [mailto:owner-coblist at deatech.com] On
Behalf
> Of SANCO Enterprises, LLC
> Sent: Sunday, November 04, 2001 6:26 PM
> To: Vicki Wicker; Patricia Kerns; Darel Henman
> Cc: coblist at deatech.com
> Subject: Re: Cob: Earth Floor!
>
> Recently I have had to do some non-standard repairs on floor surfaces and
> here is what was done.
>
> In support of what Vicki stated, tamping or ramming can be very effective.
> Soil compaction is what you are trying to achieve and moisture content is
> critical.  If you are going to compact the sub-base materials, you want
very
> little clay and optimum moisture.  You can determine roughly where this
> point is by wetting soil material light and mixing it thoroughly a little
at
> a time.  The ideal point will be where it binds slight when squeezed in
the
> palm of the hand and the material still breaks apart.  This is about the
> same as used for rammed earth homes.
>
> For placement on floors, a 24" x 24" plate compactor is preferred with
> material laid in at not more than 2 inches at a time.  I prefer to use
> crusher fines that are available from most quarry operations where the
> crushing of stone is taking place.  It's very economical and works
extremely
> well if it is >3/8" and has a good sieve particle distribution. Most of
the
> material when placed has been so hard, is has been difficult to cut-out
> areas that were slightly high.
>
> Because we have had to have a self-leveling floor, we made our own
material.
> Here is the mix design
>
> fine sand (15% of dry cement component)
> 1 part gypsum (HydroCaL) or use a gypsum cement (DuraCal)
> 1 part slag cement (Blue Circle 120)
> Portland Cement (10% by wt of dry components)
> 1 part coarse masonry sand to 1 part of combined dry cement components
> Cement Plasticiser (1 to 2% of dry cement wt) use  Melment F-10 in fine
> white powder or Lomar D
> Thermoplastic Resin Powder (.05% by wt of dry cement component Airflex
> RP-224) this is optional.  It gives the surface a very hard clean finish
> Defoamer (.05% by wt of dry cement component  Foamaster PD#1 powder)
keeps
> air bubbles from forming
>
> Water content may be as high as 40%.  Add water until the material is in
> flowable state that you want to use.  DO NOT make it too watery.
>
> You must mix and place sufficient material at one time to get to a cut off
> point .  This material will set in 15 to 25 minutes depending on temp.
>
>
> SANCO Enterprises, LLC
> Paul Salas, General Manager
> P.O. Box 45741
> Rio Rancho, NM  87174
> (505)  238-1485
> chansey at earthlink.net
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Vicki Wicker" <vcwicker at asub.edu>
> To: "Patricia Kerns" <pkerns at twistedroad.com>; "Darel Henman"
> <henman at it.to-be.co.jp>
> Cc: <coblist at deatech.com>
> Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001 9:16 AM
> Subject: Re: Cob: Earth Floor!
>
>
> > I have to disagree. We troweled and we rammed. Ramming was much easier.
> > Because you sprinkle the soil down dry (much lighter) and trowelling is
> > massively hard work. Plus all of the mixing is totally  eliminated.
> >
>
>
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