Cob: ken kern bldg collapse

[Charmaine R Taylor]

The Ken Kern death was a result of a 100 yr storm, falling on an newly
made incomplete cement arched experimental dome he was building at the
time, with cob walls  as the dome. Ken went out there to sleep, which he
did not normally do. The not fully cured rib of the cement arch cracked
due to the weight of tons of extra pressure on the absorbant clay walls
i the middle of the night.  It was a freak accident, and a disaster, as
ken was the earliest proponent in the  1980's of cob being used in the
US.

I blame more the cement arch, not the cob.  and this is not a reflection
of Ken's intelligence/common sense..he did not sleep in the bldg
normally, but for personal reasons was there that night..the wrong
night..and did not live to tell the tale.

this info was relayed to me via Ianto Evans who was told by Ken's son.

Ms. Charmaine  Taylor/ Taylor Publishing
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com
http://www.papercrete.com
PO Box 375, Cutten CA 95534
707-441-1632