Cob: Cob Outside Bench

[Darel Henman]

> Myra Bonhage-Hale wrote:
> 
>...... 	snipped
>..... Then the area around
> the tires was covered with rubble, stone, dirt mixture and the tires
> were covered on top with the same mixture.
This was a dry mixture of stones and dirt?

>  Well, you could see where
> the tops of the tires were after all this - the ground yielded. 

Please explane what you meant by the "ground yielded"?
Do you mean the soil inside the tire sunk?    

How wet was the soil when you put it in to foot-stomp?
 I
> And I guess some heavy duty tamping equipment is called for.
A sledge hammer is all that is needed and a slight damp, but not wet
soil.

> We further covered the area with dry
> wall made on 3 tiers with stones from the creek near by.
Dry wall is not water resistance, even if you use the green colored type
it must be covered.

Other people have had no problems with rammed earth tire bale
foundations.  

Sounds like your having fun.  Keep us posted on your efforts.

Darel