[Cob] TSC has it covered - let's cut some bamboo!

[Rob Hayes]

Hey Joe, Charmaine and all,
Thanks for all the roof advice and safety considerations too.  We might guess
what we'd see if Ken Kern hadn't had his work fall on him.

It'd be good to consider a resilient thinshell concrete roof to cover that 
mud roof of recent discussion
or that dome maybe too?

http://my.brainshark.com/George-Nez-on-habitat-solutions-for-resettlement-13984006


this is rapid, low cost shelter, with a small energy footprint, considering.
You can build a TSC roof first and then take your time
making for drying time again with tarps that cover & shade your cob walls 
or painted and plastered surfaces
and/or cover your sides & make some trench for those compacted stone footings

This UColo professor, Dr. George Nez, designed and has overseen the 
construction of thousands of these one centimeter thick  TSC roofs

http://ceae.colorado.edu/mc-edc/pdf/Acrylic%20Concrete%20Roofs.pdf
(see the 3 vertical poles or columns which support the load..)

I'd like to see some smaller dome components make from thinshell concrete
that would look like these lazy susan constructed forms of
Buddy Rhodes
  Plaster Spin for a Large Concrete Planter  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_AuLAj0VFo&feature=related

Wouldn't some of these "turned" forms be great for light aperatures and
if lightly clay-slipped cob was packed on top around the skylight lightwells
then a TSC shell could go over that for long term protection.  

A resilient & maybe recycled glass and tile mosaic like those of Zagar might 
well be supported there on top as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Zagar
http://www.philadelphiasmagicgardens.org/

Here's a pdf file with some great shots of folks making a TSC roof with Bamboo 
now, this is pretty organic with the TSC reinforced joints details...
it's somewhat of an homage to Candela arches
http://www.birambye.org/pdf/RwandaTSC_Kitchen_Sept2008.pdf

I hope that this group will have more workshops to train installers for Haiti
there's some nice TSC roof photos too
http://greenbuildingelements.com/2010/07/23/tsc-global-showcases-roofs-for-the-world-demo/