[Cob] Fibers for cob

[Dulane]

I’ve often thought about what kind of buildings could be put together
quickly after a calamity, such as an earthquake or a flood. We all know that
cob/strawbale might not be the best idea in low lying watershed areas, but
earthbag construction would probably be fine, using nearly the same
materials.

 

But good quality fiber seems to be a sticking point for some folks. It does
seem like we should always be using what is in our area
but in a calamity,
couldn’t folks use clothing strips? In theory, poly bags are the fiber for
earthbags. And I’ve included shredded tarps threads (unintentionally) in
some of my batches (which seems to hold fine).

 

I think, that if it was worked into the batch, shredded used fabrics might
work just fine, if they were in strips less than ¾ inch. I suspect that most
second hand stores have to haul stuff to the dump that we could shred for
free. It would just be more processing, but maybe a good option for more
urban areas.

 

Just thinking
    

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste like
chicken..."