Cob: Your acreage

[Otherfish at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/28/99 2:01:49 PM, mariahm at krl.org wrote:
Mariah 
on 6/29/99 you wrote:

<< Like you I'm keenly interested in cob building but am 
	told by county engineer just this morning that 
	while alternative approaches are allowed, including 
	thatched roofing, the doing would prove extremely 
	expensive as EVERY step would have to be approved,
	requiring of special engineering studies.  >>

Once again the need for a Cob Code becomes evident.
Yes, it is possible given the current code situation to get a  building 
permit for a cob structure.   However, as is pointed out to you by the county 
engineer in your location, you must re invent the wheel to do so.  There are 
ways of dealing with the code's mandated structural requirements (which in my 
opinion are neither unwarranted nor excessive) in reference to cob, and it 
can be done.  The problem lies in that the code does not understand cob and 
so will force cob to fit into the requirements of other parts of the code 
which also do not understand nor truly relate to the actuality of cob.   
Also, unfortunately at this time, those of us who build with cob do not truly 
know it's structural limits either.  There is a lot of conjecture, and lots 
of historical / empirical evidence that cob is structurally sound if built to 
some loosly defined set of traditional standards.   But the reality is that 
we truly do not know for sure the limits of the material.   

A comprehensive study of the structural capablilties of cob needs to be 
undertaken and used as the basis of writing a new section for the building 
code which is based on the realities of the material and techniques use in 
cob construction.  This is absolutly essential if cob is to take its place  
in our competitive & regulated culture.  If this work had already been done, 
and a cob relevant cob code written and accepted into the building code, then 
all you would have to do to build with cob in your situation would be submit 
some minimal plans, pay the same bureaucratic administration fees as anybody 
else who's building, and walk out the door with a building permit.  Pay some 
bucks, minimum hassle, and you're outta there & on your way to a safe cob 
building.

Although it doesn't help your current situation, the making of a cob code can 
be
done.  All it needs is the will & funding.  I have written a cob code 
proposal & developed a budget to do so.  It's a MAJOR project & at this point 
$ is the key.
This will happen !!!

So I wish you the best of fortune with your new land, but I'd think twice 
before using concrete.  Sure it's durable.  But the environmental cost is 
high & it will put you right in the middle of the current madness of the for 
profit driven world of fossil fuel gulping industrially produced building 
materials.   Bleah!!! 

It's a big undertaking, but if you can, follow the mud.

In the words of the Poet.......Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.  I took 
the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference......

Cob on!!!
john fordice
TCCP