Cob: posts embeded in cob wall

[Shawn Honeychurch]

   Hi All;

   Thanks for the quick response!
   We're in BC, Canada.
   We're designing a home with straight walls
 because I
   just can't seem to
   think round!
   I like straight wall, anyhow.  But we're hoping
 to
   fill a post and beam
   structure in with cob, as we said.
   I know strawbale provides more R-value
 insulation,
   but I attended a
   strawbale workshop with past summer and just
 don't
   feel convinced that this
   is the way to go.
   I've heard too many storied of spontaneous
   combustion and rotting walls!  I
   also like the idea of passive solar heating with
 a
   dense mass (like cob
   walls).  We live in a semi-arid area near the
 Rocky
   Mountains and although
   it gets cold in the winter, we get tons of sun.
   You are right that cob is repairable.  I was
 just
   worried about wall
   strength.  What do you think?  Maybe it'll be
 fine
   because the main strength
   of the house will be the post and beam structure
   anyway.
   Thanks again!  Let's talk more!
   Robynn