Cob: Basement

Mon Feb 10 12:35:08 CST 2003

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<P>Cat here,  May want to think about making that cellar round to support itself against the pressure?<BR></P></DIV>
<P>for the good of all<BR><BR></P></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>>From: "phil" <PHAWN1 at EXCITE.COM>
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<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: "phil" <PHAWN1 at EXCITE.COM>
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<DIV></DIV>>To: coblist at deatech.com 
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<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Cob: Basement 
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<DIV></DIV>>Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 11:03:05 -0500 (EST) 
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<DIV></DIV>>I'm no expert (though I've acted like one often enough) but if you only have a basement area in a central part of the house and not approach the outer walls at all it shouldn't be a problem. This is what I plan on doing. My cellar will only be under my kitchen area which should be a good 15 to 20 feet from any outside wall. Hopefully at this distance the weight of the cob or the bermed north wall won't have any effect on a basement area. 
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<DIV></DIV>>Phil 
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<DIV></DIV>> --- On Mon 02/10, Amanda Peck < ap615 at hotmail.com > wrote: 
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<DIV></DIV>>From: Amanda Peck [mailto: ap615 at hotmail.com] 
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<DIV></DIV>>To: coblist at deatech.com 
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<DIV></DIV>>Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 08:45:52 -0600 
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<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: Cob: Basement 
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<DIV></DIV>>A couple of years ago I consulted an engineer--Bridges, Walls, Sewer Plans, 
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<DIV></DIV>>his sign reads--about a now abandoned idea for building here. It's a 
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<DIV></DIV>>difficult site. I told him what I was looking at, what kind of a building, 
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<DIV></DIV>>what I had to do to even start on the building. Asked about both retaining 
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<DIV></DIV>>walls and the footings/foundation. He said, "no problem, all I have to know 
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<DIV></DIV>>is how heavy your building will be, what your soil is like, how steep the 
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<DIV></DIV>>slope is, and I can calculate hydrostatic pressure and draw these up for 
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<DIV></DIV>>you.." Or something like that. Not the only reason I abandoned that plan. 
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<DIV></DIV>>May go back and ask him for advice about the current plan, when I get closer 
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<DIV></DIV>>to building. 
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<DIV></DIV>>If you try something more than burying the back wall a couple of feet up, DO 
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<DIV></DIV>>get an expert opinion. You may not be able to guesstimate the footings, 
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<DIV></DIV>>which spread the load out over the ground (WELL below ground). The 
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<DIV></DIV>>guesstimate is twice your wall width--but you're proposing a VERY heavy but 
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<DIV></DIV>>small building. You need strong and waterproof for your basement walls, 
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<DIV></DIV>>which probably lets out cob for all but an inside wall facing. And these 
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<DIV></DIV>>walls need to support your cob above ground. The cost of the basement may 
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<DIV></DIV>>well be more than building another (cob or something else) structure to 
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<DIV></DIV>>house what you wanted to put in the basement. 
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<DIV></DIV>>But the walls are no more likely to cave in than any other equally heavy 
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<DIV></DIV>>building on a similar footing/foundation. 
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<DIV></DIV>>.................. 
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<DIV></DIV>>Chandra asks: 
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<DIV></DIV>>I am new to the list. I have scanned the past year or so archives and I have 
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<DIV></DIV>>not seen this topic addressed. Is it possible to have a basement or even a 
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<DIV></DIV>>cellar in a cob home? I would like one. My husband thinks the weight of the 
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<DIV></DIV>>walls would cause it to cave in. 
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