Cob: intro

[Layth Sudairy]

Hello everyone,
   My name is Layth, I have joined this list about 2 years ago, and I 
have been reading all the interesting and informative emails to the 
list. I am a graduate architecture student, doing my thesis.  Since I 
do not have the structural engineering background, I was not able (or 
allowed) to have a thesis about the structural stability of earth 
buildings in earthquake areas.  I took a break after that 
disappointment and returned to my graduate study this January.  Now I 
have a new thesis, and it describes three kinds of earth buildings, 
there properties, there applications, and the obstacles that are 
keeping these buildings from the main stream. I was hoping that some 
from this list might help me with some things.  Especially people who 
already are living in Cob or other earthen house.  My only hands on 
experience with cob was when I built a small seed propagation sort of 
green house.  It was 8'X4'X2.5' with a glass top , The outside was not 
plastered, and the structure stood directly on the ground (a no no I 
guess).  I just did it with what I had and I did not have enough stones 
to make the building be off the ground. The walls where 8"-1'   thick.  
And it had sprayers on the inside to water the seed beds.  That 
structure has been standing now for three years with the only problem 
of ANTS starting to borrow into the cob walls!!
   Well I just wanted to introduce myself and hope for your help in the 
coming weeks.

Layth