Cob: enviroshake/rain collection

[Wendy Smyer Yu]

Darel,
I wish I could help - I've been here for nearly a year, do speak Chinese, 
but in a big city such as this, there's not much hope to find out about the 
earth walls.  It's not done in the cities anymore as far as I can tell, and 
I never had much of a chance to get rural.  Now, because of the SARS 
outbreak we're heading home.  I had really hoped to learn more about the 
traditional buildings here but everything's cut short.  VEry sorry.

Is anyone interested in seeing a picture of two of earth construction I 
found around here?

Wendy






>From: "D.J. Henman" <henman at it.to-be.co.jp>
>Reply-To: "D.J. Henman" <henman at it.to-be.co.jp>
>To: Wendy Smyer Yu <creeksinger at hotmail.com>
>CC: coblist at deatech.com
>Subject: Re: Cob: enviroshake/rain collection
>Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2003 17:55:19 +0900
>
>Wendy,
>   if you are still in China, would you try to find out some of the 
>ingredients and mixtures they used for the rammed earth walls.   This 
>differs according to regions often times.   But, it be good to here if you 
>have any recipes for the local you are in.   And the degree of compacting.  
>  For example a moist mixture of x,y, z, in ratio x1,y1,z1, etc,  applied 
>5" at a time and tamped down to 2 1/2 to 3" then the next level applied.
>
>Many of the old fences where not rammed, but basically a clay soil and 
>straw mixture and applied to a frame or with  rocks and or broken tiles.
>
>If you can speak Chinese and find somebody who knows about these walls. In 
>Chinese I forgot he name but it's the characters for mud + master   or mud 
>+ artist.
>
>Thanks,
>  Darel
>
>Wendy Smyer Yu wrote:
>
>>Being new to the list, I'm not sure if you've already covered this,
>>but what about ceramic tile?  I'd bet that the biggest drawback is
>>probably the weight (and in earthquake prone areas that's a
>>potential problem)... but, in terms of something that could safely
>>collect water (providing the glaze is ok), that could be produced
>>locally, is this a decent option?  I'm in China and all the old
>>buildings (and some of the new) are topped with ceramic tiles.
>>It's amazing to see the old rammed earth walls with the classic
>>tiles running along the top...
>>
>>Wendy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>From: billc_lists at greenbuilder.com
>>>Reply-To: billc_lists at greenbuilder.com
>>>To: coblist at deatech.com
>>>Subject: Re: Cob: enviroshake/rain collection
>>>Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2003 03:50:35 -0500
>>>
>>>Hi folks,
>>>
>>>That certainly doesn't sound like any actual lab testing has been done.
>>>
>>>I would suggest being *very* cautious about using a product such as this 
>>>for rainwater catchment for drinking water.  Tires have plenty of nasties 
>>>- heavy metals like cadmium and if I remember correctly mercury (I'd have 
>>>to ask my neighbor who's with the Sierra Club and is constantly battling 
>>>cement kilns that want to burn tires as fuel). Anyway, the point is there 
>>>can be leaching and physical breakdown even if the water doesn't look or 
>>>taste funny.  And the cumulative effects of drinking water containing 
>>>certain substances are pretty well known in the water utility industry.
>>>
>>>Personally, i wouldn't trust 'em without a full test - that means putting 
>>>a test installation through enough freeze/thaw, UV, heating, and other 
>>>cycles to simulate 15 or 20 years in service, THEN collect water off it 
>>>and have a thorough lab analysis run.
>>>
>>>I'd also want to know what exactly that discoloration is from. Something 
>>>natural from the hemp?  Something from the tires? Some other ingredient?  
>>>And is the discoloration only after the initial installation, or after 
>>>any long period of no rain?
>>>
>>>Anecdotal answers such as the ones below are not good enough when it 
>>>comes to human consumption.
>>>
>>>>Hi folks, if anyone is interested in what the enviroshake people have to 
>>>>say, here it is...
>>>>
>>>>In response to your email.  I can not say that there is any off-gasses 
>>>>from
>>>>the product,  but what I can say is that the composition of tire rubber 
>>>>is
>>>>only 8%, of the actual shake.  I have had a lot of inquiries about the
>>>>effect of the sun on the product,, and of the sites that have been done, 
>>>>we
>>>>haven't experienced anything except discolouration in the water.   
>>>>Usually
>>>>after 3 or 4 rains the water is back to its natural colour.  Quite a few 
>>>>of
>>>>our customers use rainbarrels to collect water, and we have not had any
>>>>complaints or any damage.
>>>>
>>>>One of our customers is in Florida, and he hasnt had any problems, with 
>>>>his
>>>>flowers or vegetables.
>>>>
>>>>If there is any thing else , please do not hesitate to contact me back.
>>>>
>>>>thanks
>>>>Chris Jackson
>>>>Product Specialist
>>>>Wellington Polymer Technology Inc.
>>>>
>>>>Phone: 519-380-9265
>>>>Fax: 519-380-0689
>>>>Tol Free: 866-423-3302
>>>>
>>>>Jenny Walker
>>>>Freelance Graphic Designer
>>>>& Illustrator
>>>>613-741-7980
>>>>http://www.jwalkerdesign.ca
>>>>jenny at jwalkerdesign.ca
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>Bill Christensen
>>>http://greenbuilder.com/contact/
>>>
>>>Green Building Professionals Directory: http://directory.greenbuilder.com
>>>Sustainable Building Calendar: http://www.greenbuilder.com/calendar/
>>>Green Real Estate: http://www.greenbuilder.com/realestate/
>>>Straw Bale Registry: http://sbregistry.greenbuilder.com/
>>>Books/videos/software: http://bookstore.greenbuilder.com/
>>>
>>
>>
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