Cob: enviroshake/rain collection

[D.J. Henman]

Thanks for your kind response.   Yes, it is hard to find traditional 
building styles in many major cities  these days.   Sometimes there are 
only historical structures, walls, or temples left.

I would very much like to see the pictures you were able to take.  If 
you send them to me directly and send them in jpg format I could view 
them.    

Thanks,
   Darel
-------------------------
Wendy Smyer Yu wrote:

> 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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