Cob: Good Foundations

[D.J. Henman]

Michael,
    I recommend that you read the information about foundations and 
footings found at the following URL.
        
http://www.fao.org/inpho/vlibrary/s1250e/S1250E0h.htm#Footings%20and%20foundations

There is a lot more to it than mere area of the building.    The walls 
weight, height, the local soil, etc., must also be considered.   Also 
note that you can probably also use the

    You might also profit from reading the material about foundations 
for cob in Becky Bee's book.   The following URL points to the 
foundation information.
     http://www.weblife.org/cob/cob_018.html

   Canada also has some good information about non-deep  foundations, 
like used in Scandinavia, but I don't have the URL for it, or remember 
the proper foundation type name for this type.    Anyone else out there?

Cheers,
    Darel

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puppetman at ix.netcom.com wrote:

>The more I read about building construction the more I get conflicting information. 
>
>In the building code of South Lyon (small city) Michigan,USA they state that foundations should be a minimum of 48" deep. Unless the building is less than 400sq ft. then it must only be 28" deep.
>
>Can anyone explain the rational behind this? If the purpose of a deep foundation is to get below the 41" frost line, then how will 28" be adequate? Do they figure 400 sq ft is not a permanent building? Or have they found that a 28" foundation will support a small building just fine?
>
>I have been reading some on rubble foundations and have found that they rely on insulation and heat from the building as well as drainage. I am building in an old, very flat, cornfield. the most drainage I could get would be two feet. Does berming work to prevent frost heave? If I could drain a rubble trench two feet below grade and then berm to two feet above grade say out to 8 ft from the walls, would that raise the frost line sufficiently to prevent heave? 
>
>I am about to order my cinva-ram and I am still a little nervous about using earth blocks below grade. Will concrete stabilize an earthblock enough to keep it from degrading underground?
>
>So many questions, so little time.
>
>Thanx
>Michael Fitzgerald
>Anthropologist/Woodcarver/Puppetmaker
>  
>