[Cob] cobb and cement

[Amanda Peck]

There are plenty of people who are using "soil cement" in rammed earth and 
adobe or cob.  5-10 percent cement.

Doesn't the New Mexico adobe code require either cement or asphalt emulsion 
in their mix?
And it's the code most referred to by cob builders.

And Pat's right, dipping rebar in concrete might protect it from the 
problems.  Hope so.

There are the horror stories of concrete bridges getting a crack in them, 
water and salt in the case of snow dripping down corroding the steel which 
expands when it rusts and causes more cracks and more water and salt and.... 
  Siliman Evans Bridge in Nashville TN in the 70's, IIRC.

The ones about rebar in adobe are a little less awful--just opening up the 
walls and finding rusty lines--sounds like it's a bit more forgiving.
.................
Pat wrote:

I believe that is when the cob was plastered with the cement locking in
mositure.
If you wanted to cover the cement with the cob then mositure is not
locked in.