[Cob] They all laughed when....

[Charmaine Taylor]

"Instead of asking the coblist, why not float the
idea to the concrete people - they'd probably laugh their asses
off..."  - said Ocean


It is entirely possible a standard trained concrete guy will laugh at
adding something like straw... but based on the  thousands of hours
poured into technical research by that industry it is not surprising
it is not used...if anything has been tested to death to get maximum
performance it is OPC formulations, and concrete, for building.

Now if one is accusing them of being oafs for not  trying  straw I'd
step in to defend them.

Consider the massive new buildings and  super engineered highways,
bridges and overpasses.  It is a different world  for the cement
industry.  they are  always looking for  the best of everything and
lower costs, and to that end have done a lot of searching in the  fly
ash and  additives area in the last several years.  Major research
points to  savings and lighter stronger concrete thru  use of  various
classes of flyash, RHA -rice hull ash- and others.

Straw, grasses, weeds, etc organics were probably tested and dismissed
as unacceptable decades  and decades ago. in fact in the early 1900s
there were constant contests and public  challenges to create a
better/faster/ stronger etc cement mix.  it was all the rage to attend
these public exhibitions and see whose formula won.

Just like people come to cobbing parties and bale rasings to see what
all the fuss is about.
-- 
Ms. Charmaine  Taylor/ Taylor Publishing
707-441-1632
www.dirtcheapbuilder.com   www. papercrete.com
PO Box 375, Cutten CA 95534