[Cob] Large Gravel-Filled EarthBag Foundations - Off Topic and More!

[Ocean Liff-Anderson]

A few points:

1.) Seems you've gotten the "I hate concrete" philosophy down, but  
why?  Because it isn't natural?  Neither are gravel (intensive  
industrial product) filled bags, nor fiberglass (even more industrial  
and carbon-emittive) rebar spikes.  Then there's the petro-slurping  
tractor to do all the heavy lifting.

2.) Do you have any idea how much a one-yard bag of gravel would  
weigh?  Last I checked a yard of rock weighs 3500 pounds - yep,  
almost 2 tons.  Doubts any forklift or tractor bucket could lift that  
without destroying its hydraulics.

3.) Ever tried spiking anything into compressed rock before?  I doubt  
a fiberglass rebar would be able to penetrate the rock, and certainly  
would splinter with dangerous consequences - be sure to wear eye- 
protection, heavy gloves, coveralls to avoid the flying fiberglass  
shards.

4.)  This whole thread is way off-topic for this list - where's the  
cob here?  Maybe you'll plaster with cob?



On Feb 14, 2009, at 12:50 PM, Don Jackson wrote:

>
>
> Hi;
>
> I've read about using gravel filled earthbags for foundations.  I'm  
> interested in anchoring 2 foot thick bales to this sort of  
> foundation, using fiberglass rebar pounded through (no concrete  
> bond-beam; I'm trying to engineer the use of cement out of my life).
>
> To make a foundation out of earthbags for a 2' thick wall would  
> require very large earthbags, or a double row of them perhaps (or,  
> run them the other direction, or a criss-cross pattern, etc.?).  In  
> any event, that would require a lot of bags.  I already want to do  
> everything, as much as possible, with my tractor.  It would make my  
> life a lot easier if I could use the giant one yard size bags, that  
> can be moved around with a forklift attachment.  That might easily  
> make enough foundation width, allow for filling and placement with  
> the tractor, and accomplish a big "chunk" of affordable foundation,  
> all in one swift move.
>
> But, I already know the use of earthbag foundations is in the  
> beginnings of acceptance, and I've never heard of anybody using  
> these large bags to make foundations (indeed, everyone else seems  
> to either be using "tubes", or bags that weigh little enough they  
> can be moved by hand).  I have a house that needs remodeled, in a  
> rural area, so I think I can get away building this without permits  
> (after all, how much money am I really putting into this  
> project???).  I still don't want to do anything outright unsafe.   
> Does anybody have any thoughts on using these super-large size bags  
> for foundations, filled with 3/4 minus gravel, if giant bales were  
> anchored to it with industrial-strength fiberglass rebar?  Thanks  
> for your input!
>
> Don
>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Windows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect.
> http://windowslive.com/howitworks? 
> ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_allup_howitworks_022009
> _______________________________________________
> Coblist mailing list
> Coblist at deatech.com
> http://www.deatech.com/mailman/listinfo/coblist