[Cob] California and "Green Building Code" (Damon Howell)

[john fordice]

As far as codification of cob goes, I've been proposing this for  
years & have gone so far as writing a proposed research & testing  
program and starting a nonprofit, the Cob Research institute" (CRI)  
to do the needed research to form the basis of a coherent Cob  
Building Code.  This is a critical step in getting cob into wide  
acceptance.  It's a huge project & needs funding.  Hope to get the  
CRI fully nonprofit within the next few months & begin the search for  
funding.  Estimates are $1,000,000 & several years to accomplish  
getting cob into the building code.  Currently in the throes of Fed  
nonprofit tax status approval.  Will keep the list posted on progress.

Regarding energy compliance of cob.  The current California T24  
Energy Compliance regulations. will allow a cob building to comply if  
there is insulation added.  It's possible that a hybrid cob building  
with just cob at the East / South / and West exterior walls & the  
North wall with straw bales as exterior insulation will be accepted.   
The building needs to have an R value for it's exterior walls which  
is specific to the climate zone in which it is located.  By a process  
of "weighted averaging" with straw bales which have an allowed R  
value of R30, when combined with the very low R value of cob, it is  
possible to achieve the required average minimum R value (usually R13  
or R19).  By combing this with the thermal mass of the cob, and the  
floor (maybe) and roof insulation, it is possible to achieve the  
required energy compliance.  This is done with the use of a dedicated  
computer program for energy compliance.  It's the same program used  
to model compliance for buildings of "standard" construction.  It's a  
numbers game, but it is possible.  Any energy compliance consultant  
with his / her salt should be able to do this.
I'll assume this process to be similar in other states of the US, but  
don't know for sure.

john fordice  -  CRI

On Sep 25, 2009, at 12:16 PM, Dean Sherwin wrote:

> At 03:00 PM 9/25/2009, you wrote:
>> Although officials do seem to be
>> slightly interested in Jasper GA, they get cold feet and always
>> revert back to the book when it comes to signing off on something.
>> So, if cob was in there, with loose regulations, the problem would go
>> away. What's England do? They have building codes, right? Let's adopt
>> theirs.
>
> I haven't been in touch with cob scene in UK for a few years but I  
> know that when new building regulations came out with stricter  
> energy requirements, there was a problem with getting cob buildings  
> to comply.  so for one thing people have looked at alternative  
> layering or construction methods to incorporate insulation.
> It's only comparitively recently that it has been possible to build  
> cob structures at all, in the land of their origin  and my birth,  
> Devon.  British building regs used to be more onerous than here but  
> maybe the pendulum has swung somewhat.
> As I said, get hold of the adobe chapter and show that to code  
> officials.
>
>
> Dean Sherwin CPE
> Certified Professional Estimator
> LEED Accredited Professional
> CONSTRUCTION COST MANAGEMENT
> 3, Cherry Street
> PO Box 11
> Media, PA 19063-0011
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