[GSBN] Baling thoughts

[Tim Owen-Kennedy]

Happy solar and lunar new years everybody,

I've built with Hemp bales but neither corn nor Sugar. Though with regard to
structure, thermal performance, and ease of construction I imagine they
would be similar. I don't understand decomposition or spontaneous combustion
enough to comment authoritatively, but in a few conversations I had at a
conference with a delegation from Brazil they felt that there is very little
food source or nitrogen left after the sugar cane is processed, and that the
crushed, extracted, and dry culms would fold easily into bales. I believe
they call the sugar cane waste Bagasse. I've heard of it's exploratory use
in clothing, packaging, and both as ash and aggregate in concrete. The
Brazilians seemed really eager to try out the bale building techniques but I
see no sign of them on the web. Do we have a Brazilian contingent on this
list?

I personally believe that we need to diversify and localize our solutions as
much as possible, for so many reasons.

thanks to you all for taking up the challenges in your way,

Tim

On Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 7:51 AM, Mark Jensen <markj at redfeather.org> wrote:

>  Greetings everybody,
>
>
>
> I was in a meeting yesterday with a man who would like to see sustainable
> housing in his home land of Kenya. He mentioned that they grow a lot of
> wheat and rice there, however he asked if I had heard of baling sugar cane
> or corn stalks. I have not heard of anybody doing this, but have any of you
> heard of this or have any thoughts of the plausibility of doing such. I'm
> thinking the culm might be just too big for a baler. I would love to hear
> your thoughts.
>
>
>
> Cheers,
>
>
>
> Mark Jensen
>
> Construction Program Director
>
>
>
> Red Feather Development Group
>
> PO Box 907
>
> Bozeman, MT 59771-0907
>
> T: (406)585-7188
>
> F: (406)585-7187
>
>
>
> markj at redfeather.org   www.redfeather.org
>
>
>
> -Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
>
>
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