[GSBN] [Strawbale] Bales for Haiti

Sat Feb 20 22:30:09 UTC 2010

Paul,
I think it could be either one, depending upon what's in the area.  But sure, concrete could work and more than likely would make sense.
Once again, I think we should get you a ticket.

Bill
Athena & Bill Steen
caneloproject at gmail.com
www.caneloproject.com
www.caneloproject.blogspot.com

On Feb 20, 2010, at 2:43 PM, Paul Olivier wrote:

> Bill,
> 
> Thanks so much for your reflections.
> Rather than frame in steel, would it not make more sense in Haiti to frame in reinforced concrete, as is typically done?
> Of course the concrete has to be properly reinforced with enough rebar to withstand earthquakes.
> Whatever biomass used within the walls could be sandwiched in between two acrylic ferrocement layers.
> In the design we should not depart from local architectural traditions.
> A local architect should be involved.
> 
> Thanks.
> Paul
> 
> On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 3:04 AM, Athena & Bill Steen <absteen at dakotacom.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> On Feb 20, 2010, at 11:29 AM, RT wrote:
> I'd like to contribute a few thoughts based on our experience of working in Mexico for 6 years.  I came away from that not particularly fond of the idea of using bales for any segment of the population that was economically deprived.  Took us a number of years to get bales produced that were satisfactory and once we had crossed that hurdle, then came all the problems of making those modules fit local building materials and preferences.  Lastly, an often the biggest hurdle was providing protection to the buildings while they were under construction.  Tarps and the like are easily available in developed countries, not so in such places like Mexico and I suspect even less in Haiti.  Chances are, especially in a country of high rainfall such as Haiti, the building will get damaged before it is finished.  And then comes the cement stucco cladding which will need to be sealed to prevent water penetration.  Just try and come up with an economical means of doing that.  Forget clay an
>  d earth finishes in that climate.  As for the construction side of things, the roof is always a big hurdle.  RT is right in suggesting that timber will more than likely be in short supply.  As you could see from the TV coverage, most all the construction was concrete as it is most underdeveloped countries.
> 
> So having painted that brief picture what comes to mind is that if something is going to be used in mass, be appreciated and used by the local populace, it had better last.  Speed and volume seem to be major issues here as well.  In my mind that brings me back to concrete in some form or fashion, steel and ideally biomass.  If concrete is used it clearly needs to be earthquake resistant.  Plinny Fisk did a design for Mexico some years back that was enthusiastically received by the Mexican government.  Perhaps he could be consulted.  As for the roof, the use of concrete typically suggests a flat roof and as they are presently used in the third world, that means little or no overhang.  It can be done, but at extra expense, etc.  As for an infill material in the walls, we did do a lot of straw/clay blocks in that capacity in Mexico, problem there is the time involved making them and then letting them dry fast enough for use.  But then you are still back to the problems of adequa
>  te overhang and what type of wall cladding you'll need.
> 
> The straw bale building that I liked the most that we did in Mexico was a steel post and beam frame, hip metal roof - structure and panels.  Was easy to build, worked like a charm.  We've never had any problems with it.  I think some sort of steel structure would be fast to construct, then it would take some ingenuity as to how the walls would be finished. The roof could be arched, but if the locals are going to accept and like them, i would suggest that the walls be rectangular in nature.  All too often they associate those types of structures with adobe ovens (hornos) and the like.  There is a great effort in the underdeveloped world to be normal and correspondingly one's house should be such.
> 
> The gabion idea also has appeal,  Any number of different type walls could be built easily.  Could be fun as well.  Rice husks also sound appealing.  I say we get Paul a plane ticket and send him on his way.
> 
> Bill
> 
> Athena & Bill Steen
> caneloproject at gmail.com
> www.caneloproject.com
> www.caneloproject.blogspot.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > On Sat, 20 Feb 2010 10:34:21 -0500, Derek Roff <derek at unm.edu> wrote:
> >
> >
> >> Max says, "My result for small family shelters the building of 1000's
> >> of simple rectangular shelters out of bamboo re-enforced (in hexagon
> >> grids!) cob, with light weight roof structures with fair overhang and
> >> significantly 2 doors: [snip]
> >>
> >> I still haven't heard from BWB what is wrong with this reasoning and
> >> suggestion"
> >
> >
> > I find it curious that the focus seems to be mostly on the walls for the proposed constructions and only a hand-waving gesture towards the roofs -- "curious" because the roof is probably the most important component contributing to effective shelter and the one that is most likely to kill the building's occupants when building failure occurs as a result of seismic activity.
> >
> > Much as I hate to admit, I think that Dubya (aka former US president George W. Bush) got it right when he quipped/smirked in a sound bite when asked how people could best help the victims in Haiti:
> >
> >   "Just send cash. We'll know what to do with it."
> >
> > (the "we" being the relief organisations on the ground in Haiti and having the expertise and wherewithal to be effective in a timely fashion)
> >
> > And I can't help but think that it is arrogance that allows First World nat-builders to believe that they can, from afar, prescribe a univalent nat-build solution to solve all of the housing problems for the "natives" of Third World countries when in fact, the reality is more likely the other way around ... we First Worlders probably could learn much about natural building materials and methods from the people who inhabit those Third World nations.
> >
> > I can come up with at least one "what is wrong with this (Max's) reasoning and suggestion" for Haiti.
> >
> > My guess is that Haiti is subject to being hit with hurricanes on a regular basis (hence the predominance of heavy
> > masonry construction in that region) and "lightweight roof structures with fair overhangs" would likely be torn off by next season.
> >
> > For our purposes (ie builders), to paraphrase Dubya, the best solution may be to:
> >
> >   "Just send steel".
> >
> > I assume that Haitians are fully capable of designing and making buildings that are appropriate for their specific set of requirements (cultural, climatic etc) but are perhaps lacking in the expensive materials like steel that would have prevented the destruction of their heavy (largely unreinforced) masonry structures.
> >
> > However, I'm not suggesting that we send a shipload of steel I-beams and steel reinforcing rod to Haiti.
> >
> > I'm guessing that whatever wall-building methods and techniques are used by BWoB in Haiti and elsewhere, pre-formed steel roofing probably plays a major role in the design of the roof.
> >
> > However, light gauge sheet steel roof panels will in most cases, still require a structural framework to carry it, and my guess is that in most cases, that framework is timber ... timber that may be in short supply in the stricken regions, as is the case in Haiti.
> >
> > It would seem to make sense that something along the lines of pre-fabricated/pre-engineered corrugated steel arch structures might be useful in any BWoB housing response. They are basically thin-shell structures combining structure and cladding . They are comprised of a module that is small and light enough to be handled by one person, that modular panel being bolted to similar modules enabling clear-span structures to be erected very quickly by small crews of two or three unskilled labour.
> >
> > An additional non-structural benefit of steel roofing (besides having high recycled content initially and easily recyclable after the structure's useful service life) is that it can immediatly be used for rainwater harvesting, potable water usually being in critical short supply after events like quakes and hurricanes where infrastructure may be destroyed.
> >
> > In the case of tropical locales like Haiti, I think Living Roofs would be beneficial in providing respite from the hot equatorial sun and structural steel thin shells could be fully capable of supporting the growing medium for a Living Roof.
> >
> > Again, I'm not suggesting that WonderSteel quonset huts are the ideal BWoB response but perhaps as a model for an idea, it might be useful to consider.
> >
> > Along those lines, an idea that comes to mind now (ie minimal thought invested) is a BWoB Emergency Housing Response Kit that might consist of galvanised steel wire gabion baskets and pre-engineered/pre-formed corrugated steel arch panels.
> >
> > The gabion baskets would be filled with whatever material is locally available at the sites (it may be broken concrete in urban areas, it may be cellulosic crop or forest residues in rural areas, it may be inorganic solid waste or stone rubble in either) ... with or without thermal insulation placed in the cores, as appropriate for the specific locale .. and then stacked into walls like strawbales, the wire baskets being clipped to each other  ... and then plastered over, embedding the mesh ... while at the same time, a small crew is assembling the steel panels into arches ready to be set atop the gabion walls.
> >
> > There would likely need to be a few tie rods installed to replace the function of the perimeter ring-type grade beam that is typically provided to prevent the vault from spreading under load.
> >
> > Again, this is just a not-very-well-thought-out model to be investigated for the future , NOT an idea to be taken/applied literally.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > === * ===
> > Rob Tom
> > Kanata, Ontario, Canada
> > <A r c h i L o g i c  at  Y a h o o  dot  c a >
> > (manually winnow the chaff from my edress if you hit "Reply")
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