[GSBN] Emerald update (GSBN Digest, Vol 33, Issue 17)

[Chris Newton]

Thanks guys

We’ll give it a go

From: John Swearingen 
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2011 12:54 PM
To: (private, with public archives) Global Straw Building Network 
Subject: Re: [GSBN] Emerald update (GSBN Digest, Vol 33, Issue 17)

I agree, it's certainly worth a try, if the render has any strength at all, and the loads on the wall are not great. 

John "Half a bale is better than One" Swearingen



On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 10:12 AM, Derek Roff <derek at unm.edu> wrote:

  Hi, Chris,

  I wanted to suggest that it may not be necessary to install the temporary beams and jacks that you describe, to support the wall while you are replacing the bales (leaving aside, for the moment, the question of what material will be chosen to replace the bales).  I think you will find that you can pull a single bale out at a time, leaving empty air, and see no settling of the bales above during the replacement process.  Then install the new material, and move on to removing the next bale.  It's worth an experiment, anyway, in a sample spot.

  This has been done on a number of repairs that I have read about in The Last Straw, and a couple that I have been personally involved with. Removing bales from two courses at once might change things, but leaving the exterior lime plaster intact will transfer a lot of load from the bales above.

  With the bales decaying, you may find that you can remove half a bale as easily as a whole bale, perhaps more easily.  When I have tried to remove badly decaying straw, it comes out in handfuls, and not in bales, or even large clumps.  There is little strength left, and you can remove the straw that you grab, but neighboring straw doesn't move much.

  Pulling out half a bale width for the lower two courses of bales, and then inserting the new material, is even less likely to require any beam and jack support.

  What do others think?

  Derelict 



  --On Saturday, February 5, 2011 5:16 PM +1000 Chris Newton <chris at newtonhouse.info> wrote:


    My understanding is that they are thinking of leaving the external
    wall of lime intact. A few extra expansion joints before work starts.
    Working segment at a time.
    Breaking some holes through the width of the wall using Lance?s
    coring piece.
    Placing beams through these which will be supported by jacks.
    Removal of straw below (still leaving that lime on the external
    surface)





  Derek Roff
  Language Learning Center
  Ortega Hall 129, MSC03-2100
  University of New Mexico
  Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
  505/277-7368, fax 505/277-3885
  Internet: derek at unm.edu 


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-- 
John Swearingen
Skillful Means Design & Construction
2550 9th Street   Suite 209A
Berkeley, CA   94710
510.849.1800 phone
510.849.1900 fax

Web Site:  http://www.skillful-means.com
Blog:         https://skillfulmeansdesign.wordpress.com



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