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<TITLE>Re: [GSBN] CMHC Straw Light Clay Report (was Light Straw fire test?), and Codes</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Thanks David for the link.<BR>
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A note of clarification. Although the subject line was initially “Light Straw Fire Test”, the Research Report is about straw light clay in general. This includes issues of thermal resistance, vapor permeability, moisture storage, compression, settling, density, and fire. I believe it is the best document available regarding the technical aspects of straw light clay (also known as light straw clay, light clay, clay-straw, clay-fiber, straw-clay). It may be the <U>only</U> document. If anyone knows of another that examines the technical aspects of this system of construction please let me know.<BR>
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I bring this up in the context of straw-clay and building codes. Last week I spoke with Paula Baker-Laporte, an architect and leading practitioner (along with her husband and builder Robert Laporte) of “light clay” construction in the US. In 2010 I reworked with Paula the New Mexico Clay Straw Guidelines, and she submitted them for inclusion in the IGCC. Unfortunately they didn’t make the first hurdle. What did happen was that Paula submitted the Guidelines to the City of Portland, Oregon where they were codified in February 2011. She went on to propose the guidelines to the State of Oregon, where they are being considered for inclusion in its state building code (Oregon is also one of only three US states with a statewide straw bale building code).<BR>
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Paula and I agreed Wednesday that we will submit a further developed version of the guidelines, with as much supporting documentation as possible, for inclusion in the International Building Code. Because it is a non-structural system, we anticipate less resistance than I expect for straw bale. Although I’m sure insulation manufacturers will be out in force. <BR>
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This brings me to my last point that I will continue in a subsequent e-mail . . . . .<BR>
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Martin Hammer<BR>
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On 11/11/11 4:54 PM, "David Eisenberg" <<a href="strawnet@aol.com">strawnet@aol.com</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Hi all,<BR>
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I just took the liberty of uploading the file Martin sent me via YouSendIt and made it available for download from this link:<BR>
<a href="https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1283271062/f834de86f87f727a5a4067a5a126a7e2">https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1283271062/f834de86f87f727a5a4067a5a126a7e2</a><BR>
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So you won't need to bother Martin in order to get a copy, and this file doesn't have an expiration date so you should be able to download it in the future. <BR>
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David Eisenberg<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Helvetica, Verdana, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: martin hammer <<a href="mfhammer@pacbell.net">mfhammer@pacbell.net</a>><BR>
To: GSBN <<a href="GSBN@SustainableSources.com">GSBN@SustainableSources.com</a>><BR>
Sent: Fri, Nov 11, 2011 12:26 pm<BR>
Subject: Re: [GSBN] Light Straw fire test?<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'>Chris and Alex,<BR>
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I revisited this post from two months ago, and noticed that the link Chris provided for Josh Thornton’s Light Clay Straw research document gives only the short (4 pg) “Research Highlights” version. The full “Research Report” is 148 pages and contains 10 pages on the fire testing (plus page ‘v’ in the Executive Summary). I looked but cannot find the full report on the CMHC website. However I obtained the full report from the author last year. I will send it to anyone who requests it (via YouSendIt)(14MB file size).<BR>
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Martin<BR>
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On 8/14/11 1:43 PM, "Chris Magwood" <<a href="chris@chrismagwood.ca">chris@chrismagwood.ca</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:11pt'> Josh Thornton's Initial Material Characterization for Light Clay/Straw was published by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and is available for free on their web site <a href="http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/63928.pdf?lang=en">http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/odpub/pdf/63928.pdf?lang=en</a>. I don't have my copy in front of me, but I believe it had some fire testing in the report.<BR>
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Chris<BR>
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On 11-08-08 2:29 AM, Alex Cicelsky (Kibbutz Lotan) wrote: <BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Dear Friends,<BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>a. We're posting a series of YouTube videos with step by step documentation on how to construct the earthquake-proof (should I be humble towards Mama Earth and say earthquake-resistant?) strawbale dome-atories in our EcoCampus. <BR>
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</SPAN><FONT COLOR="#333333"><FONT SIZE="5"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:15pt'><B>#1 How to Build a Geodesic Strawbale Dome - dome manufacture <<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAaAqqRoEKQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAaAqqRoEKQ</a>> </B></SPAN></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="#0033CC"><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>KibbutzLotan</SPAN></FONT></FONT></B></FONT><B><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"> <<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/KibbutzLotan">http://www.youtube.com/user/KibbutzLotan</a>> </FONT><FONT FACE="Arial"> 13 videos<BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>b. Do any of you know of formal fire rating testing and results for "light straw"? I'd like to have an idea of what to expect before we begin Standards Institute of Israel material testing on 8 and 40 cm light straw wall panels.<BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Thanks - Alex<BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Alex Cicelsky ~ Director of Research and Development ~ Center for Creative Ecology<BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'>Kibbutz Lotan ~ D.N. Eilot 88855 Israel ~ Tel: +972-(0)54-979-9009 ~ Email: <a href="alex@klotan.co.il">alex@klotan.co.il</a></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'> <<a href="mailto:alex@klotan.co.il">mailto:alex@klotan.co.il</a>> </SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10pt'> <BR>
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