Sorry.. in my previous posts I forgot to put the specific link to vault structures information page at Auroville:<div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/vaulted_structures_introduction_en.php">http://www.earth-auroville.com/vaulted_structures_introduction_en.php</a></div>
<div><br></div><div><br></div><div>All the best </div><div><br></div><div>Jorge VK</div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 7:49 PM, Van Krieken <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:vankrieken@gmail.com">vankrieken@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><br></div><div>Hi</div><div><br></div><div> I also received this information from Auroville Earth Institute with some information that could be useful for those interested on this matter:</div>
<div><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Swis721 Cn BT">The most common stabilisers for soil stabilisation and particularly for CSEB are cement and lime. The selection of one of them will depend on the soil quality.<u></u><u></u></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u><font face="Swis721 Cn BT"> </font><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Swis721 Cn BT">Cement stabilisation requires more sandy soils and the average stabilisation is 5 % by weight of dry materials. Curing of blocks stabilised with cement is 4 weeks. The principle is that CSEB should not dry for 4 weeks.<u></u><u></u></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Swis721 Cn BT">Best soils for cement stabilisation are considered to have these proportions of components:<u></u><u></u></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Swis721 Cn BT">15% Gravel (20 - 2mm) + 50% Sand (2 - 0.06mm) + 15% Silt (0.06 - 0.002mm) + 20% Clay (≤ 0.002mm)<u></u><u></u></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u><font face="Swis721 Cn BT"> </font><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font:normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span><span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Swis721 Cn BT">Lime stabilization requires more clayey soils and the average stabilisation is 6 % by weight of dry materials. Curing of blocks stabilised with lime varies according to the quantity and quality of clay. In general, blocks have to be kept humid for a week (covered with plastic sheet, air tight) and then let to dry progressively.<u></u><u></u></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Swis721 Cn BT">Best soils for lime stabilisation are considered to have these proportions of components:<u></u><u></u></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Swis721 Cn BT">15% Gravel (20 - 2mm) + 30% Sand (2 - 0.06mm) + 20% Silt (0.06 - 0.002mm) + 35% Clay (≤ 0.002mm)<u></u><u></u></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><u></u><font face="Swis721 Cn BT"> </font><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt"><font face="Swis721 Cn BT">Often soils have to be modified, either by sieving to remove coarse particles, by adding sand to a soil that is too clayey or by mixing various soils. The amount of sand and stabiliser to add depends on the soil quality. It is therefore not possible to give a general recipe, as there are infinite types of soils. The more stabiliser you had, the stronger the blocks are but also costlier they become. Often we limit the stabiliser to 7-8 % of cement or 10 % lime, in order to optimise the ratio strength/cost.<u></u><u></u></font></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">I suggest you to visit our web site <a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff">http://www.earth-auroville.com</font></a> where you have more information on earth architecture, earth technologies, soil identification and our activities.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">At your service for further information,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Yours sincerely,<u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Mr. Satprem Maïni<u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Architect – Director Auroville Earth Institute<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">BASIN <u></u>South Asia<u></u> – Member<u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture – Representative for <u></u>Asia<u></u><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">**************************************************************<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Auroville Earth Institute<u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Auroshilpam, Auroville 605 101 – T.N. India<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Tel.: 0091 (0) 413 – 262 3064 / 262 3330<u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Fax: <a href="tel:0091%20%280%29%20413%20%E2%80%93%20262%202886" value="+914132622886" target="_blank">0091 (0) 413 – 262 2886</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Email: <a href="mailto:earthinstitute@auroville.org.in" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><font color="#0000ff">earthinstitute@auroville.org.in</font></a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">Web: <font color="#0000ff" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">http://www.earth-auroville.com</a></font></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif">-------------------------------------------------------------</span></p>
</div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div><br></div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 7:40 PM, Van Krieken <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:vankrieken@gmail.com" target="_blank">vankrieken@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
The Auroville earth institute is doing an amazing work on vaults since many years. They also provide special equipments for producing the earth blocs. <div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/auram_earth_equipment_introduction_en.php" target="_blank">http://www.earth-auroville.com/auram_earth_equipment_introduction_en.php</a></div>
<div><br><div>Sometime ago I asked them if it was possible to use lime instead of ciment (in the earth mix). </div>
<div>They gave me some ideas <span>regarding an ideal soil.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><div><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">The ratio soil/sand:<u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">Note that clayey soils can be used by adding some sand to it. Very clayey ones will rather be stabilised with lime instead of cement and adding a little sand to it. The best soils for compressed stabilised earth blocks are sandier than clayey.<u></u><u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><u></u><font face="Arial"> </font><u></u></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">We (at Auroville) consider that the best soil for compressed stabilised earth blocks has these proportions:<u></u><u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">10% Gravel (10 to 2 mm diameter)<u></u><u></u></font></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm">
<font face="Arial">50% sand (2 to 0.06 mm diameter)<u></u><u></u></font></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">15% silt (0.06 to 0.002 mm diameter)<u></u><u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">20% clay (below 0.002 mm diameter)<u></u><u></u></font></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm">
<u></u><font face="Arial"> </font><u></u></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">Such a soil is difficult to find as such. It should often be modified by sieving and adding some sand if it is too clayey. If it is too sandy, no sand should be added.<u></u><u></u></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><u></u><font face="Arial"> </font><u></u></p><p style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-left:0cm"><font face="Arial">Adding sand and stabilising the soil depends on its quality. Therefore, it is not possible to give a general recipe, as soils are as different as human beings.<u></u><u></u></font></p>
</div></div><div><font face="Arial"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial">Mr. Satprem of the Auroville Earth Institute was also contacted regarding the use of lime as a stabilizer. He confirmed that it is ok to use lime as a stabilizer,as already mentioned above, mainly for soil with more clay. For more detailed information regarding the use of lime as a stabilizer, you can also write directly to Mr.Satprem <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><a href="mailto:earthinstitute@auroville.org.in" rel="nofollow" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><span lang="FR"><font color="#0000ff" size="3">earthinstitute@auroville.org.in</font></span></a><font size="3"> </font></span></font></div>
<div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><font face="Arial"></font></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><font size="3">The Auroville Earth Institute <font color="#0000ff"><a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.earth-auroville.com</a> </font><font color="#000000">which has a lot of information on earth construction. </font></font></span></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:'Swis721 Cn BT',sans-serif"><font face="Arial"></font></span> </div><div><font face="'Swis721 Cn BT', sans-serif" size="3">All the best</font></div>
<div><font face="'Swis721 Cn BT', sans-serif" size="3"><br></font></div><div><font face="'Swis721 Cn BT', sans-serif" size="3">Jorge Van Krieken</font></div>
<div><font face="'Swis721 Cn BT', sans-serif" size="3">Portugal</font></div><div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 7:20 PM, John Swearingen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:john.skillfulmeans@gmail.com" target="_blank">john.skillfulmeans@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Cratere, in Grenoble has done lots of work with blocks, and some vaults.<br>
<span><font color="#888888"><br>
John<br>
</font></span><div><br>
On Dec 12, 2011, at 11:12 AM, <a href="mailto:huffnpuff@q.com" target="_blank">huffnpuff@q.com</a> wrote:<br>
<br>
> Chris and All,<br>
><br>
> I do remember perusing the info posted for the Catalan vaults and found it most interesting. About a year ago I had an opportunity to attend a charrette on Compressed Earth Blocks, hosted by Bernard Amadei at the U. of Colorado. These CEB builders were meeting to discuss similar issues that we SB builder types are/have experienced with acceptance, testing, codes etc. Two fellows of particular vision and spirit were Satprem Maini from the Auroville Institute, India <a href="http://www.earth-auroville.com/vaulted_structures_introduction_en.php" target="_blank">http://www.earth-auroville.com/vaulted_structures_introduction_en.php</a> and Jim Hallock, of icatis, USA <a href="http://www.icatis.org/" target="_blank">http://www.icatis.org/</a>, both NGO's building with CEB's and Vaults/domes. Both web sites are full of the work these two organizations have done and are eye candy for anyone interested in vaults. If you visit the icatis site you'll see they have teamed with George Nez and built at least one of his 'thin shelled latex concrete' roof systems.<br>
><br>
> Currently our local engineer and COSBA member Ian Smith and his wife (both engineers) are on their honeymoon in India at the Auroville Institute at a workshop on vaults. That's devotion...<br>
><br>
> Mark Schueneman<br>
> COSBA<br>
><br>
><br>
> ----- Original Message -----<br>
> From: "Chris Magwood" <<a href="mailto:chris@chrismagwood.ca" target="_blank">chris@chrismagwood.ca</a>><br>
> To: "with public archives) Global Straw Building Network (private" <<a href="mailto:GSBN@greenbuilder.com" target="_blank">GSBN@greenbuilder.com</a>><br>
> Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 9:55:05 AM<br>
</div><div><div>> Subject: [GSBN] Catalan vaults<br>
><br>
> Hi all,<br>
><br>
> The mention on this list some months back about Catalan vaults (or<br>
> Guastavino vaults) sparked my interest, and we've now decided to forge<br>
> ahead and build one as the roof for a buried, earthbag root cellar at<br>
> Trent University.<br>
><br>
> Does anybody have experience building these, or know of anybody who<br>
> does. I'd like to try and hire in somebody to lead us in this build.<br>
> It's a small structure (18 x 22 ft) so it won't be a long build, but I<br>
> always like to have someone knowledgeable in charge when doing things I<br>
> haven't done before.<br>
><br>
> The budget for the project is not high, but I would be willing to try<br>
> and cover travel costs, food, lodging and a bit of cash for the right<br>
> person.<br>
><br>
> Let me know!<br>
><br>
> Chris<br>
><br>
> --<br>
> <a href="http://www.chrismagwood.ca" target="_blank">www.chrismagwood.ca</a><br>
> <a href="http://www.endeavourcentre.org" target="_blank">www.endeavourcentre.org</a><br>
><br>
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</blockquote></div><br>
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