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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Hi all<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>While this is not specifically about straw bale building, my
question ultimately will relate back to getting a straw bale code along with
other natural building codes established for the Southern part of Africa. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I am trying to motivate our South African standards body to look
at standards for earthen buildings at the moment, of which incredibly despite numerous
earthen buildings (mostly informal or traditional), we don’t have any. As one
might guess amongst other reasons the cement, steel and brick industries are
still very much in control in this country.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>South Africa is part of a process amongst SADC - The Southern
Africa Development Countries - to harmonize its various standards between its trading
partners. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Zimbabwe have a rammed earth building code and this standard,
after much effort, last April has been adopted though this “SADCSTAN” process
for all member states. This was after 8 out of the 10 voting countries voted in
favour of adopting the standard. So we now have an official standard (SADCSTAN/TC1
SC5-001 SAZ724 Standard Code of Practice for Rammed Earth Structures ) for the
SADC region that is meant to be published in each member state by each of its
various standards bodies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Unfortunately despite heavy lobbying by interested people, our
standards board – SABS – representing South Africa did not vote in favour of
the code and are now refusing to publish the standard locally. As such I have
started a process to try and get them to rethink their position. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>As part of the detailed motivation form that I have to fill out
as the official route to get them to look at adopting a standard, I am being
asked: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>QUESTION 1: What other (earth) building codes, regional or
national or international – that include rammed earth – besides our Zimbabwe
rammed earth building code are there?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>So far I know of:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>- the New Zealand Earth building codes <i>(NZS4297-1998, NZS4298-1998,
& NZS4299-1998, )<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>- the USA Tucson Pima County
earth building code <i>(1997 Uniform Administrative Code Amendment for Earthen
Material and Straw Bale Structures)<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><i><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> Tucson/Pima County, Arizona
"APPENDIX CHAPTER 71 - EARTHEN MATERIAL STRUCTURES”)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>- the German earth building codes: <i>National Material Code for
Prefabricated Earth Products DIN 18945 till -47 (blocks, masonry mortar,
plaster)<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>(I still need to investigate and contact Craterre-EAG in this
regard and perhaps UNESCO)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>QUESTION 2: What international or foreign national technical committee’s
working in this field are there? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Getting our SABS to adopt the rammed earth code would be a major
foot in the door for us to get our corporate minded authorities to re-consider
earth and other natural materials as a viable and sustainable way to build. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>However, this would I believe just be the start of a drive to
push for codes for all natural building and appropriate technology type codes...
including the ICC’s straw bale and light straw clay standard of course as well
as others like cob, adobe, wattle and daub, earth bag, sandbag, urbanite, stone,
bamboo, bottle walls, cordwood, earthen plasters etc. So....<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>QUESTION 3: In addition to codes on rammed earth, I would be
interested in knowing about any other natural building codes that may exist.....so
please send any links or info you know of that you think will be of help. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Perhaps to stream line things in your responses you can add a
prefix:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>1 - Earth building codes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>2 - Natural building Technical code committees <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>3 - Other natural building code<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I am looking forward to your many - I hope - inputs and once I have
compiled as complete a list as possible, I will email it back for everyone. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Many thanks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Andy Horn<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><img width=600 height=124 id="Picture_x0020_1"
src="cid:image001.gif@01CF3DED.07B48BD0" alt=Logo-and-Address><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
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