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Hello Balers and Balesters,<br>
<br>
The French SB Network is invited to participate in a testing program
on loadbearing SB. We'd like to show that compressed unplastered SB
walls can carry a decent load. Of course we know that this has been
proven before, but hey, this is France, we have to prove that the
same laws of physics and logic apply here as well, so that the
French can accept it is true (you never know, eh? ;-).<br>
<br>
The basic idea is that if we can show that such a wall is
précompressed at, say, twice(?) the load it will carry in the
future, it should be a safe bet that it will hold the future loads.
I cannot yet explaine the details of what and how we want to test as
they are not yet defined. We'd like to test unplasterd small, middle
sized and big bale walls in order to mesure the ratio of reduced
height relative to dry density of the bales and the applied
compression.<br>
a few plastered walls might be tested too.<br>
<br>
I'm looking for is a cheap, secure and rapid way to compress the SB
walls 'a whole lot', that can, preferably, be reproduced on building
sites. And if possible in a way that one can predifine the
compression load. <br>
I found this pneumatic strapping device :<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.central-strapping.de/francais/arrimage/pneumatique/pneumocord.html">http://www.central-strapping.de/francais/arrimage/pneumatique/pneumocord.html</a><br>
but it 'only' goes to 7500N (750kg - 1650 lbs)<br>
I found straps that go 1170 kg - 2574 lbs<br>
Comming acros this device I figured that compressing loadbearing
walls would finaly become a controled piece of dense cake. But I
wonder if this machine (for a 'mere' 2000€) has what it takes to
compress enough.<br>
<br>
We could also use mesuring devices under the straps, (maybe cheaper)
but probably finiky.<br>
<br>
Have any of you have found the 'perfect', controlled, compression
method yet?<br>
<br>
Any suggestions on how much you would press the walls and how big a
safety margin engineers, building officials and builders insurance
(our biggest hurdle in France) would consider ok?<br>
Our starting point is to convince that a SB wall can carry 500kg
(1100 lbs) per meter of wall (about 3 feet). Does a compression of
700kg - 1550 lbs 'impress'? or should the margin be much higher?<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
André - squeezit - de Bouter<br>
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<b><big>La
Maison en Paille</big></b><br>
<br>
<b>Organisme de formation</b>
enregistré sous no. 54 16 00646 16<br>
Rue des Chaumes, Les Pellières, 16120 ST-SIMEUX<br>
<br>
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