[GSBN] SB support for St Paul Architect

Thu Jun 25 00:26:16 UTC 2009

> David,
> 
> I¹ve shared contact info with Lucas for builders in WI and MI, also suggested
> he buy #53 and #54 of TLS and shared your note about Oregon code. He¹s
> appreciative of the help that everyone is trying to give to him and to MN
> codes officials. He¹ll keep in touch and I¹ll share what I learn  and hope
> anyone else contacting him to help or share information will do the same.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Joyce
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  Just an fyi, I had an e-mail exchange with Lucas a couple of days ago and
> referred him to TLS among other things. Below is what I wrote to him - it
> might be helpful to others as well, though probably not new info for many on
> GSBN. He wrote back to say that he had made a similar argument to little
> avail, and that he had found an Oregon building official willing to talk with
> his officials. He also said he has Bruce King's book but would look for
> another copy to give to the building department. Joyce, if you do talk to
> Lucas or write to him, let him know that Oregon has for years had straw bale
> provisions in their state building code. Here's what I wrote:
> 
> ================
> Lucas,
>  
> Unfortunately, I know (although only vaguely remember the details) about this
> bit of history - in fact, we had overtly tried to educate the two people who
> were doing that work because we saw their designs and the literature they were
> putting out and pointed out to them at the time that what they were doing
> wasn't going to work. It didn't stop them from going forward and creating the
> worst case scenario for all who followed.
>  
>  Part of my strategy when dealing with code officials in the aftermath of such
> things is to point out that hundreds of thousands of stick frame buildings
> have suffered the same fate and that hasn't stopped us from building millions
> of20them - bad design, poor construction and detailing will cause the failure
> of any building material or system - and shouldn't be viewed as inherent in
> the system. We knew early on that what these folks were doing was going to
> fail. And the reason you can't make things foolproof is that are fools are so
> clever and persistent!
>  
>  I would suggest, first of all, to get two copies of the book "Design of Straw
> Bale Buildings" by Bruce King of the Ecological Building Network -
> www.ecobuildnetwork.org <http://www.ecobuildnetwork.org>  - and published by
> Green Building Press - www.greenbuildingpress.com
> <http://www.greenbuildingpress.com> ‹ one for you and your contractor and one
> to actually give to the building department. It is, far and away, the most
> comprehensive technical book on straw bale design and construction and the
> section on moisture was written by Dr. John Straube, a global leader in
> building science who teaches at the University of Waterloo and consults all
> over the world on high to low tech moisture and building science issues. It
> provides all the technical info you should have, and it should also satisfy
> the building department as well.
>  
>  You might also go to The Last Straw website - www.thelaststraw.org
> <http://www.thelaststraw.org> - and buy a couple of back issues - particularly
> issues #53 and #54 which are about codes and research and testing - available
> as downloadable PDF files for $6 each -
> http://online.thelaststraw.org/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2
> <http://online.thelaststraw.org/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2>
>  
> The bottom line is that we knew enough to know that what was being done in
> Minneapolis back in the early 90s was going to be a disaster and we were
> right. We have learned a huge amount in the intervening years and there are
> thousands of sb buildings around the world in all kinds of climates that
> perform very well.
>  
>  If you continue to have problems with this, I'm willing to speak with your
> officials too.
>  
>  I hope this helps.
>  
>  Best,
>  
>  David Eisenberg
>  Director 
>  DCAT
>  www.dcat.net <http://www.dcat.net>
>  
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joyce Coppinger <jc10508 at windstream.net>
> To: (private, with public archives) Global Straw Building Network
> <GSBN at greenbuilder.com>
> Sent: Wed, Jun 24, 2009 7:47 am
> Subject: Re: [GSBN] SB support for St Paul Architect
> 
> One suggestion would be to share information about successful building
> 
> projects in the Great Plains region including Wisconsin and Michigan which
> 
> would have more similar climactic conditions than Oregon.
> 
> 
> 
> I'll send an email to Lucas giv
> ing him contact information for at least
> 
> three straw-bale builders I know of in these two states that he could
> 
> contact. I'll also be sure he knows about the International Straw Bale
> 
> Registry listings.
> 
> 
> 
> The codes officials might also accept box column method more readily in
> 
> terms of structural design so will share that with Lucas, too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Joyce
> 
> --------------- 
> 
> Joyce Coppinger
> 
> Managing Editor/Publisher
> 
> The Last Straw, the international journal
> 
> of strawbale and natural building
> 
> PO Box 22706, Lincoln NE 68542-2706
> 
> 402.483.5135, fax 402.483.5161
> 
> <thelaststraw at thelaststraw.org>
> 
> www.thelaststraw.org <http://www.thelaststraw.org>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> > Pete Fust has asked me to post a request for ideas and support, to
> 
>> > help make it possible to build with strawbale in Minneapolis-St Paul.
> 
>> > Due to well publicized failures of some of the first SB buildings in
> 
>> > that area, in the mid-ninties (described in The Last Straw), there is
> 
>> > very strong resistance in the building department to permitting any
> 
>> > strawbale structures.
> 
>> > 
> 
>> > Architect Lucas Alm, lucas at almdesignstudio.com, an adjunct professor
> 
>> > at the University of Minnesota and eco-designer, hopes to design and
> 
>> > build with strawbale in the Twin Cities.  At the recent Midwest
> 
>> > Renewable Energy Fair, he told Pete that although some officials
> 
>> >20recognize that the building failures were the result of poor design
> 
>> > and construction practices, others continue to oppose strawbale as a
> 
>> > building material.  Lucas said than one official had asked him for
> 
>> > performance data on SB structures in Oregon, because "it has the most
> 
>> > similar climate to St Paul."  Lucas recognizes the inaccuracy of this
> 
>> > comparison, and is looking for ways to move the dialog into a more
> 
>> > productive and relevant channel.
> 
>> > 
> 
>> > Pete suggests that anyone offering help with this problem can
> 
>> > probably acquire all the lutefisk that they might desire.
> 
>> > 
> 
>> > Derelict
> 
>> > 
> 
>> > 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
> 
>> > 
> 
>> > _______________________________________________
> 
>> > GSBN mailing list
> 
>> > GSBN at greenbuilder.com
> 
>> > http://greenbuilder.com/mailman/listinfo/GSBN
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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