[GSBN] earthquake-proof adobe walls

[Derek Roff]

--On Monday, August 17, 2009 12:17 PM +0200 Lorenzo Robles 
<lorobles55 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Cane, and bamboo, are available in most places where seismic ativity 
is
> a threat, and seems more compatible and efficient than metalic or
> plastic mesh, and is obviously a better ecological option.

One of the things that Marciel Blondet said repeatedly at the Adobe 
Conference 2007 was that appropriate cane and bamboo were seldom 
available in the areas where he has put his focus.  He is looking at 
building or reinforcing tens of thousands of houses, so he would need 
lots and lots of cane/bamboo.  Where cane is available, there is the 
question of who owns it, under what terms would they sell it, what is 
its quality/strength, who will harvest, etc.

Marciel said that this was one of the first materials that they 
considered, but that it didn't turn out to be viable in most places 
that he was working.  I'm quoting from memory, but I think this is a 
pretty accurate summary of why he had moved away from cane/bamboo.

Working at the scale of one house at a time, cane/bamboo would be a 
more tractable option.

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