[GSBN] Catalan vaults

Mon Dec 12 21:30:08 UTC 2011

Sorry.. in my previous posts I forgot to put the specific link to vault
structures information page at Auroville:

http://www.earth-auroville.com/vaulted_structures_introduction_en.php

All the best

Jorge VK

On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 7:49 PM, Van Krieken <vankrieken at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Hi
>
>  I also received this information from Auroville Earth Institute with some
> information that could be useful for those interested on this matter:
>
> ** **
>
> 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.****
>
> ** **
>
> ·       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.****
>
> Best soils for cement stabilisation are considered to have these
> proportions of components:****
>
> 15% Gravel (20 - 2mm) + 50% Sand (2 - 0.06mm) + 15% Silt (0.06 - 0.002mm)
> + 20% Clay (≤ 0.002mm)****
>
> ** **
>
> ·       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.****
>
> Best soils for lime stabilisation are considered to have these proportions
> of components:****
>
> 15% Gravel (20 - 2mm) + 30% Sand (2 - 0.06mm) + 20% Silt (0.06 - 0.002mm)
> + 35% Clay (≤ 0.002mm)****
>
> ** **
>
> 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.
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> I suggest you to visit our web site http://www.earth-auroville.com where
> you have more information on earth architecture, earth technologies, soil
> identification and our activities.****
>
> ** **
>
> At your service for further information,****
>
> Yours sincerely,****
>
> ** **
>
> Mr. Satprem Maïni****
>
> Architect – Director Auroville Earth Institute****
>
> BASIN **South Asia** – Member****
>
> UNESCO Chair Earthen Architecture – Representative for **Asia******
>
> ** **
>
> ******************************************************************
>
> Auroville Earth Institute****
>
> Auroshilpam, Auroville 605 101 – T.N. India****
>
> Tel.: 0091 (0) 413 – 262 3064 / 262 3330****
>
> Fax: 0091 (0) 413 – 262 2886****
>
> Email: earthinstitute at auroville.org.in****
>
> Web: http://www.earth-auroville.com
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 7:40 PM, Van Krieken <vankrieken at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> The Auroville earth institute is doing an amazing work on vaults since
>> many years. They also provide special equipments for producing the earth
>> blocs.
>>
>> http://www.earth-auroville.com/auram_earth_equipment_introduction_en.php
>>
>> Sometime ago I asked them if it was possible to use lime instead of
>> ciment (in the earth mix).
>> They gave me some ideas regarding an ideal soil.
>>
>> The ratio soil/sand:**
>>
>> 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.****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> We (at Auroville) consider that the best soil for compressed stabilised
>> earth blocks has these proportions:****
>>
>> 10% Gravel (10 to 2 mm diameter)****
>>
>> 50% sand (2 to 0.06 mm diameter)****
>>
>> 15% silt (0.06 to 0.002 mm diameter)****
>>
>> 20% clay (below 0.002 mm diameter)****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> 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.****
>>
>> ** **
>>
>> 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.****
>>
>>
>> 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
>> earthinstitute at auroville.org.in
>>
>> The Auroville Earth Institute www.earth-auroville.com which has a lot of
>> information on earth construction.
>>
>>
>> All the best
>>
>> Jorge Van Krieken
>> Portugal
>>
>> On Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 7:20 PM, John Swearingen <
>> john.skillfulmeans at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Cratere, in Grenoble has done lots of work with blocks, and some vaults.
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>> On Dec 12, 2011, at 11:12 AM, huffnpuff at q.com wrote:
>>>
>>> > Chris and All,
>>> >
>>> > 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
>>> http://www.earth-auroville.com/vaulted_structures_introduction_en.phpand Jim Hallock, of icatis, USA
>>> http://www.icatis.org/, 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.
>>> >
>>> > 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...
>>> >
>>> > Mark Schueneman
>>> > COSBA
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > ----- Original Message -----
>>> > From: "Chris Magwood" <chris at chrismagwood.ca>
>>> > To: "with public archives) Global Straw Building Network (private" <
>>> GSBN at greenbuilder.com>
>>> > Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 9:55:05 AM
>>> > Subject: [GSBN] Catalan vaults
>>> >
>>> > Hi all,
>>> >
>>> > The mention on this list some months back about Catalan vaults (or
>>> > Guastavino vaults) sparked my interest, and we've now decided to forge
>>> > ahead and build one as the roof for a buried, earthbag root cellar at
>>> > Trent University.
>>> >
>>> > Does anybody have experience building these, or know of anybody who
>>> > does. I'd like to try and hire in somebody to lead us in this build.
>>> > It's a small structure (18 x 22 ft) so it won't be a long build, but I
>>> > always like to have someone knowledgeable in charge when doing things I
>>> > haven't done before.
>>> >
>>> > The budget for the project is not high, but I would be willing to try
>>> > and cover travel costs, food, lodging and a bit of cash for the right
>>> > person.
>>> >
>>> > Let me know!
>>> >
>>> > Chris
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > www.chrismagwood.ca
>>> > www.endeavourcentre.org
>>> >
>>> > _______________________________________________
>>> > GSBN mailing list
>>> > GSBN at sustainablesources.com
>>> > http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/GSBN
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>
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