[GSBN] Anyone ever try a cob/straw-clay hybrid?

[Jacob Deva Racusin]

I'm not sure if phasing is an option, but if so and the cob were allowed 
to dry for a season with the straw-clay applied the following year, the 
cob could turn from a drying liability to a drying asset, given the 
hydrophilic nature of the clay.  I'm really not sure if it would be 
better than a strong breeze (air-dried), but you'd certainly get that 
from the outside.  It would require phased drying, though, which may not 
play out well in the construction schedule...

Kevin, great to hear you are using rice hulls, our company has been 
looking into playing with them but haven't had the right job - that an 
transporting a container of rice hulls from two days' drive away has 
been unappealing.  But it sure seems like a material with lots of 
potential if the resource is available.

Jacob

Jacob Deva Racusin
New Frameworks Natural Building, LLC
P.O. Box 15, Montgomery, VT 05470
(802) 782-7783 (c)
(802) 326-2209 (h)
www.newframeworks.com
jacob at newframeworks.com

On 4/29/2013 1:32 PM, Paula Baker-Laporte wrote:
> My concern would also be that the straw clay would only be able to dry 
> from one side and that the cob would add to the moisture content for a 
> long time...too long to dry the wall out safely.
> Building the straw clay wall first and then adding something like 
> adobe to the interior could work.
> Paula
>
> On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 10:07 AM, Chris Magwood 
> <chris at endeavourcentre.org <mailto:chris at endeavourcentre.org>> wrote:
>
>     My concern would be drying for the straw/clay. We have a hard time
>     getting straw/clay to dry in our warm but humid summer. We count
>     on a week per inch of wall thickness, and that's with both sides
>     of the wall exposed. Sometimes we have to help things along with a
>     fan on the interior because the drying is slower in the still air.
>     With one side of the straw/clay up against cob (which may still be
>     drying itself?) I would worry about the straw/clay not drying out
>     at all before it starts to get mushy in there.
>
>     What about double wythe cob with a dry insulation in between?
>
>     Chris
>
>     On 13-04-29 11:38 AM, Bruce King wrote:
>>
>>     A client in North Carolina (mixed climate, no earthquakes) wants
>>     to build a large assembly structure on load-bearing cob, which
>>     doesn't insulate too well.  He doesn't want to use bales with
>>     thick earthen plaster, either.
>>
>>     So our idea was to build a wall that would look like this, from
>>     inside to out:
>>
>>     14" -- 18" of load-bearing cob
>>     8" -- 12" of light straw-clay
>>     lime plaster
>>
>>     Has anyone already done this, or heard of it?  Any reports of
>>     comments?
>>
>>     Thank you!
>>
>>     Bruce King
>>
>>     (415) 987-7271
>>     Skype: brucekingokok
>>     Twitter: @brucekinggreen
>>     http://www.housetalkgreen.com
>>     http://bruce-king.com/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>     -- 
>     Chris Magwood
>     Director, Endeavour Centre
>     www.endeavourcentre.org  <http://www.endeavourcentre.org>
>
>
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> -- 
> Paula Baker-Laporte FAIA,BBP
> Econest Architecture Inc.
> www.EcoNest.com <http://www.EcoNest.com>
> paula at econest.com <mailto:paula at econest.com>
> Phone: 541.488.9508
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