[GSBN] Straw bale survives the recent New Zealnd earthquake

[John Swearingen]

*A straw bale home in Pahiatua succumbed to the quake.The home's plaster is
split, with cracks visible both inside and out.The occupant, Belinda
Payton, said she was vacuuming the floor and heard some rumbling. "And the
floor started shaking and I just ran out the door," she said. "We had a
look inside and it was just like a bombsite. I was was shocked. It's
unlivable."
<http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/earthquake-claims-roll-in-amid-clean-up-aftershocks-5804294>*

Actually, all the news reports talk about minor damage and no injuries.
Though one set of commercial buildings would need to be torn down, there wasn't
a report<http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9629660/Severe-quake-rattles-lower-North-Island>of
another residence being seriously affected. The Kiwis seem to take 6.3
in stride:* "**Pam Lochore, wife of All Blacks great Brian Lochore, said
photographs had fallen off shelves and "a rugby ball went flying across the
room" ...."   *Not enough to severely interrupt a broadcast of a dog
race.... <http://youtu.be/Fgh3lptxESI>

The damage to the strawbale looks to be much as we anticipate....major
cracking in the sacrificial stucco but the structure otherwise in tact.  It
looks horrible, though, and Belinda is clearly shaken, but I don't see
damage other than plaster cracks--no broken windows or toppled structure.
The plaster obviously absorbed a great deal of the energy.

John "Rolling Motion" Swearingen





On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 3:04 PM, Bruce EBNet <bruce at ecobuildnetwork.org>wrote:

>
>      This TV spot sort of makes it look bad -- but the SB house is
> standing, when the neighborhood is not.  Courtesy of Hugh Morris, with a
> fancy nod to Graeme North.  Any of you Kiwis know which house this is?  Did
> you build it?
>
> Bruce King
>
>
> http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/residents-count-cost-north-island-quake-video-5804861
>
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>
>


-- 
John Swearingen
Skillful Means Design & Construction
2550 9th Street   Suite 209A
Berkeley, CA   94710
510.849.1800 phone
510.849.1900 fax

Web Site:  http://www.skillful-means.com
Blog:         https://skillfulmeansdesign.wordpress.com
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