[GSBN] Straw bale survives the recent New Zealnd earthquake

Fri Jan 24 00:35:24 UTC 2014

I thought the same thing Jeff...if the mesh is not placed with care it is as with improper concrete work and welded wire mesh, often, when the work is exposed, it would seem that the mesh was used mainly to separate the earth from the concrete or, in this case, the plaster from the bales. Even then, with improper technique, the roof is still up. 

Mark 'embed it' Schueneman 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Ruppert" <jeff at odiseanet.com> 
To: "Global Straw Building Network" <GSBN at sustainablesources.com> 
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2014 5:02:07 PM 
Subject: Re: [GSBN] Straw bale survives the recent New Zealnd earthquake 

I have to say, after seeing walls that have undergone a lot of stress, the plaster on the house in the video looked like it had not been adhered to the bales very well. The one shot showing the chicken wire reminded me of our compression tests where the walls with mesh were actually weaker than those with mesh (we used chicken wire as well). On our tests it appeared that the plaster was inhibited from being worked into the bales properly due to the mesh. 

Jeff 

On Jan 23, 2014, at 3:52 PM, Graeme North < graeme at ecodesign.co.nz > wrote: 

Hi Folks 

I have designed a straw bale house that was near the failed s/bale building. The one that failed I know noting about. 

Here is what my clients have to say with a few more personal bits taken out: 

Hi Graeme 
How are you doing? I was just thinking of you the other day, so thanks 
for mailing. We're doing just fine here, and no, we aren't the one 
that had the damage, as you well could have guessed. That house is not 
far away, we have visited it before, and while it looked lovely, it had 
a very small hat, a butynol roof with sod on top that apparently leaked 
quite a bit before the quake, and cement based plaster that has fallen 
off all oevr the place. In fact, we got a visit two days ago from the 
local council inspectors who just wanted to see whether our place held 
up ok, straight after they visited the other one. We suspect that they 
were trying to see if straw, as a rule, was a failed material. 
Thankfully we were able to reassure them :) 
We do have a few minor cracks (it was a big shake), just at joins 
between materials - despite reinforcing the joins, I guess that was to 
be expected. But nothing we can't fix with a few days fiddling around 
(and thankfully no EQC required... we have no insurance anyway :) 
……….. 
take care 
Kyle 

Hello Graeme, 

it is nice to hear from you! I think Kyle has already replied, and so you will know that our home performed very well during the quake. kyle was away at the time.. I was dumb struck for a while before I registered that it was an earthquake..by the time that happened, it was all over. we have a few superficial cracks where straw meets wood...otherwise nothing more..several glass trinkets and pottery items fell off of shelves and smashed, which made a mess, but while pretty, were not overly valuable. 

The poor old house that was in the media was built in every way, how straw bales should not be built..it hasn't faired well in the wet weather or the shakes. I think the local council have been stressed out about it, and unfortunately, the media have made straw bale homes look suspect...regardless, we are very happy, safe and warm, and , even if the quake flattened our home, we would be happy to shake off the dust, collect the recyclable materials, and start again. 

……. 
Take care and love to you both 

Janet 

On 24/01/2014, at 1:21 AM, Frank Tettemer < frank at livingsol.com > wrote: 

<blockquote>
AT exactly 1:00 minute into the video that Bruce linked us to, there is a view into the wall, between a wider crack. It looks a lot like Chicken Wire that was used as a plaster lathe. Isn't chicken wire one of those materials, (like rebar stakes), that has evolved over time, to be replaced by something less stretchy? Like welded fencing wire, or, Tenax cinteflex plastering lathe? Considering the stretchy nature of chicken wire, I posit that the plaster render itself was the active material in absorbing the shaking energy. Kudos to plaster! 
Frank Tettemer 

/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 < mailto: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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