Does anyone have experience with an small barn or animal shelter built with natural materials? I'm in the prairie so I'm thinking straw bale construction. I'm also on sandy soil so I was thinking of earth bag. Something under 200 sq feet . Looking for input. Thanks
Earthbag needs clay as well.
Can you do post and beam?
Posts set into the ground, with beams across the top to hold the roof and then infill the walls with strawbales.
The advantage is you have something to work under.
I'm thinking either earth bag or straw bale would be good candidates for your conditions. Straw bale may need to be up off the ground a bit on rubble or a foundation to keep it from wicking. Either needs to be protected from the elements and the livestock with cob or plaster or something. And that surface coating needs to be protected from rain by good overhangs and splash back protection. I'm guessing earth bag is more work and weight to move around.
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Do you have any clay in your soil.
Strawbale construction is a well discussed issue and the requirements are readily found.
Strawbale does need a lot of clay for the coatings until you are going to leave it all exposed
Cob needs lots of clay based soils