https://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/building-a-sawdust-concrete-home-zmaz78jfzgoe
"Here is the mix he used: one part of cement, one part of
diatomaceous earth, three parts of sawdust, three parts of shavings, and one part of clay . . . all volume measurements. Since sawdust-concrete has a higher absorption rate than straight
concrete, Friberg added one part of clay to the mix."
I want to put up a building. I'm really loving the wofati but I don't have heavy equipment or a gaggle of helpers. I do have some woods that need thinned and amish neighbors with sawmills. So here I end up with this blend of ideas. I can get some help clearing the woods and putting up the frame. Hoping that I could set up a frame between the posts and pour the sawdust cement in, then move it up and do another layer, kind of like how ya do cobwood building. But just doing a board on each side and building up the layers as I can. I'm not entirely sure that makes sense so I'll try to doodle a picture.
~Masonry cement 75# bag for $10
~Diatomatious earth 40# $?
~sawdust possibly free
~clay soil, free
~reused billboard tarp liner 14'x23' $30 each plus shipping
I'm thinking I'll see if I can throw together a brick form with some scrap
wood. I have some DE around and I could try out mixing some up and see how it goes. I can always find use for bricks!
As to the building.. I'm not sure how big it'll be yet. Maybe tiny house size-ish. It'd be great to be big
enough I could more or less live in it.
~Posts in
~Frame raised floor, fill gravel then sand
~Frame roof, sawdust concrete
~Sawdust concrete floor
~Frame base of walls, first layer sawdust concrete
~When set remove frame, frame just above the first layer and add second layer. If I have something like 2x6 boards for the frame to pour the concrete into then the layers
should go fairly quick to make.
~Continue layers up walls, leaving framed door and windows
~Now that the walls and roof are in cover with tarp liner.
Here is where I need to go away from the usual wofati idea. I don't have machinery and I don't have fill dirt. I do have.. Sawdust. Junk
hay (moldy, etc). Branches (woods thinning). Wood chips (woods thinning). Barn cleanout (myself and neighbor). So I'm thinking once I get it covered with the tarp liner I can add as much as I can to fill in over time. The first year I would try to get as much cover on it as possible. Over time it would take on the more covered hobbit hill look.
This has been percolating but not too long so feel free to point out possible issues! Especially the more knowledgeable, experienced builders. Thanks!