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Earth bag stem wall for strawbale?

 
Kadin Goldberg
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Hi all,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience building a rubble trench foundation with an earth bag stem wall and then building load bearing strawbale on top?  I’ve found one example online where an earth bag stem wall was used but it wasn’t for load bearing.

Any thoughts on using this technique?  Things to consider?  Does anyone have any links to projects that have done this?

Cheers,
Kadin
 
John C Daley
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Can you give us a drawing please?
There is no reason from an Engineering point of view that those plans will be a problem.
The stem wall will need to be wider than the strawbales so they sit on and not hang over the wall.
Also when the bales are finished with plaster there will be an edge to work to.

John Daley Bendigo, Australia The Enemy of progress is the hope of a perfect plan
Benefits of rainfall collection https://permies.com/t/88043/benefits-rainfall-collection
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Kadin Goldberg
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Thanks John.  I don’t have any specifics on the dimensions of bales I will be getting so I’m not sure how wide the trench or earth bags will need to be.  This is a rough idea of what I am thinking.  I’m not sure if I will need to attach the sill/curb to the earth bags in some way (rebar?  I worry that would wick water into the bales...) or if it will just be held down by the compression of the walls.  Thoughts?

9F570565-A13D-40DA-8B81-610BA87EAA76.jpeg
[Thumbnail for 9F570565-A13D-40DA-8B81-610BA87EAA76.jpeg]
 
John C Daley
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This is how the base of the wall should be set up
M_Strawbale_7.jpg
wooden bit is called a ladder, which is filled with gravel to prevent wicking of water and power, water can be laid through here as well
wooden bit is called a ladder, which is filled with gravel to prevent wicking of water and power, water can be laid through here as well

John Daley Bendigo, Australia The Enemy of progress is the hope of a perfect plan
Benefits of rainfall collection https://permies.com/t/88043/benefits-rainfall-collection
GOOD DEBT/ BAD DEBT https://permies.com/t/179218/mortgages-good-debt-bad-debt

 
John C Daley
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wall detail note drip barrier

Wall_cross_section.gif
wall cross section
wall cross section
unnamed-1.jpg
wall cross section note earth bags
wall cross section note earth bags

John Daley Bendigo, Australia The Enemy of progress is the hope of a perfect plan
Benefits of rainfall collection https://permies.com/t/88043/benefits-rainfall-collection
GOOD DEBT/ BAD DEBT https://permies.com/t/179218/mortgages-good-debt-bad-debt

 
Kadin Goldberg
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Thanks for those images John, much appreciate it. Do you happen to know where you got that 2nd image.. would be interested in reading more about this.  First time I have seen earth bag used with strawbale.

Thanks again!
 
John C Daley
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I did a general search on google, earthbags stem walls on rock foundations' or 'earthbag stem walls'  and used images rather than 'All'.
https://www.northernarchitecture.us/earthbag-building/foundations.html

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthbag-basements/

John Daley Bendigo, Australia The Enemy of progress is the hope of a perfect plan
Benefits of rainfall collection https://permies.com/t/88043/benefits-rainfall-collection
GOOD DEBT/ BAD DEBT https://permies.com/t/179218/mortgages-good-debt-bad-debt

 
L Wass
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Hi does anyone live in the georgia mountains - blue ridge blairsville area and able to help start a build on a tiny home. My son is there and struggling to do the work himself. He has been clearing the trees. He has been wanting to do a cob or straw bale home. Even pallets for structure and deck.
 
Alex Mowbray
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Hello.


Lets talk about the render! the covering of the straw bails, what material and methods are you using!

I have met people who had difficulty with this aspect!

Spero Meliora

 
John C Daley
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L Wass maybe start a separate topic on the matter, it may be buried here

John Daley Bendigo, Australia The Enemy of progress is the hope of a perfect plan
Benefits of rainfall collection https://permies.com/t/88043/benefits-rainfall-collection
GOOD DEBT/ BAD DEBT https://permies.com/t/179218/mortgages-good-debt-bad-debt

 
John C Daley
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Alex, I have not met people who have not had difficulty with plastering.
Its arduous work.
I think the spray units are an idea tool to use in these cases, to get the plaster to go in deep amongst the straw fibres.

John Daley Bendigo, Australia The Enemy of progress is the hope of a perfect plan
Benefits of rainfall collection https://permies.com/t/88043/benefits-rainfall-collection
GOOD DEBT/ BAD DEBT https://permies.com/t/179218/mortgages-good-debt-bad-debt

 
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