Peter Murphy

[tt]sbengi[/tt][tt]bryant redhawk[/tt]To Bryant and S

Thanks for your thoughts on the Rubble Trench Foundation. Very re-assuring  as concrete is all the go here.
Appreciate your comments!

Bryant, can you please expand on the dampers in the core and what you mean by that.Thanks!

S, can you advise on your experience building w Chicken wire mesh and how you used it? I have read about a couple of different methods of using strips of chicken wire mesh both vertically and horizontally to form a grid pattern and also Bamboo installed vertically and horizontally on internal and external walls.  I have read some really good research that also promotes using a Geo Mesh (same as what you would use around your Rubble Trench Foundation. Very interesting how it adds strength to walls.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Thanks  Peter

Hey John,

Thanks for your reply again..
The whole mesh thing seems to be contradictory to a certain extent. Conflicting messages from a variety of sources.So I will keep researching!
Even the use of some type of mesh to allow plaster (cement,cob,lime etc) to adhere to the PP walls,  seems to have differing opinions from people regarding whether you need to use them or not.
Certainly a different concern as to whether you should use a mesh to reinforce walls for earthquake considerations.

[color=cyan]So what is the deal, have you drifted in and want to build something the locals cant get their head around?
Do they have fixed ideas about building?
Will they only consider pole construction?

Yeah its an interesting question!  Over here in the Philippines everything is Cement and Hollow block (often poor quality) 4" and 6"  versions (mainly the 4" version is used to cut costs) ...all the roads are built from cement, many of the original roads they build up to a higher level cos they flood so frequently( more so in Manila than here) always done w about a 6" layer of cement...imagine how much cement that is!
But here on the island everything, houses, fences is built from 4" hollow block.

So yeah their ideas are fairly fixed. I have lodged my plans with a City Engineer and he seems open to the idea. Once the CAD plans are finalized , the permit process begins which apparently happens very quickly compared to what us Aussies are used to! He seems to feel it wont have any problem getting approved, but we will see! Even though I am going to be doing the build myself with local help, the Builders I have spoken to here seem quite open to the idea and once it's explained to them, they seem to understand how strong it would be considering the recent earthquakes experienced here in Bohol a few years back.
The biggest issue for people here is the foundation. They don't get the RTF and think concrete foundation is the only way to go. I suppose you can't blame them for that.
So from what I can tell, it should be approved and I strongly believe that there will be a lot of interest in the build once it begins. the Engineer doing my CAD drawings is keen for me to get started and just from a personal interest point of view, wants to come over and see how it's done!

So I should have my permit in a couple of weeks, maybe a bit longer!
Which part of Bendigo do you live in?

Peter

Thanks John,

It's interesting that you mention the mesh on the walls as providing extra strength. I have read that either a wire (chicken mesh) or even a plastic version will help w the strength of the wall.
Some research suggests this, others don't. Do you have any knowledge as to whether a chicken wire or a plastic type mesh would be more effective?
Obviously I need to do some soil testing here to see what my best options are.
Appreciate  the correction of the Cement/Concrete...slip of the tongue and also for the link to the Adobe link.

The challenge of course is getting the building permit here and getting them to realize that not everything needs to be built w hollow block and cement.They are very new to this type of building here though
there are a few other examples of EarthBag homes in The Philippines.
Thanks again!

Hi there



I am planning on building a Superadobe 36' Diameter roundhouse in The Philippines.
My question is regarding reinforcement necessary for a seismic zone and quality of soil for this.

Should the Rubble Trench Foundation suffice rather than a concrete beam)? Does any extra form of pinning need to be done apart from the normally recommended rebar Pins going in at window sill height and Concrete beam height (overlapping)  to  counter possible Seismic events?

Also I have been reading recently that either concrete or Lime stabilization in the soil  would be advantageous in seismic regions. Do you feel this is necessary? The soil I will be using here is a limestone road base that is used everywhere for foundation of roads and floors. So I'm not sure whether the Lime or concrete stabilizer is necessary.
There is conflicting information out there. Thanks  Peter