bruno hay

in the vicinity it is all woodland. the soil in those field tho come from deep down underground when they excavate a mountain nearby.
the filling is between only a few feet deep to up to 80 at some places before reaching original ground.

there are plenty of cherry trees that has established on the field since.

i was planning on soil test, but i was under the impression that with added ``life`` within the soil, some nutrient wouldn't show since they might not be readily water solube, but i might be mistaken.

hey everyone

i ordered about a dozen fruit trees for next spring, apple, pears, plum, as well as shrubs and ground cover. (small test but intent to plant lot more)

the location i plan to plant those is full south exposure, with as much sun as you can wish for in a mountainous place.

the specific field (in picture), is actually man made, about 8 years ago the city remodel (reroute) a major road nearby and used my place as drop-off point for all the excess dug-out.

they striped top soil , and replace on top after work done( +- 10 inches). below it, the material look like what i would describe as compaction sand for the first 6 feet, it drain well.

the grass on top has been mostly undisturbed since established at the end of the work. it does not look barren during summer time.


so i was wondering if i should disturb the soil one last time, to incorporated more organic matter, or if being gentle with whatever life has established itself for the last 8 years be a better route.  i was thinking of broadforking the rows and build organic on top as a decent middle ground.


thanks for the input
Bruno

hey folks,


need of some of your pyrothology advice.

i am in the design process of a rmh with the thermal mass beeing underfloor.

du to some special condition i wont be able to sink the combustion unit all the way underfloor level see detail at: https://permies.com/t/238089/culvert-hobbit-home-rmh

my question is what would be the best aproach to transition from the combustion unit to underfloor piping.

my idea so far, manifold install on the side as usual but at an angle, and cobing everything around , having a small ''leg'' sticking out.

what would be your design for such a problem? any issue i should foresee with underfloor thermal mass.


thanks for the incoming brainstorm

are you thinking of this project at wheaton's lab? :    https://paulwheaton.com/allerton-abbey-the-first-wofati/

the area i am thinking of building is actually a big field on a mountain side (+-5 acres). about 10 years ago the county remodel a major road nearby and needed place to ''store'' thousands of tons of dirt . so as an operator it is an actual sandbox for grown up.
so yes maybe the option of having both end open and changing the topography would be an obvious solution, i think i would have places suited for that building path.

good call for the corrugation, i dont remember if i took the measurement in or out of the sinus , they were more like 1''  deep tho . will definitively double check that one before the final plan.

the pipe now stand in the open , it doesn't feel too dark, but when buried and wall framed it will be another story. i will figure a way to include plenty of  light at least at the other end. and while at it a second emergency egress should also be a good addition.

hi
to help clarify some point:

only one end will be open, door and window like a daylight basement.

i will try to avoid cutting as much as possible, it is thick and a pain to modify without a plasma torch, and want to keep it as structurally sound as possible.

if i go as planned for a 12 inches at deepest spot (center of pipe) it gives me 5.3 feet wide floor 7feet of head room at the center and 6 at the edges.
extra space within the curve on each side will be bench and short countertop like table(+-16 to 24 inches).
the sleeping quarter will be in the back end, along the horizontal diameter of the culvert to be able to lay flat across, and storage 3feet high below bed.

so for the buried exhaust from RMH if it can fit inside 12 inches of floor all good, i can go few inches deeper if need be.
i will likely be able to sink the RMH a few inches inside the floor but not all of it ( flooring depth will be limited near the edge of the cross section)
i will likely to have my manifold exiting at a angle , or from the bottom

@ j hillman
i was tinkering with backend skylight i think it could serve as ventilation as well, and would add a lot the livability of the place.
this one still need planning ,potential proximity with the chimney is one of my concern.
washed gravel and french drain is in the plan, probably not needed but so much more trouble fixing than planning. we said ``belt and suspender`` around here.

if i go close cell foam route, my idea would have been to insulate it outside the dugout hole before final placement. if using styrofoam board do you think laying it flat underneath the culvert and straight up could encapsulate effectively some thermal mass outside the pipe?

i was pretty much settle on the 6'' j tube, it would be my first RMH build so the 4'' seem like a flip of coin for me.

as for drafting the RMH my first choice would be a straight run underfloor all the way to the back end and venting it through the ground in an class A chimney. my line of taught was that being at ground temperature it would help with startup during the heating season. (probably making it hard to light up in summer, dont think it would be an issue tho )

thanks for the lead on the IR barrier, i will double check this one with my friend.
actually since everything will be underground, i was questioning the necessity of insulation in the first place or if insulation should be all around the pipe or maybe just on top half. especially if i end up going close cell foam.
heat sink due to water movement should pretty much be a non-issue in my case.

hi everyone

i am in the process of planning a small cabin like underground home for next summer.

i have access to a 8foot diameter x 20foot metal culvert. it will be buried into a slope like a daylight basement.
a quick overview of my project so far.

the floor i was planning would be an earthen floor, so it could act as a thermal mass and follow to corrugation at the same time.
i have access to good compaction sand and clay directly on the land.  a depth between 12 to 16 inches would be acceptable at the deepest spot, depending on the next point. it would provide acceptable floor space and head room.

as for heating i was considering a rocket mass heater with the mass being underfloor. i dont find much info specific to daylight basement (even less for culvert home) related to RMH, anyone had tried something related or foresee some important issue with this design.  still tinkering on whether  the chimney should exit behind , buried insulated pipe peaking in the field above, or going back and forth inside exiting on the daylight side.
any venting or pressure issue would arise from such design?
i have red a long time ago ianto evan's book and i am currently reading the RMH book by erica and ernie.

As for insulation i was originally thinking of closed cell foam on the outside, but one of my friend is close to commercialization of a ceramic paint (reflect most infrared) i proposed myself to be Guinea pig for his product, i could report on that later on.
as for drainage the land is naturally very well drained, and was planning on clean rock/french drain for peace of mind,  the back wall and any potential opening would be sealed and a membrane applied.

if anyone has some insightful thought about the difficulties that i might encounter i am all ear.
my current planning issue concern mostly the RMH part, i tried to give enough detail to provide good idea of the project, if it is too cluttered and i should split some of the info into different post feel free to guide me in  the right direction.

thanks for the brain power of the community
Bruno