This is a must see video if you need an exceptionally strong design for earthquake zones. I almost jumped out of my chair as the house started shaking back and forth. I think this house just made history. I don’t know of many materials that have so much flex and strength. This is extremely impressive.
“The Ubuntu-blox house we built for SMU last spring was tested Monday on a shake table at National Testing Systems in Plano, Texas. It experienced 8.3 with minimal loss of plaster and one shutter. There are videos online. It was amazing.
A sample wall was also exposed to 90 mph winds with a four inch rain fall per hour rate. The test lasted thirty minutes. The wall got wet with no sign of failure of any kind.” – Harvey Lacey, inventor
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“We are less than a year old. I believe it was the 18th of November last year when I woke up with the idea of making plastic trash into building blocks. Haiti was a success and we hope to go back next month to build our first house there. We would like to see this take off all around the world.
Ubuntu-Blox (oo-BOON-too) is a revolutionary idea for simultaneously cleaning up the planet and creating sustainable housing.
Each block is made of three metal wires and 100% recycled plastics. The machine that makes the Ubuntu-Blox is simple and requires little physical effort to create a block about one square foot in size.
The block is made by compressing the plastics together and binding them similar to how one would a hay bale. The process is easy and involves no burning or refinement. Almost any plastics can be used to create a block, including the plastics not currently being processed by recycling centers. These plastics, such as film and foam plastics, are ending up in landfills because they are not considered usable.”
Updates on Facebook
Recycled Plastic Block Houses.com (Free plans, list of materials, news and more videos.)
The Ubuntu blox house won 12th place in the Jovoto $300 House Challenge. (This site has much more information. I particularly enjoy Harvey’s explanation of the project. Readers throw him one curve ball after another and he expertly replies with ease. If you have doubts, this is the site to read.)
Memnosyne Foundation
Haiti Communitere.org
The tests in Hesperia (Cal Earth) were conducted on STABILIZED earthbag domes. The dome was built using tubes and the fill was 3-10% cement. Not sure if more then one dome was tested. The city supported the test and eventually a city park building was constructed using earthbags. The building not only survived the test, but testing officials broke the machine trying to get a structural collapse.
Also, it is interesting to note that round structures are much more stable by nature.
Have earthbags been tested this way? I’ve read that there were some tests in Hesperia, so they could get coded. But I’m not sure where those results are online.
It’d be nice just to know how they handle against tests.
But this is incredible. I guess it kind of makes sense, just the rebar and lightweight, durable material. Very awesome.
These tests are expensive and so far no one has funded a full earthbag wall. Only an earthbag foundation with straw bale walls has been tested. The test wall surpassed forces of the North Ridge earthquake. See our Testing page for all earthbag test info: http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/testing.htm
from this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMNVEcxZkHA they use wire and rebar. interesting.