Sometimes special hardware can really come in handy for speeding construction. That’s probably why there are hundreds of different anchors and straps available – they really do make buildings stronger and easier to build. The anchors pictured above are used to build hogans, an octagonal shaped structure favored by the Navajo and others living in the American Southwest. These anchors would be useful for building an octagonal post and beam structure that could be wrapped with earthbags. You could build an octagonal earthbag structure without a post and beam frame, but it does open up some interesting possibilities such as:
– building insulated earthbag homes with scoria, etc. [the frame would help stabilize the walls]
– helping obtain code approval [not a sure thing, but it may help in some cases: you could say the bags are for insulation]
– providing the aesthetics of post and beam
– enabling the roof to be built sooner, which would provide shade and protection during construction [think through how you will build the earthbag wall: Wrap the frame with insulated bags? Finish the roof immediately above the earthbags later so you can tamp the bags?]
– building fast, low cost accessory structures such as sheds, gazebos, workshops, etc.
Image credit: E-Z Hogan
See my Native Spirit octagonal home design at Earthbag House Plans.
I want to build a straw bale Hogan that will be 30 foot in diameter. I need your anchors for the roof part, can you help
Try their website: https://www.ezhogan.com/
This is David with the E-Z Hogan brackets, please contact me at ezhogan@yahoo.com if you wish. Thanks!
Hey Owen!
Thank You for your awesome websites. I am considering building a round 20 foot diameter earthbag structure following your methods and topping it with the ez hogan roof-preferably without the post and beam…I was wondering if you could give me advice on the best way to get this roof on?
Easy. Attach the roof to a bond beam. Embed hurricane ties in the concrete everywhere a rafter goes.
I see a lot of possibilities for this P&B system. Would the bond beam on an earthbag structure be supportive enough to support this roof structure? I am talking about lateral forces pushing out on the walls ( roof with no center support)? Would this roof be better suited for an infill structure? Just how big could an octagonal earthbag infill structure be built without using buttresses (length of each segment of octagon)?
Bond beams on earthbag walls are typically extremely strong. Most are made with reinforced concrete. That’s what I would use, and then you could build almost any size structure you want. Very large structures would benefit from stabilized walls and the Precision Structural Engineering reinforced earthbag method (code approved).
http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2010/12/04/reinforced-earthbag-specifications/