Is there any kind of foam or bubble maker you could use to fill the bottles with with something that would trap tons of air pockets? I guess you could even use pumice or scoria. Very light weight and would be highly insulating.
That’s possible, although it seems easier to just fill the bottles with an insulating material. Materials such as perlite and vermiculite have higher R-value than pumice and scoria, and would likely be easier to find and use and be more sustainable than foam products.
Perlite and vermiculite are not as cheap as they used to be. Another candidate could be shredded styrofoam in wide-mouth plastic bottles or jugs. I’m still toying with the idea of making a cob mix of mud and styrofoam. At least this mix utilizes waste materials that can be had for low cost, if any at all.
Is this an ongoing project in Haiti?
Owen
Is there any kind of foam or bubble maker you could use to fill the bottles with with something that would trap tons of air pockets? I guess you could even use pumice or scoria. Very light weight and would be highly insulating.
That’s possible, although it seems easier to just fill the bottles with an insulating material. Materials such as perlite and vermiculite have higher R-value than pumice and scoria, and would likely be easier to find and use and be more sustainable than foam products.
Perlite and vermiculite are not as cheap as they used to be. Another candidate could be shredded styrofoam in wide-mouth plastic bottles or jugs. I’m still toying with the idea of making a cob mix of mud and styrofoam. At least this mix utilizes waste materials that can be had for low cost, if any at all.
Pulverized styrofoam = yes, recycled, high R-value, free and easy to get.
Will the plastic fail eventually due to chemicals or lime or anything in the binding soil,clay or cement ?
I don’t think so. It should last many many hundreds of years if kept out of sunlight. The mortar would likely fail long before the bottles.
I’m wondering about the structural analysis.
I doubt if much has been done other than observing and studying what’s been built.
Owen
What do you think the R value might be on such a wall?
No idea. Try googling R-value bottle wall.