Strawmark built the home in yesterday’s blog post. Be sure to see their stunning gallery.
“Straw houses the way of the future?
With the aftermath of devastation in Christchurch, the focus is now more than ever on safe, affordable, ‘Earthquake’ strong housing.
We are happy to say all our homes within the quake-ravaged area have stood the test, and passed with flying colors, with no damage reported.
“The International Federations community-based early-recovery programme has supported tens of thousands of quake survivors to take control of their own recovery. With support from trained Red Cross volunteers and students from local universities, affected communities have managed and implemented the construction of more than 14,000 quake-resilient transitional shelters.
Earthbag Foundations for Soggy Seismic Areas
By Kerry Bingham
As far as I know, mine was the second earthbag structure to be built in Turkey, and it was met with widespread skepticism. With frequent earthquakes, severe flash-flooding on the south coast during the winter months and rising damp, many thought the house would either ‘melt’, slide or be shaken to the ground.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CWFqsztMnI&w=560&h=315] We’ve had several reports on Project Somos. This video is their May 2011 update. They’re doing outstanding work and I encourage readers to study their website and learn more about how they are building. Compassion Fruit Society began construction of the eco-sustainable Project Somos Children’s Village near Tecpan, Guatemala. The Village will become … Read more
An engineer of note gave us some suggestions on how to improve earthbag corners in seismic areas. The engineer is concerned the barbed wire could shift in a quake. He felt that wire mesh anchors (4- 5 with 1″ long teeth, bent so it stands up nicely) would better secure barbed wire at corners. He … Read more
Yesterday’s post was about the earthquake resistance of earthbags. Today’s post illustrates what an earthquake resistant gravel bag foundation looks like and explains why this design is so effective. Gravel is an ideal material for this application because it’s durable, reasonably inexpensive, readily available in most areas, has high bearing strength and prevents wicking of … Read more