I'm confident that you'll be well pleased with the performance of
papercrete that is formed in compression. I look forward to learning
more as your efforts progress.
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "pepperh" <pepperh@...> wrote:
>
>
> Pepper and I have a house design originally planned with 4X10X14"
CEB (compressed earth block) blocks for the exterior walls. CEB
blocks are made from a modified adobe clay mixture that is dry
compressed in a 2 to 1 ratio. The CEB blocks have a natural
insulating quality - R factor is enormous but the real interest is
the 12 hour heat transfer. If the roof can also reflect or absorb
the heat you will need little or no AC. I have seen walls for a CEB
house built in 4 days by 5 unskilled workers. But walls comprise
only 17% of the original cost of a contemporary home. The foundation
is more expensive for CEB full load masonry walls. A roof that meets
the wall R factor it is more expensive. The savings are over the
long haul in utilities cost. CEB is a 3rd world DIY process
supported by companies that sell CEB machines and designs, and the
stand-alone "live in the woods" greenies. The cost factor was
predicted to be $30/square foot. I am stuck at $50.
>
> The CEB design construction problems are obvious.
> 1) You need 5000 blocks for our design (made by an onsite machine
with a cost of $1/block or you by hand press 0-25 cents/block) one
week to machine build and place blocks in wall. By hand - one month
part time. 250 tons of dirt!
> 2) The blocks are susceptible to water damage and must be protected
from direct rain during construction and stuccoed for weather
resistant exterior finish. 2' to 4' roof over hang.
> 3) Each block weighs 50#, causing workforce and material handling
problems.
> 4) Foundation weight load is excessive.
> 5) It is a labor of love, not today's common sense.
> 6) While hands-on is possible, the house needs to be built quickly
because of the CEB block dissolve factor. (Although a palletful of
unused blocks had survived for several years under a tarp....except
one uncovered corner had dissolved.)
> 7) Subcontractors will do the work only if there is nothing else to
do.
> 8) CEB contractor specialists charge ridiculous rates based not on
skill and knowledge, but possession of a CEB machine.
>
> The financial issues are being sorted out. Building codes now
accept the process but local county engineers reject because "what
the hell is CEB". Insurance inspectors recognize the fire safety in
such walls. Utility companies recognize the power savings and offer
financial incentives. Financing is available - both construction and
long term. But where to build? Real estate industry does not want
CEB. Subdivisions boards refuse to accept the stucco surface as
masonry. Two Houston individuals did sneak CEB into subdivisions as
full load masonry construction but the battle to occupy was intense -
"IT'S A MUD HUT" was the neighborhood cry.
>
> In her hunt for materials for art, Pepper found papercrete. I took
an architecture construction class in 1966 that studied adobe, rammed
earth, straw bale, sod, log cabins, cord wood, sprayed concrete,
stone - available materials resources. The course closed with a
concrete and foam pebble interior - papercrete was never mentioned.
This course was part of a series on community and how we are
structured to live in them. All of this was very exciting but died
when white flight made subdivisions the standard. Are we back?
>
> Papercrete has caught my interest. I have used my small CEB hand
press to build some papercrete blocks: 7X10X4. Instead of
compressing for strength as in CEB I am pressing for uniformity. The
chamber is designed to compress dry loose adobe clay/dirt 2 to 1 -
8X7X10 chamber is filled and a lever piston compresses (20 foot
lever). 1 minute to fill, form and stack a block in the wall. I was
able to build a very solid papercrete block 7X10X4 in less than a
minute. Pressing the mixture forces the water out and the block
holds it shape.
>
> An engineer in Pakistan recommended that we use pine resin in the
process. This he claims will make the blocks more water proof.
Resin is very successful in CEB blocks but retards the block to block
adhesion.
>
> I am now building a press out of 13 gauge steel for paving stones
24X24X4. Because we are artists we can add a design plate for the
surface.
>
> Our first goal is to perfect the block construction. Then check
building codes. Then check financing. I have seen too many people
build CEB or adobe houses that could not be financed - thus sold -
and could not be insured. One could not be occupied until the
building inspector sorted through the CEB factors. The nightmare of
coordinating alternative construction methods with the subdivision
world is always amusing.
>
> I will post the designs in CEB and after I learn about papercrete,
post the modifications. My only real concern is the
compression/shear strength of the blocks. But I have a 30 ton
press! We will see. This is all very interesting!
>
> Anthony Hume
>
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