Cob Tech info on cob, rammed earth, etc.

[John Schinnerer]

Aloha,

A little while back someone suggested more scientific research to "prove" various code-related aspects of cob, etc.  There is one book I'm aware of that has some details on research that has been done:

"Adobe and Rammed Earth Buildings : Design and Construction"
by Paul Graham McHenry
ISBN: 0816511241

Most of the book is about industrial methods of building adobe and rammed earth buildings.
There is one chapter that details various research done since the 70's.  It is all on rammed earth and/or adobe, not cob, and done in southwestern US climates, but should be somewhat relevant.  I must add that if read with care the blind spots of the researchers stand out - for example, they don't really ever "get it" with regards to the difference between insulative value and thermal mass.  They do manage to determine some U-values (a technical term for resistance to heat flow) for adobe and rammed earth (quite low, of course, as these materials, like cob, are not particularly insulative). 

John Schinnerer
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