Cob: nc cobbers and codes

[otherfish]

Phil & Charmaine,
Altho I don't know zip about Bool wall construction, I feel that a bit of
logic will help in deciding how to do it.  It's pretty clear that the
strength of cob ( and other forms of earthen construction ) derives from
being built as massive walls.  Thaditional cob walls were THICK.  This is
true of abobe also. Tested data of adobe walls shows that a minimum
thickness to height ratio of 3 to 5 is fairly stable in seismic conditions
if there are no other stability measures included in the wall construction.
This means that you want the wall to have a proportional thickness of 1 foot
for each 5 feet of height.  Given this as the proportion of thickness (mass)
of wall cob that is stable, it stands to reason that if you place rocks
within a cob wall, it will be in keeping with proven stapility proportions
if no cob part of the wall is less than this same thickness.  So if your
wall is 5 feet high, don't have less than 1 foot of continuous cob BETWEEN
any stones you place in the wall.  As your wall increases in height keep
this same proportion of non disrupted cob between stones.

This is supposition & not proven, but to me stands to reason.

john fordice
TCCP

on 1/23/03 12:31 PM, Charmaine at tms at northcoast.com wrote:

 depending 
> on the  thickness of the wall, they had stones showing inside and out.
> 
> The only danger I see is not having enough cob contact, and having a
> weakened wall.  There is a drawing in the Scottish earth book I have
> that shows a nicely spaced bool wall.
>