Cob: cob, pise

[Shannon C. Dealy]

On Thu, 30 Jan 2003, Jill hotmail wrote:

> Let me see if I have this straight,
> Cob is using a straw-added earth mix with out forms. Buildings should
> be small, one story, and curves strengthen the structure.
[snip]

Cob buildings can be large and multi-story, it's just alot more work,
particularly for multi-story, because the taller you go, the thicker the
walls must be at the base in order to support the weight of the cob above.
Modern cob buildings tend to be smaller in part because of the labor
involved, partly to avoid building code problems (since many areas do not
require permits for very small structures), and partly because many
cobbers are proponents of simpler living, smaller houses, etc..  There is
nothing about cob that inherently requires that the structure be small or
single story.

Shannon C. Dealy      |               DeaTech Research Inc.
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