Cob: RE: Flooding questions

Fri Aug 22 15:21:15 CDT 2003

IMHO, it could handle a day with no problem. I had an arch using earthbags / superadobe, with no stabilizing ingredients. (e.g. no cement, just clay and sand). I was exposed and it rained for a good week here in Georgia. It finally collapsed but it took a week. Thus I think that one day would be fine. Besides, if you just got hit with a 100 year flood, should be good for another 100  :-)

Pat Newberry
www.gypsyfarm.com

-----Original Message-----
From: R M [mailto:teachingmama8 at hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 2:41 PM
To: coblist at deatech.com
Subject: Cob: Flooding questions

I hope I'm not being a pest here, but we just had a 100 yr flood here in Vegas and it has prompted some questions.  A friend of mine (the same one who wanted to build the goat shelter) and her neighbors, who were NOT in a flood zone (and therefore couldn't have purchased flood insurance if they'd wanted to) got flooded because nearby highway building messed up the flow of water so it didn't go where it was supposed to.  She had water a foot high on her walls for five or six hours, one neighbor had water, mixed with manure from a neighboring farm, 3 feet high.  

I have two questions:
Would standing water for several hours be enough to collapse the walls of a cob home?

How cautious should you be with building?  I suppose a stemwall several feet high would definitely protect from this kind of situation, but is it worth the extra work when you have no reason to expect to need it?  How paranoid should you be when planning for eventualities?
Thanks,
Rachel

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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=159161820-22082003>IMHO, 
it could handle a day with no problem. I had an arch using earthbags / 
superadobe, with no stabilizing ingredients. (e.g. no cement, just clay and 
sand). I was exposed and it rained for a good week here in Georgia. It finally 
collapsed but it took a week. Thus I think that one day would be fine. Besides, 
if you just got hit with a 100 year flood, should be good for another 100  
:-)</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN 
class=159161820-22082003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=159161820-22082003>Pat 
Newberry</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN 
class=159161820-22082003>www.gypsyfarm.com</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma 
  size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> R M 
  [mailto:teachingmama8 at hotmail.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 22, 2003 
  2:41 PM<BR><B>To:</B> coblist at deatech.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> Cob: Flooding 
  questions<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=2>I hope I'm not being a 
  pest here, but we just had a 100 yr flood here in Vegas and it has prompted 
  some questions.  A friend of mine (the same one who wanted to build the 
  goat shelter) and her neighbors, who were NOT in a flood zone (and therefore 
  couldn't have purchased flood insurance if they'd wanted to) got flooded 
  because nearby highway building messed up the flow of water so it didn't go 
  where it was supposed to.  She had water a foot high on her walls for 
  five or six hours, one neighbor had water, mixed with manure from a 
  neighboring farm, 3 feet high.  </FONT></EM></DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 
size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=2>I have two 
  questions:</FONT></EM></DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=2>Would standing water 
  for several hours be enough to collapse the walls of a cob 
  home?</FONT></EM></DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 
size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 size=2>How cautious should you 
  be with building?  I suppose a stemwall several feet high would 
  definitely protect from this kind of situation, but is it worth the extra work 
  when you have no reason to expect to need it?  How paranoid should you be 
  when planning for eventualities?</FONT></EM></DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 
  size=2>Thanks,</FONT></EM></DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 
size=2>Rachel</FONT></EM></DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 
size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
  <DIV><EM><FONT face="Lucida Sans" color=#000080 
size=2></FONT></EM> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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