[Cob] cob paving?

[Amanda Peck]

At a guess, a member of the board offered to donate the %$#*!! blacktop.  
I'm with you on that--it gets hot, water runs off it, doesn't drain through.

But I don't think I'd want to put cob down for drainage reasons, unless I 
used Lance's drain system.  But then I grew up in Red Clay country, found 
the current clayey chert driveway pretty intolerable until the clay washed 
down hill, putting silt into the creek and river beyond..

The cutest walk/driveway solution I've heard of is to embed concrete block 
seconds--Banana blocks, from the shape--or used block, if you run into a 
bunch--into the ground, hole side up, maybe over a gravel/drain base.  Fill 
with sandy soil or whatever, grow grass or things like creeping thyme that 
can take a bit of traffic.  They DO make purpose-built blocks for this, but 
while the solution is just as green, the materials aren't.

I'm too lazy to look up the name of the guy--Not Rob Roy (THE man on 
stackwall/cordwood masonry) who runs what seems to be a kind of informal 
forum on the subject.  I love the look, although friends here who tried it 
had some splitting problems that let gazillions of Asian Lady Beetles into 
their house.  Their solution was to plaster over on the outside--that's 
lasted nicely for 15 years or so.  Search Cordwood Masonry, which seems to 
be the name that is being agreed on.
............
Lance replies to Steve:


Hi Steve,

I would consider putting weedmat between two layers else the clay will 
migrate down into the gravel and you will lose the drainage over time.

Several years ago I placed 4 inches of half inch river pebbles, a sheet of 
weedmat and an inch of pebbles beside my shed.  Over time soil has washed 
into the top layer of pebbles and made a hard layer similar to the surface 
your are proposing.   No significant amount of soil has penetrated the 
weedmat and the underlying drain is still working OK.

Lance



>I've been so fortunate to receive the coblist these past several months
>and I finally have a contribution(?).  Up until this year the Oregon
>Coast Aquarium had an earthen, broad walkway leading to their front
>door.  It is bordered by 12" sq pavers on each side and as much as about
>24' wide an the hard packed surface was thinly covered with finely
>crushed rock.  I was so very proud of them for using such an earth
>friendly medium for this very prominent "boulevard".  When I returned
>with my family for a visit this May I was disgusted to find that
>BLACKTOP had replaced that lovely "green" work of art.  OK, now to my
>idea... I am today going to make (start) a pathway of earthfriendly
>materials to connect my home and my parents home (30ft long and three
>feet (average ) in width).  1-2" of gravel to grade and provide drainage
>from a micro climate that is fairly moist  and a cob type pavement mix.
>My plan is to mix clay and 1/4 " crushed rock 1:3 and apply 2" over the
>graded and packed gravel.  I will have a border of used brick which is
>to end up about 1/2" higher at it's surface than the "pavement".  Any
>loose gravel left from the paving process or applied later will be
>retained on the path.
>      Does this sound doable?  I may adjust the mix as I'm mixing the
>cob.  I'm not worried about testing the mix as it shouldn't meet with
>any real stress.  Just foot traffic.  Does anyone have experience in
>this?
>     Also,  I am looking into stackwood to possibly add variety to at
>least one wall and have been gleaning any information to become more
>comfortable with the idea.  Has anyone knowledge of a list similar to
>coblist for stackwood enthusiasts??  Coblist has been both entertaining
>and educational.  Thank you all!
>Steve
>
>
>Grace and Peace,
>
>STEVE
>
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