[Cob] building with shipping containers, straw bales, and cob

[Tim Nam]

I don't think this is off topic, it just seems like more trouble than its worth. Then again, I don't own a plasma cutter or an oxy-acetylene torch for that matter, nor do I have access to a welder, though I have done quite a bit of welding on previous jobs and rather enjoy it. If a container landed in my yard and I had all these tools I'd probably cut it up and use parts for structural post and beams or perhaps the roof. If two containers landed in my yard, I might try to cut out half of two sides (one side on each container) to create a "U" shaped structure or if I had good slope and drainage and could find a good waterproof coating, bury them to make a basement. (That'd give a healthy amount of building soil!)

The idea of putting a cob veneer on  the walls of a container seems kind of a waste. You'd be mixing all that cob purely for aesthetics, IOW, it wouldn't be doing anything structurally. But that same amount of cob without the container might be enough to actually be a structural (curved) wall, it would seem...you know what I mean?  I guess if that's okay with you, then who am I to discourage you? Or were you thinking more of a plaster on the steel? 

At any rate, best of luck and keep us up to date on how it goes.

Tim Kijoo Nam
Corvallis, OR
tkn317071 at yahoo.com
http://timsbloggo.blogspot.com/
"We are discussing no small matter, but how we ought to live." -Socrates



----- Original Message ----
From: Marlin Nissen <marlin_nissen at yahoo.com>
To: coblist at deatech.com
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 5:04:07 PM
Subject: Re: [Cob] building with shipping containers, straw bales, and cob

I agree, using shipping containers for a frame seems relevant to me and those (experts of course believe they own a subject) could use discretion when claiming "this is the most off topic, weird etc. etc." when there's been many MORE off topic discussions about politics etc....... I think crates covered with Cob/Earth Plaster is very relevant.

I think the subject is interesting and would love to see a combo recycled and earthen building. I've planned to use waxed cardboard bales and Cob together, yet I know this not PURIST Cob building - tisk tisk......................

???what about Milk Crates wired together & packed/stuffed with straw and covered with Cob? How bout that for a topic?

BTW I like the conical roof as this is a tough subject to deal with and also doing work without cover is difficult at least around the midwest,,,it'd be nice to have cover before cobbing!

Marlin

--- On Thu, 6/26/08, Elizabeth Evans <vesperlight at gmail.com> wrote:
From: Elizabeth Evans <vesperlight at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Cob] building with shipping containers, straw bales, and cob
To: coblist at deatech.com, "Selvoy Fillerup" <selvoy at hotmail.com>
Date: Thursday, June 26, 2008, 2:37 PM

I know I'm usually just a lurker -- but if the list can discuss
straw-bale/cob hybrids, mobile-home/cob hybrids, superadobe/cob hybrids,
cordwood/cob hybrids, and conventional/cob hybrids -- all of which I have
seen discussed here -- I don't see why we can't discuss shipping
container/cob hybrids.

That said -- if I can ever afford to stop lurking and start building, I will
buy the top books on both cob and superadobe (my top 2 choices), read them
cover to cover, make phone calls, ask questions, take workshops in the
method I choose, and build some small trial projects to get a feel for it.
This is a reasonable investment to make in the safety and durability of the
roof over my head (hopefully, the roof that will last the rest of my life
and my son's life and my grandchildren's lives).

On the subject of high ceilings, take a look at
http://fishrock.com/conics/default.html.  This designer suggests that you
could build one of his roofs, then build up cob walls to meet them, with
shelter while you work.

I have also looked at the info available on shipping container building and
am intrigued by it. Shipping containers can be covered inside and out with
conventional siding and sheetrock or with more natural alternatives or
recycled matariels-- they don't have to look like corrugated steel. You can
get high ceilings by stacking them (lots of possible configurations) and
cutting out the metal between them...

For the list:  Used shipping containers are cheap (around $2000 last time I
did a search) because our trade deficit means that shipping containers used
to ship goods to the U.S. are piling up in railyards. Recycled shipping
containers can be installed on concrete piers with a minumum use of concrete
and are actually another ingenious solution for low-cost housing (not as
cool, wonderful and ingenious as cob of course...) How "green" they
really
are depends on all of the other decisions that going into how they are used.
And you obviously want clean containers with no nasty residues.

I can't find a link, but somewhere there's a page showing a shipping
container that was used to build a minimum impact research base for studying
a jungle site.  They put it on piers (no excavation) and set up solar
panels.

If you want to play with designs, try mock-ups in cardboard for a hand-on
3-D trial, or download SketchUp from Google and invest a few hours in the
tutorials....you can download shipping container sketches (and many other
standard building features such as windows and sliding doors)  from their
library...design a landscape...and stack them up....

It occurs to me that if you can incorporate it aesthetically into your
design, you could use a container for temporary shelter while you build a
cob house, and use it for a garage/workshop/garden shed when the home is
complete.

Just my 2 cents.

Elizabeth





      
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