Published by Solutions For Green We also publish California Green Solutions and a series of blogs about healthy living solutions.
PRIVACY POLICY
 For more sustainable business information, visit CaliforniaGreenSolutions.com for Sustainable Workplace and Green Products, www.SunshineByDesign.com and ~ Movie Industry Marketing for Indie Filmmaking Tips Arkansas Pet Services ~ BLTNetwork.com for Lifestyles ~ Home and Garden Habitat, Organics and Sustainability |
German clay techniques for alternative buildingsThe creativity in the self-built and alternative-materials field is growing by leaps and bounds. Houses have been built from locally available materials for as long as mankind (and many animals!) wanted to find a way to protect themselves from sun or storm. Today's leaders in alternative technologies are found around the world. We take a look here at German contributions to the new art of modern alternatives. GERMAN TECHNIQUES Source: Network Earth
Wattle and daub"Wattle and daub," is still in use in the preservation of historic buildings. Oak stakes are installed vertically into the frame, woven with willow and covered with a heavy mixture of clay and straw. When the infills are dry, they are plastered with a mix of lime, sand and animal hair. Finally the surface is painted with lime.
Lehmwickelstaken"Lehmwickelstaken" which consists of oak stakes wrapped with a mix of straw fibers and clay paste, and mainly used as a ceiling infill; and "Lehmwellerbau," a technique practiced since the middle ages which involves straw-clay loosely stacked with a pitch-fork and then compressed. After a couple of days drying time, the layers are shaved with a triangular spade and the next layer is stacked.
Straw/clayThe term light-clay means the mixing of liquid clay with large quantities of light materials such as straw, wood chips, cork or minerals. For the production of straw/clay, clay "slip" is mixed with straw. More straw added to the clay will result in a lighter mixture, while less straw creates one which is heavier. To get a very light mixture, the use of a slip with a high-percentage of clay is necessary. Medium-weight mixtures are most realistic for practical work on the building site. The straw/clay mix is tossed together, then is covered with a tarp for a day or two before the mixture is placed into a "slip form" and tamped. To preserve the mixture's insulation qualities, it is necessary that the tamping not be too hard. After filling and tamping a section, the form boards can be removed immediately, and moved up for the next section. Although dependent on water content, outside temperature and wind conditions, final drying time for a 12 inch thick wall is approximately 12 weeks (about l" per week) during the warm season. Walls thicker than 12" are not recommended as the straw may begin to rot before it can dry.
Wood chipsThe use of wood chips instead of straw as an aggregate in light-clay mixtures has increased in popularity in the 90s. The drying time, shrinkage behavior and most importantly, labor intensity are reduced when using wood chips. While temporary slip forms or permanent form work can be used, the use of reed mats stapled to a light lath framework is common. The ingredients wood chips, fibers, and shavings can be mixed easily with clay using a mortar mixer or even a cement mixer, then poured or shoveled into the formwork with no tamping required. For mineral-light-clay, the plants and straw in the mixture are replaced by an artificially-foamed clay product to reduce both the drying time and shrinking problem. This is more energy intensive and not commonly used.
Dry Board: LehmbauplatteAn industrial prefabricated dry board has been developed in the last few years called "Lehmbauplatte," a fabric-coated, plant-fibre reinforced clay board in which a clay paste is applied to an unrolled burlap fabric jute net. Two to five or more layers of reed mats are laid crosswise with alternate layers of clay paste, over the burlap. Finally, it is covered with another layer of burlap and transported to a drying station. Material tests with this board have shown excellent fireproofing, sound proofing, deformation and diffusion values. The Lehmbauplatte can be used as a permanent form, combined with blown in cellulose, or as a ceiling and insulation board. It can be screwed, nailed and sawed.
Straw/clay BlocksAnother possibility is the production of straw/clay blocks as a ceiling infill between the beams or as a light dividing wall. By installing two laths (bamboo or branches) as reinforcement in the center of the ceiling blocks, small amounts of weight can be supported temporarily during the time of construction. As required, these blocks can be made either "light" or "heavy." In addition, these light-clay products are easily sawn.
Frank Andresen is available for workshops and consulting on light-clay materials, plasters and dry clay products. For more articles about URBAN NATUREUrban Agriculture for Outdoor AdventureEarth's Most Successful Life Form Kudzu Grows a Foot per Day Meow How? Should I keep my cat indoors? Habitat on Your Balcony and Garden Patio Keeping ants in nature where they belong
|