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Post by ronyon on Feb 16, 2015 7:51:30 GMT -8
I have tried search for this on the web, but perhaps my search terms are wrong.
Can one build a mud building, build a fire in it and turn it into pottery?
Even if you could use a blowtorch to create a fired skin on the surface, that could be very useful.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 9:25:22 GMT -8
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Post by Donkey on Feb 16, 2015 11:07:45 GMT -8
Nader Khalili, founder of Cal-Earth tried this (back in the eighties I think)..
He filled the inside of earthen domes with wood and fired them. The buildings were quite lovely, in some he set bottles in the ceiling that melted and made built-in chandeliers..
In the end, it was decided that they were a bad idea.. They really only fired on the inside so they didn't properly protect from the weather and the amount of fuel required was utterly ridiculous. To fire one completely inside and out, one would need something like a small forest in fire-wood.
The idea was essentially sound but impractical.
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Post by pinhead on Feb 16, 2015 13:32:35 GMT -8
You'd have to fill the thing and bury it with wood - and then burn the entire huge pile. I'd hate to build an adobe building just to find my adobe mix wasn't up to the heat though!
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Post by ronyon on Feb 16, 2015 22:29:14 GMT -8
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Post by Donkey on Feb 17, 2015 1:05:26 GMT -8
Frankly, I don't see the point.
A roof is FAR simpler, cheaper, less wasteful and longer lasting.
I have heard that in Northern England, the old cob builders used to say: with a good hat and boots, raw cob experiences a "loss of face" of an inch per century.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2015 5:43:27 GMT -8
Instead of using fire it could be done chemically.
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Post by Donkey on Feb 18, 2015 1:23:17 GMT -8
Instead of using fire it could be done chemically. Geopolymers?? Yes, that is VERY interesting.. On the other hand, earthen walls provide an internal air quality that is unmatched. It's cheap, reusable, easy to repair, has good thermal qualities, mitigates internal humidity and improves internal air quality. Seems like a high bar. I know of no other material set that will provide what earth does. It's only drawback is that it cannot sit in a puddle, so don't build with earth in a flood-plain! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2015 7:39:14 GMT -8
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Post by patamos on Feb 19, 2015 9:50:28 GMT -8
Fired clay surfaces no longer breathe. Breathability via ionic binding between double H electrons in clay and water is what makes unfired clay-based walls so effective at mitigating humidity spikes within the envelope. This balanced indoor humidity (50-60%) eliminates many of the conditions that lead to mold forming. During the dehydration phase, the breathing wall also puts out immense quantities of health-enhancing negatively charged ions. Some people are put off by a relatively soft shell interior wall that is not-so-waterproof… But most any one can learn to repair the dings. Everyone who i have built for has been happy to take on the maintenance. Playing with clay and water is a very good thing  |
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Post by aparker on Feb 25, 2015 14:59:24 GMT -8
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Post by philippeelskens on Feb 24, 2016 10:57:24 GMT -8
Nader Khalili, founder of Cal-Earth tried this (back in the eighties I think).. He filled the inside of earthen domes with wood and fired them. The buildings were quite lovely, in some he set bottles in the ceiling that melted and made built-in chandeliers.. In the end, it was decided that they were a bad idea.. They really only fired on the inside so they didn't properly protect from the weather and the amount of fuel required was utterly ridiculous. To fire one completely inside and out, one would need something like a small forest in fire-wood. The idea was essentially sound but impractical. Maybe one could do only the outsides with a Fresnel lens to waterproof, and leave the insides breathable? The idea of making chandeliers with bottles seems cool though! Does anybody have pictures of this? |
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