[Strawbale] Strawbale dome - Aerial lime?

[RT]

On Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:35:38 -0500, Derek Roff <derek at unm.edu> wrote:

> the best advice is "do something else".

On Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:43:08 -0500, Christopher Fraser <chrisf at goop.org>  
wrote

>> We've constructed a 6m metal frame dome, which we intend to cover in  
>> straw bale.
>> clay render finished with lime


First of all, I'd like to thank Derek for taking the time and effort to  
compose the response that he did and as much as I hate agreeing with  
anyone, I'm afraid that I have to do so wholeheartedly on this one.

I did start composing a similar "poop on the party" response but stopped  
because there was just too much that needed addressing (as Derek so  
bravely illustrated), eating up far too much time.

However, my guess is that Christopher and gang will choose to ignore the  
"Ditch the dome idea" advice and go ahead with the scheme.

If that in fact turns out to be the case, I would suggest perhaps looking  
at making something like a parachute that can be suspended over the straw  
bales like a tent fly ... functioning like a ventilated rainscreen  
cladding, el Cheapo/flimsy version, highly susceptible to being torn off  
by high winds if an effective tensioning/anchoring strategy is not  
implemented.

The rainscreen does not negate the need for plastering the straw, inside  
at the very least, for protection from fire, ... and outside as well if  
keeping rodents, insects, vermin etc out of the straw and minimising  
thermal-resistance-destroying air movement through the straw is desired.

Another approach may be to simply stack up the bales in the manner they  
are best suited to be used (ie like big block) to make walls and then  
hoist the dome up onto the top of the bale walls for a roof structure .

The shape of the SB-walled structure could be rectilinear making the floor  
space more amenable to the rectilinear furnishings that people typically  
own requiring less futzing with the straw bales -- something there would  
be lots of (ie every bale would need to be custom re-made) if SB were used  
to cover the dome.

-- 

=== * ===
Rob Tom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada

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