• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Anne Miller
  • r ranson
  • Pearl Sutton
  • Leigh Tate
stewards:
  • Beau Davidson
  • Nicole Alderman
  • paul wheaton
master gardeners:
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Nancy Reading
  • Jay Angler
gardeners:
  • Jules Silverlock
  • Mike Barkley
  • Jordan Holland

Logs as support beams in a Earthbag cylinder home??

 
Posts: 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have a one acre lot. I'm going to do a multi room house, made of round rooms made from earthbags. I have free access to the timber around me so I want to use logs instead of beams for my roof. However the trick here is I want to put earth on the roof. Minimum two feet thick. The logs around me very in size and I have 11 square miles of logs. My question is, how would I secure these logs to the bags and each other to make the strong enough to support the roof and dirt? I am open to flat (slanted for drainage of course) and dome look. If someone could offer pics that would be greatly appreciated. I know it can be done, but very VERY challenging!! I have no problem using metal fasinors, or brackets, nails or screws either!! I can't find anything on google! Thank you in advance.
 
pollinator
Posts: 3930
Location: Kansas Zone 6a
242
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Oehler's underground house book has the engineering for sizing the timbers.
 
Betty Mae Scott
Posts: 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

R Scott wrote:Oehler's underground house book has the engineering for sizing the timbers.



Thank you. Greatly appreciated!!
 
gardener
Posts: 1650
Location: Longbranch, WA Mild wet winter dry climate change now hot summer
361
2
goat tiny house rabbit wofati chicken solar
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If you fallow this blog she shares lots of experience..
She put beams across the top of the wall with a slight slope and covered it with soil. eventually it was covered with tall grass which fell over and acted as a thatch.
If you are using round pole logs You can tamp the top layer of earth bags around them to hold them in place.
 
Hans Quistorff
gardener
Posts: 1650
Location: Longbranch, WA Mild wet winter dry climate change now hot summer
361
2
goat tiny house rabbit wofati chicken solar
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
After I posted the above I received her latest update. She  wrote an article about the roof for Mother Earth News.  

How to Make a Living Roof
 
permaculture is largely about replacing oil with people. And one tiny ad:
2023 Replacing Irrigation with Permaculture Webinar
https://permies.com/wiki/209494/Replacing-Irrigation-Permaculture-Webinar
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic