Not so much a question as it is some news to share. In vol.84 #3 (May/June 2000) there's a big feature article on monolithic domes. In case you haven't seen it yet, it's about these big, steel-and-concrete dome houses with that weigh about 300 tons. The selling point is that they are hurricane-proof, fire-proof, well-insulated, and cost only about $88/sq.ft. to build. That sounds really great, but I can go you one better...how about a house that is not only fire-proof and hurricane-proof, but also offers protection against earthquakes, floods, and weapons for about 36 cents/sq.ft., and is literally simple enough for a child to build. I'm not exaggerating--kids have actually built these in educational workshops. To see what I'm talking about, visit the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture at http://www.calearth.org/ The architect who founded this institute came up with the idea of making houses out of polypropylene sandbags and barbed wire. The bags are stacked like bricks, or a mile-long bag is coiled, and barbed wire is laid between them to act as a "velcro". He also talks about making ceramic houses; they build adobe houses and then fire them, basically using the house itself as a kiln. A 5000 sq.ft. school was built using this method for a cost of $1800. All the earth to fill the sand bags is gotten from the building site--that's why it's so cheap. It sounds perfect for homesteaders. The only drawbacks I can see to this method are as follows: 1. It hasn't been universally recognized in building codes, but it's getting there (they've been doing--and passing--all kinds of seismic tests and stuff). 2. Some people might not care for it aesthetically. The buildings are all domes and tunnels, which might not suit some people's tastes. 3. You can't build it totally from scratch like a log cabin. You need sandbags, which (through Cal-Earth) cost $850 for a mile-long bag. 4. You also need instruction, which costs. They have a week-long, hands-on course for $2000, or a variety of books, blueprints, etc. Overall though, it's pretty cheap--at least compared with conventional frame houses. I read that a 15-foot diameter dome uses about 1200 sandbags (little ones, not the mile-long, $850 things), 2 rolls of barbed wire, and costs less than $500. The UN has been using this to house refugees, and NASA has been talking with this guy about using his ceramic house idea to build colonies on the moon.

-- Wayne Shingler (addison@zoomnet.net), April 10, 2000

Answers

Wayne is this vol 84.#3 countryside sounds interesting. i would like to here more Shaun

-- shaun cornish (shaun-terri@juno.com), April 11, 2000.