permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

http://www.sunnyjohn.com/photos/devices_tools/dt_wards_strawjet/index.htm

*


     INTRODUCTION

*

   *Modern thought about energy conversation in buildings promotes the
   application of large amounts of insulation. This practice is at odds
   with another building trend that promotes non-toxic interior
   environment because the least expensive and therefore the most
   commonly used insulation is a major contributor to poor indoor air
   quality. Imagine if there were a new insulation that was cheaper
   still, made from natural materials, and had no toxic emissions. Now
   imagine that this new insulation was also strong enough to replace
   the studs in the walls, the rafters in the roof, and the joists in
   the floor. Now imagine that this insulation was made from a material
   that is available in virtually limitless supply, environmentally
   friendly, and simple enough to manufacture in the most
   underdeveloped countries. *

*


     COMPOSITE STRAW CONSTRUCTION

*

   *We are designing a construction system where buildings would be
   built out of panels made of straw composite. This material is
   similar to fiberglass composite except that it is made of braids of
   straw bonded together with adobe rather than grass fibers and
   plastic resin. The braids are made of uncrushed straw shafts, and
   the adobe is reinforced with recycled paper pulp. This arrangement
   of materials allows the compression and tensile strength of the
   individual stalks of straw to be combined to form a panel of
   significant strength. The design results in a material that is 100
   times stronger than straw bale construction as well as twice the
   volume for a given amount of straw. *

*


     A NEW TYPE OF STRAW BALE

*

   *Our straw harvester cuts and gathers uncrushed stalks of straw and
   forms them into a continuous braid. This process takes place after
   the grain has been harvested. The process for making panels is
   intended to be suitable for developing countries, and is not unlike
   traditional mud brick construction methods. During construction the
   panels key together and are held in place with fiber adobe, and
   stitched with bailing twine. Spaces can be left for doors and
   windows or the required openings can be cut out with a saw after the
   mortar is dry. Floors can be made by forming panels that span the
   width of the desired floor. Sufficient strength can be achieved by
   following prescribed formula for additives, number of layers, and
   stitching. *

   *A variety of architectural members such as arches; columns, and
   door jams can be made by placing braids and adobe in a jig then
   wrapping the bundle with twine. This harvesting system is designed
   to cut straw and bundle it into a continuous braid. The machine that
   accomplishes this is composed of a shear, followed by three
   converging conveyor belts. These conveyor belts feed the straw into
   a series of concave rollers that compress the straw into a tight
   cylinder. When the straw exits the last rollers it is wrapped with
   continuous filament polyester thread. The thread is applied by a
   spinning wheel with two spools of thread on it. This device applies
   two applications of thread at the same time.
   *


--
Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 335-0383
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
Impeachment: It's not just for blowjobs anymore.
Switch to Solar Power the Easy Way
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Blog: http://kjpermaculture.blogspot.com/
also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/design/Designconsult.html
also Association for Regenerative Culture
also APPLE-Bloomington (Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy) It's a 
small world after oil.
http://www.relocalize.net/groups/applebloomington
also Bloomington Permaculture Guild