Engineering with Natural Materials · Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King...
Transcript of Engineering with Natural Materials · Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King...
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
Engineering with Natural Materialssome physics, some common sense, and a few myths
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
natural materials
the state of our knowledge
Everyone’s an engineer
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Straw bale buildings only cost $10 a square foot!
With earthen walls you don’t need insulation!
Bamboo is stronger than steel!
Cob buildings are earthquake-proof!
Earthbag buildings are proven earthquake-proof!
Portland cement is, like, evil, man.
natural materials
some favorite myths
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
It’s what everybody else does -- it works!
natural materials
some favorite myths
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
natural materials
how do you know?
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Choosing materials and systems –
How do you know?
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anecdotal knowledge
How do you know?
can be very, very useful
or can be
very, very misleading / wrong
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laboratory testing
can be very, very useful
or can be
very, very misleading / wrong
How do you know?
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risk vs. uncertainty
high risk
low risk
high
uncertainty
low
uncertainty
earthquake
fire
conference of
the birds
100 year
snowstorm
dirty floors
How do you know?
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
risk aversion
higher cost
less risk
How do you know?
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risk abatement
fire,
earthquake,
sanitation
How do you know?
toxic chemicals
climate change
economics
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
Probabilities --
the bell curve
How do you know?
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Probabilities --
the bell curve
strength
How do you know?
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Probabilities --
the bell curve
high uncertainty
How do you know?
low uncertainty
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How sure are you?
the mushy bell
curve of natural
building
How do you know?
the manly bell
curve of
mainstream
building
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Probabilities -- How much does it matter?
How do you know?
reliable value
no risk of life? – take the average
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How do you know?
reliable value
Probabilities -- How much does it matter?
risk of life? – be more cautious
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How do you know?
pass
Probabilities -- How much does it matter?
risk of life? – be more cautious
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
How do you know?
Probabilities -- How much does it matter?
risk of life? – be more cautious
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News flash:
earthen buildings
are
concrete buildings
are
earthen buildings
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earthen buildings
are
concrete buildings
are
earthen buildings
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What is concrete?
artificial rock:sand
binder
maybe gravelmaybe fibers
maybe chemical additives
Concrete and the cult of portland cement
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
What is concrete?
artificial rock:sand
binder
maybe gravelmaybe fibers
maybe chemical additives
. . . but not necessarily
Portland cement
Concrete and the cult of portland cement
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Concrete and the cult of portland cement
webodysseum.com
What is “concrete”?
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Concrete and the cult of portland cement
webodysseum.com
Ken Fowler pinterest.com
What is “concrete”?
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www.lowes.com
6%
Concrete and the cult of portland cement
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Does it need to be that strong?
www.cessna.com
Concrete and the cult of portland cement
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www.safran-group.com
Does it need to be that strong?
Concrete and the cult of portland cement
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Three types of concrete:Type 1: “ordinary” concrete –
- mild strength & durability- very low carbon
Concrete and the cult of portland cement
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Engineering with Natural Materials & Systems © Bruce King www.bruce-king.com
Three types of concrete:Type 1: “ordinary” concrete –
- mild strength & durability- very low carbon
Type 2: insulating concrete –- low density / entrained air
Concrete and the cult of portland cement
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Three types of concrete:Type 1: “ordinary” concrete –
- mild strength & durability- very low carbon
Type 2: insulating concrete –- low density / entrained air
Type 3: strong concrete –- high strength / durability- generally high carbon
Concrete and the cult of portland cement
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compressive strength (average values from multiple sources)
de
nsi
ty6
0 p
cf9
61
kg/M
3
90
pcf
144
2 kg
/M3
120
pcf
1922
kg
/M3
150
pcf
240
3 kg
/M3
1000 psi6.9 MPa
500 psi3.45 MPa
density and compressive strength of ordinary (Type 1) concretes
very poor quality portland cement concrete( too much water, too little cement, bad curing, etc. )
compressed earth block (unstabilized)
adobe, cob drop towards zero with wetting
rammed earth, packed tires and tubes (e.g., earthships, earthbags)(unstabilized)
wattle and daub (strength of composite assembly)
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R-value (per inch / average values from multiple sources)
de
nsi
ty
60
pcf
96
1 kg
/M3
90
pcf
144
2 kg
/M3
120
pcf
1922
kg
/M3
1
density and R-value of insulating (Type 2) concretes30
pcf
48
1 kg
/M3
foamed concrete
straw-clay
autoclaved, aerated concrete (AAC)
plastered straw bale (strength of composite assembly)
softwoods
hemcrete
Durisol / Faswall, papercrete, Rastra(vary widely)
2
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compressive strength (average values from multiple
sources)
de
ns
ity
60 p
cf
96
1 k
g/M
3
90 p
cf
14
42
kg
/M3
120 p
cf
19
22
kg
/M3
1000 psi
6.9 MPa
500 psi
3.45 MPa
density and compressive strength of insulating (Type 2)
concretes30 p
cf
48
1 k
g/M
3
foamed concrete
straw-clay
autoclaved, aerated concrete
(AAC)
Durisol / Faswall,
papercrete,
Rastra
(vary widely)
hemcrete
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compressive
strength
den
sit
y30 p
cf
48
0 k
g/M
3
60 p
cf
96
1 k
g/M
3
90 p
cf
14
42
kg
/M3
120 p
cf
19
22
kg
/M3
150 p
cf
24
03
kg
/M3
1000 psi
6.9 MPa
2000 psi
13.8 MPa
3000 psi
20.7 MPa
4000 psi
27.6 MPa
cement-stabilized
compressed earth
block stabilized rammed earth
up to above 7,000 psi ------
>
adobe
, cob
Portland cement concrete
usually with pozzolans
up to above 15,000 psi --->
density and compressive strength of strong (Type 3)
concretes
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Yikes!
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Natural building research
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access to knowledge
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access to knowledgewww.buildwelllibrary.org
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User built
User reviewed
Open and free
BuildWellLibrary.org
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K-12 education
BuildWellLibrary.org
codes & standards
policy
disaster relief
innovation
professional resource
games & contests
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Questions?