August

This is just an update…  Over the past few weeks I build a scale model of my arches, worked on the website a bit, etc.

Scale Arches Here at home I have been working on making models of the main ribs used in the design.  I drew a full scale replica of the rib on my driveway with the help of my kids…   It is based on a 5 point Euclidean egg, a 2300 year old mathematical shape, that will distribute the earth load around my living spaces in an interesting way.  It looked small laying on the driveway until I drew in the 6ft man (actually I lay down and my 6 year old traced it out).

 

Google happened to photograph my neighborhood later that day and I got this shot.

 

I also built a 1/4 scale model.  The point of the scale model experiment was really to figure out how the forms should be made.  It is one thing to CAD an interesting shape up in a computer, but quite another to take those shapes and create something in the real world.  There is also something unpredictable about working with cement and I figured it would be better to make mistakes on a smaller scale; 1/4 scale uses 1/64th the cement.  I did as much as I could while keeping the scale in mind.  In other words, I used a 3 inch wide board to simulate a 12 inch board, 1/8th inch wire to simulate 1/2 inch rebar, etc.   I created some sections of the form-work with thin hardibacker board, some with polycarbonate and some with hardibacker board wrapped in 4mil plastic.  I used the form twice to prove repeatability (I will make 10 full size ribs for the house).  The Polycarbonate sides could have been used over and over, they easily washed down between uses with no signs of wear.  The polycarbonate also produced a very nice smooth surface.  The wrapped board worked pretty well (sort of smooth and durable) but the hardibacker board (used directly) absorbed a lot more moisture and stuck to the cement more than I expected, it was also in pretty rough shape after the second use.   I took notes on the lessons learned and will soon CAD up the form drawings in the next month or so.

I used almost a full 80 lbs bag of regular “sidewalk” cement for the first arch.  But I didn’t put in enough reinforcement and didn’t pour the cement very well.  I did it in two pours (mixed minutes apart), but I didn’t mix much across the joint, which is pretty much exactly where it cracked.  I am sure the professional crew doing the actual cement pour will do a better job.

So I bought a second 80 lb bag cement, but this time I bought the crack resistant kind with the little fibers in it.  I could see the fine fibers before I mixed the cement, but could not see them in the wet cement.  As I mentioned, I poured the second arch in the same form as the first with only a few minutes of prep work to get the form ready for a second pour.   I also used a lot more reinforcing wire.  The second arch worked well, although the hardibacker parts of the form were somewhat damaged by water used to keep the first arch damp during curing.

I would make a few more arches, but I will need to replace the crappy hardibacker board with the polycarbonate material first.  I think I may focus on a few other experiments instead, specifically the solar air heater and some earth tube flow experiments with corrugated drain pipe.  But first, I need to buy myself a decent anemometer… 😉
Architects Over the past weeks, our architects have been busy working on the drawings (they have really come a long way).  At one point, the lead architect realized that they were not going to make it for a fall start to construction.  He asked if we were OK with that or if he should invest in Monster Energy drinks (perhaps applied intravenously to architects chained to their desks) to get things in high gear…   He also mentioned that he was hiring another associate to help with his backlog of projects (we are one of many).  Sherri and I had already figured that we were not going to make it for this fall and would rather things were done well than fast, so we told them we appreciated the faster pace lately, but they could let Peter (the main associate working on our project) off for good behavior.  In the end, a spring start is better for a variety of reasons, so we don’t mind too much.

Website In terms of this website, we are past 1400 unique views and getting roughly 30 to 50 visitors per day (highest ever was 73).  I don’t really think the site is ready yet, so I have not really mentioned it to many people.  Google Analytics lets me see what search terms got people to my site, the number one search was for the new Hobbit movie coming out in December…  Number 2 search term was for Laura Ingalls Wilder (who also lived in an earth sheltered home as I mentioned in my history section).  Some of the other terms that people searched for and found my site were even more humorous.  Oh well, I will take any traffic I can get.  Maybe they will be inspired to research earth sheltered homes further ;).

One funny thing I didn’t expect was how much spam comes in to the website thru comment links…  I get at least 5 a day, which I moderate and delete before anyone else ever sees them.  They are very complimentary, but vague, and often full of spelling or grammatical errors.   Many are over the top (I will try to remember to leave the first one applied to this post as an example).  For instance, I had one that said “This site change my life”.  Wow, quite the comment.  Too bad it was posted with a link to sell shoes or some porn site or what ever…

I have been working particularly on the Earth Tube sections of the website.  It is not done yet, but it has been good for me to get it out of my head and written down.  I plan to add more images soon, including some computer simulation results and perhaps full size physical tests also.

I am also doing a bit for SEO (search engine optimization), so don’t be surprised if you see “earth sheltered” spelled out many times, and some times in bold or italics, etc.  Strangely, I did not try that with the word hobbit (yet), which is generating the most hits…  The Hobbit, Hobbit, Hobbit… 😉

Sourcing  Since meeting with the first plumber (still no quote back from that by the way), I have got quotes back from other window companies, the skylight company, a glass floor company (that would have been nice in the storm room, but not $7K nice ;^), and a variety of HDPE pipe companies and installers.   Sherri found a nice website and is generating lots of leads for me to follow up, including several more plumbers and electricians that I have not called yet.   In the next few weeks we should research to get the exact costs for permits.  We may even get a driveway permit so we will have an actual address.   We will also start getting official quotes for well and septic.

Personal  On Friday, we plan to drive out to Battle Creek to visit someone building their own earth sheltered home with a similar approach (I Beam arches covered with shotcrete applied by the same company I plan to use, Michigan Shotcrete).   I am gearing up for my fall MBA class starting on Saturday morning, and Sherri and the kids are soaking up the end of summer and getting ready for school again in the fall.