Recently, a company in South Africa won a humanitarian award for their improved earthbag construction method. The company reports that an energy efficient moderate-sized, multi-level home can be built for $6900. Two other construction methods that have gained some notarity world-wide is adobee and strawbale construction. All three construction methods are considered sustainable construction methods but each has its problems. Doesn't everything? For this weeks blog:
1. What is green building?
2. Breifly describe why each of these 3 construction methods are energy efficient?
2. Breifly describe why each of these 3 construction methods are energy efficient?
3. For each construction method describe one problem associated with its construction?
4. Suggest one possible method for alleviating each of these problems.
5. Choose one of the construction methods above and explain why it would be sustainalbe for a particular culture, and then choose one construction method and explain why it would not be sustainable for that culture.
Resources:
1. House Wins Humanitarian Award (podcast)- http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95128730
2. What Makes a Building Green - http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/greenBuilding/Basics.htm
3. Strawbale Construction (video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZABqaEsrLM&feature=related
4. Strawbale Construction - http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/strawbale.html
5. Adobe Construction (video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mps_H7xPFYI
6. Adobe Construction - http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/adobe.htm
7. Sandbag Construction (video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKJ1-yC_1eI
8. Sandbag Construction - http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/earthbag.htm
20 comments:
1. A green building is one constructed in an ecological manner, using resources efficiently. Also known as a sustainable building, these are also designed and reused or recycled with ecological considerations in mind. Some times, a green building may be more expensive to create, but in the long-run it is cheaper as it saves in operating costs. Efficiency is achieved in the fields of energy, materials, and also water use, to create an overall ecologically sustainable building. Side effects of a green building include reducing the occupant’s risk of suffering from respiratory disease, and also decreasing indoor microbial growth due to the efficiency of the building materials. Periodic building maintenance and measurement allow for the continued ecological successes of the building.
2. Straw bale construction uses dried leftovers from crops like wheat or barley. These are used as in-fill inside of walls as a potential source of insulation. Straw bale is cheaper than traditional materials used, and can be implemented with unskilled labor, further lowering costs. Based on when in the year the straw bale is gathered, before or after a harvest, the cost can be further reduced.
Adobe construction is the use of mud and clay, moistened with some water, shaped into blocks. These earthen blocks can then be used for walls, or even in-fill inside the walls. Adobe can hold heat and cool down a building very efficiently. Because it requires no additional air-conditioning unit for temperature lowering, adobe is ecologically sustainable. Sometimes, by building a double wall, with a space of air in between, this cooling effect can be further enhanced.
Earth bag construction, like the other two styles, is sustainable heavily in part to the cheap qualities of its components. By placing dirt or soil in bags, and stacking and compressing them together, a surprisingly sturdy and weather-resistant method is achieved. The house or building would have all the hardy characteristics of soil, such as the ability to withstand high impact, water, or temperature changes. Also, the materials are readily available in any setting, providing a sustainable solution on a global scale.
3. Straw bale construction is only effective in dry climates. Moisture levels must be below fourteen percent. Also, the resulting home from a straw bale construction looks like a traditional adobe-style southwestern building. This design may have adverse affects on the popularity of the style overall.
Adobe construction’s downfall is that it does not insulate very well. Though it can effectively absorb heat, and cool a building or home down, it cannot effectively use that heat to warm up the interior. So, additional materials must be used in order to provide effective insulation. Sometimes, a gap of air in the wall can achieve this effect. Or even, traditional insulating materials placed within the adobe can produce an insulating effect.
Earth bag construction is effective, until the bags deteriorate. This process is brought about with increased exposure to sunlight. Especially if the bags are made of a polypropylene material, sunlight increases its likelihood of growing weak, and more prone to damage. The breaking of these bags essentially causes the falling apart of the house in general because the main components, soil and stone, are all contained within these bags.
4. By confining the implementation of straw bale construction to the American Southwest, the problems will be of little concern. Because of the already dry climate, there is little to no risk of the straw bale itself suffering from excessive moisture levels. Also, the already prevalent nature of the adobe-style dwelling will not make a straw bale building extremely unusual. So, people will be more likely to construct straw bale homes or buildings in general.
Adobe construction cannot insulate very well. So, the use of additional materials is necessary to produce a desirable level of insulation. By using other green building materials as the insulation, such as straw-bale, the building can still remain classified as green or sustainable. Instead of compromising the adobe’s ecological sustainability by using traditional materials, straw-bale could be an insulator, while still maintaining high sustainable standards.
If the earth bags are covered with a thin layer of plaster, the long-term effects of sunlight on the strength of the bags is greatly reduced. The plaster does not take away any from the positive impacts the soil bags have on temperature control, humidity control, or weather protection. Yet still, the plaster takes the full direct impact of the sunlight’s UV rays, allowing the bags to remain sturdy.
5. Straw bale construction would not be a sustainable method for the American Northeast. First of all, the humidity levels would be too high for the straw bale to function properly. Second, the style, reminiscent of the southwestern adobe-style of construction, would be very unusual for the area. People would likely be hesitant to purchase this style because of it rarity in this particular setting. Third, straw bale would have to be shipped in from across the country. So, instead of providing a cheap alternative to traditional building materials, when transportation costs are factored in, the method may not be so effective after all. Instead, an earth bag or sand bag construction would be more effective. Instead of soil, crushed volcanic rock could be used. As opposed to straw bale, this material would never rot with moisture levels being as high as they often are. The walls built of this material can resist extreme climate changes, and also extreme weather, such as is characteristic of the American Northeast. For additional protection, these bags could be covered with an exoskeleton of plaster.
1. A Green building is expensive to build and is reusable and recyclable. Since building a normal house uses up too much resources, the purpose of a green building is to reduce the environmental impacts that a building a normal house would create. Also, green buildings also help improve human health and reduce pollution and environmental degradation.
2. Earth bag construction is very inexpensive, can be built quickly is very strong and can temporarily control flood. Material for this type of construction consists of bags of dirts and soil so it doesn’t take up other expensive resources.
Adobe is also cheap and anyone can learn to do it. It can be built very quickly and is very flexible allowing custom design easy. Materials for this type of construction include dirt and clay so it doesn’t use up resources also.
Straw bale construction can be done w/ different types of materials such as barbed wire, earth or sand, cement or lime etc… again, it’s easy so anyone can learn to do it which makes this building technique accessible to low income communities.
DUH…!!!
3. Earth bag can only be used temporarily. The materials will “rot” LOL. The house can fall on you and you can suffocate. HA HA HA. DIE!!! Kiddin’ kiddin’. Still if you’re not careful, you can die.
Adobe cannot insulate very well, meaning if it’s cold outside, you better bring a blanket cause that house cannot warm u up.
Straw bale construction doesn’t function well in wet humid moist areas.
4. Earth bag: well duh, if it’s gonna rot, then build a lot of them, cover them up w/ plastic sheets. Live in the first one, then when it rots move into the next one, then when that one rots, move in the next and so on and so forth. LOL
Abobe: like I said, bring a blanket, or bring an electronic heater. That’s about all I could think of
Straw bale construction: build it where it’s dry and don’t build it where it’s humid and moist all year round
5. Adobe would be sustainable for the people living in the equatorial areas because they don’t need too much heat cause it’s already hot. DUH
The Straw bale should not be built for the people living in the SE because when hurricane season hits, BAM, all them “straw bales” ‘d be gone. HA HA HA
HOW DO U LIKE MY ANSWERS STUCKSTER
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LOL
I didn’t even read the answers on top ha ha ha
I think it’s too long
Wow, my answers are pretty long too huh
;)
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1. A Green building is expensive to build and is reusable and recyclable. Since building a normal house uses up too much resources, the purpose of a green building is to reduce the environmental impacts that a building a normal house would create. Also, green buildings also help improve human health and reduce pollution and environmental degradation.
2. Earth bag construction is very inexpensive, can be built quickly is very strong and can temporarily control flood. Material for this type of construction consists of bags of dirts and soil so it doesn’t take up other expensive resources.
Adobe is also cheap and anyone can learn to do it. It can be built very quickly and is very flexible allowing custom design easy. Materials for this type of construction include dirt and clay so it doesn’t use up resources also.
Straw bale construction can be done w/ different types of materials such as barbed wire, earth or sand, cement or lime etc… again, it’s easy so anyone can learn to do it which makes this building technique accessible to low income communities.
DUH…!!!
3. Earth bag can only be used temporarily. The materials will “rot” LOL. The house can fall on you and you can suffocate. HA HA HA. DIE!!! Kiddin’ kiddin’. Still if you’re not careful, you can die.
Adobe cannot insulate very well, meaning if it’s cold outside, you better bring a blanket cause that house cannot warm u up.
Straw bale construction doesn’t function well in wet humid moist areas.
4. Earth bag: well duh, if it’s gonna rot, then build a lot of them, cover them up w/ plastic sheets. Live in the first one, then when it rots move into the next one, then when that one rots, move in the next and so on and so forth. LOL
Abobe: like I said, bring a blanket, or bring an electronic heater. That’s about all I could think of
Straw bale construction: build it where it’s dry and don’t build it where it’s humid and moist all year round
5. Adobe would be sustainable for the people living in the equatorial areas because they don’t need too much heat cause it’s already hot. DUH
The Straw bale should not be built for the people living in the SE because when hurricane season hits, BAM, all them “straw bales” ‘d be gone. HA HA HA
HOW DO U LIKE MY ANSWERS STUCKSTER
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
LOL
I didn’t even read the answers on top ha ha ha
I think it’s too long
Wow, my answers are pretty long too huh
I’m posting this as from SOUPY, hahaha, so nobody knows
;)
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1. A green building is a building that is built to be more resourceful and eco-friendly.It uses resources more efficiently.It also helps us by decreasing our risk of getting sick and diseases.
2. Earth bag construction method is where you put dirt and soil in bags and you stack and compress them together.It is weather resistant and because of the soil it can deal with alot of water and temperature changes. Another way this kind of method is eco-friendly is that the soil right there and you don't have to go underground to get it.
Adobe construction method is moistened dirt,clay, and sand mixed together. Then it placed in the disred shape to dry. Then it is stacked ontop of one another like bricks to form a house. These materials are all around just like the Earth bag method. Also the adobe method can hold in heat or cool air very well giving no need for an ac unit making it even more eco-friendly.
Straw bale construction uses crops(renewable resources) like wheat and barley to construct the house. It is very well insulated and easy to build with. The bales of straw are used as infill and does not require a lot of skill to build. Also it saves abotu 15% of the wood used in a conventionally framed house.
3. A problem with earth bag constuction method is that they need to be kept away from too much sunlight so they will have to be covered during the day.
The problem with adobe construction method is that it is not very well insulated.
The problem with Strawbale is that the staw has to keep dry or it will rot and also there are concerns about infestation of rodents or insects, so the skin on the straw should resist these critter.
4. In earth bag method the bags can be plastered for protection.
In adobe method creating a double wall, with an air space, or some other insulation in between. Another approach is placing insulating materials on the outside.
In strawbale method to keep the straw dry allow a strawbale wall to remain breathable; any moisture barrier will invite condensation to collect and undermine the structure.
5. The earthbag method would be good for a culture that doesn't have a lot of sunlight. The earth bag house will be able to sustain severe weather and be very durable.
The strawbale would not be good in a culture such as the United Kingdom where it rain alot. The straw will not be able to sustain in the wet weather because it will cause it to rot.
1. A green building, is designed, built, operated, or reused in an ecological manner. it is used to save resources. Green buildings are healthy, improve productivity; use resources such as energy, water, etc. more efficiently; and reduce the overall impact to the environment.
2. Leftovers from crops like wheat or barley make up the straw bale. These are used as insulation. Straw bale is cheap, its instillation doesnt require a high skilled laborer. The straw bale is inexpensive and energy efficient.
Adobe uses mud and clay, softened with water, that are shaped into blocks. These blocks can then be used for walls, or inside the walls. Adobe can change temperature. It can hold heat in and cool down. This is energy efficient because it doesn't require any additional air-conditioning. Houses can be designed different to control temperatures. Walls can be added to make the building cooler.
Earth bag is also cheap. They're made by packing dirt or soil in bags, and stacking them creating a sturdy and weather-resistant structure. The building would be able to withstand high impact, water, or temperature changes just like soil.
3. Straw bale is only avaliable in some climates. It's only effective in dry climates. The straw bale home is a traditional southwestern style. This design may have affects on the popularity.
Adobe construction’s downfall is that it does not insulate very well. It can absorb heat and cool a building down, but it can't use heat to warm up the interior. So, additional materials must be used in order to provide effective insulation.
Earth bag is effective, until the bags deteriorate. This can happen because of increased exposure to sunlight. The breaking of these bags essentially causes the falling apart of the house because the main components, soil and stone, are in these bags.
4.Confining straw bale construction to the American Southwest, will decrease the number of problems. The dry climate will result in little risk of the straw bale suffering from moisture. Also, the already prevalent nature of the adobe-style dwelling will not make a straw bale building extremely unusual. People will be more likely to construct straw bale homes or buildings.
The use of additional materials is necessary to produce the nessacary level of insulation in adobe homes. By using other green building materials for insulation, e building can still be green. Inorder to keep the adobe’s ecological sustainability straw-bale could be an insulator.
If the earth bags are covered with a thin layer of plaster, the long-term effects of sunlight on the strength of the bags is greatly reduced. The plaster does not take away any from the positive impacts the soil bags have on temperature control, humidity control, or weather protection. The plaster takes the full direct impact of the sunlight’s UV rays, allowing the bags to remain sturdy.
5. Straw bale construction would not be a sustainable method for the American Northeast. The humidity levels would be too high for the straw bale. Also, the style, reminiscent of the southwestern adobe-style of construction, would be very unusual for the area. People would likely be hesitant to purchase this style because of it rarity in this particular setting. Plus, straw bale would have to be shipped in from across the country. So, instead of providing a cheap alternative to traditional building materials, when transportation costs are factored in, the method may not be so effective after all. Instead, an earth bag or sand bag construction would be more effective. Instead of soil, crushed volcanic rock could be used. This would never rot. The walls built of this material can resist extreme climate changes, and also extreme weather, which is common in the American Northeast. For additional protection, these bags could be covered with an exoskeleton of plaster.
1. A green building is design to be reuse efficiently in an ecological manner by using resources efficiently. It is also known as a sustainable building. A green building is expensive to build, but it is cheaper throughout the years in operating costs. The green building also benefits us by improving occupant health, comfort, productivity, and reducing pollution.
2. Straw bale construction used straw from wheat, oats, and barely. They are traditionally a waste product that farmers uses. It is use to construct walls as an insulation. It can be accomplished by an unskilled labor and the low cost causes and economic attraction. The price is cheaper in the time of harvest that any other season, causing the price to go down.
Adobe construction used mad and clay that are moisten by water to be shape into blocks. It can hold heat and cool down a building efficiently. It is also ecologically sustainable because it does not require air conditioning to lower the temperature. Also the adobe construction can also be use to build walls as well as fill in walls.
The earth bag construction is when you put in dirt and soil into the bag and press them together. Like the other two construction, it is also sustainable. Because the soil can deal with any weather changes, it is weather resistant. It would have the ability to withstand high impact, water and temperature changes. Once the bag is rotten, they become weak and the strength weakens due to too much sunlight. Therefore, it is only temporarily.
3. Straw bale construction is weak against wet climate. Once it is wet, the strength started to deteriorate and turn into adobe construction.
Adobe construction cannot efficiently use the heat that they absorb to warm up the interior. To provide effective insulation, additional materials are used.
Earth bag construction are temporary. It is effective until it starts to deteriorate due to the exposure to sunlight. The sunlight can damage and weaken the bags.
4. Stale bale construction is very sustainable. Although it is weak against moist areas, most areas are dry, therefore it is very effective. Abode construction doesn't insulate very well. It can use straw bale materials as an insulator to help it maintain shape and structure. The straw bale helps the adobe construction remain strong. The earth bag is weak against exposure to the sun. You can cover the bags with a thin layer of paster to reduce the sunlight and allow the bag to remain strong.
5. Stale bale construction would not be a sustainable method for those who live in Asia such as Vietnam. The humidity levels are mainly above 100 which can cause it to weaken. Rainy seasons can cause the straw bale to function properly. It would weaken the strength and would eventually collapse. The earth bag on the other hand would be very sustainable to those in Vietnam. The walls can resist climate changes and the strength would be stronger. Also, the walls can resist and climate changes such as a change in the weather. For protection, the bags could be covered with a plaster to keep it away from the sunlight.
1. A green building is an environmental friendly construction. Its purpose is to maximize the efficiency of resources by providing alternative method to build cheap, economical, and beneficial home.
2. A straw bale construction can be built by anyone. This factor contributes to the fairly low economic cost of the building. It can be made of bale straws from wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice and others that are then covered by stucco to provide a protective layer. These materials are renewable source of energy which is why it is energy efficient.
An adobe construction uses dirt and water to mold the materials into desire form. It can be easily constructed into building blocks and stacked to create a building. Because of the material, adobe building can hold heat and cool well; therefore it saves the entrepreneur money from buying additional thermal mass material.
A sand bag construction is also an affordable means of constructing that uses resources of the earth that is easily acquire such as dirt, twigs, adobe, sand, and rocks to be compressed into a tight earthbag. These are efficient energy conservers because they have eclectic benefits including a sturdy wall, protective barrier, and flood controls.
3. The primary problem of a straw bale home is that it is only durable in dry climate. Therefore in wet, humid climate, the straw will eventually rot.
Although adobe construction is made of good thermal mass material, it only serves to hold the heat in the wall. It does not have the ability to heat the interior of the home to provide effective coolness or warmness when needed. There is a possibility that owners may have to spend extra money if they want to achieve these means.
The problem with earth/sandbag is explicit, because it is made of a natural resource contain in a bag. The bag would surely deteriorate with the passage of time due to erosion, weathering, and sunlight.
4. Perhaps because the straw bale cannot be exposed to wet climate, builders an build another layer of cement or plaster around it, or simply only build it in dry region.
To contain more heat or coolness, adobe building will have to construct a double building.
Earthbag will eventually be wear away, therefore to reduce this possibility, builder will have to build a protective layer made of plaster or maybe cement.
5. Clearly a straw bale construction is not suitable for wet climate region. Therefore Northern region where it snows and rains a lot will eventually rot the building. Instead an earthbag construction is useful for areas where it rains frequently because it can withstand flooding.
1.A green building, also known as a sustainable building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. It is expensive to build but reusable and can be recycled. It can help reduce pollution.
2. Strawbale:It is a low cost alternative for building highly insulating walls. It can be accomplised with unskilled labor and the low costs of the bales makes this technique economically attractive.
Adobe Construction: It is a good thermal mass material, holding heat and cool well.
Earthbag:the walls are massive and substantial, they resist all kinds of severe weather. they even resist bullets and bombs. as well as be erected simply and quicklly with readily available components.
3.Strawbale: they must be protected from being wet, or else it ruins.
Adobe: it does not insulate very well
Earthbag:polypropylene bags have superior strength and durability, but can lose that ability
4. Strawbale: perhaps tie down a big sheet on top of the straw
Adobe: i cant think of a solution...but maybe build it at a place where the weather is decent and the noise level is low.
Eathbag: keep them away from sunlight
5. strawbale would not be good for vietnam because the high temperature will make it unable to hold up good.
but earthbag will because it resists the temperature and climate changes. .
1. A green building is a structure that is used in an ecological and resoucre-effcient manner.
2.Straw Bale: Is a low cost alternative for building insulating walls.
Adobe: Easily constructed into blocks and stacked for buildings made of dirt and water.
Sand Bag: Make sustainable and massive walls that can with stand severe weather and can be erected simply and are quickly availabe.
3.Straw Bale: Can be ruined by rain if not covered.
Adobe: Does not provide great insulation
Sand Bag: Very temporary and can detoriate easily.
4.Straw Bale: Should be used in certain climates to assure the proper use of the equipment.
Adobe: To provide more insulation it should be used in an abumdment amount.
Sand Bag: Since they dont hold up good in the heat they should me covered.
5. Adobe would be good in England because they can keep heat. But sand bags would eventually wear away.
A green building, also known as a sustainable building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. It is expensive to build but reusable and can be recycled. It can help reduce pollution.
2. Strawbale:It is a low cost alternative for building highly insulating walls. It can be accomplised with unskilled labor and the low costs of the bales makes this technique economically attractive.
Straw bale construction uses dried leftovers from crops like wheat or barley. These are used as in-fill inside of walls as a potential source of insulation. Straw bale is cheaper than traditional materials used, and can be implemented with unskilled labor, further lowering costs. Based on when in the year the straw bale is gathered, before or after a harvest, the cost can be further reduced.
Adobe construction is the use of mud and clay, moistened with some water, shaped into blocks. These earthen blocks can then be used for walls, or even in-fill inside the walls. Adobe can hold heat and cool down a building very efficiently. Because it requires no additional air-conditioning unit for temperature lowering, adobe is ecologically sustainable. Sometimes, by building a double wall, with a space of air in between, this cooling effect can be further enhanced.
1. Green building is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.
2. Earthbag is made by the earth resources of dirt, twigs, adobe, sand, and rocks. These resources conserve energy efficiently and contribute a sturdy wall, protective barrier, and flood controls.
Adobe needs dirt and water in order to be mold into a desire form. It can be easily stack into blocks and develop buildings. The materials use make it heat resistent and able to maintain below room temperature.
Strawbale is very easy to be built. It can be made of bale straws from wheat, oats, barley, rye, and rice at a cheap price. These resources are renewable, which makes it energy efficent.
3. Since strawbale is only durable in dry climates, the strawbale would rot in other climates.
Adobe only has the ability to be heat resistent inside the wall, but, cannot effectively keep the interior of the place at any desirable temperature.
Earthbag is made of natural resources, due to erosion, weathering, and sunlight, it will eventually disintergrate.
4. For strawbale, to prevent it from rotting, perhaps built it in a place that only has a dry climate.
Doubling the material use to build the adobe would increase the effectiveness in either to maintain the interior of the place at a prefer temperature.
Cement place on the outlayer of the earthbag could possibly prevent it from decomposition.
5. Adobe construction being heat resistent would be sustainable for a country like Asia, since the climate is usually very hot. However, earthbag construction would absolutely not be sustainable in Asia, because the sunlight would cause it to decompose.
1. A green building is one that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.
2. Straw Bale- Cheap, Well insulated, uses leftovers from crops.
Adobe- Dirt moistened with water. Fibers are added for strength, low maintenance.
Sand Bags – Durable, well insulated, protective, easy to use, and readily available.
3. Straw Bales are not very appealing, Adobes are not very well insulated, and Sand Bags cannot be used in warm or humid areas.
4. You could paint the outside of the straw bales, put an insulating material on the inside or outside of the adobes, and built in cool or dry climates with the Sand Bags.
5. The earth bag method would be good for a culture that doesn't have a lot of intense sunlight. The earth bag house will be able to withstand severe weather and will last for years.
The straw bale would not be good in a culture such as the Germany where it rains so often. The straw will rot due to all the rain.
ITS A VERY INTERESTING METHOD THAT PEOPLE SHOULD START DOING IT BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH OUR PLANET SO WE SHOULD ALL CONSERVE IT. AND NOT TRY TO USE SO MUCH ENERGY.
ITS A VERY INTERESTING METHOD THAT PEOPLE SHOULD START DOING IT BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH OUR PLANET SO WE SHOULD ALL CONSERVE IT. AND NOT TRY TO USE SO MUCH ENERGY.
1.Green building is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner.
2.Earth bag construction method is where you put dirt and soil in bags and you stack and compress them together.It is weather resistant and because of the soil it can deal with alot of water and temperature changes. Another way this kind of method is eco-friendly is that the soil right there and you don't have to go underground to get it.
3. A problem with earth bag constuction method is that they need to be kept away from too much sunlight so they will have to be covered during the day.
The problem with adobe construction method is that it is not very well insulated.
The problem with Strawbale is that the staw has to keep dry or it will rot and also there are concerns about infestation of rodents or insects, so the skin on the straw should resist these critter.
4.Straw Bale: Should be used in certain climates to assure the proper use of the equipment.
Adobe: To provide more insulation it should be used in an abumdment amount.
Sand Bag: Since they dont hold up good in the heat they should me covered.
5.Clearly a straw bale construction is not suitable for wet climate region. Therefore Northern region where it snows and rains a lot will eventually rot the building. Instead an earthbag construction is useful for areas where it rains frequently because it can withstand flooding.
A Green building is expensive to build and is reusable and recyclable. Since building a normal house uses up too much resources, the purpose of a green building is to reduce the environmental impacts that a building a normal house would create. Also, green buildings also help improve human health and reduce pollution and environmental degradation.
1. What is green building?
Answer: Green Building is an outcome of a design which focuses on resource use such as energy, water, and other materials to benefit the earth and human race.
2. Briefly describe why each of these 3 construction methods are energy efficient?
Answer: Straw Bale- cheap because your reusing leftover straw, will keep you warm because it is so tightly packed, easy to manage.
Adobe- is very durable and strong, made mostly of dirt moistened with water, last for a long time, offer the lowest embodied energy level than any other building material.
Sand Bag- can be resistant to mold, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, insects and rodents, cheap and affordable, earth-berming improves energy efficiency.
3. For each construction method describe one problem associated with its construction.
Answer: Sand Bag construction- can unravel vary easily.
Adobe construction- can sag , bulge, and the walls can crack.
Straw Bale construction- the straw can decay and can produce mold spores in the indoor air.
4.Suggest one possible method for alleviating each of these problems.
Answer: For Sand Bag construction i would suggest they thread the bags tighter and use stronger threads.
For Adobe construction i would suggest they try and tightly pack it so there are very few air pockets.
For the Straw Bale construction i cant think of anything for them to do to prevent the straw from decaying but i think to prevent the mold issue they could make sure the buildings are only constructed in the proper environment.
5. Choose one of the construction methods above and explain why it would be sustainalbe for a particular culture, and then choose one construction method and explain why it would not be sustainable for that culture.
Answer: Straw Bale construction is most definitely not sustainable for wet climate regions. Instead the Earth Bag construction would be more sustainable for that region because it is known for being able to withstand floods along with hurricanes and many other climate problems.
hi, i guess its enough to read others comment here rather giving my own answers :) this is really a funny post . Keep it up
I got Hi,
amazed to see this blog, to the most part I have found new information here; it is really a interesting post.
This is a different way of teaching students about life out there and the environment.
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