Shay

Yes, we have. Do you have any suggestions on who would be interested? Once we have built our test structures, we'll publicize this issue more actively.

Ronald Rael is an Architect, Author and Assistant Professor of Architecture at The University of California, Berkeley. He is the founder of EarthArchitecture.org, a clearing house of information on the subject.

Don't know him personally but he seems very interested in the subject.

I've found some resources,

Please forward the materials that you found. We are assembling those as well. All we have so far is some literature under Further Resources on our older documenation site:

http://openfarmtech.org/index.php?title=CEB_Press#Further_Resources

but the areas of interest, multi story,

horizontal wire ladder reinforcement, vertical steel-reinforced concrete columns, and through-tied galvanized stucco wire

Out of the google cache. The site is intersting as well as a possible end point for machines. http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:B4kC74pYADcJ:www.sheltercenter.org/shelterlibrary/items/pdf/GalvanisedWireReinforcement.pdf+compressed+earth+block+peru+ladder+mesh&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us

Its at the community development library. Not sure if they can get print versions, but they have full text of some pretty intersting books.

http://nzdl.sadl.uleth.ca/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0cdl--00-0--0-10-0---0---0prompt-10---4---0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0-0-11-1-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=cdl&cl=CL2.3&d=HASH01979938ef89e979ddfb736b.9.2 http://nzdl.sadl.uleth.ca/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0cdl--00-0--0-10-0---0---0prompt-10---4---0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0-0-11-1-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=cdl&cl=CL2.3&d=HASH01f9770e7e0598ae89a96508 http://nzdl.sadl.uleth.ca/cgi-bin/library?e=d-00000-00---off-0cdl--00-0--0-10-0---0---0prompt-10---4---0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0-0-11-1-0utfZz-8-00&a=d&c=cdl&cl=CL2.3&d=HASHeb33e9cace97886accda49

What can happen in earthquakes http://205.147.11.244/Tutorials/AdobeTutorial/AdobeTutorial.asp http://www.eeri.org/lfe/pdf/peru_pisco_adobe.pdf http://www.kenken.go.jp/english/contents/activities/other/disaster/jishin/2007pisco/20070903/3.pdf

Other information http://www.grisb.org/publications/pub34.htm http://www.earthblockinc.com/faq.htm

How about through-tie with rebar? We are considering this for double brick thickness walls. We could use technical help on this.

Rebar can get very expensive in the developing world. The galvinized wire reinforcing is much lighter, (aka a shipping container from these guys as an examle: http://post-trade-leads.com/54/sell%20Masonry%20Accessories-ladder%20reinforcement%20mesh.php) probably could provide better resistance to earthquake, simular pricing to rebar per pound, and probably 5 times the support per pound of material) as well as not needing double thickness which cuts down on labor.

Just a thought, but I'm certain that there are experts on the subject.

Shay