SB: (FWD) Alberta SB Infill Questions

["Robert W. Tom" <archilogic@yahoo.ca>]

Please inundate this MooseHugger with your opinions.
(That should keep him out of my hair for a day or two at least
till I can find some time to respond)

--- Start forwarded messasge ---

[<snip>  to protect the innocent]

Our existing house is a 1956 Panabode, at an altitude of 4500' in Alberta.
We are planning to put up a single story, 1280 sq. ft. post and beam
structure with bale infill.  The load bearing part of the structure will be
ecotrusses (8' x 18" ladder trusses) on 36" centers, with a lime plaster
finish.  The floor is tongue and groove 2 x 6's over a four foot crawl
space.  Perimeter foundations are conventional 8" concrete wall down to 4'
below grade.

I would like to avoid pinning the bales and feel that if they are securely
stacked within the ecotrusses, pinning should be unnecessary.  What are your
thoughts on this?

I would also like to avoid the use of steel mesh stitched to the interior
and exterior surface of the bale.  My reluctance to use the mesh stems from
the high diurnal temperature changes we experience, particularly in the
winter on the southern aspects of the house.  I think that this warming and
cooling of the steel mesh and its expansion and contraction will stress the
wall finish and could possibly propagate cracks.

I realize that the mesh does have a structural function but how feasible do
you think it would be to replace the steel with plastic mesh?  The plastic
mesh should not have the same expansion and contraction characteristics as
the steel mesh, but would it have sufficient structural properties?  Do we
need to use mesh anyway?  We are planning to have diagonal strapping in the
form of a 1" steel channel notched into the ecotrusses on the interior
walls, running from wall plate to foundation.  Would this provide sufficient
structural integrity to make the mesh redundant?  

-------- End of forwarded message --------

--- * ---
Rob Tom
Kanata, Ontario, Canada
<ArchiLogic@yahoochaff.ca>
(winnow the "chaff" spamguard from my edress in your reply)

Please visit http://www.theHungerSite.com daily



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