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AutoCAD File of the Workshop Building COMING SOON
Prerequisites
It is not necessary to have any building o straw bale construction experience to attend this workshop.
During the Advanced Straw Bale Construction III workshop we will cover all the same topics covered in
the Introduction to Straw Bale Construction workshop but in much greater detail. This is not your
typical straw bale shed building weekend workshop. This building will be built to the OBC 2006
residential building standard. Everything that workshop participants learn in this workshop will
be directly applicable to residential straw bale construction.
This is an intense workshop with a great deal of physical exertion.
Description
During this workshop we will be building a 18' x 24' light frame workshop/office building
on a rubble trench foundation and concrete grade beam.
The foundation for this building is a rubble trench. Rubble Trench foundation
have been used in Europe for many centuries and are found under agricultural
and commercial buildings in North America. A standard footing trench is dug to
below the frost line. Instead of putting a concrete footing at the bottom of
the trench and building a concrete frost wall we will the trench with rubble
(rocks, chunks of concrete, or gravel) the put the footing at ground level.
The form for the concrete grade beam is built out of plywood and 2x4s and lined
with vapour barrier and styrofoam insulation. Rebar is placed in the form to
the engineers specification then the form is filled with concrete. The foundation
work will be done in advance of the workshop so that the footing is well cured
in time for the workshop. The 2x4 curb consists of an inside member installed
1" from the inside edge of the grade beam (to allow a 1" lip for the
plaster to bear on) and an outside member installed 1" from the inside
edge of the grade beam also to allow a 1" lip for the plaster skin to bear
on. The space between the inside and outside curb members is filled with 3 1/2"
thick Roxul RXL-80 rock wool.
The window and door bucks use plywood boxes to create the reveals and are installed
on top of the curb. The walls are "edge stacked" (as opposed to "flat
stacked") which produces a final nominal wall thickness of 16" ("flat
stacking" produces a final nominal wall thickness of 21".) The thinner
edge stacked walls provide much more usable floor space in a small building.
The top plate consists of a 2x6 ladder. The corners are designed to overlap when
installed to provide the greatest possible strength. The top plate is the attachment and bearing
surface for the roof members. The top plate also transfers the load flow from the roof to the plaster
skins of the building.
The light frame posts for this building will be built out of 2x4s on the flat
with plywood on either side. They will be built 14" wide by 2.5" thick
by 15' high and insulated with Roxul Flexi-Batt. The light frame will be attached
to the curb and top plate by means of Simpson T-type Strong-Tie connectors.
The windows and doors will be installed and weather sealed before the walls are plastered.
The roof will consist of a made-up center ridge beam consisting of 2x6s and
plywood spacers supported by a pair of gable posts. The 2x6 roof rafters will
be cut on-site and attached to the ridge beam with nails and to the top plate
with hurricane ties. The gable ends will be stuffed with straw before the walls
are stuffed, the mesh applied and the walls stitched.
We will be using a plaster of St. Lawrence Cement Mason's Choice High Bond Type
N (which is 1 part cement and 1 part lime) to which we will add 3 parts (1:1:6)
of sand. This plaster will be hauled up to and applied to the wall from a hawk
using a trowel. We will apply two coats inside and out before the end of the
weekend. Adventurous students are welcome to try their hand at straw sculpture
by mixing hand fulls of straw with hand fulls of plaster and applying it by
hand over the first coat of plaster. We may also create a candle niche in the
straw before plastering the interior.
Schedule
To be announced.
NOTE: Everyone MUST attend the safety meeting each day.
MEALS Menu
Breakfast - 08:00 - The safety meeting will take place during breakfast.
Morning snack - 11:00
Lunch - 13:00
Afternoon snack - 15:00
Supper - 18:00 (or after quittin' time)
THINGS TO BRING to our workshops.
DIRECTIONS to Hank and Anita's House.
ACCOMMODATIONS near Hank and Anita Carr's house.
RULES for all our workshops.
PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION POLICY for all our workshops.
WEATHER for Spencerville, Ontario. Check it out before you come so that you know what to expect.
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