Chromasomatic

While I spent much of today digging holes, carrying buckets and pushing wheelbarrows of concrete, the entire form for the bond beam was completed.  Instead of constructing a wood frame to pour concrete into, Earthships use inexpensive concrete and cans.  Rory (aka “Nado”, short for Tornado) explained to me today how wood is extremely expensive in many places around the world so this cuts that cost.  Also, by using cans, it cuts them out of the waste stream.  The bond beam is a concrete beam that sits on top of the tire wall and also connects to the ground via 3 buttresses that hold the back tirewall against the dirt burm.  The purpose of the bond beam is to hold the structure together and provide support.

The grey water system was mostly completed today as well.   This system allows water to be used 4 times before being discarded.  From earthship.org, “Water is used in a conventional way such as bathing or washing dishes, except for the toilet. The water is used and cleaned a second time in interior botanical cells. The flush toilet is the third use of the water. After the toilet, the water is contained and treated, and used a fourth time in exterior botanical cells.”  Check out more info on the water system here.

Also, framing for the window boxes and doorways on the interior greenhouse wall was started today.

Check out the videos below for more detailed explainations of these systems by Seth, one of the Earthship build crew members.

Construction of the can form for the bond beam

the completed can form for the bond beam

Closeup of the can form and rebar for the bond beam

Trenches for the grey water system being dug

The grey water system under construction

Concrete buttress footings and rebar for the columns

Framing for the windows boxes and doorways going up

Concrete mixing station

Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.