30x40 Earth Berm Passive Solar in Maine

Started by Bishopknight, October 13, 2008, 09:33:23 AM

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Squirl

I like the design.  I have read a lot about passive solar and earth berming.  I tried to design something similar.  Do you have to add windows to the rear bedroom for the fire code?  I never could reconsile some of the earth ship designs I have looked at with that part of the code.

Bishopknight

#26
Mike,

I downloaded HEED and after about a 30 minute learning curve / manual reading, I figured it out. You have to go out and download the closest EPW ( Energy Power Weather ) data file for your location for it to work. I created several projects and experimented with various window sizes, roof depth offsets and came up with the below diagram which I have screenshotted.

2 ft depth overhang on front windows. 2x4 framing with 1" polystyrene exterior facade to provide air breaks. 11 windows in front, each 3'3" x 6'3", 2 windows on the east/west and 1 in the rear. This gave me the most efficient energy profile for my layout. Its a neat program, thanks for referring me to it, I recommend it.

Squirl,

Since this is a small rural town, there is no building code but if there was, there would be only one room that would violate EGRESS code, the ground floor northwest room. So if necessary, I would convert that into a storage room.




Bishopknight

Monday Update:

Got the plumbing covered up and wrapped with cardboard





Then leveled/tapered the sand pad and laid out the polystyrene foam insulation









Then dug the recessed holes for a support column and the fireplace





My friend told me a trick for bending rebar, just stick it in the bucket holes and pull.



Eric came down and helped me with the rebar. I tied while he layed out the mesh.








Mike 870

I'm glad that worked out for you.  Looks like you made some good progress this weekend.  I can't wait to see it come together.

MaineRhino

That looks great Sean, let's just hope the moose don't get too curious and walk over that insulation board! d*


glenn kangiser

"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

Bishopknight

#31
I've been trying to get an estimate of what it will cost to build/frame the first floor since its the next task ahead.

Its quite possible the project will be over/under $10,000 for foundation and first floor done. I'm estimating it will be another $10,000 to get the 2nd floor on, trusses purchased/raised and metal roof installed. I'm pretty happy with that overall price though for a 2200 sq ft house shell.  That would put me in the $9 per square ft range.  It could be as high as $25,000 for the whole shell but we'll see. That would still put me in the low $11 per sq ft range.

On a personal note, I must say how easy things have been by taking one thing at a time. I don't try to look too far ahead on a project like this. Doing so just overwhelms me. I am also trying to keep the structure strong and simple. Account for variances in dead loads with regard to the engineering of the weight bearing joists and like. Which means no fancy cantilevered support walls. Just a strong column from floor to attic with minimal spans.

I am stupified now at the cost of certain houses, realizing what I could build them for myself. Plus the amount of interest paid (to the banksters) on top of the overpriced houses never sat right with me. One should not have to work half a lifetime to afford a 'shelter'. That's what these are. Most of them composed of chipboard panel and vinyl siding. With nary a soul to them. Sure my house is in rural property, far from high paying work, but in tradeoff I paid 10 cents on the dollar to live without the convienence of a gas station at the end of my street, or a mcdonalds a mile away. Many rural people make the same as folk in the overpriced suburbs, but pay far less in living costs. Granted, I may have to commute further for work or food but with lower expenses and a garden, far more infrequently. It is also far more fulfilling applying nearly your full paycheck to a permanent, fully paid for, no-debt sustained, residence.

At 31, I wish I had realized this sooner.


soomb

Quote from: Bishopknight on November 05, 2008, 04:43:33 PM


I am stupified now at the cost of certain houses, realizing what I could build them for myself. Plus the amount of interest paid (to the banksters) on top of the overpriced houses never sat right with me. One should not have to work half a lifetime to afford a 'shelter'. That's what these are. Most of them composed of chipboard panel and vinyl siding. With nary a soul to them. Sure my house is in rural property, far from high paying work, but in tradeoff I paid 10 cents on the dollar to live without the convienence of a gas station at the end of my street, or a mcdonalds a mile away. Many rural people make the same as folk in the overpriced suburbs, but pay far less in living costs. Granted, I may have to commute further for work or fastfood but with lower expenses, far more infrequently. It is also far more fulfilling applying nearly your full paycheck to a permanent, fully paid for, no-debt sustained, residence.

At 31, I wish I had realized this sooner.


But you realized it.  I am 39 and have have been working toward the same conclusion.  It took me longer.  But this site has taken a great deal of the fear away as I have seen people like you and others, who are doing or have done it, with a well crafted finished product.

Best of luck.
Live- Phoenix, Relax- Payson

glenn kangiser

BK, I have a question regarding the column and the fireplace.  I see it looks like you are putting foamboard in the footing even in the fireplace and column load area.  Since it is a point load and not so much a spread load as a continuous footing would have, have you checked the foam to see if it's bearing capacity is sufficient for the load on it?  Or would you want to remove it in those sections. 

I don't know - maybe it's fine -- just wondering if it is calculated.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.


Bishopknight

Thanks Soomb :)

Glenn,

Good point, its only 25psi insulation there. Maybe I should remove it in the fireplace and column footings altogether since I don't have extra 40 psi insulation. Granted, I could steal a little here and there from the footings if I wanted to.

Your thoughts?

Either way I should have a vapor barrier where any concrete meets sand because of moisture absorption.

glenn kangiser

A piece of 6 mil plastic would be fine.  The foam will crush and allow breaking of the concrete in my opinion.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

Bishopknight

#36
Did a few prep things friday and poured the 20 yards of concrete this morning. Hired a professional crew to do it. Everything went great. It was 60 degrees out thankfully. Only a little misty but we added calcium to speed up the curing.





They made fun of me for doing the "creme" (pictured below). That's where you shake the top of the "crete" to push the rocks down and make it smooth on top. Obviously I helped the entire time but when I got tired, I did the "creme".  ;D







Of course, I felt obligated to feed the troops and apologized for hotdogs not being very healthy, to which they replied, "Do any of us look healthy to you?" LOL



And here is the finished product. I was exhausted and soaked and the crew told me my boots will be ruined in 2 weeks because of the concrete seeping into the linings. You can see the wooden keyways I installed which will secure the concrete block to the slab later.





glenn kangiser

#37
Good job, BK even if you did skip a bit of the hard part. :)

Good choice on getting pro help with the concrete.  It's  a one chance deal.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

Redoverfarm

Looking good.  A wise move for the concrete.  Unlike alot of other parts of the building process you only get one shot at the concrete.  When it's ready it's ready.  Only thing that comes close to concrete is PVC when it's glued and not right you can't take it apart and adjust.


soomb

Wonderful.  Very inspirational.  it is great fun to watch you progress.
Live- Phoenix, Relax- Payson

Bishopknight

#40
Monday Update:

I'm still drying out from this weekend. It was horribly wet and miserable to work in.

I ordered the concrete block for the back berm wall this weekend. I drove up friday morning to meet the the delivery truck. They were kind enough to gently place them on the slab. After that, I stripped off half the forms and got 2 blocks set before It was too dark to see.





Saturday morning, I had some help arrive. He helped me lay the first course to the slab. I mixed mortar for runar as he leveled the block and I mixed the crete and filled the block and keyways working behind him.  This was the rainiest day of them all. I'm glad I got some help for this step, it was crucial to have a good first course. We covered all the block overnight with tarps/poly.





Sunday, the rain wasn't as bad. The first course had set strong enough overnight for me to start laying block.









I used the backhoe and forks to go grab 2 bushels of hay from my neighbors field. I used a shovel to shred it apart and lay hay around the foundation perimeter. It will protect it from frostheave.





The sun finally came out so I took a pic. You can see all the saved footer boards I'm having mother nature wash off for me.



I was really tired, sore and hungry at this point so I called it quits at 4pm on sunday.



Here's what it looks like now.






apaknad

nice work and progress BK, keep at it w/no rest. you are young so quit b------- and get back to work!!! c*
unless we recognize who's really in charge, things aren't going to get better.

apaknad

maine reminds me of michigan farther up north. pine trees and cool weather. no ocean but great lakes. pretty area but i hear taxes are high(yea, like they're low in mich.).
unless we recognize who's really in charge, things aren't going to get better.

Mike 870

Nice, I was looking forward to reading your update all weekend.  How much as all that block if you don't mind me asking?


glenn kangiser

Looks good, BK.  Are you mortaring all joints the coming back to grout the walls in later?  Rebar in the block horizontal and vertical?  That will be retaining wall and could have a lot of force against it.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.


Bishopknight

#45
Thanks guys.

The block order came to $1609. $165 of that is pallet charge, which I'll bring back. Delivery guy said it was a 75 ton load. Driveway held up good though.

No vertical rebar Glenn. Just a cemented keyway to 'lock' the first course to the slab. Surface bonded 'structural skin' cement ( reinforced with 1/2" fiberglass ) for both sides. And a top course of channel block filled with horizontal rebar, crete and anchor bolts.  This is per Rob Roys instructions in his book, Earth Sheltered Homes. I took a screenshot of why dry-stack surface bonded cement construction is so strong.



With 8" wide block, I would need reinforcing pillasters but with the 12" block, I should have no worries. To a lesser degree, there are also 3 interior walls bracing the middle.

Looking ahead to the coming weeks, finishing the block wall next weekend is my goal. After that, 2x6 framing will begin, weather permitting.




glenn kangiser

The reinforced surface bonding will take care of a lot of issues.  I don't see a problem with that.
"Always work from the general to the specific." J. Raabe

Glenn's Underground Cabin  http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=151.0

Please put your area in your sig line so we can assist with location specific answers.

Bishopknight

#47
I didn't think you would since you're into alternative building methods. I just wanted to mention it though because its unconventional. Plus I had a union block mason curiously drive up to my house this weekend acting very shocked I wasn't mortaring the block.

Also, the person I hired saturday has never done a dry stack surface bonded cement wall either.  I'm going with Rob Roys word and my common sense on this one.

On a side note about the 30' ft long 5/12 pitch premade trusses, Hammond Lumber just called me back with an estimate. $109 per truss. I would need 21 in all, ( spaced 24" apart over 40 ft ). With free delivery and tax, it would come to $2403 for everything.


soomb

where did you get (read: where can I get) information on the dry stack with surface reinforcement?
Live- Phoenix, Relax- Payson

MountainDon

Member N74TG used dry stack and SBC (surface bonding cement). You could try a forum search for dry stack, N74TG, SBC.....

Here's a short link, with his blog link included in his signature line.

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=4345.0

Also...

http://www.drystacked.com/

http://www.thenaturalhome.com/drystackblock.htm

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.