Yurt Kit

Started by hpinson, July 18, 2015, 03:26:42 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

hpinson

Hi. This showed up in one of my RSS feeds today, a yurt kit, and it looks very interesting. It appears well engineered, at least as seen on the website. It is something between a tent and a permanent structure - maybe ideal for a low impact, relatively easy to assemble vacation structure, with a calculated limited lifespan? The pricing looks reasonable, especially in comparison to soft-sided yurt kits. An additional foundation is needed and would be extra.

http://www.freedomyurtcabins.com

Some questions:

I could find no assurance on the website that this kit was engineered to any meet any particular building code beyond that it has an engineer stamp for the State of Colorado. I hope it does meet code.  It would be nice to know how a county building department would view this in terms of code compliance. Specific examples of allowance?

The company offers a "Contact Us" form and phone number on the website.  A street address would build confidence?

Some real-life build examples with narrative and photos would be helpful.

SIP wall R value seems low at 9.7, especially for a cold weather climate.  I imagine it would be fine for 3 season and occasional winter use.

Roof R value is 13.7 and is of plywood covered with some sort of fabric called "Duralast". What is the material's durability and longevity? The website says: "Even with the dome open, it's next to impossible for water to get in during a normal rain storm."  What about an intense western thunderstorm?

Can a wood or gas stove safely be installed to heat this structure?

Also, some way to calculate shipping costs would be useful.

I hope the company Freedom Yurts-Cabins can respond.  It looks like a neat little small vacation stucture kit.

Disclaimer: I have no relationship with Freedom Yurts-Cabins.

hpinson

Freedom Yurt-Cabin Replies -- Thank you Richard Barry for being so responsive - impressive!

QuoteI could find no assurance on the website that this kit was engineered to any meet any particular building code beyond that it has an engineer stamp for the State of Colorado. I hope it does meet code.  It would be nice to know how a county building department would view this in terms of code compliance. Specific examples of allowance?

The Yurt Cabin is fully engineered by an engineering firm that is licensed in Colorado, California, and Arizona. This structure has been in development for over ten years, and has gone through several rounds of revisions and engineering. For two years I diverted my attention to developing a version for use in places like Haiti. We did some "extreme" testing on the Haiti structure in our shop like lifting and dropping, ramming and jerking with a forklift, and a vertical drop of 18". You can view a video of the testing at www.tshift.org  It is an extraordinarily strong structure, and I'm anxious to continue extreme testing of the current Yurt Cabin design which has double the number of structural panels in each wall compared to the Haiti shelter.

Regarding code compliance, the Yurt Cabin meets or exceeds codes regarding structural requirements. However, some local jurisdictions may have non-structural codes that must be met. For instance minimum house size, electric, water, sewage, and energy efficiency requirements that the Yurt Cabin may or may not meet.

Many of our customers have chosen to not get a permit for their Yurt Cabin. They can be sure it is safe and designed with the snow and wind loads specific to their particular building site by purchasing wet stamped plans at a cost of $250 extra.

This structure is semi-permanent in that it is as durable as a permanent structure, but can be easily disassembled and moved if necessary.

QuoteThe company offers a "Contact Us" form and phone number on the website.  A street address would build confidence?

Our phone number is next to the contact us form at the bottom of each page on our website. We are happy to take calls from 8-5 weekdays.

QuoteSome real-life build examples with narrative and photos would be helpful.

We are planning a photo gallery for our website which will be added soon.

QuoteSIP wall R value seems low at 9.7, especially for a cold weather climate.  I imagine it would be fine for 3 season and occasional winter use.

Roof R value is 13.7 and is of plywood covered with some sort of fabric called "Duralast". What is the material's durability and longevity? The website says: "Even with the dome open, it's next to impossible for water to get in during a normal rain storm."  What about an intense western thunderstorm?

The roof system consists of roundwood rafters topped with plywood panels that have been machined to exact tolerances. These ceiling panels are routed to look like tongue and groove, which gives the Yurt Cabin a distinctive cabin feel. A 2" thick polyisocyanurate foam panel is glued to the ceiling panel for ease of installation. A Duro-Last topcover completes the roof system. This heavy duty fabric is made for commercial buildings with flat roofs. It is made up of several pieces that are welded together using an automatic welder system, essentially making the roof cover one piece with no possibility of leaking. The Duro-Last fabric is warrantied for 15 years, but will last longer in most places.

This YouTube video shows how all the parts fit together:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IbrYM0qock

Regarding the dome and leaks, we use a component called the "roof crown" that sits on top of the fabric at the roof apex, where the round opening is. When the dome is installed, the bottom lip of the dome is much lower than the top of the roof crown. In order for rainwater to enter the interior, it would have to blow up the roof, traverse a horizontal surface against the wind, and blow up and over the roof crown into the interior. I can see the possibility of spray getting into the structure, but not raindrops.


QuoteCan a wood or gas stove safely be installed to heat this structure?

Yes. We recommend running the stovepipe through the wall and up.

QuoteAlso, some way to calculate shipping costs would be useful.

There are many variables when quoting shipping. We have an experienced shipping broker who looks at the specific shipping scenario and recommends the best method of shipping at the best possible price.


hpinson

Part two of the response from Freedom Yurt Cabin, posted for the Engineer:

Engineer's Thoughts

The Yurt Cabin is a hard-sided structure that is much more durable and lower in maintenance than a typical soft-sided yurt. We have designed the Yurt-Cabin to be easily erected, while providing a long-lasting building. When compared to typical yurts, the rigid walls allow us the ability to design a building that is more rigid and will therefore undergo less movement than a soft-sided yurt. One example of why this is desirable is it allows us to install glass windows because we know they won't crack during high-wind events.

We are able to understand the structural behavior of these buildings in a more predictable way due to the rigid nature of each component.

One of the main differences with a soft-sided yurt, which is an advantage from a structural standpoint, is that the floor system is integral to the structure. We have designed an efficient foundation anchoring system that minimizes cost, site disturbance and therefore installation time. Overall the Yurt-Cabin, while intended as a temporary structure in most cases, is actually closer to being like most people's homes, from a structural point of view.

Building officials are more likely to view a Yurt-Cabin as a structure they are familiar with. The wood walls and integral floor system mean that the building is designed as a single unit and not as separate parts, such as with a soft-sided yurt where the deck is designed to carry the yurt and other loads while the yurt has been design without a specific floor system. Permitting a Yurt-Cabin should be easier due to its all-in-one design.

Another advantage of the Yurt-Cabin compared to a soft-sided yurt is its superior insulation options and higher thermal mass, both contributing to a more efficient and comfortable interior space. The Yurt-Cabin's walls can be insulated up to R-9.7 (nearly 150% of a standard yurt) and the roof insulated up to R-13.7 (250% of a standard yurt) where it really counts. The higher insulation coupled with the thermal mass of wood framed walls and ceiling means temperature swings are moderated and heat is retained longer in the structure itself.

Overall, the Yurt-Cabin is closer to a conventional structure than its competition due to its wood construction. This translates to a living space that is more familiar to occupants with a feeling of solidity and permanence not typically associated with temporary structures. Flexibility of interior finishes allows for a customized space tailored to your needs and desires.

hpinson


John Raabe

Interesting design and a sturdier option to soft-sided yurts built on a platform. The bearing points of the foundation rest on stones or concrete pavers with uplift protection provided by earth augers. Like the deck block and paver foundation used in my  Little House plans this foundation is subject to freezing and uplift when expansive clay soils or poorly drained soil is involved. This yurt is more rigid than soft tent structures and is better insulated as well.

My main concern (and the bigger issue for the building inspector) is the question "is this a residence"? Where are the kitchen and bathroom?

My son lived for a year in a yurt in the jungle of backwoods Maui. No problem with freezing or soil (aged lava). After putting up the yurt (the easy part), the first project was a shed at the back with a toilet and shower connected to a drain field. Later a roof extension was added to cover the washing machine on an outside wall of this shed. You walked outside and around the yurt to get to the bathroom. A front deck was built off the one door. it had a shed roof with an awkward connection to the yurt roof. The sides of this deck turned into the kitchen. This cobbled together compound worked, but totally lost the initial elegant simplicity of the yurt.

I put yurts in the same camp with domes - they have common problems when they become more than a single purpose space (bedroom, meditation or writing retreat). They are great places to visit but when you want to live in them it usually turns ugly and complicated.
None of us are as smart as all of us.


hpinson

Probably this could be set on a more permanent foundation? Presumably in the bigger kit, a bathroom and kitchen space could be built inside and plumbed/ wired to code?   

The construction video above is really neat and impressive to watch. Assembly seems quite simple.

I'm a little unclear about the tightness of the walls where they join - in the construction video, you can see daylight between the joints. Seems that would be drafty.  Probably I'm missing something.