Sorry I have been doing other things.
I have not given up on underground as the Australian bush fires have proved a point.
Construction of a small shelter can be done by hand with a shovel now that the ground is wet. Dig a small trench 5 feet wide and ten or twelve feet long five feet deep cover the hole with burnt trees and cover this with builders plastic to a distance from the hole the same width as the hole, that is a sheet 15 feet by 17 feet on a 12 foot by 5 foot hole.
Tamp the hole floor with a wooden hammer holding the handle vertical with an up and down motion.paint with linseed oil and the floor will harden paint the walls with any old plastic paint to stop dusting of the walls. Add door and furniture as required
This shelter will do till a more permanent house is constructed.
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, July 18, 2010
trolley
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Sustainable concrete
Concrete road culverts can be used as the structural sections for a house. There is many sections that may be used. Stand up concrete panels can be used as retaining walls on the berms simplifying construction. These sections can be bought in and placed using a crane, earthen floors are a way of reducing concrete. Concrete is not as bad as some environmentalist want you to believe, used in engineered amounts concrete can be reduced to the minimum. I see where they pour concrete into the ground like there is no end, engineers design or over design places and you would think they got a percentage from the amount of concrete in the job.
The photo below is a photo borrowed from the Sovereign Concrete Product's of Ballarat site.
.
If concrete is the be used to walk on only, then two inches is enough with wire mesh in the pour. I read about the sustainable regrowth timber and this stuff is not that green in fact I would say its not environmentally friendly. Concrete can last hundreds of years and it wont burn down. I don't know weather I have said this before but hanging the furniture from the roof is a good idea. I will demonstrate the culverts in a future post and show photos of models that I will make. I would also like to recommend Rex Roberts engineered house book. Its a good read, I do not get paid for any recommended book or article in these posts. I do not get paid from the concrete industry. Cheers Stewart
The photo below is a photo borrowed from the Sovereign Concrete Product's of Ballarat site.
.
If concrete is the be used to walk on only, then two inches is enough with wire mesh in the pour. I read about the sustainable regrowth timber and this stuff is not that green in fact I would say its not environmentally friendly. Concrete can last hundreds of years and it wont burn down. I don't know weather I have said this before but hanging the furniture from the roof is a good idea. I will demonstrate the culverts in a future post and show photos of models that I will make. I would also like to recommend Rex Roberts engineered house book. Its a good read, I do not get paid for any recommended book or article in these posts. I do not get paid from the concrete industry. Cheers Stewart
Error in conrete and timber post
In the concrete and timber post it was meant to be 3,500 not 3500. Typo errors can be made and serious under or over engineering can result. That's why I recommend you use the figures as estimates and check them for your selves. We can all make mistakes and there is one of mine that I picked up. Sorry cheers Stewart
Friday, June 4, 2010
good reading
Just read this fantastic book
I read this book about engineered houses and thought you might like to read it.Its about houses and how to make them and a lot of fun stuff to boot..Rex Roberts' Your Engineered House
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tasmania
I meet a young man in Tasmania who intends to build underground and use my design so maybe it will happen. I had a good holiday there and saw the remains of an underground house burnt by bush fires. They made the mistake of not totally buring the roof rafters and these caught on fire and the house was a total loss. They have building inspectors there and it is the only state in Australia you can answer the front door with a shot gun.Building inspectors leave notes pinned to the front gate sounds good to me ....
underground building
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
rodents
Well I have spoken before about rats and mice and about the brown snake in the roof space. Now this snake not being one you can talk to decided to move into the house and sleep on the bed in the spare room, I had this mate come to stay and he slept in the room on the bed and you wouldn't frigging believe it the snake objected and bit him on the frigging elbow. War has now been declared on snakes and mice.I will concentrate on the rodents as they are more dangerous to my health. The mate lived threw the ordeal and his wife now don't trust me.
I don't know why it wasn't me who bit him...
This brings me to the problem of food storage and the elimination of waste. I have bought some stainless steel cans for rice and dog food. I also got a second fridge to put food in but it don't work but the mice can not get in. You can here them gnawing the bottom of the fridge....Waste plastic and paper are removed from the area, mice can get threw a HOLE as big as the word hole so you have to be diligent when constructing your abode....
I don't know why it wasn't me who bit him...
This brings me to the problem of food storage and the elimination of waste. I have bought some stainless steel cans for rice and dog food. I also got a second fridge to put food in but it don't work but the mice can not get in. You can here them gnawing the bottom of the fridge....Waste plastic and paper are removed from the area, mice can get threw a HOLE as big as the word hole so you have to be diligent when constructing your abode....
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Stove
stove
If you are going underground you will want a stove to warm the house up and give ambiance to the place.The full story can be seen in posts on imagineering-engineering.blogspot.com
On the 14/11/09 I was building a stove and had trouble with it smoking and not drawing, With some modifications it is working great so here is the final posting on the stove.
Click on the photos for a larger image.
The photo above shows the fire alight note the large timber in the fire.
This photo left shows the smoke coming from the stack. 
This photo above shows the stove in full flight with a good fire in its belly, the wood was damp.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Plans to start dig.
I will be digging a hole in the ground, I have found this place and will start digging when I set up some equipment and figure where to put the dirt. Remember this is going to be one of those stealth holes and I don't want anyone to find it. I will publish photos when they become available like the ones I did about the recycled boat on imagineering-engineering.blogspot.com
I think I will need a railway line to carry the dirt away that means building a trolley something like they had in the movie the great escape. Materials can be from shopping trolleys, fence pailings for the tracks.
Remember that to do a major undertaking like this means to be like the blokes in the movie and the enemy is the law and the council and family so I will publish photos that cannot identify the place.
I think I will need a railway line to carry the dirt away that means building a trolley something like they had in the movie the great escape. Materials can be from shopping trolleys, fence pailings for the tracks.
Remember that to do a major undertaking like this means to be like the blokes in the movie and the enemy is the law and the council and family so I will publish photos that cannot identify the place.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Interior Design
I have thought about this for years and I personally like the hill side house with plenty of drainage. When the concrete slab is poored decide on the finish then as there is many ways to finish concrete, stamped with colour added is my preferred choice. Throw down rugs are used where needed. With water pipes laid into the slab for water heating using the sun via a solar hot water panel. Make sure there is a slight slope on the slab to the down hill side and a hole in the wall to let water out of the structure. In the roof slab put eye bolts so as to be able to hang beds tables and furniture from the roof. In each room there is a water tap for hosing the room down once a week. Might sound silly but it works and gets rid of all the dust and dirt as it goes out the holes in the walls. Plant appropriate plants to use the water preferably edible plants.
Friday, March 12, 2010
New political laws in NSW Australia
Let me prophesies for a moment underground shanty's are going to be a thing of the future and will be dug into hills and mountains and anywhere that people can. There is a new law out that the government in NSW Australia, that allows the government to confiscate your land and home to sell it to developers to make money from. This will make the Wollongong city council debacle a pimple on the big fat arse of the premier of the state of NSW.
So I will suggest that you learn how to make an underground shelter of modest size. Select your land probably on government land and dig a small hole and make it look like a drain or something with a locking grate where you have the keys you have to be selective and when you go into this place you have to make it look like no one goes there. If you wear a track make sure that you have the track double back on its self as the curious will look and decide not to go any further when they see the perceived end if the track. When I was at high school we had a spot on the side of a creek and the teachers couldn't get the because you had to jump a creek twice to see the track we used to have to jump and jump again. They used to walk to the waters edge and go back because they thought the end of the track was there if they only knew...This would have been a good spot for a underground shanty. This is going to be an extension to stealth camping the things I read about on the internet.Other ways is for groups of people to buy a section of land and devolop your own shelter in a gated comunity. They will plant all sorts of edible food and make the place look overgrown.
When you start to dig a hole get dressed in workers clothes with construction helmets and vests and if the locals see you tell them you work for the council and you are doing and enviromental servey and are looking for the endangered flabigasted worm. Ask them if they want to help you and you might be surprised when you get help.....Have fun and enjoy yourselves Cheers
So I will suggest that you learn how to make an underground shelter of modest size. Select your land probably on government land and dig a small hole and make it look like a drain or something with a locking grate where you have the keys you have to be selective and when you go into this place you have to make it look like no one goes there. If you wear a track make sure that you have the track double back on its self as the curious will look and decide not to go any further when they see the perceived end if the track. When I was at high school we had a spot on the side of a creek and the teachers couldn't get the because you had to jump a creek twice to see the track we used to have to jump and jump again. They used to walk to the waters edge and go back because they thought the end of the track was there if they only knew...This would have been a good spot for a underground shanty. This is going to be an extension to stealth camping the things I read about on the internet.Other ways is for groups of people to buy a section of land and devolop your own shelter in a gated comunity. They will plant all sorts of edible food and make the place look overgrown.
When you start to dig a hole get dressed in workers clothes with construction helmets and vests and if the locals see you tell them you work for the council and you are doing and enviromental servey and are looking for the endangered flabigasted worm. Ask them if they want to help you and you might be surprised when you get help.....Have fun and enjoy yourselves Cheers
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Hoops to jump threw
Getting council permission to build underground may be a problem .
You will have to think with imagination and be quick with decisions and to think on your feet.
There will be challenges and hoops to dance threw as they change the rules as you go.
Be methodical in your first presentation and be quick to hand out a pen and paper and get them to do there sums as to the engineering of the structure.
This will show there talents or there foolishness to there objections.
If they don't have the figures on them just say to use the existing figures and work them back to the original results.
If they can not then they may not be capable and there fore ask for some one who can do the sums.
If they get really aggressive in there outbursts then ask for there qualifications as they may not have any.
Remember to always to be polite and courteous as they hold the whip hand and they know how to use it.
How do I know these things?
From experience with the Wollongong council when I tried to get a small cottage passed, and they cost me over $150,000 and nearly sent me broke. They actually sent my son broke with there incompetence.Names not changed to protect the identity of the offending council.
Extract from the Sydney morning herald.
Best of luck with your project.
The below article shows the extent of the problem of getting your project passed,
THERE IS no lack of land in Australia, but a growing shortage of housing.
A housing advisory group set up by the Government warned yesterday that the country could face a shortfall of up to 1.5 million homes in 20 years if construction did not increase.
They didn't need to set up an advisory group I would have told the government that for free.
Cheers Stewart
You will have to think with imagination and be quick with decisions and to think on your feet.
There will be challenges and hoops to dance threw as they change the rules as you go.
Be methodical in your first presentation and be quick to hand out a pen and paper and get them to do there sums as to the engineering of the structure.
This will show there talents or there foolishness to there objections.
If they don't have the figures on them just say to use the existing figures and work them back to the original results.
If they can not then they may not be capable and there fore ask for some one who can do the sums.
If they get really aggressive in there outbursts then ask for there qualifications as they may not have any.
Remember to always to be polite and courteous as they hold the whip hand and they know how to use it.
How do I know these things?
From experience with the Wollongong council when I tried to get a small cottage passed, and they cost me over $150,000 and nearly sent me broke. They actually sent my son broke with there incompetence.Names not changed to protect the identity of the offending council.
Extract from the Sydney morning herald.
Best of luck with your project.
The below article shows the extent of the problem of getting your project passed,
Housing shortage will hurt the poor
JACOB SAULWICK
March 12, 2009A housing advisory group set up by the Government warned yesterday that the country could face a shortfall of up to 1.5 million homes in 20 years if construction did not increase.
They didn't need to set up an advisory group I would have told the government that for free.
Cheers Stewart
Monday, March 8, 2010
underground house construction
I designed a underground house several years ago and the brief was to be simple to construct by normal contractors in the building industry. The sketch below shows how it works. There is two ways to construct the house first pore the Top slab as if it were going to be a suspended slab but with footing at the edges. Make sure that the bottom of the slab is pored onto form that is to be seen later in the build.
When the slab has cured the earth is dug from under it with a bobcat or dozer. The spoils are placed directly onto the slab and it is only moved once. The side walls are left with the natural batter and there is no way the slab can fall down as it is sitting on its own footings.
I got the sketch a bit wrong as the next slab (Middle) is formed and pored as the first with its own footings the same as the first slab.
The third slab as is done as above. Any inward movement is stopped by the compression of the slabs on its edges. Spoon drains are placed at the edges of the slabs. Dry wall is used to divide the spaces as required and the area behind the dry wall is used for services. That is plumbing electrical phone and music etc. The batter is sprayed with paint to stabilise the batter. Remember that you only have to glue in the key stone which may be a grain of sand..
The second way to build is to excavate then build suspended slabs on formwork and there is working at heights which will cost more and the hire of the formwork which is another expence. The dirt has to be moved twice as well. I personally like the first way myself.
The image below shows the basic design. Another way to build is to dump a load of sand on the ground and pore concrete over the sand and then dig the sand out, walla a dome.
As there is only a slab of concrete on the ground you might not need council approval just for a slab of concrete. If you use these ideas it is up to you to make sure that the work is done safely,remember they are only ideas.
If you have any questions put them in comments and I will endevor to answer them for you
When the slab has cured the earth is dug from under it with a bobcat or dozer. The spoils are placed directly onto the slab and it is only moved once. The side walls are left with the natural batter and there is no way the slab can fall down as it is sitting on its own footings.
I got the sketch a bit wrong as the next slab (Middle) is formed and pored as the first with its own footings the same as the first slab.
The third slab as is done as above. Any inward movement is stopped by the compression of the slabs on its edges. Spoon drains are placed at the edges of the slabs. Dry wall is used to divide the spaces as required and the area behind the dry wall is used for services. That is plumbing electrical phone and music etc. The batter is sprayed with paint to stabilise the batter. Remember that you only have to glue in the key stone which may be a grain of sand..
The second way to build is to excavate then build suspended slabs on formwork and there is working at heights which will cost more and the hire of the formwork which is another expence. The dirt has to be moved twice as well. I personally like the first way myself.
The image below shows the basic design. Another way to build is to dump a load of sand on the ground and pore concrete over the sand and then dig the sand out, walla a dome.
As there is only a slab of concrete on the ground you might not need council approval just for a slab of concrete. If you use these ideas it is up to you to make sure that the work is done safely,remember they are only ideas.
If you have any questions put them in comments and I will endevor to answer them for you
Sunday, March 7, 2010
design your own house
I have read stories from the web and have found that there is not much written about building the houses and where to get plans.
Imagination gets the plans done and it is up to you.
So how do you start?
Get a sheet of paper A4 and this is the plan.
Now measure the area you are sitting in and cut a piece of paper to cover the area say its two feet by two feet. Mark out a piece of paper 2"by2".
Now you cut the paper 2 inches by 2 inches.You know this is the area for a chair. Do the same for tables and baths and the like. Now you have the scale of your building because every 1inch is a foot and 2inches is two feet.I hope you are still with me ?
If you draw in some cupboards and a shower recess and now move your chair around the area and see if it fits between things, if it dosnt than you have a fault and if built you wouldnt fit either.
Sound simple it is. If it dosnt work get another sheet of paper and start again.
The A4 sheet gives you an area of about 11 feet by 6 feet if the scale is 1" = 1 foot,
Draw a border round the edge of the steet about 1/4 inch and this is the thickness of the walls. Draw in walls in double lines at 1/4 inch spacing as walls have thickness.
As can be seen in the below image the plan looks ok with kitchen and bath room.
But when the person image or chair is overlaid on the image below, It dosnt work because it wont fit, its that simple.
Imagination gets the plans done and it is up to you.
So how do you start?
Get a sheet of paper A4 and this is the plan.
Now measure the area you are sitting in and cut a piece of paper to cover the area say its two feet by two feet. Mark out a piece of paper 2"by2".
Now you cut the paper 2 inches by 2 inches.You know this is the area for a chair. Do the same for tables and baths and the like. Now you have the scale of your building because every 1inch is a foot and 2inches is two feet.I hope you are still with me ?
If you draw in some cupboards and a shower recess and now move your chair around the area and see if it fits between things, if it dosnt than you have a fault and if built you wouldnt fit either.
Sound simple it is. If it dosnt work get another sheet of paper and start again.
The A4 sheet gives you an area of about 11 feet by 6 feet if the scale is 1" = 1 foot,
Draw a border round the edge of the steet about 1/4 inch and this is the thickness of the walls. Draw in walls in double lines at 1/4 inch spacing as walls have thickness.
As can be seen in the below image the plan looks ok with kitchen and bath room.
sayings from the past
"Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind, large ones weaken it." - Leonardo Da Vinci
"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." - Hans Hofmann, Introduction to the Bootstrap, 1993
"Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge." - Winston Churchill
"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." - William Morris
"Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves." - Edwin Way Teale
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo DaVinci
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)