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Biological fiber roofs
Muslin joint wraps
Shelter-2009

First application of acrylic and cement, photo 2

Three of the four hyperbolic parabaloids are visible in this photo. One layer of cotton muslin and one layer of poultry netting, which is visible as a pattern upon close inspection. This technique uses a top layer with sand, instead of a second layer of fabric as in the ferrocement.com matrix design. Temporary braces which maintain the shape as the material stiffens are clearly seen extending beyond the surface dimension.

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One of the most important aspects of this construction method is few tools are required and everything but the acrylic is commonly available. Though some object to using even one high tech material which must be imported, transfer of this technology relieves environmental stress of cutting forests for lumber and provides permanent shelter for less than the delivered cost of a tent, per square unit of floor space. Large indirect economic and social benifits accompany space-age mud and wattle projects such as this; new discoveries will be made only by building with what is available now.