Several ideas are contained in this photo. The example water tank armature which was used as a photo model for the ferrocement.com tank manual presents visual comparison of the traditional steel ferrocement armature with the biological version of ferrocement reinforcement. The planter vase indicates a surface finish technique that might be used on the structure or the water tank, it also suggests a reservoir to store rainwater captured by sculpted rain cutters, drawings for a small kitchen rainwater tank will be included further on.

Plaster Application began here ... September - 2010

Hemp, acrylic and cement shown in front of standard construction plaster on reeds, photo below. Calculations included in ferrocement.com Shelter 2009 proved that it is less expensive to use traditional 3:1 plaster mix on vertical walls, they do need not be so perfectly impermeable as a roof.

Fiber applied directly to poultry wire is more expensive and labor intensive than plaster mix troweled onto the reed privacy fencing. This extra cost of acrylic, cement and fiber is not too great for the sculptor who usually works with smaller objects. Fiber applied direct to poultry wire is very strong, it is an ideal technique to begin a sculpture; flat, relief, or fully dimensional.

The foundation used here is quite small, six centimeters deep (2.5"). The size of foundation required to keep the shelter in place during a strong hurricane is not yet known, this is one reason another ferrocement.com work shop in a tropical location is such a good idea. Foundation and earthquakes : a smaller foundation is good for earthquake resistance as it will more readily float with the earthquake waves, instead of grinding at the structure with the power a foundation firmly in earth's shaking grip. I have been in strong earthquakes and seen the ground ripple and swirl similar to water, in Santa Barbara, California. I have also watched an earth wave approach at great speed across open land, in the San Francisco Bay area. Solid earth behaves like water during an earthquake, the foundation of a light yet strong shelter should not be so large as to interfere with floatation during earth waves.

The work crew was made up of cousins, brothers and friends who ranged in age from 13 to 28. I asked what the message on the shirt meant. "I don't know," began the answer, which quickly expanded to, "I'm not actually against stuff ... truth and justice is all we need."

Winter was already pressing so the first goal was to simply go around and secure the bottom to window height. The reed test wall plastered as easily as the bamboo and willow sections, though reeds seem a little weak in comparison. It will be interesting to examine the various finished walls and compare strength when they are finished next spring, 2011.

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