Using Corrugated Metal for Both Roof Structure and Enclosure.

Re: Using Corrugated Metal for Both Roof Structure and Enclosure.

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 05:52:25 +0000

Casimo, what heavy materials are used for roofs in NM? And do you know how the adobe walls are reinforced? We've got to find the proper balance among thermal management, use of local materials and labor, and seismic safety. Nepal is seismically quite active — more like California than New Mexico. Falling roofs are typically the main cause of death during earthquakes in this region of the world.

I'm currently thinking of a layer of tin as being the inner lining of the roof, as opposed to the entire roof itself. Built over this would be a thatched roof a foot or more higher than the tin (to shade the tin from the sun in the summer and the night sky in the winter), with the intervening space being filled with rice straw (to act as insulation). Not as good as adobe from a thermal perspective, but a whole lot safer in an earthquake.

Re: Using Corrugated Metal for Both Roof Structure and Enclosure.

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 04:38:44 +0000

Folks:

I'm in New Mexico, so I'm practically drowning in adobe, and I'm a big enthusiast of the material. One perspective that comes from adobe environments, and really any vernacular system, is that the really good architecture here is really understated — its really just simple stacked cubic forms, with good proportions and social space. There's a whole world of quiet, beautiful solutions that don't yell out "innovative" but really are.

Corrugated metal is a rough match with adobe. It has quite the opposite thermal behavior and can conflict with the thermal strategies of adobe. Adobe is really slow thermally — it absorbs heat, creating a 12 hour lag, bringing daytime winter heat into the building by night time, or keeping summer heat from hitting the interior until afternoon. Metal sheets just heat and cool right away. So heavier roofs are the traditional complement to mass walls. That said, maybe there is some way to play these against each other for the ventilation issues on the server closet. A rooftop wind catch in corrugated, maybe, above the closet.

Re: Using Corrugated Metal for Both Roof Structure and Enclosure.

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:35:40 +0000

[2007/12/16 14:03] Omei Turnbull: I'm looking at it now.
[2007/12/16 14:09] Omei Turnbull: Interesting idea. Do you have any experience to know about its structural properties?
[2007/12/16 14:11] Theory Shaw: nope, unfortunately… but i've had enough structures classes in school… to know it's possible… to what extent, i'm not sure.
[2007/12/16 14:11] Theory Shaw: would be nice to bring some structural engineers in to take a look at it.
[2007/12/16 14:12] Omei Turnbull: I'm kind of like you, I guess. Some notion of structural engineering, but nothing hard core. (not even a formal class)
[2007/12/16 14:13] Omei Turnbull: I did notice that the construction budget has been increased quite a lot though, so that does open up more possibilities for using non-local materials.
[2007/12/16 14:14] Omei Turnbull: I've been investigating adobe as the primary building material. But then, how to make it earthquake resilient?
[2007/12/16 14:14] Theory Shaw: i've taken 3 structural classes in architecture school to know it's possible… would need a engineer though to give the more detail parameters.
[2007/12/16 14:17] Theory Shaw: for me, i'm not going to get into much detail on trying to earthquake proof it… there are standard methods i'm sure in the reason we would use… i'm thinking this competion is looking for more broad stroke measures.. verses how specific details are put together.
[2007/12/16 14:17] Theory Shaw: it's a balance either way
[2007/12/16 14:18] Omei Turnbull: At some level I'm sure you're right. They can't expect many people to really understand the local conditions well enough to know exactly what materials and skills are available….
[2007/12/16 14:19] Omei Turnbull: But from what I've seen, trying to build something out of local materials puts a lot of constraints on the design.
[2007/12/16 14:20] Theory Shaw: yeah… they give nil amount of information on site and local materials and methods… Otrober actually called OAN awhile back and they even said they are looking for more broad stroke ideas, verses exact, detailed plans… that's why OAN has only given out some much information.
[2007/12/16 14:22] Theory Shaw: for sure… i feel we should concentrate on using local material and methods (infered from photos)… perhaps in using them innovatively… like using corrugated metal for the roof sturucture, amongh other ideas.
[2007/12/16 14:23] Theory Shaw: demonstrate innovation in material use, verses detailing out standard construction methods.
[2007/12/16 14:23] Theory Shaw: imho
[2007/12/16 14:24] Omei Turnbull: Yes, a lightweight roof is important for seismic safety, and corrugated metal sounds really good there.
[2007/12/16 14:26] Omei Turnbull: I was actually thinking of a dual roof. The lower roof, tied to the building, could be metal. Then, a slightly higher shade roof, made of bamboo and thatching perhaps, to keep the sun off in the summer and to limit radiative loss on clear, cold winter nights.
[2007/12/16 14:27] Theory Shaw: totally!… i'm down.
[2007/12/16 14:27] Theory Shaw: i'm going to paste this convo… in the forum, if you don't object.
[2007/12/16 14:27] Omei Turnbull: Not at all.

Using Corrugated Metal for Both Roof Structure and Enclosure.

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:52:25 +0000

Here's a quick video (w/ audio) that illustrates possibly using corrugated metal as both a roof structure and enclosure, eliminating the need to use rafters or beams. I'm not a structural engineer, but feel this could work in some fashion. Any feedback would be great.

video: http://sketchcast.com/view/y4q8BS1/