Build An Emergency Shelter + Video EarthBag Lodge

Diagram 1

Emergency Shelter

This Emergency Shelter design is the result of a collaboration between Kelly Hart, host of GreenHomeBuilding.com and Dr. Owen Geiger of www.grisb.org. We came up with this design in response to a plea from aid agencies operating in Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake there. The challenge is to provide quick, safe, decent shelter with minimal tools and supplies to sustain life through the winter. Access to remote areas is extremely difficult, since many roads have been destroyed or blocked by landslides. Because of these and other difficulties, and the fact that winter will create a much more dire situation, fast easy-to-build temporary shelter seems most appropriate.

Disclaimer: The safest option against future quakes is to build permanent houses designed by engineers and architects, with properly reinforced foundations, walls and roofs. However, since time is of the utmost importance, emergency options such as the proposal outlined here need to be considered. Options for turning this temporary shelter into safer, permanent housing are examined below.

Diagram 2

Overview of the design: This design incorporates a round, earthbag structure partially inset into the ground. Rice bags or sandbags are filled with local soil and tamped in place to create the walls. The roof is built with poles salvaged from destroyed buildings, covered with straw, grass, leaves or whatever is available, covered with plastic sheeting or tarps, and bermed with earth to hold in place. The size can vary according to local needs, and therefore dimensions are not shown.

Labor: 90 hours, not including plastering. For example, this structure could be finished by 5 unskilled workers working 6 hours a day for 3 days.

Cost: Approximately $100 US dollars, plus barbed wire, and tarps or plastic sheeting. This assumes salvaged doors, windows, woodstove, stove pipe, etc.

Building options:

This is a cutaway view of what an interior section of the structure might look like.

Picture 3

- Add two strands of 4-point barbed wire between each row of bags about 4-inches from the edge, if available. At a minimum, tie every three rows of earthbags together with baling twine or equivalent.

- Excavated soil can be used to fill the earthbags. They can be tamped by stomping each row with feet if a tamper is not available.

- If available, lightweight volcanic rock such as scoria will create a highly insulated structure.

- If available, place lengths of baling twine perpendicular to the walls between each row of bags to attach stucco mesh in the future.

- Pin wood lintels over door and window openings.

- Use recycled doors and windows when available.

- Windows could be made of adobes set in an angled grid pattern and covered with clear plastic sheeting. Alternatively, just plastic sheeting could serve as temporary windows. If so, two layers are recommended to conserve heat - one on each side of the wall.

- Full-length poles (of adequate size) that span the entire diameter are preferred. These can be pinned to the earthbags with rebar to resist slippage in the event of another earthquake.

- If shorter poles are used, it is important to fasten them together securely. Bolts and washers are recommended instead of nails, which can more readily pull loose and collapse in seismic events.

- Tar or char the base of any wood posts.

- Slope the roof insulation to shed snow and rain away from the building.

- Earthbags must be protected from sunlight with tarps or plastic and plastered as soon as possible.

- One large tarp or piece of plastic sheeting covering the entire structure would reduce leaks.

- Moisten and tamp the earth to create an earthen floor.

- An efficient woodstove is the recommended heating and cooking source. Alternatively, a smoke hole in the roof (with a removable cover) could be added to accommodate a fire pit.

Picture 4

This shows an alternative roof structure that would require a continuous top plate bond beam, or a tension ring made with wire or cable.

There are numerous ways to turn this temporary shelter into safer, permanent housing:

- If at all possible, add a steel reinforced concrete bond beam along the top of the walls.

- Add stucco mesh to each side of the walls and coat with 2 or 3 coats of plaster. Plaster as soon as possible, because the bags will degrade in sunlight. Earthen plaster is best suited for interior use, but can also protect the outside of the walls if regularly maintained.

- Benches along the interior and exterior of walls will help reinforce the structure.

- Optional loft or second story: The earthbag walls could be extended and a wood floor added.

- Permanent roof options: These include a conical roof made of poles; a domed "basket" of woven saplings; wood trusses; or a hexagonal or octagonal roof made of poles or milled lumber. Add durable roofing.

- Ceiling insulation: Most heat loss will be through the ceiling, so it is important to add adequate ceiling insulation. Wool, cotton, straw, and scoria are all suitable.

If you are interested in finding out more about earthbag building, see my general earthbag page http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/earthbag.htm

or the Questions and Answers http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/QandA/earthbagQandA.htm pertaining to earthbags.

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com

See Also: EARTHBAG LODGE - 10 minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnNI7JyfTlA

All information and photos taken from The Earth Magazine May 2008 Issue See: http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/theearth/2008_may.html

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DISCLAIMER

Note: Updated Tuesday 2nd February 2010 6.40pm Sydney Time.

Love For Life does not support harm doing in any shape or form. However, we are supporters of free speech and post articles, documentaries, etc, that represent a wide cross section of ideas. See the Love For Life extensive research library where over 7000 documents, articles and videos are posted: http://loveforlife.com.au/issues. We clearly see the evidence of the destruction to MAN and the earth that has been caused by ALL religions over the centuries and are therefore not supporters of religions, cults, sects or any group that demands conformity of thought, speech or action, or has rules, regulations or rituals that must be followed. Religions, nationalities and cultural "identities" are formed as a result of the brainwashing we receive from childhood. They are part of the tactics the Establishment uses to keep us all divided from one another and fighting one another.

All religions promote discrimination and division, leading to hatred and even violence and murder. None of them have yet to produce a remedy to all the suffering, poverty, unhappiness and discrimination in the world. If any religion truly had the remedy to all the suffering on earth, there would no longer be any suffering. What have Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, atheism and the New Age done to end the suffering in the world?

The Love For Life website has information from all sides on many subjects, whether about Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Law, health, psychology, mind control, vaccination, aspartame, MSG, Chemtrails etc. There are over 6000 articles, documentaries etc on the website and they are so diverse that we are sure that everyone would be able to find something they loved and something they hated, if they took the time to search. If we removed all the articles hated by everyone, there would probably be nothing left! We are not anti anyone but freedom of speech is freedom of speech and no one should condemn the work of another without taking the time to research the subject themselves. Yes, there are articles by those who have a less-than-rosy-viewpoint of Judaism, but there are also articles on the dark side of Tibetan Buddhism (and it is very dark) for those who are interested in the truth: Tibet - Buddhism - Dalai Lama: http://loveforlife.com.au/node/6271 Should the authors of these articles be abused and imprisoned for daring to challenge the widely conceived reputation of Buddhism as being the religion of peace and love and that of the Dalai Lama as a saint, or should those interested be allowed to study the work and come to their own conclusions? The same applies to all the articles, documentaries, etc, about Christianity, Islam, Freemasonry, New World Order, etc.

The Love for Life website also shows how the Rule of Law, the Bar, the Government, the Monarchy, the system of commerce, the local, national and multi/trans-national private corporations, all the courses and careers on offer from our universities, all the educators, scientists, academics and experts, the aristocrats and the Establishment bloodlines have also done NOTHING to end the suffering in the world. The website maps the insanity of a world where there is no help for those in need, just as there was no help available for us when we were victims of terrible bank fraud: http://loveforlife.com.au/court_case (orchestrated, condoned and protected by an international crime syndicate/terrorist organisation of judges, barristers, registrars, lawyers, politicians, banksters, big business representatives, media moguls and other lackeys who, all together, put up a wall of silence despite our trying many, many avenues. After the family home was stolen and business destroyed we were left close to poverty and destitution caring for 4 young daughters. Three years later not much has changed regardless of all our efforts. Where were all the followers of all the religions to help us? Or do we have to be members of those religions to receive help from others involved in them?

We have been accused of being anti - Jewish because we had posted an excerpt from James von Brun's book: Kill the Best Gentiles! http://loveforlife.com.au/node/6054 in which he blames Jews for the problems of the world. Obviously this is not our view because of what we have stated above. We do not hate anyone, whatever religion they follow. We are always open to talk to any religious leader or politician and meet with any judge, member of the Bar, experts, academics, educators etc to share the remedy we offer that heals all the divisions between MAN and MAN, and MAN and the EARTH.

Today, a representative of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies is threatening to close the website down, because they have decided it is anti - Jewish and that we promote racism. What has the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies done to end the suffering in the world? Can they show that they are concerned with the suffering of ALL men, women and children AND ARE SEEN TO BE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT or are they only concerned with Jewish affairs? If so, they, along with all the other religions that only care for their own, are part of the problem, not part of the solution. The man who rang Arthur today was only concerned with Jewish affairs; he was not interested in our intentions or in anybody else, just as most Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Catholics, etc, are only interested in their own. While we separate ourselves into groups, dividing ourselves from others with rules, regulations, rituals, procedures and conditions, we will never solve our problems.

No matter what we in the Western World Civilisation of Commerce have been promised by our politicians, religious leaders, scientists, educators, philosophers, etc, for the past two hundred years, all we have seen is ever-increasing destruction of men, women and children and the earth. None of the so-called experts and leaders we have been taught to rely on are coming up with a solution and none of them are taking full-responsibility for the fact that they can't handle the problem. All religious books talk about end times full of destruction and suffering but why do we have to follow this program when there is an alternative to hatred, mayhem and death? Why are our leaders following the program of destruction and death rather than exploring the alternatives? It seems that any mainstream politician, priest or academic are only interested in supporting the RULES OF THE DIVIDE, that maintain the haves and the have nots. For 200+ years, 99% of the world population have been so trained to pass on their responsibility for themselves, others and the earth, that the 1% of the population that make up the leaders of the rest of us are making all the decisions leading to the destruction of all of us and the earth. Let's not forget the education system that brainwashes the 99% of the population that we are free and have equal rights while, in fact, we are feathering the nests of those at the top.

At the root of all our problems is self-centredness, an unwillingness nurtured by the Establishment that keeps us concerned only with our own needs rather than the needs of others around us and the Earth. Instead of creating and releasing acts of love for those around us as gifts to benefit them and the earth, we take, take and take, until there is nothing left. The whole point of the Love for Life website is to show people the root of all our problems and to share the remedy. The extensive research library is there to attract browsers and to provide access to information not available through mainstream channels. If the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies can, after careful examination of our work, prove that anything we are saying is wrong, we will be happy to accept their proof. If they cannot, and they are still insistent on closing the website down, they will be showing themselves to be traitors to MAN because they are not interested in pursuing any avenue that can end the suffering in the world.

All religions, corporations and organisations that support and maintain the Western World Civilisation of Commerce are part of the problem because our civilisation is a world of haves and have nots, racism, violence, hatred, poverty, sickness, discrimination, abuse, starvation, homelessness, corruption, collusion, vindictiveness, social unrest, arrogance, ignorance, fear, war and chaos. While we support civilisation, we support death and destruction because ALL civilisations that have ever existed are apocalyptic by design.

If we truly want peace on earth and freedom for all, we have to let go of all that which keeps us divided, and come together as MAN, conscious living co-creators of creation. The Love For Life website offers a remedy to the problems we all face in the form of DO NO HARM COMMUNITIES: http://loveforlife.com.au/node/3641 For more details see here: http://loveforlife.com.au/node/6511 and here: http://loveforlife.com.au/node/3385 - We also highly recommend that everyone read the brilliant Russian books called The Ringing Cedars: http://loveforlife.com.au/node/1125 - The Love For Life homepage/front-page also provides lots of inspiring remedy based information: http://loveforlife.com.au - If you want to be kept up to date with our work please register to the Love For Life mailing list here: http://loveforlife.com.au/content/09/05/14/campaign-mailing-list We usually send two postings per month. Presently there are over 4600 registrations reaching over 200,000 readers globally. The website now receives over 7 million strikes per month with January 2010 reaching almost 7.2 million strikes.

Conscious Love Always
Arthur and Fiona Cristian
Love For Life
17th June 2009