The whatever its called WILL DEFEAT the previous poster's image thread.

[porterross]

The Tacoma Narrows was the victim of poor design for wind shear. It had nothing to do with an earthquake.

I'm full of all kinds of such engineering disaster info. that is otherwise useless to normal people. At least we learned from those engineers' mistakes.

 

[synger]

*grumps* fine, fine.... then THIS will defeat wind shear....

 

[RadMan]

Hmm.. what can defeat an earthquake?

Actually underground homes are somewhat earthquake proof since they move with the earth. Conventional homes collapse because they stay stationary when the ground moves so they collapse.

 

[porterross]

Actually underground homes are somewhat earthquake proof since they move with the earth. Conventional homes collapse because they stay stationary when the ground moves so they collapse.

By the bye, I think it should be required that all buildings be built in-ground (or at least a minimal percentage of the overall size), geographically permitted. Just think of the reduced need for electricity and gas to heat and cool them that would be wasted...I mean, consumed.

 

[Tofferer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Fi1VcbpAI

I live out by that bridge. It now sits at the bottom of the narrows with two bridges over it. Believe it or not, there were problems build the second bridge because they didn't want to disturb the rubble of the original.

 

[RadMan]

By the bye, I think it should be required that all buildings be built in-ground (or at least a minimal percentage of the overall size), geographically permitted. Just think of the reduced need for electricity and gas to heat and cool them that would be wasted...I mean, consumed.

I helped build 2 of them years ago when they were newly "innovative". When we finished building the first one we parked a D-6 Caterpillar on top of it to show customers how strong it was. It had six room and a double garage and you could cool the whole thing with a 5K BTU air conditioner. The owner put in a small, barrel wood stove that looked like a toy and heated the whole house. The heating/cooling capacity actually improved more over the years.
Something about conditioning the earth around it by drying and draining throughly with PVC pipe.

 

[porterross]

We'd be a dangerous duo, Rad.

 

[DaRev]

Yuck! I'd rather live in a hole...

...oops... it is a hole...

 

[porterross]

Yuck! I'd rather live in a hole...

...oops... it is a hole...

It's a self-regulating-temperature hole.

 

[DaRev]

It's a self-regulating-temperature hole.

It's still a hole.

 

[porterross]

Technically, it most certainly isn't.

 

[DaRev]

OK, it's a hole with a door.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

 

[Radiata]

 

[DaRev]

 

[RadMan]

We'd be a dangerous duo, Rad.

LOL
I designed an earth-bermed home years ago with minimum wall space and maximum floor coverage. It also incorporated a storage loft and great room. Solar heat for the water system and and extended patio in the front to collect heat during the day and radiate it into the house at night. The house would face south for maximum exposure to the sun in the winter time. The inside concrete floor would have 2 "chases" in the floor divided by a concrete barrier. One was for the electric, plumbing and heating system and ducts. The other was for ventilating cool air by convection from the chase into the house to cool it. The ground being a constant 57 degrees here. There would be a duct system by the patio situated over the ventilating chase and the warm air rising in the ducts would suck cooler air up it and circulate it through the house. This was for the summer time and there would be an awning over the patio so it wouldn't heat the house. The chases would be covered with wood flooring for easy removal and maintanence.

Edited: I guess I shouldn't have posted that here. Anymore on the subject and I will post it in the "nerd" thread in the main TCL forum.

 

[Tofferer]

Edited: I guess I shouldn't have posted that here. Anymore on the subject and I will post it in the "nerd" thread in the main TCL forum.

Bring It!

 

[synger]

I watched Mythbusters. I know what can stop that infernal machine!

 

[mrshoperose]

How about this?

 

[DaRev]