Foundations

Foundations were dug using a TLB.
According to Engineer specification the strips had to be 1 meter wide, reinforced with 10mm re-bar (round) and had to be filled with concrete 250mm thick. The problem with this method is: concrete, re-bar and of cause the TLB are not the most sustainable choices when it comes to building an eco-friendly house. Concrete and the re-bar which is made from steel, constitute a large amount of embodied energy. In other words, the amount of CO2 emissions pumped into the atmosphere during the manufacturing and transportation of these materials makes them rather eco-unfriendly.

A geo-engineer did a number soil tests on the building site and determined sufficient un-stable soil for the structural engineer to specify the re-enforcing of the strip foundations. Also there was not enough natural rock in the surrounding area to use for the foundations. What rock there was in the local area, will be used to built some of the exterior walls.
Also, we decided that if the foundations were not strong enough and they cracked or moved in 10 years time, the project as a whole would be a failure and hardly sustainable!