[Greenbuilding] Flyash anyone? Radioactivity Threat--Portland Cement Misinformation Campaign???

Fri May 30 10:38:42 CDT 2008

We did some extensive internet research on the flyash radioactivity issue 
and found a scientific paper that said it was as radioactive as brick or any 
standard earth-based building material that emits radon--this info was in 
accordance with a remark on the flyash thread...which led me to wonder 
whether the flyash scare was "tobacco science" put out by the cement 
industry...

Cheers,

Mary Bull, Co-director
Greenwood Earth Alliance, Save the Redwoods - Boycott the Gap Campaign
252 Frederick, San Francisco, CA 94117 http://www.gapsucks.org
Chalice Farm and Sustainable Living Center, 748 Montgomery Rd, Sebastopol CA 
95472
415-731-7924 - 415-509-1188 chalicenew at earthlink.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Beatrice Dohrn" <beatricedohrn at yahoo.com>
To: <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 10:50 PM
Subject: [Greenbuilding] Flyash anyone?

> Nice thread.  THe ICF I am using is not polystyrene.  Made form 
> demineralized woodchips.  Inserts can be mineral wool, polyiso,  or 
> polysty.
>
> I know that some of you can apply yourself to my flyash quandry though.
>
> To repeat:
>
> I have read the back and forth about flyash that went on some time ago, 
> and read the various attachments about the radioactivity issue.  I gather 
> that as long as I don't get a particularly noxious supply of flyash in my 
> concrete,  my house will be as safe as any.
>
> My question is how -- in very pratical terms --  I should go about 
> assuring that I am not getting a noxious supply. I don't think buying and 
> learning to use a geiger counter is likely to be practical.  I mean,  if I 
> have to I will,  but if that's the way to gomaybe the $ isb etter spent on 
> hiring a person who knows how.
>
> I know that I will have to test the concrete that comes to my site 
> somehow.... but I cannot imagine sending a full truck back on pour day... 
> so I am trying to figure out how to interview and test my suppliers at 
> their plant in hopes that this will mean that what I get sent will not 
> need to be sent back.
>
> Insights on how to organize this?  Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Beatrice Dohrn
> 541 746 1919 (h)
> 347 589 9053 (c)
>
>
> --- On Thu, 5/29/08, Robert Tom <ArchiLogic at yahoo.ca> wrote:
>
>> From: Robert Tom <ArchiLogic at yahoo.ca>
>> Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Word for today: Wythe (was Re: Let's get 
>> practicalabout Flyash)
>> To: "GB REPP" <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
>> Date: Thursday, May 29, 2008, 7:53 PM
>> On Thu, 29 May 2008 21:12:12 -0400, Bob Korves
>> <bkorves at winfirst.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >>>>  instead of ICFs, ... might want to
>> consider a double-wythe CMU
>> >>>> sandwich wallwith Roxul (ie
>> non-plast-echh!, fire-proof,
>> >>>> insect-immune, drainage capacity)
>> >>>> super-insulation bewteen the wythes.
>>
>>
>> >  Roxul makes quite a few different products. Which did
>> you have in mind
>> > for using between masonry walls for
>> > super-insulation, Tom?
>>
>> Well Korves, any and all of them would be fine.
>>
>> All of the product lines are basically the same material
>> with the same
>> qualities WRT
>> immunity to fire, insects and mould and all of them are
>> water-repellent
>> yet vapour permeable and have the capacity to drain once
>> the hydrostatic
>> pressure is relieved, should water somehow be forced into
>> the material.
>>
>> About the only real difference between product lines is
>> density, with
>> corresponding variations in compression resistance and
>> R-value.
>>
>> But Roxul isn't the only material that would be
>> suitable. Any material
>> with the same properties would do fine. ie NOT cellulose,
>> fibreglass, straw
>>
>> But just in case there might be any confusion, the
>> superinsulation would
>> come from appropriate thickness rather than any special
>> characteristic of
>> the material.
>>
>> -- 
>> === * ===
>> Rob Tom
>> Kanata, Ontario, Canada
>> < A r c h i L o g i c  at chaffY a h o o  dot  c a >
>> manually winnow the chaff from my edress in your reply
>>
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