A UC Davis civil engineer is busy architecting a new way to build houses that won’t burn in fire-prone California.
Dr. Michele Barbato employed an age-old tradition to create his contemporary design using blocks of mud to withstand natural disasters. Barbato compared his blocks to homes in New Mexico, which survive fires, as well as tornados and hurricanes.
Current houses in California are mostly constructed with wood, making the home highly flammable. Barbato explained that the blocks he engineered are made of "soil, water, cement, and a chemical stabilizer."
This fireproof design is also affordable.
"It really depends on the soil that you have available at the location," the engineer said. "The idea is to use what you have under your feet so that you can really keep the cost low because the material is free."
The current task is to shape the blocks to accommodate plumbing, wiring and HVAC. Then, the trick will be finding someone who knows how to build the future-thinking mud house.
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