How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

[Campmaki]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

Well, we just got hit again, only this time the epicenter was directly underneath us. After a few seconds of building, the house started (loudly) violently shaking vertically and it sounded like the windows were going to break. The magnitude (5.3) was strong enough to make the closet hanger bars come down, but other than that, just lost mantel objects and a few pictures blown off the walls.

I ran out to check the oven, but will have to wait til morning to see if there's any visible damage.

I guess if its not snow and cold its earhquakes, hope you masterpiece is still good to go. Wayne

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

Thanks guys. Because of our proximity to the epicenter (2mi) the aftershocks (about every 90min) have become become tedious and tiresome, especially after not sleeping last night. Their intensity and duration last just long enough for us to jump up in case we have to flee.

I checked the oven interior closely and found no visible cracks. My guess is that the dome was between 250-300F after a pizza session last wednesday. I wonder if the oven's residual heat contributed any elasticity and not cracking.

My brother, who happens to live .5mi from the epicenter was not so lucky. Its interesting to note that the bricks in his chimney, without the weight and support a dome provides, would simply shear off in compression the way they did. He did confirm that the 'insulation' between the flue and outer bricks is ordinary portland cement. It's no wonder California code calls for framed houses.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

Glad you are okay and damage is minimal. We are in earthquake country too so and have not had a major one in a long time so knock on wood. Sounds like some brick and utility damage so far hoping no deaths. Best of luck.

[SCChris]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

Yep, John you were really close to the epicenter and the depth was very shallow. We felt it here as 20 seconds of movement. I'm happy to hear that you and your family are doing Ok.

Chris

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

It's only a matter of time before we'll get hit again and be able to assess the quake-worthiness of our ovens...

Well, we just got hit again, only this time the epicenter was directly underneath us. After a few seconds of building, the house started (loudly) violently shaking vertically and it sounded like the windows were going to break. The magnitude (5.3) was strong enough to make the closet hanger bars come down, but other than that, just lost mantel objects and a few pictures blown off the walls.

I ran out to check the oven, but will have to wait til morning to see if there's any visible damage.

[Wiley]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

DeeJayoh,

I'm not sure who that question was directed at but: Yes, I have earthquake insurance. Just because I can afford it and feel at my age I lack both the time and energy to build a new home (spent 4 years building this one.... and some will rightfully claim: "It's not finished yet!" But it's ours and was the day we moved in, no bankers, no mortgage :-)

Besides if "The Big One" actually occurs I expect there will be quite a shortage of materials and labor to construct a new one. We will probably all end up with a FEMA trailer, ugh!

Bests,
Wiley

[deejayoh]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

Your house is probably more likely to collapse before your pizza oven dome. Do you have earthquake insurance on that? I bet like most people, the answer is no.

[Paul_H]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

I appreciate everyone's input. I'm not looking for an oven that will survive every possible quake, but figure for the expense and effort of building it, it should should survive the moderate tremblers it'll certainly be exposed to over.

Stonecutter,

I appreciate the input and after I excavate and level the area I'll probably put down a base of 12" of gravel. Trucks deliver 10yd loads, so depending on the size of the pad I'll be getting 10 or 20 yds of gravel and would rather have a bit more, than a bit less. During the spring melt, there will definately be water flowing over that area. Even though it's still under a foot or two of snow, we're already getting some melting and I saw some water nearby where I have my wood stacked. I also like the idea of an extra thick concrete pad, more for being able to deal with some settling w/o cracking.

Wiley,

Even though we're building in a subdivision in town, we're trying to add as much self sufficiency as possible. We'll have our own, backup power, wood stove, and eventually a greenhouse, small garden and an outdoor cooking area. Pretty much everything in Alaska is shipped in via Bellingham Washington, so a disruption to either the ports in AK or Northern Washington would have an effect on us. And even asside for a large natural disaster, the area we're building faces hurricane force winds annually, roads that can get so iced up you really shouldn't be driving on them for a day or until they lay down gravel, and power outages for somewhere between a day to nearly a week when the winds or ice knock down the power lines.

[Wiley]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

Paul H. My folks lived off Summit Road and had several neighbor's homes destroyed in that quake.

Where I presently live earthquakes are an issue and the powers that be tell us a significant quake is in our future. I built my WFO on the basis (hope/expectation) of having it survive such an event. As for having its survival be the least of my worries rather I would counter that it is significant in my survival plans. If we learn anything from Katrina or any of the storms of just this past winter in any natural disaster of any consequence the quality of ones existence after the event will be due to what planning and preparedness one creates beforehand. One can expect the gov't to prioritize their response according to most bang for the buck. If one lives in a somewhat remote area, as I do...a small island of about 1000 individuals, one cannot expect to get the attention given to Seattle or any other major population area.

This could easily get well off subject but you might consider something akin to my Steel Dome Oven if survivability of an earthquake is important to you.

Hope this helps,
Wiley

[stonecutter]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

I'm sure the Pompeiians (5 mi from Vesuvius) experienced a regular diet of tremors yet even today, its probable they have more ovens than we ever will.

True, but those mass based ovens have tons of masonry to absorb the shock, and these ovens don't.

Having said that, I think most ovens ( the whole structure...not just the dome itself) on here would hold up reasonably well, the way that they built.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

Having grown up in earthquake country, I have experienced dozens of 5.0+ quakes and two 7.0+ quakes. It's only a matter of time before we'll get hit again and be able to assess the quake-worthiness of our ovens. Last week's mag 4.4 (epicenter 30 mi from here) was negligible.

I'm sure the Pompeiians (5 mi from Vesuvius) experienced a regular diet of tremors yet even today, its probable they have more ovens than we ever will.

[stonecutter]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

From what I have seen of frost depth code in AK ( up to 10') I think you would be better off with a thick (12") double rebar grid floating slab on 6"-8" of 3/4" crushed stone....if you are going to build an oven.


Also, if it was me, I would not hesitate to build one on a timber stand. Especially if you didn't want to build a reinforced masonry base - a mortared, bonded cmu stand with grouted, reinforced cells. A timber stand would most likely absorb and distribute mild tremor activity as well as the heavy masonry base, and it probably has greater tensile strength.

[Toomulla]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

If you have been through an earthquake bad enough to wreck your dome I expect that will be the least of your problems

[Paul_H]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

I appreciate the input and hope I wasn't being argumentative. I'm just trying to figure out what I should be worried with and what I shouldn't. I think my bigger concern will be properly prepping the are I'll be building the outdoor kitchen so I don't have issue with frost heaves and jacking.

After getting an online quote to crate and ship a FB Premio 2G110 and finding that would add 50% to the cost of the kit my decision is made on fire brick over a cast dome. I figure with the money I'll save it'll pay for Komado grill, pizza stone and a couple year supply of pizza ingredients and beer.

[Tscarborough]

Re: How to WFO's fare in earthquake country?

UN-reinforced masonry is horrible in earthquakes, but reinforced masonry fares well. The thing about unitary masonry is that all of the cracks are pre-engineered, and overall allow for a fair amount of flexural strength. A dome is inherently stable, and able to withstand vertical and lateral loads. A cast dome is as well, but if it does crack it may cause the structure to collapse, while the unitary masonry dome would not.