The introduction of small blocks, arches and trees complicates the transmission of forces. Apart from the danger of the arch falling down and injuring or killing someone during or after construction, there are considerable overturning moments on the pillars (both with or without the trees). Get a qualified civil or structural engineer to do a design for you before attempting to build anything like this. If you change the arches to something with tensile strength, such as timber or steel, a registered building practitioner may be able to do a design for you.Other loads they will have to take into account include foundation conditions (settlement or seasonal shrinkage/swelling can be a major problem), wind loads (especially on the trees!!!), earthquake loads/effects and the possibility of people climbing on the structure (particularly the arches).
Keep in mind that children have been seriously injured or killed by something as simple as putting a basketball hoop on a brick wall that isn't designed for that load.
So, having got that out of the way, the background to what I have sketched is:
a concept for a personal "Stonehenge" in one's own backyard - but not as done at Stonehenge, one that has more of nature and more curves in it, both of which are features I love (and hence my desire to build and live in a dome house - see here).
Furthermore, this design is meant to be built out of smaller segments that, whilst still requiring some sort of cranage (and thus another reason to get professional help), is infinitely more manageable than the sort of large chunks of stone used for Stonehenge and other monoliths.
To make these smaller blocks, I would use a variation of pisé de terre, where I use the technique only to create the blocks, and add some epoxy/concrete and chopped basalt fibres (see here, here, here, here, here and here) for tensile strength and resistance to wear / weathering. I haven't bothered to try and do a mix design.For those worried about the use of concrete (which used to include me), read this Wild Hunt article, about a Kemetic temple built using concrete.
The other non-standard detail I would use is chevron-shaped cross-sections, to help hold the joints together. I'd probably still use a mortar in the joints, but I may also put a silastic edge in as well, to give the structure a little flexibility.
So, what does this idea involve? Well, look at the sketches below.
This is all somewhat challenging to build (although it would be wonderful to experience the combination of living plant, crystal and earth energies). I've also had some thoughts about making a lightweight henge out of a framework of copper pipe, covered with copper sheet. What I have in mind for that is something smaller, that could be set up inside a meditation room, perhaps - light enough to be portable, and to not stress the floor. If you like the rectangular blocks of Stonehenge, you could make something similar, stand up the columns and then lay the cross pieces over them (I would suggest some sort of clip / spike on top of the columns: although this is light, it would still hurt to have one fall on you, and it would not be good if one was meditating at the time), but I personally would still go for the round opening shape.
The down side with this one is that copper is not cheap ...
If I can, I will post a sketch of what I have in mind, at some stage.
I hope someone finds themself in a position to make one of these - either one. I would love to see one in the physical, oe even a photo, not just my imagination :)
[2] Please
see here, here and my post "The
Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons
I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2,
although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather
engagingly - to be the Earth edition of
"The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").
[3] I apologise for the formatting: it seems Blogger is
no longer as WYSIWYG as it used to be, and there are a lot of unwanted
changes to layout made upon publishing, so I often have to edit it immediately
after publishing to get the format as close to what I want as possible.Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr, Pagan Energy Worker, Wéofodthegn
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix
Lux … aka Morinehtar … would-be drýicgan or maga
... )
My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this
site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.
I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue
(see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me
for a few minutes at some time between 8 and 11 PM on Sunday, wherever you are,
to meditate-clear for peace), and here
for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend
learning how to flame, ground
and shield, do alternate
nostril breathing, work
with colour, and see also here and be
flexible.
The real dividing line is not between
Christianity and Islam, Sunni and Shia, East and West. It is between people who
believe in coexistence, and those who don’t.
Tom Fletcher, Former UK
Ambassador to Lebanon
Tags: artificer, crystals, stone henge, tools,
First published: Manadagr, 12th October, 2015
Last edited (excluding fixing typo's
and other minor matters): Monday, 12th October, 2015
