Genset shed ideas needed

[captfred]

Chris,

Steel buildings can be pre-fab'd for most any size - I believe some manufacturers have designs for tool sheds: try a google search.  I would imagine, at the very least a concrete pad would be required - 2 cy I'd guess.

From reading your earlier posts I can relate to living in Hurricane (my case Typhoon but same thing) country.  One thing I've learned with my listeroid; ya don't have to worry about the bloody thing blowin' away in a "big blow" , worst case scenario, the gen-shack blows away, so just rebuild it (your only worry might be the st-head - and some flying debris).

Another thought on frame construction and storms - hurricane straps used during construction work wonders - sure theres nothing new there.  I also use wire rope chokers over my tin roofed outdoor kitchen - a little insurance for the hurricane straps used in the roof frames.

Cheers, Fred

[phaedrus]

Underground exhaust is starting to look like a good idea for me - but a lot of work to build. The existing stack, which I had planned to run up to 25 feet, spews soot, which rains down on everything and comes off only with organic solvents - soap and water won't touch it. This has the potential to create domestic problems.

I plan to leave in place but cap the existing stack and weld a new pipe, 3 inch sched 40 (stainless if I can scavenge some), that goes underground, conveying the exhaust into a dry bed of drain rock, similar to a septic leech line, about 50 feet long. The steel pipe giving way to a leaky concrete tunnel made from block. The far end terminus will be visible as a river-rock round gravel bed. This should, in theory, act as a coalescing filter - from which, with luck, the soil mycelia and bacteria ought to scavenge the carbon and hydrocarbon waste. It may be that the NOx is used by these organisms in the Canadian experiment - producing N in a biologically usable form - just a hunch.

According to my plan the first material to place in the trench is woody waste - to encourage and "seed" fungi to make it more likely that it will work. Then crushed rock, the concrete block, then round drain rock, then soil, except at the terminus - about 8' circle.

[kltrider]

CUJET:
I recommend a 10 foot container for your needs. This is based on my use of a similar unit, only 20 feet in that case. If you need to sound proof it, rock wool panels inside with a dead air space between them and the container walls will do wonders. I have no interest, financial or otherwise in this company, other than as a very satisfied customer.
http://affordablespacetrailers.com/
Also, If you don't want to go to Orlando, Armelini Trucking here in Palm City has some containers to sell. Again, no financial interest, etc.
I used a 20 footer that I purchased with a damaged floor to build my services and utilities space on the farm in Alabama where I hope to retire in a few years. Removed the remains of the wood, poured the floor with concrete and added the mounts for generator and engine bases, water heater and pumps, heat exchanger and solar controller with panels on the roof. 6 fork lift batteries in the closed end with venting and air management as needed. 15 feet away with a 3.9 liter cummins running at 30KW / 1800RPM all you hear is a light hum and guiet rumble.

[cujet]

kltrider,

I would love a container, but it would require a helicopter to put in place. I can get my John Deere GT325 lawn tractor back there between the trees. But that thing is not capable of that much work.

Chris

[Andre Blanchard]

kltrider,

I would love a container, but it would require a helicopter to put in place. I can get my John Deere GT325 lawn tractor back there between the trees. But that thing is not capable of that much work.

Chris

It will do plenty of work, you just have to go about it a little differently.

I have a mower just a little bigger but it's not a Deere that I use to get all my firewood out of the woods with pulling a 17cf trailer.  After the last mowing I drop off the deck and put on the tire chains, the wheel weights 50lbs each side stay on all year round.  Cutting a 4' wide path to the downed trees is a lot faster then a 7' width needed for the JD B and the much larger trailer.  It does take 4 or 5 loads to equal the full size rig but since the farthest I can get from the wood shed and still be on my land it just a bit over 1000' the extra travel time is not that big of a deal.
And the physiological side effect is that I am more likely to go out a cut when I only have a 1/2 hour or so of time.

Then after the snow gets too deep in the woods about 3 or 4 inches (the last few years that does not happen until after new years) I put a 4' push blade on the mower and that will handle any snowfall up to about 4", more then that and I get out the walk behind blower.

I am wondering how a rammed earth building would handle a Listers vibes.
For my engine building I am thinking about a post and beam with rammed earth infill, then if it crumbles I can just put in some studs and sheet it up.