Post Apoc buildings

[nduffy]

So what sort of building materials and buildings would you see PA. I know traditional , log homes, adobe, recycled materials, etc. But what other buildings or styles would the teams see PA, 150 years later? We know many towns would still be in operation, but how would they fair with the potential lack of upkeep or potential lack of skilled people to maintain them... I can see many rural or country mountain folks doing ok, especially those in Appalachia (The hillbillies and mountain folk) The homesteaders and preppers getting by, but what about Joe Schmo? Also I think a skill like primitive engineering would be an added bonus to any team. Any thoughts?

[mmartin798]

With the relative ease to make things like Portland cement, mortar, plaster, lumber, and nails I would expect to see a resurgence of late 18th and early 19th-century building techniques in use in the larger settlements. By the time 150 years have passed, those materials should be easily traded and spread far and wide and be used in other communities as well. In some places, you would see the recycled materials mixed with these building materials.

In more isolated areas, you might see some really primitive techniques used. Things like tipis, wigwams, and longhouses using birch bark and hides to cover them. Plant fibers and inner bark fibers used to make cordage and ropes. It would be easy to get logs as well. I was at a primitive skill gathering one year where one person made a stone ax in about a day. We had a contest between it and a steel hatchet of similar size cutting down a tree. The steel hatchet did win, but only by about five seconds. So I do agree that primitive engineering would be a good skill.

[nduffy]

I had close the same idea, I can see a lot of recycle of materials and old towns looking like something from an old western to a Victorian style brick structure when I think about it, even towns still having a 20s -50s look to them.

[nduffy]

How do you think they would handle sanitation. I can see both ends of the spectrum on this.

[mmartin798]

I think enough people will know enough about sanitation so that we don't have widespread emptying of chamber pots from second-story windows onto the streets. Use of outhouses would seem likely. I think there would also be places where they may place the outhouses too close to water sources that could lead to contamination and diseases.

[nduffy]

Having grownup in the house of the head 91s (Army MOS) back in the day, and being in the water industry and holding licenses. I can easily see water borne issues. This is were I see the MP really excelling and helping people. Also making allies and winning folks over. Anything preventative in general...

[nduffy]

Anyone familiar with Rammed Earth homes, Earthships and Adobe or mud brick construction? All are fairly easy to do as low tech, also straw bail buildings. I actually saw a straw bail home built and was super impressed with its insulation and strength. I have an acquaintance that built a home in South Texas made of rammed earth and it is very impressive. Also the same on insulation value. They added Portland to the mix and also sealed the external walls to help repel water. It is surprisingly cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I can see these as common architecture as well as Earthships (recycled garbage homes).

[CraigD6er]

I think that, for whatever flavour apocalypse you have, in most scenarios we would see far more buildings than the survivors need. Even excluding buildings in hot zones, the die off will be so great that people can just move into an abandoned house (or even re-purpose old stores and offices at a pinch). Brick, stone and adobe structures will last as weather proof shelters for a considerable time without any skilled maintenance needs. Old time log cabins and barns have lasted for many decades with minimal work, which shouldn't be beyond anyone that survives the first few years of an apocalypse. Beyond that, it will be a case of whatever is locally available to effect repairs, scavenged from within a few miles because no one will be transporting materials far. A brick house would have a tin extension out back, and a wooden shed/log cabin will be added when the local source of tin and bricks run out. Anyone that finds a lorry load of empty cans will be selling them as flat tiles for walls and roofing. Going 150 years down the road from the event, inhabited buildings will be a real mix-match of styles and materials, and will grow with the family as few people will travel beyond their local area for many years to come.
For a good idea of a small p.a. community and the homes of the survivors, The Wild Shore by Kim Stanley Robinson gives lots of ideas.

[Matt W]

Recycled Materials.

I think CraigD6er is right. The "chrome" could be the materials that have been used to REPAIR the buildings. I suspect there wouldn't be much need for NEW buildings

For example, if the apocalypse involved nuclear weapons, there would be a lot of broken windows. I would expect that window glass would become a valuable trade good - and you wouldn't see single-pane windows. A window might be made from multiple/small pieces of glass (held together by wood,or lead). If there is no glass, old plastic bottles could be recycled as a useful (semi-transparent) building material. Or, if you want to be organic, horn or skin from mutant animals.

Older heating methods might be necessary (no electric heating) but open fireplaces are not possible when there's no chimney. Therefore, you might see the construction of pot-bellied stoves and similar techniques. A chimney made from old car exhausts...

Ambitious communities might have "new" types of street lighting. This could be as primitive as oil lanterns hung from the original street lights.

[nduffy]

Earthships come to mind when talking about recycled buildings. Made of upcycled or recycled materials.

https://www.earthshipglobal.com/

Old propane tanks can be turned into heaters, smokers and even grills as well as old water heaters. I know a welder who loves using old stainless steel tanks from water heaters and making grills and smokers out of them. Also washers and dryers have drums that are very usable for such things. I even have a buddy who turned an old fridge into a cold smoker for doing fish... I can see lots of ingenious uses for many modern conveniences that would not be functional in a PA world unless they had power and some repair maintenance knowledge..
Recycle would and could be very profitable to anyone willing to go into the cities and scrounge for stuff..