Roman Arch, Concrete earth buried above grade Wine/Root Cellar

Hello All,

It's your old pal Rusty, from Ory-Gone

Props to Paul for putting forward the idea of the Wofati. That really intrigued me.

Using the Earth as a thermal flywheel to "Heat and "Cool" your structure.

I like the idea, period.

Some problems I had with idea though:

The use of wood as critical support for the structure. Uhh! NO!!

I'm from a place with 60 to 100 inches of rain a year, won't work for me.


3 layers of paper and plastic and Black Locust poles, I know, I know, I will
plant some this year as a N-Fixer but I need a cellar this year.


So I looked around, concrete lasts a long time around here, even with the rain.

Hmm, concrete, I want to cover a concrete structure in earth and have it last

and drain.


Mike Oehler in panhandle ID, Pine/Fir - Okay, but not in the OR coast range.
may work for a year or two, but......

So my idea.... build a concrete "Roman Arch" above grade, that will naturally drain.

So.. I have started to build it.

check the pics


It' 6' x 12'

still finishing the arch. I was going to use rebar to "hold" the
cinder blocks in blocks in place untill the mortar set.

That won't work.

So I am going to build a metal arch, with lathe, the mortar that. then add gravel and
concrete, and just "Pour" the arch.

Then ass-phaltium, a "Flying buttress" with tarps, T Posts and packed dirt.

Then cover it and add 2 doors.

I will try to update this as it progresses and put ayoutuber up about it.

Cheers!