THE UPPER KEYA PAHA TRADING CO.
1310 East Old US 18 - P. O. Box 785
Antelope Community - Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation
Mission, South Dakota, U.S.A.  57555-0785
THE UPPER KEYA PAHA
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   The evolution of the design for my dream home has taken some time.  But like a fine wine, “It’s not ready before it’s time!”  As I stated earlier, I planned on building a geodesic home.  Since then I have looked at about every different type of home, even stick built.  I have researched about every style of log construction from traditional chink to scribed fit, expanded log construction, cordwood construction (it has definite benefits), and others.  I have looked at tire earthships, rammed earth, straw bale, sod, cement, rock, railroad ties, pole building, expanded tar paper shanty, above ground, below ground, on the ground, even a cave, or about everything you can imagine.
   The driving force that brought the evolution of earth bermed soil cement modified saltbox design about was the weather on the South Dakota prairie.  The average below ground temperature is approximately 57 degrees.  It seems the wind always blows.  I’ve been told that it is because Montana and North Dakota blows and Nebraska sucks (a little interstate humor).  Living underground would probably be the best style of house but I don’t think or feel like a rodent.  Thus earth bermed!
   Presently I’m employed by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Office of Water Resources.  The original program I started under was Safety of Dams.  So far we have rehabilitated three of ten dams in the program.  Our first project was Rosebud Dam which is located at the confluence of the east and west branches of Rosebud Creek at Rosebud, SD.  Our contract architechural & engineering firm, Harza Engineering of Chicago, was conducting research on materials to provide overtopping protection for the dam.  Their consultant has experience working on dams of the Tennessee Valley Authority which has used roller compacted concrete for overtopping protection.
   Roller compacted concrete defined is simple.  The ingredients are sand, gravel, flyash, concrete, and just enough water to make the concrete react.  This material is then transported to the site and placed in lifts about two feet deep and eight feet wide with a small dozer then compacted with a vibratory roller to make the material paste. The next lift is offset about two feet.  These eventually look like a giant set of stairs.  Their purpose is to prevent dam failure should they be overtopped by flood water.  Essentially the whole dam structure is tranformed into a giant emergency spillway.

   To establish a design mix for the roller compacted concrete for Rosebud Dam, a materials testing lab located in Rapid City, SD, was used.  The irony is that the Rapid City Flood of 1972 which killed over 200 people and many never found when Canyon Lake Dam failed spurred the Dam Safety Act of 1972.  It wasn’t until 1978 when a tailings dam failed killing several at a bible camp in Georgia that then President Jim Carter signed and excutive order putting money into the Act.  Since the the Bureau of Reclamation has conducted about 50,000 Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams studies on dams throughout the country.  For the tests materials were obtained from the sources available to the tribe to establish what quantities would make the best mix design for our needs at Rosebud Dam. 
   I wondered if local material would work for this process.  I used a GSA Dodge Dakota to haul 2/3 of a cubic yard of local pit run material the 185 miles to Rapid City.  After hours of testing materials, crushed granite from Hot Springs (175 mi.), sand from near Burke (90 mi.), concrete form Rapid City (185 mi), and flyash from Omaha (350 mi.)(parenthesis indicate haul miles from Rosebud).  Everyone concluded the test were done but my question was, “What about the local pit run material I hauled all the way to Rapid City?”  I got a kind of blank look from everyone.  On the first test the consultant said, “It probably won’t paste.”  It pasted beautifully.  Cylinders were taken for strenghth test.  We all headed for our homes.  Later the cylinder break tests on the local material broke at 3,000 pounds per square inch without any reenforcement.  If the flyash was eliminated and more concrete tests should increase.  I found my building material.  Thus soil cement.
   Back in the late 1700’s a type of house was built in the New England area.  The two story house.  As the family grew the back side was added on with a single floor.  The back of the house roof line was extended from the peak to cover the addition.  This style became known as the saltbox house because of it’s shape.  In the design of my dream home I used the same shape only it covers both floors of my design.  By using more roof (pole barn style truss and steel) and less walls, less exterior surface needs to be maintenanced plus allows for easy retrofit to add solar panels for heat and hot water.  Thus modified saltbox!