EarthCrete Systems

Cast in place reinforced concrete is the most durable and catastrophe resistant method of construction. But it's heavy stuff to work with and the forming for it can constitute 2/3 of the cost. Eliminate the forming expense and all of a sudden incredible value is at hand.

 

The desirability is predicated on the notion of "resource efficiency".  The Cavity Wall System (CWS) utilizes two different kinds of concrete; the first one is the regular type with which everyone is familiar. One can have it delivered by the ton or yard and it slides down the truck chute hopefully very close to its final resting place as it's very heavy and may be stiff to work with. Confining this stuff takes a very sturdy enclosure. Any defect in the enclosure (form) and one quickly inherits the mother of all problems.
 
There is a second kind of concrete that is hardly ever seen or used. That is lightweight concrete. It's a much more tricky kind to make and work with. The benefit is one can carry a five gallon bucket without much straining. If it's made into something useful and smallish in size that product can be easily manually handled. It will still feel heavy the more it's carried, but it's manageable. A great net result is that one can get very strong using it and amazingly constructive results are possible if employed in a clever manner.
 
I've had over twenty years of experience (trial and error) to find the most clever and economical way to build. It uses both types of concrete of course taking advantage of the best features of each. The system features a patented technique using lightweight concrete as a stay in place cavity wall for forming poured in place steel reinforced concrete structures. The one step exposed surface is glass smooth, a palette awaiting sublime artistry using a myriad of available acid stains.

 

How to attach panels together is the heart of the patent. As lightweight concrete is poured into molds, pieces of expanded steel are securely embedded into the panel, projecting perpendicularly out the backside. Expanded steel is a low cost high strength steel configuration stretched into a most efficiently structural form. There is no stronger tenacious attachment and bond possible. They are spaced on 12" centers uniformly for consistent alignment and the key is the overlap. When the overlap is bolted together, a double thickness is clamped together. The panels are simply and very effectively joined together creating a "cavity" or "container" wall. The wall is a bulk receptacle for an ultimate versatility of applications.  Picture Needed

 

My first attempt to accomplish a cavity wall required six connections. It revealed itself to be too cumbersome and laborious. It almost looks silly now compared to the single connection. Picture Needed

 

The second provision of the patent is splining the panel edges together. Splines work by creating a narrow slot in which a protrusion (a strip of material) fits snugly within. This is the least amount of material method to effectively lock components together in alignment yet free to move in one dimension. Picture Needed
 
The panel assembly can be locked together by a multitude of methods, from utilizing an internal cavity reinforced concrete (normal weight) column/beam frame to a filling the cavity with dirt embedding the expanded steels into total rigidity. A finished wall system simply made from bulk materials offers an astonishingly inexpensive mega-durable construction. The inherent thermal mass alternatives allow energy efficiency and solar applications that can eliminate burning fuel for heating and cooling. This system can launch us into a new era of secure affordable housing. The simple operations of construction can utilize and employ virtually anyone.

 

I invite you to respond with your perceptions at the cavity wall blog.  Include Link?