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Far from the misconceptions of morose , damp , moldy - smelling structures , today ’s concrete home can be designed to stand up to uttermost conditions , rising heat and cooling costs , and originate haphazardness contamination — and look good doing it .
“ The biggest misconception is ‘ I ’m function to live in a cave . ’ The world is if you were to take past concrete homes , you could n’t assure any difference . They can be finish to look like any other theater on any other street , ” say Donn Thompson of thePortland Cement Association .
Photo: Alexandre Zveiger/Depositphotos
Concrete has numerous selection for menage pattern . Since it is the structure fabric not the mode , concrete home are not limited in how they seem . Plus , owners of a concrete household typically can spare money on their insurance insurance because of fire resistor alone . “ If an insurance agent understands construction , the saving may even be higher because of disaster , termite , and pest underground , ” says Thompson .
Benefits of Concrete Construction
Here are a few of the other benefits all concrete signifier cater :
Also , concrete can comprise recycled depicted object in the mix , earning contribute support from those concerned in building green
Types of Concrete Building Systems
Concrete building systems are of five main type : Concrete auction block , ICF or Insulating Concrete Forms , removable forms , panel systems , and autoclave aerated concrete .
Concrete Blocks
The familiar orthogonal blocks are a traditional construction material and the most widely used concrete building system , particularly in Florida , where they provide an affordabledefense against hurricane . Today ’s concrete blocks now do work with improved insulation and building technique for cost - effective results .
According to the Portland Cement Association , blocks now incorporate insulant in several ways , from mingle it into the pre - molded cement to filling a cylinder block ’s opened cavities with loose fill or froth inserts . The insulation and the uninterrupted barrier set up the universal gas constant - value , or measuring of underground to heat flow , by preventing air leak .
well for : Homes in high twist areas ; arena of wide acceptance such as Florida .
Removable Forms
In this arrangement , insularism and reinforcing brand are rate inside obliterable wall forms made of aluminum , woodwind or steel . Concrete is then pour into the forms . Once the concrete has cure , the forms are absent .
paries Are Us Inc. of Waterford , WI , uses two variations . In one , obliterable figure are poured for walls and , in the other , concrete is poured for the level and roof as well “ to form a monumental envelope , ” says Randy Friemoth , the fellowship ’s chairman .
considerably for : Homes in high wind domain , specially with excogitation that engage concrete level , ceilings and wall .
Panel Systems
There are two control panel systems : precast concrete and tilt - up concrete . With precast , a home ’s exterior rampart with rough openings are grow at the concrete plant life . froth insulating material is installed , steel reinforcing embedded and electric wiring added . The instrument panel are transported to the website , lift by cranes and attach to the foundation and to each other .
With tilt - up concrete , the bulwark dialog box are also cast , but the casting is done on site . This method required a evenhandedly widely - subject site that can conciliate angle the walls into plaza . Once decently positioned , the walls are link to the eternal rest of the structure .
well for : home of contemporaneous figure in flat - site open place setting .
Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs)
With this system , concrete is poured into lasting forms . The forms are made of insulating material , either interlocking block , dialog box , or plank . The panel and plank are interlink with charge plate or alloy standoff and the city block with special groove or interlock teeth .
other ICF system , often for specialization , used mannikin that allowed varying thickness of walls . But the industry is moving as a whole toward consistent thickness , says Thompson of PCA .
“ Pick your riskiness of female parent nature . intimately 90 percent of us have one to reckon firing , baseless fires , seismic , or hard winters . ICF and concrete can beat them all , ” enounce Scott Sundberg , P.E. , structural railroad engineer and sole owner of Category X Coastal Consulting , Pass Christian , MS . Sundberg conceive in the power of performance - based designs . His ICF place in Harrison County , MS , survived the 28 - groundwork violent storm surge and 125 - mile - per - hr winds of Hurricane Katrina when the sign of the zodiac was only 85 per centum nail .
Best for : Homes in which insulant is important , since this system offer the most insulation with inner and outside stratum in the fewest footstep .
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
This concrete organization is popular in Europe but still relatively unknown in the United Sates . The textile was used in the New American Home featured at the 2008 International Builders ’ Show in Orlando , FL . The precast structural mix is an aviation - smashed , non - organic fabric . When apply , the concrete admixture exposit and trammel small strain air pocket for a lightweight product .
The stuff has ranking fervor ohmic resistance and , according to PCA ’s Thompson , can be mold and cut into accurate units . While block - size is most plebeian , the intersection can also be cast into reinforce panels for walls , floor , and roofs .
Best for : home in warm climates that will benefit from the air pocket insulation and not necessitate supplemental insulant .
PROS AND CONS
Costs of Concrete Construction
Concrete systems are more expensive at the start . distinctive concrete systems more often than not add about three to five percent on average to the price ticket of a home , say Thompson . “ Keep in thinker that this is a one - time financial hit but the savings is perpetual . The result muscularity efficiency more than offsets this increase . ”
When checking on relative cost , it ’s important to equate apple to apple . Some factor influencing costs admit :
“ In Florida , where you have nonindulgent edifice code due to confidential information activity , Sir Henry Joseph Wood - skeleton construction can cost a lot more to suffer those requirements , ” allege Thompson . “ When the monetary value of the woodwind instrument - frame home move up , concrete construction can be adequate to or even less than an identical wood - skeleton home . ”
Consider the Possibilities
Here are some tips to keep in judgment if you are consider concrete for your next home .
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