Back to Main Page
PATH Technology Inventory
|
|
|
Concrete Formed Homes >> Stay-in-Place FormsEnvironmentally GREEN, and Economically Affordable |
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
Summary
Concrete, long known for its strength and durability, is seeing life in an
innovative form that joins the permanence of solid masonry with modern
technology. Using concrete boards, rigid foam insulation, proprietary
"methods and use" design and other basic method of formed concrete
construction, one company is now producing a concrete residential structure for
the production home market. The finished product has any exterior detail that
can be performed with concrete, while the interior boasts the warmth of
plaster-finished walls and details. Furthermore, the homes are Code Compliant
confirming that the houses withstand hurricane (tornado winds, earthquake
forces) and are fire and rot resistant, as well as being constructed in the
manner that DOE labs have concluded to have significantly better energy savings
over Foam Blocks and other ICF and SIP products.
Disclaimer: The information on the system, product or material presented herein is provided for informational purposes only. The technical descriptions, details, requirements, and limitations expressed do not constitute an endorsement, approval, or acceptance of the subject matter by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD/FHA), the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), or any PATH-affiliated Federal agency or private company. There are no warranties, either expressed or implied, regarding the accuracy or completeness of this information. Full reproduction, without modification, is permissible.
Details
|
Varying architectural styles – from contemporary ranch to two-story colonial, detached or attached – have been erected with 6 5/8" reinforced, cast-in-place concrete walls with C-Studs in the interior of the panels, giving additional wind and seismic support. The walls are finished on the interior with tape and gypsum mud (exactly like drywall finishing) or plaster. They are finished on the exterior with 1/16" to 3/16" cementious coating giving the walls the stucco look. Or, siding can be fastened directly to the walls without furring strips, insulation, or vapor barriers, since the vapor barrier is the 4" Foam Core . Floors can be pigmented, carpeted, tiled, or finished with hardwood/laminate material. To accommodate all styles, the roof is conventionally framed of dimensional lumber or trusses atop the concrete tie beam that is poured at the same time the walls with the stay-in-place forms are filled, and are part of the form, so additional formwork is not needed. This allows flexibility in roof profile and possible attic storage while keeping the wood used for the roof framing outside of the home’s fire-resistant concrete envelope. |
Installation
The structure first takes shape with 6 5/8" reinforced concrete walls formed with forms that vary in width to flexibly meet any design. The panels are are 8’, or taller, stay-in-place forms placed atop a concrete slab. The forms incorporate 4" of expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation placed within the form that remains as the core while the 4,000 psi concrete filled in the forms provides the concrete shells that are in direct contact with the interior and also the exterior. This is the reason this wall construction method meets DOE labs most significant energy savings of all wall systems. Once steel reinforcement bars, electrical conduit and boxes, and sleeves for other mechanical systems are placed, the wall forms are filled with concrete without the need to be vibrated. You do not have to wait for the concrete to cure and come back later to remove the forms. The Beams over the garage, door, and window openings are self supported by the framing within the stay-in-place forms that completely supports the weight of the fresh cement.
The fact that you do not need to use Proprietary products (such as vinyl tracks for exterior foam sheets that also serve as fastening surfaces for trim and siding materials, and form ties that break off inside the exterior rigid foam insulation) highlight the commitment to efficiency designed for the system.
Benefits/Costs
The system integrates several of the critical path activities of homebuilding into the scope of one semi-skilled crew. The walls of a one story 3,700 SF home was completed within 5 crew days with an eight-person team installing by hand, without use of any heavy equipment such as forklifts or cranes. Once the forms were filled, activities related to wall assembly construction, insulation, and interior and exterior wall surfacing had been completed ready for finishing.
A concrete formed home’s fire resistance usually merits insurance premium discounts to both builders and homeowners. By the building codes 2" of concrete has a two-hour fire rating which meets International Building Code (IBC) code requirements for a party wall in multi-family construction and exceeds the zero hour fire rating required for homes. As a natural benefit of a concrete wall.
Limitations
The system requires a zero investment in forms.
Concrete’s density makes reworking a daunting task, so accurate pre-planning of wire chases, electrical boxes, duct chases, window and door rough openings, and other systems penetrating the formed walls is necessary. Since the stay-in-place forms are completely accessible before the concrete pour all openings and details can be easily checked up to the minute before the concrete pumper gets to the detail.
Code/Regulatory
This Reinforced concrete wall construction does not require a structural engineer’s review and seal This system is code compliant, meaning it is designed within the parameters of the codes. And Architects/Designers place a typical wall section and installation notes on the plans, just like a concrete block design.
Availability
The company promoting the stay-in-place concrete forms for the home is currently operating in a few areas of the country, and seeking regional contracts. The forms are available for integration into any existing concrete forming or home building business worldwide.
Contact(s)
Do you have a specific question about this technology and/or its 'real life' applications? Try the contacts listed below:
All Wall Company, Inc.
5398 SW 61 Avenue
(954) 325-7578
website: www.allwallsystem.com
email: John@allwallsystem.com
Manufacturers, Installers and Trainers:
ATWILL All Wall, LLC (LLC pending)
Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio - Texas
Mississippi
Louisiana
(817) 673-1361
General Contractors:
Mark Lewis Contracting, PPA
Middle of Florida to East Coast,
(Hendry County east to Palm Beach County north to Fort Pierce)
(561) 924-7767
Sarasota Builders and Remodelers
Sarasota and North Port, FL
Manufacturers:
Sarasota Builders and Remodelers
Sarasota and North Port, FL