ICF Insitu Construction Formwork concrete forms
moladi has been supplying its comprehensive Insitu Construction Formwork - ICF concrete forms construction system, of which the moladi formwork is merely a constituent of this technology, for the past 22 years. As a result, we do not simply supply modular plastic formwork, but a holistic building technology, that has been specifically designed and is proven too benefit the end user with its simplicity and ease of use. moladi has developed a mass cast house system to construct durable structures of quality in the shortest possible time, as speed in wall construction is important. This system has developed into a construction technology that addresses four key challenges embodied in the low cost and affordable housing shortages facing developing countries namely:
lack of resources
insufficient funds
skills shortage
time constraint
work flow control
time constraints
waste
Traditional bricks or blocks are moulded in a small mould and then laboriously stacked by an artisan, sandwiched with mortar to create a wall. The electrical and water pipes are placed by grinding and chasing into the wall. The wall is then plastered to cover the pipes and services, as well as the brickwork, to create a level and smooth surface. A few disadvantages of brick or block construction are:
Labour intensive
Compressive capacity only
Skilled labour
Mortar shrinkage
Thermal expansion and contraction
Leveling
Erratic supplies = erratic delivery
Waste
Rework
Slow delivery
Inconsistent quality
Unpredictable cash flow
Increased cost
The patented technology is cost effective due to its repetitive application. It is affordable due to the fact that the formwork is used on a repetitive basis for up to 50 reuses per kit; this results in the cost of the formwork being amortized over the construction of 50 units. Reducing cost of shipping and transport of formwork panelsBy combing the re-usable, patented, recyclable lightweight plastic injection moulded formwork system, with a South African Bureau of Standards approved lightweight aerated mortar, Agrément Certificate 94/231, a full scale mould of the designed house is configured with all the services, both plumbing and electrical, are cast in situ as a monolithic reinforced walling system. Chasing, beam filling, plastering and wastage are eliminated, producing a fast track, cost effective, transferable construction technology - speeding up mass housing construction.
Key Points:
Holistic building technology
Ease of use
Monolithic reinforced walling system
Fast track, cost effective, transferable construction technology
Use as ICF Insitu Construction Formwork concrete forms, Insitu Construction Formwork, icf, panel, building system, concrete, forms
http://www.moladi.net/
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Concrete Homes Magazine Online - Benefits
Concrete Homes Magazine Online - Benefits
Benefits of Concrete Homes
Why build with concrete? Simply put, it's a better way to build a better home. Here are some of the tangible benefits of building with concrete (click the links for more information):
• Beautiful
Concrete can create any shape or size home that you can imagine
• Built to Last
A concrete home is a solid investment for your family both in terms of value and safety
• Energy Efficient
A concrete home can keep you comfortable year-round and reduce your utility bills
• Low Maintenance
A concrete home requires far less work to keep it looking new
• Environmentally Friendly
Building concrete homes helps save our precious forests
• Quiet and Comfortable
The quiet comfort of concrete makes a concrete home a solid investment in lifestyle
• Solid Investments
A concrete home is a solid investment for your family in terms of value and safety
That's the Beauty of Today's Concrete
There's more than one way to build your concrete home; insulating concrete forms, concrete masonry, aerated concrete, tilt-up concrete, and precast concrete. With volatile wood prices, logging's high environmental price tag, and a growing shortage of high quality lumber, concrete offers a variety of products and construction techniques to provide cost effective, quality alternatives to wood-frame home construction.
All of these systems share the same basic virtues of concrete — beauty, strength, durability, low maintenance, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and peace and quiet. The concrete building technique that is right for you depends on the labor force and predominant building practices in your area. Whatever your choice, you can rest assured that your beautiful concrete home is built to last.
Information provided courtesy of the Portland Cement Association.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beauty That's More Than Skin Deep
Drive up to a new home today and you probably cannot tell how that home was constructed. That's because the "skin" covering a home - whether it's stucco, brick, wood or vinyl siding - provides the same finished appearance whether it's placed over wood-frame or concrete construction.
How can you tell what type of construction is behind a home's veneer? The walls in an unfinished garage or basement may give you a clue. But the benefits of solid concrete construction aren't apparent at first glance. They only show up years after the home is purchased - in the form of lower maintenance costs and lower energy bills. So, to be sure you make the right home buying decision, always ask the seller or builder what type of construction is behind that beautiful exterior.
Unlimited Possibilities
Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open spaces - offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.
Timeless Designs
Whether a Victorian gingerbread home or a Colonial mansion, concrete homes are quiet, easy-to-maintain and safe from fire, hurricanes, termites, and wood rot. Concrete also can be used to create classic, low maintenance floors with patterns similar to classic stonework but with a look all their own.
Contemporary Designs
Should your tastes lean toward traditional or contemporary, the strength and flexibility of concrete can create a home that looks like the 21st Century and, with minimum maintenance, will hold its beauty and value throughout the next century.
Concrete homes are low maintenance and energy efficient—a solid investment for any family.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Security That's A Solid Investment
Buying a home can be the single largest investment of your life. If that home is constructed with concrete walls, your investment is naturally protected from the structural damage that can be caused by the effects of nature. As the owner of a concrete home, you'll benefit from lower annual maintenance and energy costs while living in a home that provides a secure haven for your family.
The solid investment value of a concrete home is just one of the reasons to ask what type of construction is behind a home's stucco, siding or brick veneer. If the answer isn't "concrete," your investment may be compromised by maintenance and repair costs that could have been avoided or minimized.
Worry-free Living
Fire can endanger the lives of everyone in the family and destroy those things that cannot be replaced. Insurance companies recognize concrete as being safer than any other form of construction when fire threatens a home. Living in a concrete home can bring peace of mind to homeowners concerned about fire.
Safe and Sound
When disaster threatens in the form of hurricanes, tornadoes or wild fires, your family will be safer in a home constructed with concrete walls. It's no accident that concrete is the material of choice for modern day fortresses and disaster shelters. This strong, durable material stands up to the fury of nature; including the more subtle threats of rot, rust, and termites. Today's strongest residential wall systems are made of concrete.
The Quiet Comfort of Home
Besides being stronger and more durable, the mass of a concrete wall provides an added benefit - a reduction in noise entering the home. So be sure to select a sound-proof concrete home when you're looking for a little peace and quiet.
Buying a home is the single largest investment of your life. Invest wisely... in a beautiful concrete home.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solid Construction + Better Insulation = Lower Utility Bills
It doesn't take an Einstein to understand why concrete homes are more energy efficient than wood-frame homes. The mass of concrete slows down the passage of heat moving through the wall. This means that, with the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than a wood-frame home. Also, a concrete wall doesn't have as many air leaks as a wood-frame wall - and air leakage accounts for a large percentage of energy loss in the home.
Besides having the advantage of mass, today's concrete home building systems all utilize cost effective, highly efficient insulation to keep your home dry and comfortable year round while enjoying the benefits of lower utility bills.
Solid Construction
Concrete forms an integral wall: solid, continuous and airtight. By comparison, a wood-frame wall is a collection of components: studs, sheet rock, sheathing, and insulation. Each joint and connection is a potential air leak. As the air passes through these leaks, it takes your heating and air conditioning with it.
Space Age Insulation
Today's concrete home benefits greatly from progress made in home insulation over the past 20 years. Many insulated concrete wall systems use polystyrene blocks or panels as the concrete formwork into which reinforcing steel and concrete are placed. These polystyrene forms are left in place to give your home an exceptional R-value. For concrete masonry homes, insulation choices range from foiled backed batts to polystyrene panels. Standard hollow masonry units can be filled with insulating materials.
Smart Design = Savings
When designing today's concrete home, smart builders are able to realize considerable savings by using concrete's energy efficiency to justify smaller heating and air conditioning systems. This results in a comfortable home with smaller heating and air conditioning bills. The bottom line is savings are up front and continue through the life of a home.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete's Low Maintenance = Ownership Made Easy
The beauty of a concrete home is that it requires far less work on the part of the homeowner to keep it looking like new. The three most common causes of exterior wall maintenance are termites, rotting, and paint peeling or fading. Concrete homes are rarely, if ever, affected by termites or rot. Contemporary concrete homes have either wood siding, stucco or brick facade, concrete textures, or other concrete products as finishes; all do not require paint.
This translates into a concrete home costing less to own than a wood-frame or wood veneer home.
Standing Up To The Elements
Part of maintaining a home over the course of its lifetime involves repair of damage from such elements of nature as rain, wind, and termites. A concrete wall is more resistant to the wind and rain of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other major windstorms. When Hurricane Andrew roared through South Florida, concrete homes protected families far better than their wood-frame counterparts. Homes built with concrete walls can also be designed to withstand the destructive forces of earthquakes.
Termites and dry rot are more subtle than hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, but they can be just as costly. While an infestation of termites can cause severe structural damage to a wood-frame house, the structural walls of a concrete home are safe from their destructive efforts. Dry rot is actually a disease, common to timber and caused by fungi. Dry rot does not affect concrete and is not a worry for the owners of a concrete home.
Timeless Designs
Whether a Victorian gingerbread home or a Colonial mansion, concrete homes are quiet, easy-to-maintain and safe from fire, hurricanes, termites, and wood rot. Concrete also can be used to create classic, low maintenance floors with patterns similar to classic stonework but with a look all their own.
Fire Prevention
Concrete homes are more resistant to fire than wood-frame homes. This gives your family a better chance of avoiding injury due to fire. Even if a concrete home does catch on fire, the damage does not seriously affect the structure of the walls, making repair a simpler task.
Today's Concrete Home
The concrete home building systems available today have evolved to the point where you can design your home to require minimum maintenance while providing maximum protection. In addition, it will still look new for years after it is built.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete...The Natural Building Material
In this age of vanishing resources, we must choose our building materials more wisely, balancing the expenditure of natural resources with the benefits of a material over its useful life. Concrete draws upon some of the earth's most common and abundant minerals for its raw materials. The amount of land used to extract the materials needed to make concrete is only a fraction of that used to cut down our forests for lumber.
Concrete homes are more energy efficient than wood-frame homes and therefore require less energy to heat and cool. This reduces the amount of so-called green house gases produced by power-generation plants.
Concrete Uses Recycled Materials
Portland cement, which makes up about 10 percent of concrete, is manufactured from limestone, clay, and sand. Scrap tires and other combustible waste that would otherwise take valuable land in land fills are often used as a fuel source in the cement manufacturing process. Sources of aggregates are diverse and plentiful: sand, gravel, crushed stone, and an ever-increasing array of consumer and industrial waste products - fly ash from coal burning electric power plants and blast furnace slag from steel mills. Crushed concrete from demolition is often used as aggregate for concrete. Concrete's nearly inert matrix of materials makes it an ideal recycling medium, with absolutely no degradation of strength or performance.
Unlimited Possibilities
Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open spaces; offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.
Healthy Living
Practically inert and not requiring volatile organic-based preservatives like wood, concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere. Concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere, since it is practically inert, and requires no volatile organic-based preservatives like wood does. It's naturally waterproof and fire-resistant, so it doesn't need special coatings or sealers. Concrete can also be easily cleaned with organic, non-toxic substances.
Built To Last
Since wood rots and decays, and is extremely susceptible to natural disasters, it is central to a wasteful construction cycle of frequent disposal and replacement. Concrete, on the other hand, requires little or no maintenance, stands up to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. It can't be eaten by termites and won't rust or rot. Concrete's sheer durability over decades of use goes a long way towards waste reduction.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Peace And Quiet Of Concrete
Land for homebuilding is becoming more scarce and we're forced to build our homes closer together and near noise sources like highways, railways, and airports. Concrete homes provide the necessary sound reducing qualities to provide the kind of quiet comfort we all look for in a home.
The greater mass of concrete walls can reduce sound penetrating through a wall by over 80 percent when compared to wood-frame construction. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
Comfortable Living
Because concrete homes are built with solid concrete walls they are more air-tight than wood-frame. The continuous layer of rigid insulation used in concrete construction provides a consistent thermal barrier unlike wood-frame and batt insulation which has gaps in the insulation. This reduces drafts and cold spots inside your home resulting in more comfortable living spaces throughout your home.
Thermal Mass = Even Temperature
The mass of the concrete also has the heat-absorbing property called thermal mass. This smoothes out swings in temperature over time. It keeps the house from overheating or getting suddenly cold when the furnace or air conditioner cycles on and off throughout the day. It also helps keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter resulting in year-round comfort.
Lower Energy Bills
The same qualities that bring you the quiet comfort of a concrete home - thermal mass and consistency of insulation - also saves money. Concrete homes can often reduce energy bills by over 50 percent compared to wood-frame homes. It's not often an investment pays that kind of a return.
Make an investment in lifestyle with a quiet concrete home and save money on energy bills at the same time.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savings That Add Up Year After Year
Buying a home is probably the single largest investment you'll ever make. Invest wisely. A beautiful concrete home will pay you back in terms of operating cost, resale value, and quality of living. Over the long run, benefits like energy efficiency, disaster and fire resistance, and durability reduce the cost of owning a home. Reduced noise and more even temperatures mean quiet comfort that you can enjoy year round.
Lower Utility Bills
Concrete homes save energy in two ways. The mass of the concrete slows down the passage of heat or cold moving through the wall. With the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Also, concrete walls are more air-tight than wood-frame walls. Since leaks account for a large percentage of energy loss in the home, concrete homes enjoy savings in energy consumption. That adds up to lower utility bills. A survey, conducted by Dr. Peter VanderWerf at Boston University, found that using insulating concrete forms (ICFs) reduces energy used for heating by about 44 percent and for cooling by about 32 percent.
Reduced Insurance Premiums
Concrete homes resist fire. They're stronger than wood frame homes and safer during tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Insurance for concrete homes is often 15 percent to 25 percent lower. One insurance agent in St. Louis, Missouri, offers discounts on homeowners insurance policies of up to 25 percent for ICF homes. No one, however, can put a price on the peace of mind that comes with owning a concrete home.
Quiet Comfort
Concrete homes make the world go away; a haven from traffic and the neighbor's leaf blower. The mass of a concrete wall makes it an effective barrier to sound. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
The Quality Payback
Concrete homes cost a little more than wood-frame homes. But lower energy bills and insurance premiums can offset the slightly higher mortgage payment. The real payback is in quality; the intangible benefits of a quieter and more comfortable home.
Benefits of Concrete Homes
Why build with concrete? Simply put, it's a better way to build a better home. Here are some of the tangible benefits of building with concrete (click the links for more information):
• Beautiful
Concrete can create any shape or size home that you can imagine
• Built to Last
A concrete home is a solid investment for your family both in terms of value and safety
• Energy Efficient
A concrete home can keep you comfortable year-round and reduce your utility bills
• Low Maintenance
A concrete home requires far less work to keep it looking new
• Environmentally Friendly
Building concrete homes helps save our precious forests
• Quiet and Comfortable
The quiet comfort of concrete makes a concrete home a solid investment in lifestyle
• Solid Investments
A concrete home is a solid investment for your family in terms of value and safety
That's the Beauty of Today's Concrete
There's more than one way to build your concrete home; insulating concrete forms, concrete masonry, aerated concrete, tilt-up concrete, and precast concrete. With volatile wood prices, logging's high environmental price tag, and a growing shortage of high quality lumber, concrete offers a variety of products and construction techniques to provide cost effective, quality alternatives to wood-frame home construction.
All of these systems share the same basic virtues of concrete — beauty, strength, durability, low maintenance, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and peace and quiet. The concrete building technique that is right for you depends on the labor force and predominant building practices in your area. Whatever your choice, you can rest assured that your beautiful concrete home is built to last.
Information provided courtesy of the Portland Cement Association.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beauty That's More Than Skin Deep
Drive up to a new home today and you probably cannot tell how that home was constructed. That's because the "skin" covering a home - whether it's stucco, brick, wood or vinyl siding - provides the same finished appearance whether it's placed over wood-frame or concrete construction.
How can you tell what type of construction is behind a home's veneer? The walls in an unfinished garage or basement may give you a clue. But the benefits of solid concrete construction aren't apparent at first glance. They only show up years after the home is purchased - in the form of lower maintenance costs and lower energy bills. So, to be sure you make the right home buying decision, always ask the seller or builder what type of construction is behind that beautiful exterior.
Unlimited Possibilities
Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open spaces - offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.
Timeless Designs
Whether a Victorian gingerbread home or a Colonial mansion, concrete homes are quiet, easy-to-maintain and safe from fire, hurricanes, termites, and wood rot. Concrete also can be used to create classic, low maintenance floors with patterns similar to classic stonework but with a look all their own.
Contemporary Designs
Should your tastes lean toward traditional or contemporary, the strength and flexibility of concrete can create a home that looks like the 21st Century and, with minimum maintenance, will hold its beauty and value throughout the next century.
Concrete homes are low maintenance and energy efficient—a solid investment for any family.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Security That's A Solid Investment
Buying a home can be the single largest investment of your life. If that home is constructed with concrete walls, your investment is naturally protected from the structural damage that can be caused by the effects of nature. As the owner of a concrete home, you'll benefit from lower annual maintenance and energy costs while living in a home that provides a secure haven for your family.
The solid investment value of a concrete home is just one of the reasons to ask what type of construction is behind a home's stucco, siding or brick veneer. If the answer isn't "concrete," your investment may be compromised by maintenance and repair costs that could have been avoided or minimized.
Worry-free Living
Fire can endanger the lives of everyone in the family and destroy those things that cannot be replaced. Insurance companies recognize concrete as being safer than any other form of construction when fire threatens a home. Living in a concrete home can bring peace of mind to homeowners concerned about fire.
Safe and Sound
When disaster threatens in the form of hurricanes, tornadoes or wild fires, your family will be safer in a home constructed with concrete walls. It's no accident that concrete is the material of choice for modern day fortresses and disaster shelters. This strong, durable material stands up to the fury of nature; including the more subtle threats of rot, rust, and termites. Today's strongest residential wall systems are made of concrete.
The Quiet Comfort of Home
Besides being stronger and more durable, the mass of a concrete wall provides an added benefit - a reduction in noise entering the home. So be sure to select a sound-proof concrete home when you're looking for a little peace and quiet.
Buying a home is the single largest investment of your life. Invest wisely... in a beautiful concrete home.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solid Construction + Better Insulation = Lower Utility Bills
It doesn't take an Einstein to understand why concrete homes are more energy efficient than wood-frame homes. The mass of concrete slows down the passage of heat moving through the wall. This means that, with the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than a wood-frame home. Also, a concrete wall doesn't have as many air leaks as a wood-frame wall - and air leakage accounts for a large percentage of energy loss in the home.
Besides having the advantage of mass, today's concrete home building systems all utilize cost effective, highly efficient insulation to keep your home dry and comfortable year round while enjoying the benefits of lower utility bills.
Solid Construction
Concrete forms an integral wall: solid, continuous and airtight. By comparison, a wood-frame wall is a collection of components: studs, sheet rock, sheathing, and insulation. Each joint and connection is a potential air leak. As the air passes through these leaks, it takes your heating and air conditioning with it.
Space Age Insulation
Today's concrete home benefits greatly from progress made in home insulation over the past 20 years. Many insulated concrete wall systems use polystyrene blocks or panels as the concrete formwork into which reinforcing steel and concrete are placed. These polystyrene forms are left in place to give your home an exceptional R-value. For concrete masonry homes, insulation choices range from foiled backed batts to polystyrene panels. Standard hollow masonry units can be filled with insulating materials.
Smart Design = Savings
When designing today's concrete home, smart builders are able to realize considerable savings by using concrete's energy efficiency to justify smaller heating and air conditioning systems. This results in a comfortable home with smaller heating and air conditioning bills. The bottom line is savings are up front and continue through the life of a home.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete's Low Maintenance = Ownership Made Easy
The beauty of a concrete home is that it requires far less work on the part of the homeowner to keep it looking like new. The three most common causes of exterior wall maintenance are termites, rotting, and paint peeling or fading. Concrete homes are rarely, if ever, affected by termites or rot. Contemporary concrete homes have either wood siding, stucco or brick facade, concrete textures, or other concrete products as finishes; all do not require paint.
This translates into a concrete home costing less to own than a wood-frame or wood veneer home.
Standing Up To The Elements
Part of maintaining a home over the course of its lifetime involves repair of damage from such elements of nature as rain, wind, and termites. A concrete wall is more resistant to the wind and rain of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other major windstorms. When Hurricane Andrew roared through South Florida, concrete homes protected families far better than their wood-frame counterparts. Homes built with concrete walls can also be designed to withstand the destructive forces of earthquakes.
Termites and dry rot are more subtle than hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, but they can be just as costly. While an infestation of termites can cause severe structural damage to a wood-frame house, the structural walls of a concrete home are safe from their destructive efforts. Dry rot is actually a disease, common to timber and caused by fungi. Dry rot does not affect concrete and is not a worry for the owners of a concrete home.
Timeless Designs
Whether a Victorian gingerbread home or a Colonial mansion, concrete homes are quiet, easy-to-maintain and safe from fire, hurricanes, termites, and wood rot. Concrete also can be used to create classic, low maintenance floors with patterns similar to classic stonework but with a look all their own.
Fire Prevention
Concrete homes are more resistant to fire than wood-frame homes. This gives your family a better chance of avoiding injury due to fire. Even if a concrete home does catch on fire, the damage does not seriously affect the structure of the walls, making repair a simpler task.
Today's Concrete Home
The concrete home building systems available today have evolved to the point where you can design your home to require minimum maintenance while providing maximum protection. In addition, it will still look new for years after it is built.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete...The Natural Building Material
In this age of vanishing resources, we must choose our building materials more wisely, balancing the expenditure of natural resources with the benefits of a material over its useful life. Concrete draws upon some of the earth's most common and abundant minerals for its raw materials. The amount of land used to extract the materials needed to make concrete is only a fraction of that used to cut down our forests for lumber.
Concrete homes are more energy efficient than wood-frame homes and therefore require less energy to heat and cool. This reduces the amount of so-called green house gases produced by power-generation plants.
Concrete Uses Recycled Materials
Portland cement, which makes up about 10 percent of concrete, is manufactured from limestone, clay, and sand. Scrap tires and other combustible waste that would otherwise take valuable land in land fills are often used as a fuel source in the cement manufacturing process. Sources of aggregates are diverse and plentiful: sand, gravel, crushed stone, and an ever-increasing array of consumer and industrial waste products - fly ash from coal burning electric power plants and blast furnace slag from steel mills. Crushed concrete from demolition is often used as aggregate for concrete. Concrete's nearly inert matrix of materials makes it an ideal recycling medium, with absolutely no degradation of strength or performance.
Unlimited Possibilities
Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open spaces; offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.
Healthy Living
Practically inert and not requiring volatile organic-based preservatives like wood, concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere. Concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere, since it is practically inert, and requires no volatile organic-based preservatives like wood does. It's naturally waterproof and fire-resistant, so it doesn't need special coatings or sealers. Concrete can also be easily cleaned with organic, non-toxic substances.
Built To Last
Since wood rots and decays, and is extremely susceptible to natural disasters, it is central to a wasteful construction cycle of frequent disposal and replacement. Concrete, on the other hand, requires little or no maintenance, stands up to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. It can't be eaten by termites and won't rust or rot. Concrete's sheer durability over decades of use goes a long way towards waste reduction.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Peace And Quiet Of Concrete
Land for homebuilding is becoming more scarce and we're forced to build our homes closer together and near noise sources like highways, railways, and airports. Concrete homes provide the necessary sound reducing qualities to provide the kind of quiet comfort we all look for in a home.
The greater mass of concrete walls can reduce sound penetrating through a wall by over 80 percent when compared to wood-frame construction. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
Comfortable Living
Because concrete homes are built with solid concrete walls they are more air-tight than wood-frame. The continuous layer of rigid insulation used in concrete construction provides a consistent thermal barrier unlike wood-frame and batt insulation which has gaps in the insulation. This reduces drafts and cold spots inside your home resulting in more comfortable living spaces throughout your home.
Thermal Mass = Even Temperature
The mass of the concrete also has the heat-absorbing property called thermal mass. This smoothes out swings in temperature over time. It keeps the house from overheating or getting suddenly cold when the furnace or air conditioner cycles on and off throughout the day. It also helps keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter resulting in year-round comfort.
Lower Energy Bills
The same qualities that bring you the quiet comfort of a concrete home - thermal mass and consistency of insulation - also saves money. Concrete homes can often reduce energy bills by over 50 percent compared to wood-frame homes. It's not often an investment pays that kind of a return.
Make an investment in lifestyle with a quiet concrete home and save money on energy bills at the same time.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savings That Add Up Year After Year
Buying a home is probably the single largest investment you'll ever make. Invest wisely. A beautiful concrete home will pay you back in terms of operating cost, resale value, and quality of living. Over the long run, benefits like energy efficiency, disaster and fire resistance, and durability reduce the cost of owning a home. Reduced noise and more even temperatures mean quiet comfort that you can enjoy year round.
Lower Utility Bills
Concrete homes save energy in two ways. The mass of the concrete slows down the passage of heat or cold moving through the wall. With the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Also, concrete walls are more air-tight than wood-frame walls. Since leaks account for a large percentage of energy loss in the home, concrete homes enjoy savings in energy consumption. That adds up to lower utility bills. A survey, conducted by Dr. Peter VanderWerf at Boston University, found that using insulating concrete forms (ICFs) reduces energy used for heating by about 44 percent and for cooling by about 32 percent.
Reduced Insurance Premiums
Concrete homes resist fire. They're stronger than wood frame homes and safer during tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Insurance for concrete homes is often 15 percent to 25 percent lower. One insurance agent in St. Louis, Missouri, offers discounts on homeowners insurance policies of up to 25 percent for ICF homes. No one, however, can put a price on the peace of mind that comes with owning a concrete home.
Quiet Comfort
Concrete homes make the world go away; a haven from traffic and the neighbor's leaf blower. The mass of a concrete wall makes it an effective barrier to sound. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
The Quality Payback
Concrete homes cost a little more than wood-frame homes. But lower energy bills and insurance premiums can offset the slightly higher mortgage payment. The real payback is in quality; the intangible benefits of a quieter and more comfortable home.
Concrete Homes Magazine Online - Benefits
Concrete Homes Magazine Online - Benefits
Benefits of Concrete Homes
Why build with concrete? Simply put, it's a better way to build a better home. Here are some of the tangible benefits of building with concrete (click the links for more information):
• Beautiful
Concrete can create any shape or size home that you can imagine
• Built to Last
A concrete home is a solid investment for your family both in terms of value and safety
• Energy Efficient
A concrete home can keep you comfortable year-round and reduce your utility bills
• Low Maintenance
A concrete home requires far less work to keep it looking new
• Environmentally Friendly
Building concrete homes helps save our precious forests
• Quiet and Comfortable
The quiet comfort of concrete makes a concrete home a solid investment in lifestyle
• Solid Investments
A concrete home is a solid investment for your family in terms of value and safety
That's the Beauty of Today's Concrete
There's more than one way to build your concrete home; insulating concrete forms, concrete masonry, aerated concrete, tilt-up concrete, and precast concrete. With volatile wood prices, logging's high environmental price tag, and a growing shortage of high quality lumber, concrete offers a variety of products and construction techniques to provide cost effective, quality alternatives to wood-frame home construction.
All of these systems share the same basic virtues of concrete — beauty, strength, durability, low maintenance, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and peace and quiet. The concrete building technique that is right for you depends on the labor force and predominant building practices in your area. Whatever your choice, you can rest assured that your beautiful concrete home is built to last.
Information provided courtesy of the Portland Cement Association.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beauty That's More Than Skin Deep
Drive up to a new home today and you probably cannot tell how that home was constructed. That's because the "skin" covering a home - whether it's stucco, brick, wood or vinyl siding - provides the same finished appearance whether it's placed over wood-frame or concrete construction.
How can you tell what type of construction is behind a home's veneer? The walls in an unfinished garage or basement may give you a clue. But the benefits of solid concrete construction aren't apparent at first glance. They only show up years after the home is purchased - in the form of lower maintenance costs and lower energy bills. So, to be sure you make the right home buying decision, always ask the seller or builder what type of construction is behind that beautiful exterior.
Unlimited Possibilities
Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open spaces - offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.
Timeless Designs
Whether a Victorian gingerbread home or a Colonial mansion, concrete homes are quiet, easy-to-maintain and safe from fire, hurricanes, termites, and wood rot. Concrete also can be used to create classic, low maintenance floors with patterns similar to classic stonework but with a look all their own.
Contemporary Designs
Should your tastes lean toward traditional or contemporary, the strength and flexibility of concrete can create a home that looks like the 21st Century and, with minimum maintenance, will hold its beauty and value throughout the next century.
Concrete homes are low maintenance and energy efficient—a solid investment for any family.
Back to Top
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Security That's A Solid Investment
Buying a home can be the single largest investment of your life. If that home is constructed with concrete walls, your investment is naturally protected from the structural damage that can be caused by the effects of nature. As the owner of a concrete home, you'll benefit from lower annual maintenance and energy costs while living in a home that provides a secure haven for your family.
The solid investment value of a concrete home is just one of the reasons to ask what type of construction is behind a home's stucco, siding or brick veneer. If the answer isn't "concrete," your investment may be compromised by maintenance and repair costs that could have been avoided or minimized.
Worry-free Living
Fire can endanger the lives of everyone in the family and destroy those things that cannot be replaced. Insurance companies recognize concrete as being safer than any other form of construction when fire threatens a home. Living in a concrete home can bring peace of mind to homeowners concerned about fire.
Safe and Sound
When disaster threatens in the form of hurricanes, tornadoes or wild fires, your family will be safer in a home constructed with concrete walls. It's no accident that concrete is the material of choice for modern day fortresses and disaster shelters. This strong, durable material stands up to the fury of nature; including the more subtle threats of rot, rust, and termites. Today's strongest residential wall systems are made of concrete.
The Quiet Comfort of Home
Besides being stronger and more durable, the mass of a concrete wall provides an added benefit - a reduction in noise entering the home. So be sure to select a sound-proof concrete home when you're looking for a little peace and quiet.
Buying a home is the single largest investment of your life. Invest wisely... in a beautiful concrete home.
Back to Top
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Solid Construction + Better Insulation = Lower Utility Bills
It doesn't take an Einstein to understand why concrete homes are more energy efficient than wood-frame homes. The mass of concrete slows down the passage of heat moving through the wall. This means that, with the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than a wood-frame home. Also, a concrete wall doesn't have as many air leaks as a wood-frame wall - and air leakage accounts for a large percentage of energy loss in the home.
Besides having the advantage of mass, today's concrete home building systems all utilize cost effective, highly efficient insulation to keep your home dry and comfortable year round while enjoying the benefits of lower utility bills.
Solid Construction
Concrete forms an integral wall: solid, continuous and airtight. By comparison, a wood-frame wall is a collection of components: studs, sheet rock, sheathing, and insulation. Each joint and connection is a potential air leak. As the air passes through these leaks, it takes your heating and air conditioning with it.
Space Age Insulation
Today's concrete home benefits greatly from progress made in home insulation over the past 20 years. Many insulated concrete wall systems use polystyrene blocks or panels as the concrete formwork into which reinforcing steel and concrete are placed. These polystyrene forms are left in place to give your home an exceptional R-value. For concrete masonry homes, insulation choices range from foiled backed batts to polystyrene panels. Standard hollow masonry units can be filled with insulating materials.
Smart Design = Savings
When designing today's concrete home, smart builders are able to realize considerable savings by using concrete's energy efficiency to justify smaller heating and air conditioning systems. This results in a comfortable home with smaller heating and air conditioning bills. The bottom line is savings are up front and continue through the life of a home.
Back to Top
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Concrete's Low Maintenance = Ownership Made Easy
The beauty of a concrete home is that it requires far less work on the part of the homeowner to keep it looking like new. The three most common causes of exterior wall maintenance are termites, rotting, and paint peeling or fading. Concrete homes are rarely, if ever, affected by termites or rot. Contemporary concrete homes have either wood siding, stucco or brick facade, concrete textures, or other concrete products as finishes; all do not require paint.
This translates into a concrete home costing less to own than a wood-frame or wood veneer home.
Standing Up To The Elements
Part of maintaining a home over the course of its lifetime involves repair of damage from such elements of nature as rain, wind, and termites. A concrete wall is more resistant to the wind and rain of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other major windstorms. When Hurricane Andrew roared through South Florida, concrete homes protected families far better than their wood-frame counterparts. Homes built with concrete walls can also be designed to withstand the destructive forces of earthquakes.
Termites and dry rot are more subtle than hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, but they can be just as costly. While an infestation of termites can cause severe structural damage to a wood-frame house, the structural walls of a concrete home are safe from their destructive efforts. Dry rot is actually a disease, common to timber and caused by fungi. Dry rot does not affect concrete and is not a worry for the owners of a concrete home.
Timeless Designs
Whether a Victorian gingerbread home or a Colonial mansion, concrete homes are quiet, easy-to-maintain and safe from fire, hurricanes, termites, and wood rot. Concrete also can be used to create classic, low maintenance floors with patterns similar to classic stonework but with a look all their own.
Fire Prevention
Concrete homes are more resistant to fire than wood-frame homes. This gives your family a better chance of avoiding injury due to fire. Even if a concrete home does catch on fire, the damage does not seriously affect the structure of the walls, making repair a simpler task.
Today's Concrete Home
The concrete home building systems available today have evolved to the point where you can design your home to require minimum maintenance while providing maximum protection. In addition, it will still look new for years after it is built.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete...The Natural Building Material
In this age of vanishing resources, we must choose our building materials more wisely, balancing the expenditure of natural resources with the benefits of a material over its useful life. Concrete draws upon some of the earth's most common and abundant minerals for its raw materials. The amount of land used to extract the materials needed to make concrete is only a fraction of that used to cut down our forests for lumber.
Concrete homes are more energy efficient than wood-frame homes and therefore require less energy to heat and cool. This reduces the amount of so-called green house gases produced by power-generation plants.
Concrete Uses Recycled Materials
Portland cement, which makes up about 10 percent of concrete, is manufactured from limestone, clay, and sand. Scrap tires and other combustible waste that would otherwise take valuable land in land fills are often used as a fuel source in the cement manufacturing process. Sources of aggregates are diverse and plentiful: sand, gravel, crushed stone, and an ever-increasing array of consumer and industrial waste products - fly ash from coal burning electric power plants and blast furnace slag from steel mills. Crushed concrete from demolition is often used as aggregate for concrete. Concrete's nearly inert matrix of materials makes it an ideal recycling medium, with absolutely no degradation of strength or performance.
Unlimited Possibilities
Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open spaces; offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.
Healthy Living
Practically inert and not requiring volatile organic-based preservatives like wood, concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere. Concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere, since it is practically inert, and requires no volatile organic-based preservatives like wood does. It's naturally waterproof and fire-resistant, so it doesn't need special coatings or sealers. Concrete can also be easily cleaned with organic, non-toxic substances.
Built To Last
Since wood rots and decays, and is extremely susceptible to natural disasters, it is central to a wasteful construction cycle of frequent disposal and replacement. Concrete, on the other hand, requires little or no maintenance, stands up to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. It can't be eaten by termites and won't rust or rot. Concrete's sheer durability over decades of use goes a long way towards waste reduction.
Back to Top
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The Peace And Quiet Of Concrete
Land for homebuilding is becoming more scarce and we're forced to build our homes closer together and near noise sources like highways, railways, and airports. Concrete homes provide the necessary sound reducing qualities to provide the kind of quiet comfort we all look for in a home.
The greater mass of concrete walls can reduce sound penetrating through a wall by over 80 percent when compared to wood-frame construction. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
Comfortable Living
Because concrete homes are built with solid concrete walls they are more air-tight than wood-frame. The continuous layer of rigid insulation used in concrete construction provides a consistent thermal barrier unlike wood-frame and batt insulation which has gaps in the insulation. This reduces drafts and cold spots inside your home resulting in more comfortable living spaces throughout your home.
Thermal Mass = Even Temperature
The mass of the concrete also has the heat-absorbing property called thermal mass. This smoothes out swings in temperature over time. It keeps the house from overheating or getting suddenly cold when the furnace or air conditioner cycles on and off throughout the day. It also helps keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter resulting in year-round comfort.
Lower Energy Bills
The same qualities that bring you the quiet comfort of a concrete home - thermal mass and consistency of insulation - also saves money. Concrete homes can often reduce energy bills by over 50 percent compared to wood-frame homes. It's not often an investment pays that kind of a return.
Make an investment in lifestyle with a quiet concrete home and save money on energy bills at the same time.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savings That Add Up Year After Year
Buying a home is probably the single largest investment you'll ever make. Invest wisely. A beautiful concrete home will pay you back in terms of operating cost, resale value, and quality of living. Over the long run, benefits like energy efficiency, disaster and fire resistance, and durability reduce the cost of owning a home. Reduced noise and more even temperatures mean quiet comfort that you can enjoy year round.
Lower Utility Bills
Concrete homes save energy in two ways. The mass of the concrete slows down the passage of heat or cold moving through the wall. With the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Also, concrete walls are more air-tight than wood-frame walls. Since leaks account for a large percentage of energy loss in the home, concrete homes enjoy savings in energy consumption. That adds up to lower utility bills. A survey, conducted by Dr. Peter VanderWerf at Boston University, found that using insulating concrete forms (ICFs) reduces energy used for heating by about 44 percent and for cooling by about 32 percent.
Reduced Insurance Premiums
Concrete homes resist fire. They're stronger than wood frame homes and safer during tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Insurance for concrete homes is often 15 percent to 25 percent lower. One insurance agent in St. Louis, Missouri, offers discounts on homeowners insurance policies of up to 25 percent for ICF homes. No one, however, can put a price on the peace of mind that comes with owning a concrete home.
Quiet Comfort
Concrete homes make the world go away; a haven from traffic and the neighbor's leaf blower. The mass of a concrete wall makes it an effective barrier to sound. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
The Quality Payback
Concrete homes cost a little more than wood-frame homes. But lower energy bills and insurance premiums can offset the slightly higher mortgage payment. The real payback is in quality; the intangible benefits of a quieter and more comfortable home.
Benefits of Concrete Homes
Why build with concrete? Simply put, it's a better way to build a better home. Here are some of the tangible benefits of building with concrete (click the links for more information):
• Beautiful
Concrete can create any shape or size home that you can imagine
• Built to Last
A concrete home is a solid investment for your family both in terms of value and safety
• Energy Efficient
A concrete home can keep you comfortable year-round and reduce your utility bills
• Low Maintenance
A concrete home requires far less work to keep it looking new
• Environmentally Friendly
Building concrete homes helps save our precious forests
• Quiet and Comfortable
The quiet comfort of concrete makes a concrete home a solid investment in lifestyle
• Solid Investments
A concrete home is a solid investment for your family in terms of value and safety
That's the Beauty of Today's Concrete
There's more than one way to build your concrete home; insulating concrete forms, concrete masonry, aerated concrete, tilt-up concrete, and precast concrete. With volatile wood prices, logging's high environmental price tag, and a growing shortage of high quality lumber, concrete offers a variety of products and construction techniques to provide cost effective, quality alternatives to wood-frame home construction.
All of these systems share the same basic virtues of concrete — beauty, strength, durability, low maintenance, energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and peace and quiet. The concrete building technique that is right for you depends on the labor force and predominant building practices in your area. Whatever your choice, you can rest assured that your beautiful concrete home is built to last.
Information provided courtesy of the Portland Cement Association.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beauty That's More Than Skin Deep
Drive up to a new home today and you probably cannot tell how that home was constructed. That's because the "skin" covering a home - whether it's stucco, brick, wood or vinyl siding - provides the same finished appearance whether it's placed over wood-frame or concrete construction.
How can you tell what type of construction is behind a home's veneer? The walls in an unfinished garage or basement may give you a clue. But the benefits of solid concrete construction aren't apparent at first glance. They only show up years after the home is purchased - in the form of lower maintenance costs and lower energy bills. So, to be sure you make the right home buying decision, always ask the seller or builder what type of construction is behind that beautiful exterior.
Unlimited Possibilities
Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open spaces - offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.
Timeless Designs
Whether a Victorian gingerbread home or a Colonial mansion, concrete homes are quiet, easy-to-maintain and safe from fire, hurricanes, termites, and wood rot. Concrete also can be used to create classic, low maintenance floors with patterns similar to classic stonework but with a look all their own.
Contemporary Designs
Should your tastes lean toward traditional or contemporary, the strength and flexibility of concrete can create a home that looks like the 21st Century and, with minimum maintenance, will hold its beauty and value throughout the next century.
Concrete homes are low maintenance and energy efficient—a solid investment for any family.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Security That's A Solid Investment
Buying a home can be the single largest investment of your life. If that home is constructed with concrete walls, your investment is naturally protected from the structural damage that can be caused by the effects of nature. As the owner of a concrete home, you'll benefit from lower annual maintenance and energy costs while living in a home that provides a secure haven for your family.
The solid investment value of a concrete home is just one of the reasons to ask what type of construction is behind a home's stucco, siding or brick veneer. If the answer isn't "concrete," your investment may be compromised by maintenance and repair costs that could have been avoided or minimized.
Worry-free Living
Fire can endanger the lives of everyone in the family and destroy those things that cannot be replaced. Insurance companies recognize concrete as being safer than any other form of construction when fire threatens a home. Living in a concrete home can bring peace of mind to homeowners concerned about fire.
Safe and Sound
When disaster threatens in the form of hurricanes, tornadoes or wild fires, your family will be safer in a home constructed with concrete walls. It's no accident that concrete is the material of choice for modern day fortresses and disaster shelters. This strong, durable material stands up to the fury of nature; including the more subtle threats of rot, rust, and termites. Today's strongest residential wall systems are made of concrete.
The Quiet Comfort of Home
Besides being stronger and more durable, the mass of a concrete wall provides an added benefit - a reduction in noise entering the home. So be sure to select a sound-proof concrete home when you're looking for a little peace and quiet.
Buying a home is the single largest investment of your life. Invest wisely... in a beautiful concrete home.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solid Construction + Better Insulation = Lower Utility Bills
It doesn't take an Einstein to understand why concrete homes are more energy efficient than wood-frame homes. The mass of concrete slows down the passage of heat moving through the wall. This means that, with the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than a wood-frame home. Also, a concrete wall doesn't have as many air leaks as a wood-frame wall - and air leakage accounts for a large percentage of energy loss in the home.
Besides having the advantage of mass, today's concrete home building systems all utilize cost effective, highly efficient insulation to keep your home dry and comfortable year round while enjoying the benefits of lower utility bills.
Solid Construction
Concrete forms an integral wall: solid, continuous and airtight. By comparison, a wood-frame wall is a collection of components: studs, sheet rock, sheathing, and insulation. Each joint and connection is a potential air leak. As the air passes through these leaks, it takes your heating and air conditioning with it.
Space Age Insulation
Today's concrete home benefits greatly from progress made in home insulation over the past 20 years. Many insulated concrete wall systems use polystyrene blocks or panels as the concrete formwork into which reinforcing steel and concrete are placed. These polystyrene forms are left in place to give your home an exceptional R-value. For concrete masonry homes, insulation choices range from foiled backed batts to polystyrene panels. Standard hollow masonry units can be filled with insulating materials.
Smart Design = Savings
When designing today's concrete home, smart builders are able to realize considerable savings by using concrete's energy efficiency to justify smaller heating and air conditioning systems. This results in a comfortable home with smaller heating and air conditioning bills. The bottom line is savings are up front and continue through the life of a home.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete's Low Maintenance = Ownership Made Easy
The beauty of a concrete home is that it requires far less work on the part of the homeowner to keep it looking like new. The three most common causes of exterior wall maintenance are termites, rotting, and paint peeling or fading. Concrete homes are rarely, if ever, affected by termites or rot. Contemporary concrete homes have either wood siding, stucco or brick facade, concrete textures, or other concrete products as finishes; all do not require paint.
This translates into a concrete home costing less to own than a wood-frame or wood veneer home.
Standing Up To The Elements
Part of maintaining a home over the course of its lifetime involves repair of damage from such elements of nature as rain, wind, and termites. A concrete wall is more resistant to the wind and rain of hurricanes, tornadoes, and other major windstorms. When Hurricane Andrew roared through South Florida, concrete homes protected families far better than their wood-frame counterparts. Homes built with concrete walls can also be designed to withstand the destructive forces of earthquakes.
Termites and dry rot are more subtle than hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes, but they can be just as costly. While an infestation of termites can cause severe structural damage to a wood-frame house, the structural walls of a concrete home are safe from their destructive efforts. Dry rot is actually a disease, common to timber and caused by fungi. Dry rot does not affect concrete and is not a worry for the owners of a concrete home.
Timeless Designs
Whether a Victorian gingerbread home or a Colonial mansion, concrete homes are quiet, easy-to-maintain and safe from fire, hurricanes, termites, and wood rot. Concrete also can be used to create classic, low maintenance floors with patterns similar to classic stonework but with a look all their own.
Fire Prevention
Concrete homes are more resistant to fire than wood-frame homes. This gives your family a better chance of avoiding injury due to fire. Even if a concrete home does catch on fire, the damage does not seriously affect the structure of the walls, making repair a simpler task.
Today's Concrete Home
The concrete home building systems available today have evolved to the point where you can design your home to require minimum maintenance while providing maximum protection. In addition, it will still look new for years after it is built.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concrete...The Natural Building Material
In this age of vanishing resources, we must choose our building materials more wisely, balancing the expenditure of natural resources with the benefits of a material over its useful life. Concrete draws upon some of the earth's most common and abundant minerals for its raw materials. The amount of land used to extract the materials needed to make concrete is only a fraction of that used to cut down our forests for lumber.
Concrete homes are more energy efficient than wood-frame homes and therefore require less energy to heat and cool. This reduces the amount of so-called green house gases produced by power-generation plants.
Concrete Uses Recycled Materials
Portland cement, which makes up about 10 percent of concrete, is manufactured from limestone, clay, and sand. Scrap tires and other combustible waste that would otherwise take valuable land in land fills are often used as a fuel source in the cement manufacturing process. Sources of aggregates are diverse and plentiful: sand, gravel, crushed stone, and an ever-increasing array of consumer and industrial waste products - fly ash from coal burning electric power plants and blast furnace slag from steel mills. Crushed concrete from demolition is often used as aggregate for concrete. Concrete's nearly inert matrix of materials makes it an ideal recycling medium, with absolutely no degradation of strength or performance.
Unlimited Possibilities
Concrete can create any shape or size home you can imagine. Because concrete takes any shape or form, it can create an unlimited variety of curves and angles. Concrete's strength can be used to create large open spaces; offering total flexibility in designing your home's floor plan.
Healthy Living
Practically inert and not requiring volatile organic-based preservatives like wood, concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere. Concrete promotes a healthier indoor atmosphere, since it is practically inert, and requires no volatile organic-based preservatives like wood does. It's naturally waterproof and fire-resistant, so it doesn't need special coatings or sealers. Concrete can also be easily cleaned with organic, non-toxic substances.
Built To Last
Since wood rots and decays, and is extremely susceptible to natural disasters, it is central to a wasteful construction cycle of frequent disposal and replacement. Concrete, on the other hand, requires little or no maintenance, stands up to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and fires. It can't be eaten by termites and won't rust or rot. Concrete's sheer durability over decades of use goes a long way towards waste reduction.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Peace And Quiet Of Concrete
Land for homebuilding is becoming more scarce and we're forced to build our homes closer together and near noise sources like highways, railways, and airports. Concrete homes provide the necessary sound reducing qualities to provide the kind of quiet comfort we all look for in a home.
The greater mass of concrete walls can reduce sound penetrating through a wall by over 80 percent when compared to wood-frame construction. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
Comfortable Living
Because concrete homes are built with solid concrete walls they are more air-tight than wood-frame. The continuous layer of rigid insulation used in concrete construction provides a consistent thermal barrier unlike wood-frame and batt insulation which has gaps in the insulation. This reduces drafts and cold spots inside your home resulting in more comfortable living spaces throughout your home.
Thermal Mass = Even Temperature
The mass of the concrete also has the heat-absorbing property called thermal mass. This smoothes out swings in temperature over time. It keeps the house from overheating or getting suddenly cold when the furnace or air conditioner cycles on and off throughout the day. It also helps keep the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter resulting in year-round comfort.
Lower Energy Bills
The same qualities that bring you the quiet comfort of a concrete home - thermal mass and consistency of insulation - also saves money. Concrete homes can often reduce energy bills by over 50 percent compared to wood-frame homes. It's not often an investment pays that kind of a return.
Make an investment in lifestyle with a quiet concrete home and save money on energy bills at the same time.
Back to Top
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Savings That Add Up Year After Year
Buying a home is probably the single largest investment you'll ever make. Invest wisely. A beautiful concrete home will pay you back in terms of operating cost, resale value, and quality of living. Over the long run, benefits like energy efficiency, disaster and fire resistance, and durability reduce the cost of owning a home. Reduced noise and more even temperatures mean quiet comfort that you can enjoy year round.
Lower Utility Bills
Concrete homes save energy in two ways. The mass of the concrete slows down the passage of heat or cold moving through the wall. With the same insulation, a concrete home stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Also, concrete walls are more air-tight than wood-frame walls. Since leaks account for a large percentage of energy loss in the home, concrete homes enjoy savings in energy consumption. That adds up to lower utility bills. A survey, conducted by Dr. Peter VanderWerf at Boston University, found that using insulating concrete forms (ICFs) reduces energy used for heating by about 44 percent and for cooling by about 32 percent.
Reduced Insurance Premiums
Concrete homes resist fire. They're stronger than wood frame homes and safer during tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes. Insurance for concrete homes is often 15 percent to 25 percent lower. One insurance agent in St. Louis, Missouri, offers discounts on homeowners insurance policies of up to 25 percent for ICF homes. No one, however, can put a price on the peace of mind that comes with owning a concrete home.
Quiet Comfort
Concrete homes make the world go away; a haven from traffic and the neighbor's leaf blower. The mass of a concrete wall makes it an effective barrier to sound. Although some sound will penetrate the windows, a concrete home is often two-thirds quieter than a wood-frame home.
The Quality Payback
Concrete homes cost a little more than wood-frame homes. But lower energy bills and insurance premiums can offset the slightly higher mortgage payment. The real payback is in quality; the intangible benefits of a quieter and more comfortable home.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Plastic shutter or formwork used in construction
According to the United Nations, approximately 1.6 billion people live in substandard housing and 100 million are homeless. The Inter-American Development Bank reports that 10 to 15 million households in Latin America live in substandard housing conditions. Representative of the extent of worldwide poverty is the enormous demand for low and middle-cost housing worldwide. The global construction industry trying to address this housing shortfall is faced with depleting resources, heightened environmental concerns, high costs and deteriorating product quality. Conventional and traditional construction industries are unable to adequately address the growing demand for low-cost housing.
A company specialising in inexpensive construction technology for mass housing schemes has just established a new factory in Port Elizabeth.The inventor, Hennie Botes, said that the decision to open the factory was based on reducing production costs, in order to capture the affordable and low-income housing market. According to Botes this is achieved by consolidating the supply chain involved in the construction of a whole house, and to offer a comprehensive supply entity.
Botes said that the concept came to him in 1986 while building a wall around his first home. The building process took up quite a bit of time and he investigated alternatives to reduce the construction time and still create a good quality wall.
According to Botes Moladi is a low construction cost technology and has nothing to do with low-cost housing systems. The principle can be applied to any house, whether low-cost housing or for up market developments.The concept is unique in that it forms all the walls in a building simultaneously. It is can be adapted to various design specifications, whether they are schools, homes, clinics or factories whist maintaining design aesthetics for social acceptability.
Botes said that the concept came to him in 1986 while building a wall around his first home. The building process took up quite a bit of time and he investigated alternatives to reduce the construction time and still create a good quality wall.
According to Botes Moladi is a low construction cost technology and has nothing to do with low-cost housing systems. The principle can be applied to any house, whether low-cost housing or for up market developments.The concept is unique in that it forms all the walls in a building simultaneously. It is can be adapted to various design specifications, whether they are schools, homes, clinics or factories whist maintaining design aesthetics for social acceptability.
moladi, a South African Company and International supplier for the past 22 years, the pioneer of a one-step casting process for the construction of homes,"...Simply cast a whole house in a day, employing unskilled labour, reducing time, waste and cost, eliminating chasing for plumbing and electrical pipe work, plastering and beam filling, resulting in a wall stronger than brick. A cost effective, holistic design and build technology that far outweighs poorly designed costly concrete-block and masonry structures…
Lack of resources, insufficient funds, skills shortage, time constraints, work flow control and waste are key challenges embodied in affordable housing shortages. Our technology addresses these issues and this is why individuals and organisations recognise moladi as the solution to housing needs throughout the world. We supply technology and support transfer of know-how by means of on site training, internationally. South Africa has an official backlog of 2, 500, 000 units – what a challenge and opportunity to create jobs? Not to mention addressing the backlog in classrooms.
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