Re: Ferro-cement

["Jim Sealy Jr" <jimsealyjr@who.net>]

I grew up in the construction biz, with an emphasis on masonry work
and we've done all sorts of projects along the lines of what you
describe. Your finished dome sounds like a good description of an
upside down Gunite or Shotcrete swimming pool. Using commercial
cement spraying equipment your dome shouldn't be any great problem to
build.  All the pipe frame has to do is hold the weight of the wire
reinforcement and cement until it's dry. Once it's done, you could
remove the pipe frame and build another. <G>
Insulation option range from blown on cellulose or perlite based
lightweight cement to sprayed on foam. If you want to berm it, you
shouldn't have and problem there either.
I'd suggest you do a little research on cast in place swimming pool
construction, and you'll see the waterproofing isn't a problem.
Pages worth visiting is:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Robert_Conroy/rootcell.htm
and
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Robert_Conroy/concrete.htm

Jim
----------
> From: Permaculture West <permawest@olywa.net>
> To: permaculture <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
> Subject: [permaculture] Ferro-cement
> Date: Monday, January 25, 1999 6:07 PM
> 
> 	I'd like to open a thread of conversation on ferro-cement as I've
got a
> project in mind that I'd like some feedback on.  The story goes
something
> like this:
> 	I have a geodesic dome structure roughly 20' in diameter and 15'
in height
> at the center.  It is made from sections of 1" galvanized pipe that
are all
> roughly 3' in length.  This was originally a purchased dome kit
that used
> canvas as a cover.  The canvas is aging as here in the NW the
ambient air
> moisture seems to speed up the deterioration of most materials not
made
> from steel or concrete.
> 	My thought is to pour a cement slab roughly to the same diameter
as the
> dome, reconstruct the dome on the slab,  cover the dome with the
> appropriate wire mesh and spray the whole darn thing (minus some
carefully
> designed windows) with ferro cement.
> 	Some of the logistical concerns I have are: 1.) what are my best
> insulating options? 2.) would it be possible to somehow pack cob or
rammed
> earth around and over the ferro cement structure (for added
insulation and
> "earthy" aesthetics", 3.) how water proof is ferro cement or how
would one
> water-proof the ferro-cement? 4.) is this idea appropriate for the
NW
> climate? 5.) How would one apply ferro-cement to the inside ceiling
of the
> structure (i.e. upside down)?
> 
> 	So I would like to invite comments both on this project and also
from
> peoples' first hand experiences working with ferro-cement.  How
user
> friendly is the material, etc.?
> 
> Regards,
> kh
> 
> Kirk Hanson
> C/O Permaculture West
> 72 Mattson Rd.
> Oakville, WA 98568
> ph./fx. (360) 273-7117
> e-mail: permawest@olywa.net
> 
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