Does water harm aircrete?
Aircrete is not harmed by water. (However, it is not impervious to it if not properly sealed) Mix designs can be modified or adapted to meet project specifications or building needs. A refractory mix recipe can be made for areas that will be subjected to intense heat.
What is aircrete used for?
Aircrete is a building material that is meant to be an eco-friendly alternative to concrete in some regards. It can be used for building and is pretty affordable overall when you compare the cost to that of concrete. Aircrete is made by the equal distribution of stable air cells.
How easy is it to carry an aircrete block?
Given the weight of an AirCrete block is about 80% lighter, a child can easily carry one. Meaning moving one block up higher on a building wouldn't take lifts or machinery. A simple rope could pull one up easily, or even carrying it up a ramp with ease.
Can you build a house with aircrete?
Camping in a trailer, waking up, getting coffee and putting in a days work each day to build your new home. AirCrete makes this possible for once, you can do it yourself, with your family or a few friends. The design options are endless with this stuff, you can pour it into unusual molds and also cut the bricks by hand into shapes.
Can I build a house with Aircrete?
In simple terms AirCrete is aerated concrete. Unlike traditional cinder blocks or concrete bricks, which have a high cost, heavy weight and are not ideal to make yourself or build a home with yourself.
Is Aircrete as strong as concrete?
Aircrete is not as strong as concrete. It is 50% the strength of regular concrete. Unlike concrete, which contains materials that make it dense, Aircrete infuses air bubbles or styrofoam beads to make the concrete less compact and lighter.
Is Aircrete load bearing?
Aircrete prefab Floor and Roof Panels are load-bearing reinforced products used in social and commercial construction. Aircrete lintels are special load-bearing reinforced products.
Is Aircrete eco friendly?
Aircrete is a blend of cement, water, and air bubbles (or foam). Because it is composed of all-organic materials, and uses less of them than traditional concrete, it is extremely environmentally friendly. Additionally, its lifespan can extend beyond its first-run use in a building.
Does Aircrete need rebar?
Aircrete is simply concrete with bubbles. Regular concrete that we use for our roads, basements, and foundations traditionally made from Portland cement. This combination hardens into a highly dense material with impressive compressive strength. The addition of iron rebar adds additional structural integrity.
Does Aircrete absorb water?
Disadvantages of Aircrete Aircrete absorbs water over time hence the need to add cover using materials like plaster. Expansion of the absorbed water makes the aircrete prone to cracking over time.
Do aircrete blocks crack?
If the Aircrete blocks are used on the internal skin only and that is later dry-lined with plasterboard then the subsequent shrinkage cracks will never be seen and in any event will probably do no harm.
Can you use aircrete for foundation?
Aircrete can be used for foundations. It is light, hardens overnight, and continues to harden over time. It is easy to mold and shape using normal wood-shaping tools. Aircrete mostly consists of cement, water, and foam, although other materials like sand, lime, gypsum, and aluminum are also used.
Can Aircrete be used for a driveway?
You can use aircrete for walls, driveways, floors, and sub-level. The high performance of this material makes it a long-term, cost-effective solution for any areas where you would have used concrete previously. More cost-effective than most other concrete alternatives.
Is Aircrete tornado proof?
Air-Crete will float, you can build a boat with it. It will not rot, rust or decompose in water. Natural disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires, floods, volcanic eruptions – you name it, a dome is the strongest structural shape bar none.
What is the best mixture for Aircrete?
Step 1 - You will be using a 40:1 ratio plan, such as 5 gallons of water to two cups or 16oz of your chosen foaming agent (dawn soap for example). There are other foaming agents such as professional foaming agents, but Dawn soap works well. Mix your water and foaming agent very well in a bucket.
How long does it take to build an Aircrete dome?
Beyond its affordability, DomeGaia says their AirCrete is easy to work with, drying in just one night and flexible enough to be shaped into almost any form.
Can Aircrete be used for a driveway?
You can use aircrete for walls, driveways, floors, and sub-level. The high performance of this material makes it a long-term, cost-effective solution for any areas where you would have used concrete previously. More cost-effective than most other concrete alternatives.
Can Aircrete be used for foundation?
Aircrete can be used for foundations. It is light, hardens overnight, and continues to harden over time. It is easy to mold and shape using normal wood-shaping tools. Aircrete mostly consists of cement, water, and foam, although other materials like sand, lime, gypsum, and aluminum are also used.
Do aircrete blocks crack?
If the Aircrete blocks are used on the internal skin only and that is later dry-lined with plasterboard then the subsequent shrinkage cracks will never be seen and in any event will probably do no harm.
What is the strength of AirCrete?
AAC product densities vary between 300-800 kg/m3 and compressive strength is in the range 2,5 - 6 N/mm2, making it extremely resource efficient material. The large size of elements also allows for faster building and reduction of installation materials and labor.
What is aircrete made of?
Aircrete is simply concrete with bubbles. Regular concrete that we use for our roads, basements, and foundations traditionally made from Portland cement. This combination hardens into a highly dense material with impressive compressive strength. The addition of iron rebar adds additional structural integrity.
How much does it cost to build an aircrete dome?
According to one estimate, a 1000 square foot dome built 4-inches thick would cost about $4000. Another builder estimates that aircrete structures come out to about $9 per square foot.
Is aircrete brittle?
However, in some cases, the use of aircrete can lead to certain disadvantages. When high densities of foam are included, aircrete can become brittle, and chipping can occur . This type of aircrete will have limited compressive strength and could not be load-bearing.
Is aircrete better than concrete?
Aircrete offers many of the traditional concrete benefits with added properties that can enhance sustainable and energy-efficient homes. If you have ever been inside a cement and cinder block home that was not adequately sealed, the chances are that it will feel cold and damp. Aircrete, on the other hand, offers superior insulation properties due to the foam and air bubbles built into the concrete itself.
Can you use aircrete for insulation?
There is no set recipe for aircrete, as the exact amount of foam or air bubbles depends on how the aircrete will be used. Generally, aircrete with higher proportions of foam or air bubbles will offer less compressive strength but higher insulation capacities. Builders and homeowners might decide to use some traditional aggregate like gravel in aircrete applications requiring structural strength.
Is concrete a human made material?
Concrete is one of the most widely used, human-made materials on the planet. Some estimates state that we have made enough concrete to cover the earth's entire land surface in a thin coat of cement. Concrete is a durable and robust building material; however, it comes with a sizeable carbon footprint. The Royal Society of Chemistry estimates that between 5 and 7 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions result from concrete manufacturing. Thus, anything we can do to make concrete less strenuous on the planet is a critical step in the right direction. Aircrete is one "green cement" alternative that offers numerous advantages, which we will explain below.
Is aircrete fire resistant?
Aircrete is also water-resistant and fire-resistant. The Portland cement in aircrete offers necessary water resistance. The foam or air bubbles provide an added layer of protection against moisture. Like all cement structures, specific vapor barriers can also help reduce condensation penetrating your home. For homes located in areas where wildfires are an increasing threat, aircrete exteriors can diminish vulnerability and increase overall resiliency.
What is aircrete used for?
Aircrete features thermal and acoustical insulation properties that make it very different in application than standard concrete. These properties make it ideal for various purposes like insulating floors, roofs, and trench reinstatement. It also eliminates the thermal bridge, which allows the flow of outside air in a regular concrete structure. ...
Why does aircrete take longer to build?
Besides, it would take longer to build because it requires more passes of lower density concrete.
How Strong Is Concrete?
Concrete is the most accepted and widely used building construction material in the world, including fine and coarse aggregate material bound together with a fluid cement.
Why is aerated concrete used?
The goal of aerated concrete is to displace concrete with air. In the mid-1990s, Aircrete was regarded as weak, non-durable, and contained high shrinkage characteristics. The reason is the unstable foam bubbles that occurred when producing very low-density foam concrete, which was less than 300kg/m3.
Why is curing concrete important?
Increasing the Strength of Concrete. Proper curing of concrete is crucial as it leads to increased stability and lower permeability. Besides, the early strength is enhanced if it is kept damp during the curing process. Properly hydrated concrete that reaches its ultimate durability must be adequately hydrated.
How much strength is high strength concrete?
High-strength concrete in large civil projects measure 40Mpa (5800psi) in strength. Also, commercial structures that are very rigid include concrete with 130Mpa (18900psi).
What is accelerated curing?
For high-strength applications, an accelerated curing technique is employed that involves heating the poured concrete with steam. Also, care must be taken during curing to avoid freezing and overheating due to the material’s exothermic setting.
What is aircrete?
It is a minimum of 20% (per volume) foam entrained. It is also know as cellular concrete, foam concrete, foamcrete, light weight concrete, aerated concrete. Aircrete is produced in industrial settings and commercially throughout the world. This process typically requires large, heavy, expensive, machinery to create the precise foam ...
What is aircrete cement?
AirCrete is a lightweight cement based material that contains stable air cells uniformly distributed throughout the mixture. It is a concrete which utilizes a stable air cell rather than traditional aggregate. It is a minimum of 20% (per volume) foam entrained. It is also know as cellular concrete, foam concrete, foamcrete, light weight concrete, ...
Is aircrete a good insulation?
It’s fire, mold, pest, termite proof and water resistant…unlike wood, adobe, cob, straw bale, compressed earth or metal buildings that can rot, rust and decompose in water . Aircrete is not harmed by water.
Can aircrete be pumped?
Aircrete can be sawed, screwed, cut, carved, drilled or nailed and is easy to work with and repair with simple handheld tools. It can be pumped or poured into molds or forms.
Can aircrete be harmed by water?
Aircrete is not harmed by water. (However, it is not impervious to it if not properly sealed) Mix designs can be modified or adapted to meet project specifications or building needs. A refractory mix recipe can be made for areas that will be subjected to intense heat.
What is Aircrete?
Also known as Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC), Aircrete is a durable precast building material that can endure varying climatic conditions. ACC blocks protect from fire and mold and provide thermal insulation from heat and dampness. They are building components used in all kinds of building designs around the world.
What Makes Aircrete an Energy-Efficient and Eco-Friendly Building Material?
Aircrete is a blend of cement, water, and air bubbles (or foam). Because it is composed of all-organic materials, and uses less of them than traditional concrete, it is extremely environmentally friendly. Additionally, its lifespan can extend beyond its first-run use in a building.
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Advantages of Using Aircrete
As Aircrete needs lower maintenance over time than timber construction, it is often the best option. Aircrete has remarkable qualities of strength and durability. It does not release any damaging emissions nor rely on preservatives.
Additional Benefits of Aircrete
Aircrete has many beneficial features. It is fire-resistant, water-resistant, and snow resistant. It consists of fire-resistant substances that include water, foam, and a cement mixture. Even when exposed to extreme heat, Aircrete will not catch fire.
Key Concepts
Aircrete is a building product with remarkable qualities of strength and durability. Understanding the advantages of Aircrete gives you a measure of how adequately it performs its role of developing a solid construction.
