What is it – good pouring of foam concrete for walls and other building elements?

One common material used in contemporary construction is poured foam concrete. It is renowned for being simple to use, lightweight, and having good insulation. However, what constitutes a quality pour of foam concrete for walls and other structural components?

Let’s first review the fundamentals of foam concrete. It’s a porous, lightweight material made of a combination of cement, sand, water, and foam. This composition is perfect for a variety of construction applications because it offers good insulation against heat and sound.

Proper aeration and consistency in the mix are essential for a successful pour. This guarantees structural integrity and equitable distribution. To get the best results, the ingredients must be properly balanced, and mixing methods must be followed.

The curing process is also essential. In addition to ensuring that the foam concrete reaches its maximum strength and durability, proper curing eliminates cracks. It’s crucial to keep an eye on the temperature and moisture content during this stage.

Formwork is another essential component of good pouring techniques as it helps to keep the structure in place and preserve its shape until the concrete hardens. A smooth, even finish will result from making sure the formwork is firmly in place and appropriately aligned.

You can make sure that your foam concrete pour is successful and produces a sturdy, long-lasting, and well-insulated structure by being aware of these important factors.

Aspect	Description
Consistency	Foam concrete should be mixed evenly for a smooth pour.
Density	Ensure the foam concrete has the right density for structural strength.
Formwork	Use sturdy and well-sealed formwork to shape the concrete.
Pouring Speed	Pour at a steady pace to avoid air pockets.
Curing	Let the concrete cure properly to reach its full strength.
Temperature	Pour in suitable weather conditions to prevent cracking.
Mix Ratio	Use the correct mix ratio of water, cement, and foam.

A little about commercial foam concrete

These days, cellular foam concrete is a reasonably common building material. However, it is typically available ready-made in block form for purchase. Poured foam concrete is used at sites less frequently.

Please take note that foam concrete produced in factories typically has higher quality indicators when comparing the quality of factory-produced foam concrete with commercial foam concrete that uses the same initial components.

There are various reasons why this could occur:

• Concrete hardening conditions – there should be no drafts, and a warm and humid atmosphere is desirable, which is provided by a steam room at the production facility. Due to the low ambient temperature, the hydration processes of cement slow down, but at this time, foam shrinkage may occur, since not every concentrate has good resistance in the solution.
• The quality of foam concrete It can also be reduced (and often happens) due to the incorrect dosage of the components. Namely, the approximate recipe for concrete on construction sites is destructive for such a solution. The quality of foam concrete is a fragile balance that is very easy to break, even an experienced specialist.

• Component discrepancy with the proper condition. In industries, they monitor this, and bring raw materials to the necessary quality level. No one is engaged in this at the facilities.

The author notes that, for instance, in this circumstance. Sand is kept outdoors, exposed to the elements. Sand was dampened by the heavy rain that fell. It indicates that sand in this condition is added to foam concrete because no one will dry it. Furthermore, there has already been a serious decline in quality as a result of this breach of the water-cement attitude.

Let me also share a little secret with you: the temperature of the foam, the water in the solution, and the surrounding air must all be the same when creating foam concrete. This discrepancy may negatively impact the foam’s longevity and, in turn, the foam concrete’s quality.

• Poor mixing quality? Where do you think it will go, into the formwork or into the trash? Of course into the formwork. Who will throw away such "goods". This is where even bigger problems come in.

But poured foam concrete is not as bad as it seems.

It also offers numerous benefits:

• low cost of foam concrete of lower density, which provides good thermal conductivity;
• no "cold bridges" in the walls due to monolithicity;
• the ability to make it yourself;
• low weight of the entire building.

Many builders replace foam concrete with polystyrene concrete after assessing the benefits and drawbacks of pouring walls and other structural elements out of foam concrete. There is no shrinking and nearly identical characteristics. Nonetheless, poured foam concrete continues to have a large following. The following section of the publication is for you if you fall into that category.

In order to obtain the proper consistency, strength, and insulating qualities, foam concrete for walls and other building components must be properly mixed and poured. It takes competent labor, the right tools, and close attention to detail to prevent common problems like cracks, uneven surfaces, and weak spots during this process. A well-done pour produces long-lasting, stable, and energy-efficient structures that satisfy building codes and offer long-term advantages.

What can be poured with foam concrete, and in what cases

Foam concrete is now the lightest concrete available and a widely used building material. With its assistance, you can construct an inexpensive, well-insulated home from the ground up to the attic. Let’s examine each instance in isolation.

Driving the foundation

If the idea of using commercial foam concrete to fill the foundation is bothering you, ignore it right away for the following reasons:

• Any foundation needs reinforcement, and foam concrete, as you know, cannot be reinforced with a traditional frame. Therefore, if foam concrete is used for the construction of foundations, then only in the form of ready-made blocks.
• As manufacturers claim, foam concrete is a building material that is absolutely inert to moisture, but this is not entirely true. Foam concrete absorbs it very well, which is why it has such insignificant frost resistance grades. The denser the material, or more precisely, the fewer pores it has, the less hygroscopic it is.

Note: What is foamed concrete known for, after all? Yes, its cellular structure, which isn’t limited to completely enclosed spheres. Furthermore, everything about a foam concrete foundation relies on the local conditions. Maybe you won’t even get to finish building because the foundation will "crumble."

• Low strength is another good reason to forget about foam concrete in the foundation of a full-fledged building. It is possible to make a base for a barn, chicken coop and other small utility room from foam blocks.

Recall that using commercial foam concrete with no additives, waterproofing, or extremely sturdy permanent formwork will result in a dependable foundation.

Thus, let us proceed.

Insulation of pipes

Insulation and protection of underground pipelines for various purposes is traditionally done with PPU with double waterproofing. But this is not always justified due to harsh weather conditions and strong freezing of the soil. In addition, it is also indecently expensive.

Note: Foam concrete in "warm" grades is a great substitute for polyurethane foam insulation when it comes to safeguarding pipelines. However, not in circumstances where groundwater is nearby!

It is not particularly difficult to disassemble thermal insulation foam concrete in order to repair pipelines. It is simple to "pick it out" and refill because it is as soft as butter. Such cutting-edge pipe protection is most frequently utilized in the oil and gas sector.

Screeds

Foam concrete floor screed is the most practical and profitable application for this type of building material.

• As experience has proven, it perfectly insulates sound and heat in any room. And serves for a long time with proper finishing.
• If repairs are necessary, a foam concrete floor is easier to dismantle than one made of heavy mortar. And it is also easy to reanimate a damaged area.
• The small weight of the foam concrete screed does not exert serious pressure on the critical parts of the building. It is for this reason that foam concrete is most often taken as the main material for the construction of screeds in apartments, public spaces, houses and on technical floors.

To these amazing qualities, we can also add that self-pouring a commercial foam concrete floor is quite easy to do and has simple instructions that anyone can follow. We’ll be pleased to take a closer look at it.

Monolithic foam concrete walls

One fairly common method of construction for both single-story and multi-story buildings is pouring foam concrete walls. This type of construction requires a lot less time because insulation is done in parallel with the wall’s extension, and finishing on the inside and outside is possible depending on the formwork. However, the technology used in construction determines everything.

1. "Lego blocks" made of durable and dense foam.

In the first instance, rows of a unique frame made of interlocked hollow foam blocks are arranged on a foundation that has already been laid. The reinforcement must be longitudinal. They start assembling the second wall belt’s permanent formwork after pouring the first. And so it did, all the way to the roof.

1. Pouring into permanent formwork.

In order to pour monolithic walls, permanent formwork made of finishing material is a more dependable and useful method. For instance, the interior is composed of OSB or plywood, while the exterior is composed of brick. In this type of formwork, a layer of foam concrete will function more as a heat insulator than a material that can support weight. Additionally, using low-density foam concrete grades results in significant cost savings. With this system, more than three floors can be constructed.

1. A monolithic wall made of foam concrete with removable formwork.

Demands greater skill because the final surface’s appearance must meet specific criteria. There is a prefabricated formwork system as well as a homemade one constructed out of laminated plywood.

Note: Because the formwork, insulation, facade, and interior decoration all require time and labor to assemble and disassemble, this type of construction is more labor-intensive. Once more, because denser grades of foam concrete are used to support all load-bearing loads, the wall’s thickness increases.

Our publication "Construction from foam concrete – block or monolithic walls" has more information about the benefits of using monolithic foam concrete to build walls. Which is higher-quality and more profitable?"

Construction of flat roofs, and roofs with an attic

Another reliable coating and efficient method of insulating the roof is to pour foam concrete into the attic. However, it’s important to remember that pouring a fluid material like commercial foam concrete evenly will be nearly impossible if the roof has even a slight slope. You’ll need exceptional talent as well as strong creativity.

The cost of this kind of work must be reasonable. Low-density foam concrete may be used. However, it would be wise to choose a grade of at least D800 if you intend to use the attic frequently.

If you intend to do the work yourself, consider carefully how you will ensure that there is a supply of the mixture and lift the equipment. Ultimately, a gerotor pump is required if the delivery must reach a height of more than five meters. However, this is costly and not always warranted. We’ll talk about how to answer this and many other questions down below.

Concrete volume calculator

For walls and other building components to be robust and long-lasting, foam concrete must be properly poured. It guarantees the material’s good performance in terms of load-bearing ability, soundproofing, and insulation.

The quality of the mix, appropriate curing, and exact pouring methods are important considerations. A longer lifespan for the structure and fewer problems are the results of consistency in these areas.

There are several advantages to properly poured foam concrete, such as lower construction costs and increased energy efficiency. This makes it a well-liked option for contemporary construction projects.

In conclusion, mastering proper pouring techniques is essential to realizing foam concrete’s full construction potential. It produces dependable, superior building components that satisfy the requirements of contemporary construction standards.

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