I used aircrete as a primary form. Then a bonding agent and a finish layer of concrete. I built a huge 1800sq ft house. Steel reinfirced roof with natuaral look on the outside, and external walls are all 14" thick earthbag with reinforced rebar every 4 feet. Concrete covered outer and plaster interior. It matches the natural very large boulders on my property ! Turned out beautiful, with post and beam interior from round wood I harvested here. It was a lot of work with it just being me building it. My suffestion is find people who are like minded and help each other on your builds. Mine has wuth stood a 6 1 and a 5.9 earthquake as well as several fires in the area. One fire took out 250 structures. People underestimate the strength of this type of building. My house will be standing 100 years longer than these stick- built homes. It looks beautiful and Everyone that has seen it thinks it is great. Built into the side of the mountain, it is about 15°F cooler in the summer than anything else around here - naturally !!😊
concrete doesn't last as long as you think. And the rust from the metal will make the metal expand causing cracking. Look up Roman concrete, and you will see that our cement doesn't last a fraction of what theirs lasted. there is a reason there has been research into the roman way of making concrete. Plus you're using a novel way to make concrete that hasn't been tested over the ages. So to say that it will last 100+ years is a stretch. Warning to others.
@@firstname-qq3xp I appreciate those cautions, I've thought about those issues for some time. I'm considering basalt rebar for my future projects because it does not corrode and expand like rusting iron rebar. Also, the Romans hot mixed their concrete according to the published articles, this is a bit hazardous but it creates lime clasts which allow for self-healing explaining the durability of Roman concrete.
That is a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, it's not very feasible especially considering the lack of commercial real estate in the area following the disaster. With that said, setting up a 14 day "training" workshop that benefits the local community would be much easier to put together than a permanent presence. Even if that isn't possible for DomeGaia specifically, Thankfully the Islands are home to a lot of other experts in the use of "alternative" building materials which I know are already on the ground doing their part to aid in the reconstruction efforts. Unfortunately, from what I've heard from those on the ground, that despite the desperate need, some local officials are making the permitting process difficult for those looking to use aircrete and similar materials. The objections by some permitting officials doesn't just apply to permanent housing projects either. In some locations Builders try to Construct Sheds, Workshops, Garages and the like, are also running into issues. Needless to say, This is extremely frustrating for many residents looking for low cost alternatives to expensive more traditional building materials. This is just one more area where the Personal Freedoms of American Citizens is being replaced by bureaucratic nonsense that is for our own good, I'm sure! 🤯🤦🏻🤬
if you basically offset this ridiculus, unaffordable, "why did we leave Cali?" cost of everything in New England, and/or NY, I'd say, "Dude, you can just chill for a while, you know? Don't have to get going. Or anything. Heck, we'll freekin' actually cook for someone else in our new House That Aircrete Built."
🎉❤😂 I love it! You are all so talented and tough and dedicated and amazing! Thank you for this video! I just printed the Aircrete 101 guide and I can't wait to get started on our Off-Grid Geothermal Aquaponic Greenhouse! I'm so grateful for you all, Domegaia channel, and everyone who is building with aircrete. The nice man at my local buiding department gave me a blank stare when I said my buiding material would be primarily aircrete. Next time I go there I will take a copy of the Aircrete 101 guide for him. Keep up the good work! Peace, Love. Joy, and Blessings to all.
Aircrete Europe: founded in 2002 The term aircrete was coined far earlier than 2015. Trademark: AIRCRETE submitted August 14, 1990 by Thermalite limited corporation
I remember aircrete bricks yet as a lil kid from the construction site near our house and we were wowed we can lift huge brick.. and it was around 1985 and we were not a country that would have any invention so fast, means foamed bricks had to start around early 80ties
I’m super excited about this material. I live in Anchorage, AK and plan to build a house next year. My idea is to use CMU columns and bond beams and use aircrete as an infill. Do you see any reason I couldn’t do that? I’d use rigid foam on the outside of the wall and metal siding over that. The hope would be to reduce cost and add insulation value.
Thanks for what you and your dad are contributing. I am really interested in hempcrete and straw bale for the insulation and thermal mass properties but mainly, I HATE mold and mildew smell. Hempcrete is said to regulate moisture in humid and hot environments. How does aircrete compare? can it regulate humidity like the others and if so are there special materials needed to finish it to allow it to breath?
aircrete for countertops might have utility if you could figure out how to use it as a core with regular concrete poured around it to completely encase it. This should reduce the weight of the countertop over only using full density concrete. If, for example, you wanted hefty looking 3" thick countertop. 3" of solid concrete would weight a ton (and perhaps a literal ton). But if you were able to pour a 3/4" thick bottom, a 1 1/2" thick core of aircrete, and then a 3/4" thick top. A 1 1/2" - 2" wide perimeter on all four sides you give solid edge could end up with a countertop that is 30%-40% lighter. The issue arguing against this is that regular concrete poured on or around aircrete after the aircrete has cured does not bond very well. The bottom, the four sides and the top could be done in one pour so they fully bond with each other, even if the bond to the aircrete sitting in the middle isn't that great. This would require some type of legs on the aircrete to keep it 3/4" off the bottom of the countertop form. To do that you could drill holes through the aircrete and put 2 1/4" machine bolts through the holes with a nut and bolt on the bottom so that there will be 3/4" between the bottom of the form and bottom of the aircrete. If there is any concern with the relatively thin 3/4" thick top and bottom layer along with the 2" rim around the edge being strong enough, 2 1/2" machine screws with washers and nuts so that 1/4" of the bolts are projecting sticking out of the aircrete. Then two pieces of welded wire mesh that extend past the aircrete 2" on all four sides could be tied to the bolts about a 1/2" up from the bottom of the form and to the 1/4" of the bolts sticking out of the top to the bolts. Once the mesh is tied to the bolts, bend the edges over about an inch out from the edges of the aircrete. There should be some overlap between the wire mesh coming up from the bottom and down from the top. Might even throw in a couple of wire ties at the overlap of the edges. Then pour 3/4" of full density concrete in the bottom of the countertop form, set the aircrete/bolt/wire assembly down on the concrete and work it in until the ends of the bolts are resting on the bottom of the form. Then immediately pour the rest of the concrete around the sides of the aircrete up to the tops of the forms. Hopefully the aircrete would then just hang out in the middle of the concrete, the bolts and wire serving to give the thin top and bottom concrete layers extra strength and the bolts serving to mechanically tie the aircrete and concrete together. Hopefully none of the bolt end stick up through the concrete top. Or maybe you want to use 3" bolts so the tops of the bolt head end up just slightly proud of the top surface of the countertop. Then when the concrete is fully set, then grind the bolt heads flush with the top and polish both the concrete and bolt heads until they are both shiny and smooth. Might want to go with stainless steel bolts if you do this so they don't tarnish.
@@marlinda6851 stop overthinking it? I don’t think I can. I’m an engineer, and that is just what we do. Or at least that is what this engineer does. And sorry about the length. I type 90+ wpm.
@papparocket Nah, it's not just you. I know several engineers and questions/ideas like that one are catnip to them all. One of the main things I like about y'all!
In Europe, the "Aircrete" like products are available for decades, being (in this part of Europe) actually number one material for residential houses. The products are ranging from pure cement based to ones with high gypsum additive, which drastically increase R value. And yes, you can have products with steel reinforcement - all lintels of my aircrete house are made of U shaped aircrete lintels, that have reinforcing bars inside. By the way the aircrete blocks are very very precise, polished to less than 0.5 mm precision. You don't have to even join the aircrete blocks with cement mortar, you can use (approved) mounting foam from a can. My house was built this way more nearly 15 years ago, from Ytong aircrete blocks, 300x500x250 mm. The material is excellent to work with as pointed in the video, it's easy to cut to shape, cut slsots in, etc. The only down side is strength (compared to traditional brick or concrete wall), for heavy stuff like kitchen cabinets, I used 250mm (10") long dowels and screws. As said, Ytong and similar materials are now prevailing in construction of new houses here. I believe it has to be cheaper than stick building, considering how much effort (man-hours) that requires. And it's among the cheapest materials too.
Yeah, my initial research shows that "AIRCRETE" trademark from August 14th 1990. That said, I'm glad that this channel is championing the technology, even though the term was not coined by his father in 2015 as the video says.
@@tryscience Yes, the "Aircrete" term is these days really used for DIY mixture of foam and concrete and I think it's fine. Proper established term is "porous concrete", in some languages shortened to something like "poroconcrete", but here we simply call the material "Ytong" after the most popular producer (by far).
@@oakld I think it's an amazing material, it's just that when I heard the gentleman say his father coined the term for the first time it bothered me because it's something I've been aware of for much longer than that. Even by that specific name which was trademarked last millennium. I don't know if he wasn't aware of that fact, or if he was trying to pump up his credibility by suggesting his dad first coined that term. I believe in giving credit where it's due. And in this case, "Aircrete" was trademarked more than 20 years before he said his dad coined the term.
@@tryscience Well it could have been an honest mistake or he meant that his father got the term some popularity and recognition, which I'd say falls under "coined", but I'm not a native English speaker to judge. The material is really great that's why its number one material for housing in many countries in Europe and beyond. It's still difficult to believe it can't be purchased in the US, with the best market and entrepreneurship you have over there...
@@oakld I think we're a victim of habit. People are so used to stick built and comfortable with it, that they don't want to take the risks involved with something new. Getting approvals for it would also be more complicated than a more traditional construction technique. I think eventually it will take hold here.
Good video. Vinay here Am an architect from India. One simple question. Can we have cast in situ aircrete for a 12 m or 40 feet dia dome ?? The probable precautions that Must be followed. Also suggest the Consultancy charges that will allow me to take your guidance while we are building this dome. We are actually building some 30 domes of this size, hence my request.
I have used a product called Rapidset a few times for varying projects. Every time i come across an aircrete video, i start wondering if this product could improve the mix being that Rapidset is much stronger and sets faster than normal concrete. They also make a plasticizer product called Flow Control that changes the consistency when being mixed and poured. I have considered building a small bubble generator myself to try, but im wondering if anyone else has tried it first.
I'm asking this question as a complete novice, so keep that in mind, but if you shredded aluminum foil, or recycled aluminum pressed into thin sheets and added this to the mixture in the right amount, would this increase the strength, as well as perhaps improve water permeability issues prior to sealing, or might there be an unpleasant effect from this combination, if not immediately known, over time?
I don't think there would be any advantage and just create a lot of extra work for you. It's already strong enough and there are great ways to make it waterproof that make more sense.
If you built a conventional square or rectangle house with vertical walls rather than dome walls, could the aircrete walls support the weight of a conventional roof (rafters, sheathing, shingles or metal)? Given the previous scenario, if you had rafters and sheathing, could you pour an aircrete roof? Lastly, where I live in Maine, building codes require cement walls go to the frost line below a slab. Could you trench the perimeter of a slab down to frost line and pour aircrete into the trench and then when hardened pour an aircrete slab on top of the perimeter aircrete walls?
Hi! I saw your comment and decided to give a quick explanation😅. I live in Ukraine, Kyiv suburbs, I guess 9 of 10 new houses are built with aircrete. I live in a townhouse with walls built from air concrete, they have extra insulation layer of polystyrol to make houses more energy efficient. Here is a huge industry of manufacturing aircrete. Standard blocks for walls are 60 cm length X 30cm width X 20 cm height . For walls inside buildings 10cm width blocks are usually used. These blocks are very lightweight. Their weight is a great advantage, as for such buildings strip foundation is used - it is from standard concrete and rebars. So basically such strip foundation should be around 80 cm in under ground and 10-20 cm above the ground. Also constructing walls from aircrete, each third row usually is enforced with rebar. Average price of one 60-20-30 block is 3,5-4 USD. Professionally manufactured they have perfect shape and expected behaviour. In Kyiv we normally have -15 -20 Celcium in winter Hope that gave some answers for your question
Fellow Mainer here. DId you ever get this figured out? I was hoping to build on top of an all ready poured slab but based on your comment. Likely not doable.
@@TimArchambaultme I think it is doable Tim. The State code wants you to go down below frost line with your walls and then pour the slab on top of the walls. However, in my town of Northport, that is only a recommendation and not the law. People pour slabs on top of the ground all the time without the walls. However, if I were to do that I would first put down 2 to 6 inches of insulation board and pour the slab on top of that. That said, if you didn't do that and just poured the slab on the ground without insulation then that should be fine too. Mainers for years have poured slabs on ground for their garages, sheds, etc. The weight of the aircrete walls is going to be much less heavy than regular concrete so the stress on the slab will be less. I wouldn't worry about it. Build the aircrete walls on top of the slab. They should carry the roof weight as well. However, I'd put a metal roof on the lighten the load and allow for snow to slide off easily. Hope this helps.
Many people look at ancient temples built with granite, basalt, limestone, etc and think that our ancestors were primitive. Yet what it displays is a level of ingenuity beyond todays standards. those ancient stone temples, buildings, etc have lasted thousands upon thousands of years to this day still remaining. They were actually building with far more sophistication then todays home which break down within less then 100 years or sooner. I look at this Aircrete as somewhat a version of ancient building techniques. keeping it simple, less moving pieces, and can outlasts most homes in the market, if not all of them.
Would this material be too light to withstand a hurricane/tropical storms? I live on Carriacou which got totally flatten of hurricane Beryl. 95% av all buildings destroyed or roofs gone. Including my food places which was surrounded in a growing lush garden. I'm now searching for alternativ, low budget...
High heat areas that regularly have 30 to 90 days triple digit temps; would the thermal value result in heating the interior more, thereby reducing the cooling efficiency? Also, do you use a raised floor or trough system in the foundation for running electrical and water lines or do you form the bricks around conduits?
If it get's cool at night then the thermal mass will help even things out and lessen your cooling load. If it stays the same temperature through out the day then you are just relying on the insulation value and the thermal mass will have little affect either way other than it could take longer to initially cool it down.
Would love to know - is it possible to build a dome with a 30ft diameter with aircrete? My partner and I are starting to research dome style houses but I think we are leaning towards 1-2 big ones instead of grouping smaller ones together.
Absolutely it can be done, but not with aircrew, for that you'd probability need a system (you can find videos) that uses vinyl firm the size and shape of the house you're building, sprayed with foam insulation on the inside, rebar throughout and then sprayed with concrete on the inside. It sounds much more expensive, it probably is, but I've seen videos of structures of that size and larger.
You can build 30ft domes with aircrete just fine but it will be easier and faster for you to build several smaller domes all clustered together rather than one very large one.
You can not mix anything cement with organic matter so no to the wheat straw. Clay will not work it will just crumble as it doesn't bondy to itself very well. Cement forms a very strong bond to itself.
Have you noticed with aircrete and gel kandels (candles) any strengthening ? Possibly Gel of mineral oil and polymer creates durability in aircrete too.
Hard water bad, ok. What about muddy water? Ill be starting a build this spring in south-central Vietnam. From what i gather the water in the hose comes out of the fish ponds around the farm. I have been planning to just buy all my bricks, maybe make a little cob. But this Aircrete keeps popping up in my build searches, and as a sculptor, it seems intriguing.
We've never experimented with muddy water but it doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I think you'd want to filter it through at least a 5 micron filter first.
can aircrete be used to build masonary furnaces? In a cold climate a dome house with a masonary furnace would be incredibly warm, but the furnaces are heavy and difficult to build from conventional concrete.
This is a 70 year old technology in Europe. It is called Autoclaved aerated concrete. While the recipe for it is a little different as it also contains gypsum (making it more white), it is the same basic thing.
AAC is quite different than DIY aircrete. AAC is made via a chemical process and cured in a kiln. It is a lot harder which makes it harder to work with but still a good option if you can purchase and have them shipped to you cost effectively.
@@domegaia What do you mean a lot harder? I have no experience with aircrete but AAC is quite soft. I would say AAC is a little harder then chalk. Basically you can brake a 10cm block of AAC by using your hands and knee like you would brake a branch.
I'm not an expert in all kinds of AAC bricks. Just the one's we can get in the USA are harder to cut with a saw but they are still a lot softer than concrete. They are a great option but often the shipping makes them unaffordable and they need to be made in a fairly hard factory, not something you can do yourself.
@@domegaia They are the cheapest building material you can get in Europe. But it's true that they need to be done in a factory. It is not something you can do yourself. And they are extremely easy to work with due to their low weight and big size.
Hi, great video. What about building a boat in Aircrete? There are many sailboats being built in concrete, reinforced by chicken wire steel structures. That's a durable and attractive material for homebuilders, but heavy. I'm thinking Aircrete with layers of glass fibre sounds more compelling; lightweight, easy to handle and probably cheaper than Divinycell foam plus epoxy. Do you have any experience or thoughts?
I don't think this would be a good idea. If you are just looking for the strongest material, I don't think aircrete would be your best choice. For building domes its a great balance between insulation and strength.
Thanks for this informative video! I have questions about sandwiching the aircrete in fabric. Is it a good idea to incorporate the fabric during the pouring stage? For example, creating an arch form, draping the fabric over it, and pouring the aircrete directly onto the membrane fabric. Or, for a straight wall, tensioning the inner and outer fabrics, supporting them with forms, and pouring the interior. Would doing that help the membrane fabrics adhere to the airecrete? I live in a textile-producing city so I have access to lots of surplus fabric at $1/square meter. The bolt sizes I have access to are typically 60 inch (1.5m) x 200 meters long. There are many material choices but I'd say the three main options are 100% polyester, 60% poly/40% cotton, or 100% woven polyethylene. Are any of those options suitable for the sandwiching fabric? I appreciate your great videos with applied knowledge, it's been really inspirational.
Let us say you are into creating objects such as unique poured hand basins and like the idea of the lighter weight. Could one consider adding a % of liquid glass to the detergent reservoir or water feed? Will the water glass provide extra strenght to the finished product once cured?
Using the 12 inch bricks for winters like in NY and NEng, would you recommend any exterior treatments to resist such weather damage with aircrete? Thanks for your time and hope all is well, good sir.
What do you think about using aircrete as a construction material for trailer campers? Considering it's brittle nature, I wonder if it'd be appropriate structures that are on the move...like a camper.
I was hoping you could comment on my idea. I plan to build my exterior walls with two materials; 8” hempcrete blocks with 6” of foamcrete on the exterior. I am also planning on cladding the exterior with sandstone or limestone veneer. How does foamcrete hold up to direct fire? Any issues you see with my thoughts/ideas
Ive seen people. Buy an old ship. Like single hull oiltankers those cant be used anymore. So their relatively cheap. And they fill the hull with aircreate so even if the hull is to thin and rusted through it will stay afloat. To make it into a houseboat.
If you're planning a main dome to be 40 ft in diameter, is there a better material to use? What about multiple levels in a home? Could these domes be combined to a shipping container home?
I'm involved in a large project in Belize, and this is something I've been researching and am considering implementing in the project. My question is is it possible to add shredded tires to increase the tensile strength of the air Crete? Also, would Dome Gaia be interested in getting involved with a portion of this project? Specifically, the section that will cover affordable housing?
We always love knowing about interesting projects. I'm not sure about the shreeded tires and if that would help. Domegaia is primarily an education company so if there is an opportunity for us to come and teach we'd be happy to talk with you more. You can email aloha@domegaia.com
A few questions. Would it be a descent material to make a hobit home? Have you tried making it with the rediscovered Roman Concrete formula? Have you tried mixing it with sawdust. Sawdust and concrete=dustrcrete?
Hi, i have a micro fiber plastic i am interested in using as a aircrete additive. Do you know if anyone is using plastic fiber to reinforce the aircrete?
In theory, but you would spend a lot of money on the form and it would then have to be discarded for a one-off construction. Even if you were manufacturing cast homes in quantity it would still be more convenient to use smaller components for handling purposes and combine them into a finished structure. Finally, using mix and match components would allow variation between units where a "whole house" mold would create the exact same plan every time.
insulation alone is worth using it. Also you don't have to have TWO floors. Therefore it's perfect for bungalow type of home. It doesn't have to be small. It can be 3 bdrm or more. Just go horizontally. Perfect for farms, homesteads.
I remember seeing a home similar to these being built along the highway on the way to the cottage. I only know of this one they look cool to bad it never became popular and I’m going back 40+ years
I would like to build my own dome home and the aircrete material sounds good. How can I get an aircrete machine? On another note I have an idea for a very large dome to turn it into a restaurant however I'm going to need about 200 acres for the project idea that I have. So I can use all the help that I can get.
Would it be possible to use aircrete and perhaps a mesh over adobe structures to add insulation from the elements/ insects in humid climates. Adobe houses are often looked at as not practical due to how brittle the walls become in high humidity climates and how easy it is for bugs to infest them. Would aircrete alleviate this issue if used in conjunction ?
I live in New England and I'm interested in having an aircrete dome home built here. I would want it to be built for me and definitely do not want just any contractor building it. If they are not experienced with aircrete they will screw it up, guaranteed, no matter how easy it is. Do you build here and if so when can the building start?
Like I said before. It is nice if you do not need a building permit. If you need one and have to show some documentation of its strength, structural integrity, aircrete is not the way to go. Steven Areen’s dome house wasn’t made with aircrete. It was built with 4” concrete blocks and some earth blocks (ladrillos) . And if you like to build “cheap” - the Domgaia tool set is already $1,500 plus shipping. For $1,500 I got all my 6” concrete blocks I needed. I have to build on a budget. My house will be around $15,000 - $20,000. Depending how crazy I want to go.
Hi guys, We use styro crete (regrind styrofoam cement) to insulate the outside of quonset huts then we finish as you do. We like aircrete but haven't been able to get constant results mostly the bubbles sometimes collapse but not always. Any suggestions?
That is frustrating when your aircrete doesn't turn out as expected. I would suggest trying a proper foaming agent, this can eliminate a lot of issues domegaia.com/products/mearlcrete
Very interesting video. Question. My land requires a building of at least 600 square feet of livable space. That’s a pretty huge dome, although I’m not opposed to a dome if I could build it basically myself within a year as an amateur. Domes are quite cool, but whether I go with a dome or a more traditional single story rectangular home, you didn’t cover internal walls to create rooms of different types which for obvious reasons have benefits and would be desirable for my family. Firstly, can internal walls be built safely and effectively using aircrete? Secondly, if yes, can one do this in both a dome and rectangular structure? And lastly, are domes and one story rectangular homes about the same in difficulty and time it takes per square foot or significantly different? Thanks.
These are great questions. If you are an amateur builder it's much easier to learn how to build a Aircrete Dome than a traditional house. It is easier to build multiple smaller connected domes than one large dome. For that reason our designs are all single story although you could go larger. You can do internal walls from aircrete for both domes and traditional buildings. In a dome they are not structural so it's a bit simpler. In a trandtional building if they are structural its a whole other level of engineering. We have classes to learn our dome building system you can check out here: domegaia.com/pages/workshops
in the 1970s the British artist Roger Dean proposed and build rounded structures for dwelling/workshops using a sprayed concrete called GUNNITE. This was sprayed onto forms such as inflated balloons, etc. and then later windows and doors were cut using sawzall. Is this the same material??
got an idea The idea behind blocks is that they can be handled and placed in a variety of shapes and sizes so that they can be placed simply by nearly everybody. I see that you almost singularly use block, not cast in place. I prefer cast in place, as your video shows a 6 CF mix, and if I were to build a form, it would contain exactly 6 CF multiples. The greater the size of a form, the fewer shapes it will build. The smaller the form, the greater the labor in placement and patching. I dislike domes as they are hard to find finishes for as ready-made products are almost exclusively designed for straight and plumb surfaces. Very hard to build multiple stories with limited ground space, city blocks are not round but rectangles. Domes look very unusual. If I were to design a form using the correct amount of mix, it might be unstable for men to lift and place. IT needs reinforcing. My thinking is Polypropylene Baler Twine, pre-tensioned slightly. IT is so cheap that lots could be used. $.02 for 3M. My form would be 9' tall and 8' long, mostly 2.5" thick. I would place an electrical conduit in the form to run the wire from the top later. Place windows/doors in the form and cast around them. At each end, and the top I would cast a "U" to fill with reinforced concrete, making posts and a top beam. [I would fill slowly as not to burst the post form.] Installation would be 4 guys lifting the form and new cast into place, then compressed air to delaminate the form, abandoning the new cast in the finished position over a footing to be mudded in. 1 cast/day. This could be the lowest-cost housing structure on earth. Great for places where rock and sand is hard to find cheaply. A quality form could make hundreds of casts at a cost of less than $20 a cast. Finished walls at $.40 sf in the undeveloped world. I have already built the lowest cost housing structure on earth. th-cam.com/video/T6D6362lZrk/w-d-xo.html Please tell me where I am in error. [tommy_sanford2000(at)yahoo.com]
Could I use it to build an inground swimming pool? I'd anchor the pool with some piliings, so I'm really asking about the walls. Wouldn't the dirt around the pool serve as the real reinforcement for the walls?
I am in the process of building a wall that will vary from 9'- 13' using Hebel block. It had a wavy pattern to it, that unfortunately the engineers at Hebel are not very helpful with adjusting their reinforcement requirements, which are in the top layer running horizontally, as well as vertically every 4'. It will be supported at 8' by a cantelievered shedroof supported by massive timber, 6'x13' posts and 2x framing. Can you weigh in on ability to just reinforce at the second tier from the top so we can can modify the lines? Hebel is suggesting plywood and stucco. Not making sense to me since the whole idea was to carve the block. Thanks for any light you might be able to shed. This wall is 60' long. with the highest point at 13' only 9' in width at most.
12" would be around R-24 and 23" would be around R-28. It depends on the size of the structure. If it's a very small structure you could get away with less insulation but if it's large you have a bigger payoff of more insulation
My answer would be no. too difficult to trust with the top and side load that an underground structure is required to withstand. By the time you have included the steel you actually NEED building under earth and add the full water proofing you need I do not believe aircrete would be useful. Aircrete alone is very porous and allows water ingress easily. A free standing dome in air is handling gravity and wind load only.
I think you could build the shape of your dome from a compacted pile of sand, wetted and packed. Cover the sand with wet cardboard or other. Stack all your blocks going round n round to the top. When your done you remove the sand. Its how I build my wood fired domed ovens
That sounds like way more work than the way we teach it with the compass arm. It's just one poll in the center that pivots and is use to place each block in the perfect place. You also end with a perfect curve.
@domegaia I ve done it in small-scale building wood fired ovens, and my friends or other you tubers have done it the way you're doing on a small scale. Maybe just give both a try and build a wood fired oven. The pizza and bread are amazing, so there's no failure. There's no ladder werk. there's no singular block werk. Its safe, but im not having any experience on the large or with my suggestion. I have built tho an awful lot of concrete the hard way in Philippines, they do everything the hard way but verry well. We make our own blocks we mix everything by hand and use buckets to transport the material. I've got 8 inch solid concrete walls, 6 inch poured floors, and 6 inch poured flat deck ceilings all by hand. My place we have built all the same and its 20,000 sq ft Mansion on the beach. Im from the USA andvadopted new techniques I did not think would prove better than the Western way. But hey, Man enjoyed your video and its just a thought
@domegaia But are you waiting for each block to cure in place while tied with a small rope, I thought I noticed that. In my way I could lay 50-100 blocks a day on the sand pile
I cannot for the life of me find a DIY video/blog on how to make a vertically ribbed hempcrete dome (particularly the framework for it)...HELP pleaseeeee!
Important question for people interested in building domes in areas that are prone to hurricanes: (We know that aircrete is not as strong as concrete) (and we know that you then cover the aircrete with fiberglass to make it stronger..) but the big question is... (after it is covered with fiberglass..) How strong IS it then? Does it become as strong as traditional concrete (or magnesium cement), after it is covered with fiberglass? If it is still not as strong.. then how much weaker IS it? (Yes I know the dome-shape will help with hurricanes as well, but I'm trying to compare a cement dome with an aircrete dome, thanks.)
These are good questions, but they are hard to quantify. In basic terms, a steel / concrete dome will always be stronger than an aircrete dome if the wall thickness is the same. I think the question is about how strong do you need it to be? What wind speeds, snow loads, and seismic activity are in the area you want to build. When building with Aircrete or pure concrete you would engineer to those requirements.
@@domegaia Fair enough. however, For health reasons, I'd prefer a dome that would breathe and to achieve this it would need to NOT have fiberglass over the top of it.. If I were to do this, and if I were to make the walls extremely thick.. Could it still withstand a hurricane without the fiberglass coating?
Aerated cement is best suited to be used as a non-structural, non-load-bearing wall adjunct in order to provide space closure and space insulation. What densities correlate with the quoted R values ? Can anyone supply that information here ?
Can we build me a home out of aircrete along the ocean for hurricane proof? Reason is there is no lift issues with roofs and porches. But it will need to be water proof
In my understanding of basic construction, first-time seeing this system, and having been in the military Civil Engineering Squadron. The key to the waterproofing would be at ground contact, and the outer shell. An expensive option could be gunite pool paints(high chemical resistance, uv stabilized, ect..) The biggest issue with sealing to that level is black mold if and when the water gets in, worked in a Katrina hit home in Mississippi all brick required it to be tented for treatment. Just my thoughts.
No, square footage was corrrect. Domes enclose the most amount of floor space with the least amount of cubic foot of airspace would be another way to say it.
What does one do for an area with Seismic Activity? Zone D seismic. Can you form it around a rebar dome structure? Or, what about 2x4 fencing on both the inside & outside & knit them together, & then use the stucco on both the inside & out?
Domes are inherently resistant to seismic activity and we've had several go through good size earthquakes with no issue. The bigger issue is meeting the codes in those area as they can be a lot strickter. We are hoping to have some engineering done for high seismic areas soon.
Instead of pouring the foam-concrete into the molds to form the blocks with which you make the walls, wouldn't it be much quicker to pour the mixture to form the wall directly?
Hi, I began researching alternative construction methods for a tiny house and came across your channel. I love it, Airecrete seems to solve many of my problems. I'm thinking about making wood frames for a zome (or maybe a geodesic dome) and then filling them with Aircrete for the paneling. Do you think that might work?
^Also just thinking about this idea. There might be some more tensile strength that way, right? For the outer coating, I also wonder if cob and lime plaster makes any sense. The brick/ tiles of aircrete wood need to be really secure to withstand added weight.
I think this is an interesting idea but I can't really say how easy it will be to pull off. Aircrete is quite brittal which is why it's so great in the dome shape. A geodesic dome is made of many flat panels which could be an issue.
I thought that triangles are the strongest geometric shape structurally. If aircrete bricks where make into triangles it might be stronger than the dome style.
If you coat the outermost part of the aircrete that's exposed to the elements with something will that help it last better and give it more strength to counter the brittle traits?
I like to know more about your company I want to put a dome house on my property in northern California, but it have to be no smaller than 600 square feet
Would aircrete work for a fence/wall? I want to put up a 100' long 8' tall privacy fence and am looking for affordable options. Since it's so tall, it would probably need to be at least a foot wide, and maybe wider would be better. It would probably have to be reinforced with fiberglass mesh for strength too. Perhaps it would need reinforcement sections made out of some other material such as bricks. Is this feasible or would brick be better? Since it's relatively lightweight, would it need a concrete footing? This is is in a desert area with quick draining soil, if it matters.
So, when you say "brittle".... does that mean if a rock or tree branch hits the house in a storm, the whole house would be crushed or devastated? I saw the fiberglass but is it s requirement?
Can I use it for a cister? I want to create a cistern at a high altitude build site that gets cold for a large % of the year and wjile I would bury it, wonder if this would add any benefit related to reducing how deep I'd need to bury to prevent the water from freezing.
I would not recommend using it for this purpose. If you were heating the water it might make sense but it's all going to equalize in temperature if you don't have a heat source.
Incredible video. Soooo much quality information with no filler. Right to the point. Specific, clear, accurate. Bravo.
I used aircrete as a primary form. Then a bonding agent and a finish layer of concrete.
I built a huge 1800sq ft house. Steel reinfirced roof with natuaral look on the outside, and external walls are all 14" thick earthbag with reinforced rebar every 4 feet. Concrete covered outer and plaster interior.
It matches the natural very large boulders on my property !
Turned out beautiful, with post and beam interior from round wood I harvested here.
It was a lot of work with it just being me building it.
My suffestion is find people who are like minded and help each other on your builds.
Mine has wuth stood a 6 1 and a 5.9 earthquake as well as several fires in the area. One fire took out 250 structures.
People underestimate the strength of this type of building.
My house will be standing 100 years longer than these stick- built homes.
It looks beautiful and Everyone that has seen it thinks it is great. Built into the side of the mountain, it is about 15°F cooler in the summer than anything else around here - naturally !!😊
I would love to see pictures of your place!
Yeah, you really shouldn't say all this without providing a link to photographs you stored online.
I’m very interested to see your process and finished work would you be willing to share??
concrete doesn't last as long as you think. And the rust from the metal will make the metal expand causing cracking. Look up Roman concrete, and you will see that our cement doesn't last a fraction of what theirs lasted. there is a reason there has been research into the roman way of making concrete. Plus you're using a novel way to make concrete that hasn't been tested over the ages. So to say that it will last 100+ years is a stretch. Warning to others.
@@firstname-qq3xp I appreciate those cautions, I've thought about those issues for some time. I'm considering basalt rebar for my future projects because it does not corrode and expand like rusting iron rebar. Also, the Romans hot mixed their concrete according to the published articles, this is a bit hazardous but it creates lime clasts which allow for self-healing explaining the durability of Roman concrete.
You should set up shop in Hawaii to help replace the homes that burned, get them going before winter.
No...those people need to move away from that area.
They are poor and mostly uneducated
That is a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, it's not very feasible especially considering the lack of commercial real estate in the area following the disaster. With that said, setting up a 14 day "training" workshop that benefits the local community would be much easier to put together than a permanent presence. Even if that isn't possible for DomeGaia specifically, Thankfully the Islands are home to a lot of other experts in the use of "alternative" building materials which I know are already on the ground doing their part to aid in the reconstruction efforts.
Unfortunately, from what I've heard from those on the ground, that despite the desperate need, some local officials are making the permitting process difficult for those looking to use aircrete and similar materials. The objections by some permitting officials doesn't just apply to permanent housing projects either. In some locations Builders try to Construct Sheds, Workshops, Garages and the like, are also running into issues. Needless to say, This is extremely frustrating for many residents looking for low cost alternatives to expensive more traditional building materials.
This is just one more area where the Personal Freedoms of American Citizens is being replaced by bureaucratic nonsense that is for our own good, I'm sure! 🤯🤦🏻🤬
then paint them blue..
N.E. Texas as well, and all the towns midwest & central-* hit hard with tornadoes past few weeks as well.
if you basically offset this ridiculus, unaffordable, "why did we leave Cali?" cost of everything in New England, and/or NY, I'd say, "Dude, you can just chill for a while, you know? Don't have to get going. Or anything. Heck, we'll freekin' actually cook for someone else in our new House That Aircrete Built."
I saw quick crete also on a van. Just another name...
I like what Dome Gaia provides. It's more than about concrete.
🎉❤😂 I love it! You are all so talented and tough and dedicated and amazing! Thank you for this video! I just printed the Aircrete 101 guide and I can't wait to get started on our Off-Grid Geothermal Aquaponic Greenhouse! I'm so grateful for you all, Domegaia channel, and everyone who is building with aircrete. The nice man at my local buiding department gave me a blank stare when I said my buiding material would be primarily aircrete. Next time I go there I will take a copy of the Aircrete 101 guide for him. Keep up the good work! Peace, Love. Joy, and Blessings to all.
Thank you very much, and good luck with your building department!
Aircrete Europe: founded in 2002
The term aircrete was coined far earlier than 2015.
Trademark: AIRCRETE submitted August 14, 1990 by Thermalite limited corporation
Thank you. I knew something was off with his claim.
Yeah, I was sure I had heard of the term much before his claim of 2015.
I remember aircrete bricks yet as a lil kid from the construction site near our house and we were wowed we can lift huge brick.. and it was around 1985 and we were not a country that would have any invention so fast, means foamed bricks had to start around early 80ties
Oh my gosh! Honest discussion about Aircrete? Thank you!
I’m super excited about this material. I live in Anchorage, AK and plan to build a house next year. My idea is to use CMU columns and bond beams and use aircrete as an infill. Do you see any reason I couldn’t do that? I’d use rigid foam on the outside of the wall and metal siding over that. The hope would be to reduce cost and add insulation value.
I dont' see why you couldnt' do that but you would need to run some numbers to see how much it would save you.
What is the compression strength of your standard (22 lbs/cu ft) formula?
Very informative,, quick and to the point. Thank you,
Thanks for what you and your dad are contributing. I am really interested in hempcrete and straw bale for the insulation and thermal mass properties but mainly, I HATE mold and mildew smell. Hempcrete is said to regulate moisture in humid and hot environments. How does aircrete compare? can it regulate humidity like the others and if so are there special materials needed to finish it to allow it to breath?
Wow great vid, really brings clearity and very honest !
aircrete for countertops might have utility if you could figure out how to use it as a core with regular concrete poured around it to completely encase it. This should reduce the weight of the countertop over only using full density concrete.
If, for example, you wanted hefty looking 3" thick countertop. 3" of solid concrete would weight a ton (and perhaps a literal ton). But if you were able to pour a 3/4" thick bottom, a 1 1/2" thick core of aircrete, and then a 3/4" thick top. A 1 1/2" - 2" wide perimeter on all four sides you give solid edge could end up with a countertop that is 30%-40% lighter.
The issue arguing against this is that regular concrete poured on or around aircrete after the aircrete has cured does not bond very well. The bottom, the four sides and the top could be done in one pour so they fully bond with each other, even if the bond to the aircrete sitting in the middle isn't that great. This would require some type of legs on the aircrete to keep it 3/4" off the bottom of the countertop form.
To do that you could drill holes through the aircrete and put 2 1/4" machine bolts through the holes with a nut and bolt on the bottom so that there will be 3/4" between the bottom of the form and bottom of the aircrete. If there is any concern with the relatively thin 3/4" thick top and bottom layer along with the 2" rim around the edge being strong enough, 2 1/2" machine screws with washers and nuts so that 1/4" of the bolts are projecting sticking out of the aircrete. Then two pieces of welded wire mesh that extend past the aircrete 2" on all four sides could be tied to the bolts about a 1/2" up from the bottom of the form and to the 1/4" of the bolts sticking out of the top to the bolts. Once the mesh is tied to the bolts, bend the edges over about an inch out from the edges of the aircrete. There should be some overlap between the wire mesh coming up from the bottom and down from the top. Might even throw in a couple of wire ties at the overlap of the edges.
Then pour 3/4" of full density concrete in the bottom of the countertop form, set the aircrete/bolt/wire assembly down on the concrete and work it in until the ends of the bolts are resting on the bottom of the form. Then immediately pour the rest of the concrete around the sides of the aircrete up to the tops of the forms.
Hopefully the aircrete would then just hang out in the middle of the concrete, the bolts and wire serving to give the thin top and bottom concrete layers extra strength and the bolts serving to mechanically tie the aircrete and concrete together.
Hopefully none of the bolt end stick up through the concrete top. Or maybe you want to use 3" bolts so the tops of the bolt head end up just slightly proud of the top surface of the countertop. Then when the concrete is fully set, then grind the bolt heads flush with the top and polish both the concrete and bolt heads until they are both shiny and smooth. Might want to go with stainless steel bolts if you do this so they don't tarnish.
Good points.
You could pour the regular crete over styro board.
That's what came to mind right away, I could finish the post, stop overthinkng it this guy just gave the answer!
@@marlinda6851 stop overthinking it? I don’t think I can. I’m an engineer, and that is just what we do. Or at least that is what this engineer does. And sorry about the length. I type 90+ wpm.
@papparocket Nah, it's not just you. I know several engineers and questions/ideas like that one are catnip to them all.
One of the main things I like about y'all!
Great overview. Thank you.
In Europe, the "Aircrete" like products are available for decades, being (in this part of Europe) actually number one material for residential houses. The products are ranging from pure cement based to ones with high gypsum additive, which drastically increase R value. And yes, you can have products with steel reinforcement - all lintels of my aircrete house are made of U shaped aircrete lintels, that have reinforcing bars inside. By the way the aircrete blocks are very very precise, polished to less than 0.5 mm precision. You don't have to even join the aircrete blocks with cement mortar, you can use (approved) mounting foam from a can. My house was built this way more nearly 15 years ago, from Ytong aircrete blocks, 300x500x250 mm. The material is excellent to work with as pointed in the video, it's easy to cut to shape, cut slsots in, etc. The only down side is strength (compared to traditional brick or concrete wall), for heavy stuff like kitchen cabinets, I used 250mm (10") long dowels and screws. As said, Ytong and similar materials are now prevailing in construction of new houses here. I believe it has to be cheaper than stick building, considering how much effort (man-hours) that requires. And it's among the cheapest materials too.
Yeah, my initial research shows that "AIRCRETE" trademark from August 14th 1990.
That said, I'm glad that this channel is championing the technology, even though the term was not coined by his father in 2015 as the video says.
@@tryscience Yes, the "Aircrete" term is these days really used for DIY mixture of foam and concrete and I think it's fine. Proper established term is "porous concrete", in some languages shortened to something like "poroconcrete", but here we simply call the material "Ytong" after the most popular producer (by far).
@@oakld I think it's an amazing material, it's just that when I heard the gentleman say his father coined the term for the first time it bothered me because it's something I've been aware of for much longer than that. Even by that specific name which was trademarked last millennium. I don't know if he wasn't aware of that fact, or if he was trying to pump up his credibility by suggesting his dad first coined that term. I believe in giving credit where it's due. And in this case, "Aircrete" was trademarked more than 20 years before he said his dad coined the term.
@@tryscience Well it could have been an honest mistake or he meant that his father got the term some popularity and recognition, which I'd say falls under "coined", but I'm not a native English speaker to judge. The material is really great that's why its number one material for housing in many countries in Europe and beyond. It's still difficult to believe it can't be purchased in the US, with the best market and entrepreneurship you have over there...
@@oakld I think we're a victim of habit. People are so used to stick built and comfortable with it, that they don't want to take the risks involved with something new. Getting approvals for it would also be more complicated than a more traditional construction technique. I think eventually it will take hold here.
It's low tensile and compressive strength makes it easy to break in or blow away in a storm.
This is true on it's own but when you add the fiberglass reinforced stucco on the inside and outside surfaces that is when it becomes very strong.
Good video. Vinay here
Am an architect from India. One simple question. Can we have cast in situ aircrete for a 12 m or 40 feet dia dome ?? The probable precautions that Must be followed.
Also suggest the Consultancy charges that will allow me to take your guidance while we are building this dome.
We are actually building some 30 domes of this size, hence my request.
I'm sorry, I don't fully understand your question. You may want to contact us at aloha@domegaia.com
I have used a product called Rapidset a few times for varying projects. Every time i come across an aircrete video, i start wondering if this product could improve the mix being that Rapidset is much stronger and sets faster than normal concrete. They also make a plasticizer product called Flow Control that changes the consistency when being mixed and poured. I have considered building a small bubble generator myself to try, but im wondering if anyone else has tried it first.
Let us know how it goes!
I'm asking this question as a complete novice, so keep that in mind, but if you shredded aluminum foil, or recycled aluminum pressed into thin sheets and added this to the mixture in the right amount, would this increase the strength, as well as perhaps improve water permeability issues prior to sealing, or might there be an unpleasant effect from this combination, if not immediately known, over time?
I don't think there would be any advantage and just create a lot of extra work for you. It's already strong enough and there are great ways to make it waterproof that make more sense.
@@domegaia Actually I found someone who adds aluminum powder.
Very informative, thank you
If you built a conventional square or rectangle house with vertical walls rather than dome walls, could the aircrete walls support the weight of a conventional roof (rafters, sheathing, shingles or metal)? Given the previous scenario, if you had rafters and sheathing, could you pour an aircrete roof? Lastly, where I live in Maine, building codes require cement walls go to the frost line below a slab. Could you trench the perimeter of a slab down to frost line and pour aircrete into the trench and then when hardened pour an aircrete slab on top of the perimeter aircrete walls?
Hi! I saw your comment and decided to give a quick explanation😅. I live in Ukraine, Kyiv suburbs, I guess 9 of 10 new houses are built with aircrete. I live in a townhouse with walls built from air concrete, they have extra insulation layer of polystyrol to make houses more energy efficient.
Here is a huge industry of manufacturing aircrete. Standard blocks for walls are 60 cm length X 30cm width X 20 cm height . For walls inside buildings 10cm width blocks are usually used. These blocks are very lightweight.
Their weight is a great advantage, as for such buildings strip foundation is used - it is from standard concrete and rebars. So basically such strip foundation should be around 80 cm in under ground and 10-20 cm above the ground.
Also constructing walls from aircrete, each third row usually is enforced with rebar.
Average price of one 60-20-30 block is 3,5-4 USD. Professionally manufactured they have perfect shape and expected behaviour.
In Kyiv we normally have -15 -20 Celcium in winter
Hope that gave some answers for your question
@@denysmelnychuk7396 Thanks Denys; very helpful
Fellow Mainer here. DId you ever get this figured out? I was hoping to build on top of an all ready poured slab but based on your comment. Likely not doable.
@@TimArchambaultme I think it is doable Tim. The State code wants you to go down below frost line with your walls and then pour the slab on top of the walls. However, in my town of Northport, that is only a recommendation and not the law. People pour slabs on top of the ground all the time without the walls. However, if I were to do that I would first put down 2 to 6 inches of insulation board and pour the slab on top of that. That said, if you didn't do that and just poured the slab on the ground without insulation then that should be fine too. Mainers for years have poured slabs on ground for their garages, sheds, etc. The weight of the aircrete walls is going to be much less heavy than regular concrete so the stress on the slab will be less. I wouldn't worry about it. Build the aircrete walls on top of the slab. They should carry the roof weight as well. However, I'd put a metal roof on the lighten the load and allow for snow to slide off easily. Hope this helps.
Many people look at ancient temples built with granite, basalt, limestone, etc and think that our ancestors were primitive. Yet what it displays is a level of ingenuity beyond todays standards. those ancient stone temples, buildings, etc have lasted thousands upon thousands of years to this day still remaining.
They were actually building with far more sophistication then todays home which break down within less then 100 years or sooner. I look at this Aircrete as somewhat a version of ancient building techniques. keeping it simple, less moving pieces, and can outlasts most homes in the market, if not all of them.
Do you have experience using it in conjunction with other materials, like straw bales?
Not specifically but it would be fine to use it in parts of a building although I'm not sure why you would.
Would this material be too light to withstand a hurricane/tropical storms? I live on Carriacou which got totally flatten of hurricane Beryl. 95% av all buildings destroyed or roofs gone. Including my food places which was surrounded in a growing lush garden. I'm now searching for alternativ, low budget...
I've have pictures of Florida after hurricanes. It's all rubble, rubble, rubble, intact dome, rubble...
High heat areas that regularly have 30 to 90 days triple digit temps; would the thermal value result in heating the interior more, thereby reducing the cooling efficiency?
Also, do you use a raised floor or trough system in the foundation for running electrical and water lines or do you form the bricks around conduits?
If it get's cool at night then the thermal mass will help even things out and lessen your cooling load. If it stays the same temperature through out the day then you are just relying on the insulation value and the thermal mass will have little affect either way other than it could take longer to initially cool it down.
Well explained! Thank you!
Would love to know - is it possible to build a dome with a 30ft diameter with aircrete? My partner and I are starting to research dome style houses but I think we are leaning towards 1-2 big ones instead of grouping smaller ones together.
Absolutely it can be done, but not with aircrew, for that you'd probability need a system (you can find videos) that uses vinyl firm the size and shape of the house you're building, sprayed with foam insulation on the inside, rebar throughout and then sprayed with concrete on the inside.
It sounds much more expensive, it probably is, but I've seen videos of structures of that size and larger.
You can build 30ft domes with aircrete just fine but it will be easier and faster for you to build several smaller domes all clustered together rather than one very large one.
Hello, I have a question, can we mix the aicrete with wheat straw? Have you tried using clay instead of cement?
Thank you so much
You can not mix anything cement with organic matter so no to the wheat straw. Clay will not work it will just crumble as it doesn't bondy to itself very well. Cement forms a very strong bond to itself.
Have you noticed with aircrete and gel kandels (candles) any strengthening ? Possibly Gel of mineral oil and polymer creates durability in aircrete too.
Hard water bad, ok. What about muddy water? Ill be starting a build this spring in south-central Vietnam. From what i gather the water in the hose comes out of the fish ponds around the farm. I have been planning to just buy all my bricks, maybe make a little cob. But this Aircrete keeps popping up in my build searches, and as a sculptor, it seems intriguing.
We've never experimented with muddy water but it doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I think you'd want to filter it through at least a 5 micron filter first.
Is aircrete pumpable? and if so i wonder if it could be good product for 3D printing homes.
Yes it is but you need a special kind of pump. I think if we could develop a rapid setting aircrete then 3D printing with it would me amazing.
can aircrete be used to build masonary furnaces? In a cold climate a dome house with a masonary furnace would be incredibly warm, but the furnaces are heavy and difficult to build from conventional concrete.
You could but you would still want to use fire brick on the inside.
This is a 70 year old technology in Europe. It is called Autoclaved aerated concrete. While the recipe for it is a little different as it also contains gypsum (making it more white), it is the same basic thing.
AAC is quite different than DIY aircrete. AAC is made via a chemical process and cured in a kiln. It is a lot harder which makes it harder to work with but still a good option if you can purchase and have them shipped to you cost effectively.
@@domegaia What do you mean a lot harder? I have no experience with aircrete but AAC is quite soft. I would say AAC is a little harder then chalk. Basically you can brake a 10cm block of AAC by using your hands and knee like you would brake a branch.
I'm not an expert in all kinds of AAC bricks. Just the one's we can get in the USA are harder to cut with a saw but they are still a lot softer than concrete. They are a great option but often the shipping makes them unaffordable and they need to be made in a fairly hard factory, not something you can do yourself.
@@domegaia They are the cheapest building material you can get in Europe. But it's true that they need to be done in a factory. It is not something you can do yourself. And they are extremely easy to work with due to their low weight and big size.
Hi, great video. What about building a boat in Aircrete? There are many sailboats being built in concrete, reinforced by chicken wire steel structures. That's a durable and attractive material for homebuilders, but heavy. I'm thinking Aircrete with layers of glass fibre sounds more compelling; lightweight, easy to handle and probably cheaper than Divinycell foam plus epoxy. Do you have any experience or thoughts?
I don't think this would be a good idea. If you are just looking for the strongest material, I don't think aircrete would be your best choice. For building domes its a great balance between insulation and strength.
@@domegaia Thanks for your reply!
Thanks for this informative video! I have questions about sandwiching the aircrete in fabric.
Is it a good idea to incorporate the fabric during the pouring stage? For example, creating an arch form, draping the fabric over it, and pouring the aircrete directly onto the membrane fabric. Or, for a straight wall, tensioning the inner and outer fabrics, supporting them with forms, and pouring the interior. Would doing that help the membrane fabrics adhere to the airecrete?
I live in a textile-producing city so I have access to lots of surplus fabric at $1/square meter. The bolt sizes I have access to are typically 60 inch (1.5m) x 200 meters long. There are many material choices but I'd say the three main options are 100% polyester, 60% poly/40% cotton, or 100% woven polyethylene. Are any of those options suitable for the sandwiching fabric?
I appreciate your great videos with applied knowledge, it's been really inspirational.
This is a very interesting idea. If you can get drop stiched fabric then I think it could work very well.
Let us say you are into creating objects such as unique poured hand basins and like the idea of the lighter weight. Could one consider adding a % of liquid glass to the detergent reservoir or water feed? Will the water glass provide extra strenght to the finished product once cured?
We don't have any experience with this but I don't think it would work.
Did you try it or any other options?
Using the 12 inch bricks for winters like in NY and NEng, would you recommend any exterior treatments to resist such weather damage with aircrete? Thanks for your time and hope all is well, good sir.
What do you think about using aircrete as a construction material for trailer campers? Considering it's brittle nature, I wonder if it'd be appropriate structures that are on the move...like a camper.
Probably not a good idea. Also too heavy for that application.
Nice and thank you very much 😊
I was hoping you could comment on my idea. I plan to build my exterior walls with two materials; 8” hempcrete blocks with 6” of foamcrete on the exterior. I am also planning on cladding the exterior with sandstone or limestone veneer.
How does foamcrete hold up to direct fire?
Any issues you see with my thoughts/ideas
Ive seen people. Buy an old ship. Like single hull oiltankers those cant be used anymore. So their relatively cheap. And they fill the hull with aircreate so even if the hull is to thin and rusted through it will stay afloat. To make it into a houseboat.
If you're planning a main dome to be 40 ft in diameter, is there a better material to use? What about multiple levels in a home? Could these domes be combined to a shipping container home?
I'm involved in a large project in Belize, and this is something I've been researching and am considering implementing in the project. My question is is it possible to add shredded tires to increase the tensile strength of the air Crete? Also, would Dome Gaia be interested in getting involved with a portion of this project? Specifically, the section that will cover affordable housing?
We always love knowing about interesting projects. I'm not sure about the shreeded tires and if that would help. Domegaia is primarily an education company so if there is an opportunity for us to come and teach we'd be happy to talk with you more. You can email aloha@domegaia.com
A few questions.
Would it be a descent material to make a hobit home?
Have you tried making it with the rediscovered Roman Concrete formula?
Have you tried mixing it with sawdust. Sawdust and concrete=dustrcrete?
Hi, i have a micro fiber plastic i am interested in using as a aircrete additive. Do you know if anyone is using plastic fiber to reinforce the aircrete?
Why can’t I make a whole mold of the building then make enough air Crete to fill it and set up. Will that work?
In theory, but you would spend a lot of money on the form and it would then have to be discarded for a one-off construction. Even if you were manufacturing cast homes in quantity it would still be more convenient to use smaller components for handling purposes and combine them into a finished structure. Finally, using mix and match components would allow variation between units where a "whole house" mold would create the exact same plan every time.
@@avsystem3142 Just no, not a single thing you said is correct, and was fabricated from your imagination.
Look up @aircreteharry. He's building domes similarly.
Also, above a certain depth of pour, the weight of the cement will collapse the air bubbles at the bottom.
insulation alone is worth using it. Also you don't have to have TWO floors. Therefore it's perfect for bungalow type of home. It doesn't have to be small. It can be 3 bdrm or more. Just go horizontally. Perfect for farms, homesteads.
Please consider recording these valuable videos without the annoying background music that is so loud and distracting.
The 6 days house 😂
I remember seeing a home similar to these being built along the highway on the way to the cottage. I only know of this one they look cool to bad it never became popular and I’m going back 40+ years
Do you think it would ever be possible to 3d print with aircreat
Maybe but it will be harder than other materials because it is very liquid but maybe with the right mixture and additives.
@@domegaia Perhaps it can be done like shot Creek or on the end of a nozzle like a sprayer Kind of like a over-engineered ink jet sprayer printer
I would like to build my own dome home and the aircrete material sounds good. How can I get an aircrete machine?
On another note I have an idea for a very large dome to turn it into a restaurant however I'm going to need about 200 acres for the project idea that I have. So I can use all the help that I can get.
start at domegaia.com!
I’m curious about how you add ventilation and electricity and if this can be used as a mobile home.
Sounds like a perfect material to build around the outside of a shipping container home.
Only if you add good ventilation to the outside.
What is the foam in aircrete ? When you cut it or sand it, what are you putting into the environment?
It’s made with dish detergent or a similar water based foaming agent.
Would it be possible to use aircrete and perhaps a mesh over adobe structures to add insulation from the elements/ insects in humid climates. Adobe houses are often looked at as not practical due to how brittle the walls become in high humidity climates and how easy it is for bugs to infest them. Would aircrete alleviate this issue if used in conjunction ?
I think this would work well but you would need to figure out how to bind them together.
Awesome video! Love to find a video on electric/plumbing/septic with aircrete.
We have a lot of that in our online course: domegaia.com/products/dome-builders-academy but hope to get some of that out on TH-cam as well.
Have you built a quonset hut style yet? Thats my goal, but about 30 feet wide and 50 long.
I live in New England and I'm interested in having an aircrete dome home built here. I would want it to be built for me and definitely do not want just any contractor building it. If they are not experienced with aircrete they will screw it up, guaranteed, no matter how easy it is. Do you build here and if so when can the building start?
Like I said before. It is nice if you do not need a building permit. If you need one and have to show some documentation of its strength, structural integrity, aircrete is not the way to go. Steven Areen’s dome house wasn’t made with aircrete. It was built with 4” concrete blocks and some earth blocks (ladrillos) . And if you like to build “cheap” - the Domgaia tool set is already $1,500 plus shipping. For $1,500 I got all my 6” concrete blocks I needed. I have to build on a budget. My house will be around $15,000 - $20,000. Depending how crazy I want to go.
Hi guys, We use styro crete (regrind styrofoam cement) to insulate the outside of quonset huts then we finish as you do. We like aircrete but haven't been able to get constant results mostly the bubbles sometimes collapse but not always. Any suggestions?
That is frustrating when your aircrete doesn't turn out as expected. I would suggest trying a proper foaming agent, this can eliminate a lot of issues domegaia.com/products/mearlcrete
I am curious, they build these files in Hawaii and other tropical places, how do these domes do with high winds or hurricane?
Better than conventional rectangular building forms, e.g., wood frame construction.
All buildings can be leveled with the high wind 🌬️
How about leaving a 2" gap between two four inch walls? Like a double-paned window. Would this greatly increase the R value?
Very interesting video. Question. My land requires a building of at
least 600 square feet of livable space. That’s a pretty huge dome, although I’m not opposed to a dome if I could build it basically myself within a year as an amateur. Domes are quite cool, but whether I go with a dome or a more traditional single story rectangular home, you didn’t cover internal walls to create rooms of different types which for obvious reasons have benefits and would be desirable for my family. Firstly, can internal walls be built safely and effectively using aircrete? Secondly, if yes, can one do this in both a dome and rectangular structure? And lastly, are
domes and one story rectangular homes about the same in difficulty and time it takes per square foot or significantly different? Thanks.
These are great questions. If you are an amateur builder it's much easier to learn how to build a Aircrete Dome than a traditional house. It is easier to build multiple smaller connected domes than one large dome. For that reason our designs are all single story although you could go larger. You can do internal walls from aircrete for both domes and traditional buildings. In a dome they are not structural so it's a bit simpler. In a trandtional building if they are structural its a whole other level of engineering. We have classes to learn our dome building system you can check out here: domegaia.com/pages/workshops
@@domegaia this is a great answer, thank you and God bless
in the 1970s the British artist Roger Dean proposed and build rounded structures for dwelling/workshops using a sprayed concrete called GUNNITE. This was sprayed onto forms such as inflated balloons, etc. and then later windows and doors were cut using sawzall. Is this the same material??
No, this is very different. What you are describing sounds like a monolithic dome.
got an idea
The idea behind blocks is that they can be handled and placed in a variety of shapes and sizes so that they can be placed simply by nearly everybody. I see that you almost singularly use block, not cast in place. I prefer cast in place, as your video shows a 6 CF mix, and if I were to build a form, it would contain exactly 6 CF multiples. The greater the size of a form, the fewer shapes it will build. The smaller the form, the greater the labor in placement and patching.
I dislike domes as they are hard to find finishes for as ready-made products are almost exclusively designed for straight and plumb surfaces. Very hard to build multiple stories with limited ground space, city blocks are not round but rectangles. Domes look very unusual.
If I were to design a form using the correct amount of mix, it might be unstable for men to lift and place. IT needs reinforcing. My thinking is Polypropylene Baler Twine, pre-tensioned slightly. IT is so cheap that lots could be used. $.02 for 3M. My form would be 9' tall and 8' long, mostly 2.5" thick. I would place an electrical conduit in the form to run the wire from the top later. Place windows/doors in the form and cast around them. At each end, and the top I would cast a "U" to fill with reinforced concrete, making posts and a top beam. [I would fill slowly as not to burst the post form.]
Installation would be 4 guys lifting the form and new cast into place, then compressed air to delaminate the form, abandoning the new cast in the finished position over a footing to be mudded in. 1 cast/day.
This could be the lowest-cost housing structure on earth. Great for places where rock and sand is hard to find cheaply. A quality form could make hundreds of casts at a cost of less than $20 a cast. Finished walls at $.40 sf in the undeveloped world.
I have already built the lowest cost housing structure on earth. th-cam.com/video/T6D6362lZrk/w-d-xo.html
Please tell me where I am in error. [tommy_sanford2000(at)yahoo.com]
Could I use it to build an inground swimming pool? I'd anchor the pool with some piliings, so I'm really asking about the walls. Wouldn't the dirt around the pool serve as the real reinforcement for the walls?
I don't think there is any advantage for using aircrete in this way
I am in the process of building a wall that will vary from 9'- 13' using Hebel block. It had a wavy pattern to it, that unfortunately the engineers at Hebel are not very helpful with adjusting their reinforcement requirements, which are in the top layer running horizontally, as well as vertically every 4'. It will be supported at 8' by a cantelievered shedroof supported by massive timber, 6'x13' posts and 2x framing. Can you weigh in on ability to just reinforce at the second tier from the top so we can can modify the lines? Hebel is suggesting plywood and stucco. Not making sense to me since the whole idea was to carve the block. Thanks for any light you might be able to shed. This wall is 60' long. with the highest point at 13' only 9' in width at most.
I’m sorry, this sounds more technical than we can get into in the comments here.
What do you Think 12 to 24 inch Wall in Alaska for Insulation...???
Can you Pl😂ase Answer?
12" would be around R-24 and 23" would be around R-28. It depends on the size of the structure. If it's a very small structure you could get away with less insulation but if it's large you have a bigger payoff of more insulation
I'm curious. Can you build a rebar/mesh shell and just spray on the aircrete? Or, would that just not be thick enough as blocks? Thanks
Aircrete is to runny to do this.
Could you Barry the Domes under earth to make a hobbit house ?
😂
This is exactly what I’m going for. Increase r-value, no siding, no roofing, grass on roof, and just hidden house. Plus a hobbit door come on
In theory you could, but you'd definitely want to get it engineered and would likely require a lot of extra reenforcement than our standard design.
My answer would be no. too difficult to trust with the top and side load that an underground structure is required to withstand. By the time you have included the steel you actually NEED building under earth and add the full water proofing you need I do not believe aircrete would be useful. Aircrete alone is very porous and allows water ingress easily. A free standing dome in air is handling gravity and wind load only.
Unfortunately there are TONS of excellent reasons we don't build much underground.
I think you could build the shape of your dome from a compacted pile of sand, wetted and packed. Cover the sand with wet cardboard or other. Stack all your blocks going round n round to the top. When your done you remove the sand. Its how I build my wood fired domed ovens
That sounds like way more work than the way we teach it with the compass arm. It's just one poll in the center that pivots and is use to place each block in the perfect place. You also end with a perfect curve.
@domegaia
I ve done it in small-scale building wood fired ovens, and my friends or other you tubers have done it the way you're doing on a small scale. Maybe just give both a try and build a wood fired oven. The pizza and bread are amazing, so there's no failure. There's no ladder werk. there's no singular block werk. Its safe, but im not having any experience on the large or with my suggestion. I have built tho an awful lot of concrete the hard way in Philippines, they do everything the hard way but verry well. We make our own blocks we mix everything by hand and use buckets to transport the material. I've got 8 inch solid concrete walls, 6 inch poured floors, and 6 inch poured flat deck ceilings all by hand. My place we have built all the same and its 20,000 sq ft Mansion on the beach. Im from the USA andvadopted new techniques I did not think would prove better than the Western way. But hey, Man enjoyed your video and its just a thought
@domegaia But are you waiting for each block to cure in place while tied with a small rope, I thought I noticed that.
In my way I could lay 50-100 blocks a day on the sand pile
I cannot for the life of me find a DIY video/blog on how to make a vertically ribbed hempcrete dome (particularly the framework for it)...HELP pleaseeeee!
Will it work on an rusty roof corulated sheet metal those metal roofs are an pain every ten years you have to replace them
Important question for people interested in building domes in areas that are prone to hurricanes: (We know that aircrete is not as strong as concrete) (and we know that you then cover the aircrete with fiberglass to make it stronger..) but the big question is... (after it is covered with fiberglass..) How strong IS it then? Does it become as strong as traditional concrete (or magnesium cement), after it is covered with fiberglass? If it is still not as strong.. then how much weaker IS it? (Yes I know the dome-shape will help with hurricanes as well, but I'm trying to compare a cement dome with an aircrete dome, thanks.)
These are good questions, but they are hard to quantify. In basic terms, a steel / concrete dome will always be stronger than an aircrete dome if the wall thickness is the same. I think the question is about how strong do you need it to be? What wind speeds, snow loads, and seismic activity are in the area you want to build. When building with Aircrete or pure concrete you would engineer to those requirements.
@@domegaia Fair enough. however, For health reasons, I'd prefer a dome that would breathe and to achieve this it would need to NOT have fiberglass over the top of it.. If I were to do this, and if I were to make the walls extremely thick.. Could it still withstand a hurricane without the fiberglass coating?
If you built a zome out of 2x6 could i spray it with aircrete
Aerated cement is best suited to be used as a non-structural, non-load-bearing wall adjunct in order to provide space closure and space insulation.
What densities correlate with the quoted R values ? Can anyone supply that information here ?
My wife wants me to do this so bad ! Thanks !
Make her to help you )) Then it will be fun for both of you, guys ))
I'm planning to build in Arizona; what would it cost to build a 10', 15', or 20' dome?
where are you in AZ? I have been wondering about building depts allowing me to use this.
Can glass fibers be added to aircrete (to increase strength)?
Can we build me a home out of aircrete along the ocean for hurricane proof? Reason is there is no lift issues with roofs and porches. But it will need to be water proof
I'd like to know the same.
In my understanding of basic construction, first-time seeing this system, and having been in the military Civil Engineering Squadron. The key to the waterproofing would be at ground contact, and the outer shell. An expensive option could be gunite pool paints(high chemical resistance, uv stabilized, ect..) The biggest issue with sealing to that level is black mold if and when the water gets in, worked in a Katrina hit home in Mississippi all brick required it to be tented for treatment. Just my thoughts.
Ask china it’s not working out too good for them
There are several water proofing products you can use to completely seal the outside.
What’s it like getting a permit ?
Could an Aircrete home be built partially under ground ?
At 4:39 square footage was mentioned ... did you mean to say cubit footage?
volume = 4/3(pi)r^3
No, square footage was corrrect. Domes enclose the most amount of floor space with the least amount of cubic foot of airspace would be another way to say it.
What if you added hemp Hurd and cedar shreds and used it for interior panels
What does one do for an area with Seismic Activity? Zone D seismic.
Can you form it around a rebar dome structure?
Or, what about 2x4 fencing on both the inside & outside & knit them together, & then use the stucco on both the inside & out?
Domes are inherently resistant to seismic activity and we've had several go through good size earthquakes with no issue. The bigger issue is meeting the codes in those area as they can be a lot strickter. We are hoping to have some engineering done for high seismic areas soon.
Instead of pouring the foam-concrete into the molds to form the blocks with which you make the walls, wouldn't it be much quicker to pour the mixture to form the wall directly?
Yes, you can do that as well. Depending on the shape of the wall, it might be easier to build with blocks rather than forming the whole wall.
Hi, I began researching alternative construction methods for a tiny house and came across your channel. I love it, Airecrete seems to solve many of my problems. I'm thinking about making wood frames for a zome (or maybe a geodesic dome) and then filling them with Aircrete for the paneling. Do you think that might work?
^Also just thinking about this idea. There might be some more tensile strength that way, right? For the outer coating, I also wonder if cob and lime plaster makes any sense. The brick/ tiles of aircrete wood need to be really secure to withstand added weight.
I think this is an interesting idea but I can't really say how easy it will be to pull off. Aircrete is quite brittal which is why it's so great in the dome shape. A geodesic dome is made of many flat panels which could be an issue.
I'm very curious if you're idea would work...
I thought that triangles are the strongest geometric shape structurally. If aircrete bricks where make into triangles it might be stronger than the dome style.
If you coat the outermost part of the aircrete that's exposed to the elements with something will that help it last better and give it more strength to counter the brittle traits?
Yes, we always coat it with a fiber-reinforced stucco and waterproofing membrane.
@@domegaia Thank you for the reply sir.
would Love to know the cost of your equipment and if training is available
check out domegaia.com we have trainings almost every month.
I like to know more about your company I want to put a dome house on my property in northern California, but it have to be no smaller than 600 square feet
You can easily build a dome house larger than 600 sf
What about building a canoe with outriggers?
Could you mix All of these together
Would aircrete work for a fence/wall? I want to put up a 100' long 8' tall privacy fence and am looking for affordable options. Since it's so tall, it would probably need to be at least a foot wide, and maybe wider would be better. It would probably have to be reinforced with fiberglass mesh for strength too. Perhaps it would need reinforcement sections made out of some other material such as bricks.
Is this feasible or would brick be better? Since it's relatively lightweight, would it need a concrete footing?
This is is in a desert area with quick draining soil, if it matters.
You could start at a foot wide at the bottom and taper to 6” at the top.
I think this would be a good application, also because it be good sound proofing.
So, when you say "brittle".... does that mean if a rock or tree branch hits the house in a storm, the whole house would be crushed or devastated? I saw the fiberglass but is it s requirement?
Aircrete by itself is not very strong, but with the fiberglass-reinforced stucco, it becomes very strong.
Can I use it for a cister? I want to create a cistern at a high altitude build site that gets cold for a large % of the year and wjile I would bury it, wonder if this would add any benefit related to reducing how deep I'd need to bury to prevent the water from freezing.
I would not recommend using it for this purpose. If you were heating the water it might make sense but it's all going to equalize in temperature if you don't have a heat source.
Thank you ❤
Ist possible in Philippines which is hot and at the same time raining with flood?
Yes, it's perfect for this type of climate.
how about that hemp fiberglass Henry Ford was doing 0 dmg on for that shell? hempcrete load skeleton? just stacked pavers to make pillars.
Useful information
how does aircrew do in a place that has a aircompressor attached to it!!!???? will it shake apart??,