ferrocement house

[csgray]

Does anyone know who built this house? Or if anyone in Puna is doing ferrocement construction now?

http://www.clarkhawaii.com/property/2391...A-HI-96778

I'm curious about why a termite and fire proof method of construction isn't more widely used here, but please try not to send this topic off into random tangents.
Thanks,
Carol

Carol

[punaticbychoice]

If you want to see a bunch of concrete houses, just try a real estate site for Guam.
Very common if not predominant manner of construction there. Wind and debris resistance.
Have no idea what the cost would be, given it's not, as you noted,common here.
I drew a blank about this type of construction method some years ago when I asked.

[csgray]

I've seen a lot of examples other places, but this house was built here a while ago, so I wondered if anyone recognized it and knew who built it.

Carol

[Bullwinkle]

There is a very large data base available in the marine aspect of fero cement

i was told to look for two things while taking test cores first being sand - improperly mixed concrete can lead to pockets of sand

second is the amount of "fero" or steel - in a well executed panel there is more steel than cement - A tight mesh of steel - having the voids filled with concrete

as the price of steel went up this method fell out of favor due to cost of the steel - good ferro is maybe 75% steel and 25% concrete by weight

lloyds of london may inspect while building to certify the structure has enough steel to be safe from fracture or crumbling - the wrote the specs I believe

[john the architect]

The people who do the ferro cement catchment water tanks can build almost anything and know the material. Pacific Gunite 968-6059

John Maloney
310.562.0362
johnmaloney3@me.com
Hawaii Architect AR8082
www.jmagreenbuilding.com

[Peter Epperson]

I believe that the builders name was Steve Russ. It was built in the late 80's and I doubt that he is still around. That building is what led me to my current structural engineer, Ray Keuning. I was looking for an engineer for my ferrocement water tanks at the time when the house was being built. A happy coincidence and Ray, who lives in HPP, has been my friend and engineer ever since. Many hours have been spent across the table from him as his fingers fly over his calculator figuring out how to keep buildings standing.

He and Steve were particularly excited about this roof design because it is a catenary arc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catenary . That is essentially an arch that is upside down. No rafters! Very efficient design. Ferrocement is an under appreciated material.

www.pacificgunite.com

[csgray]

I've been looking at an American living in Mexico's website Flyingconcrete.com for years and admiring the beauty of his arches and vaults. He builds in high desert so his designs aren't really right for Hawaii, but they are very inspiring.

In a former life I was an art major and took tons of history of art and architecture classes, I fell in love with all kinds of arched designs, especially Gothic and Romanesque architecture, and I guess it stuck. There is some pretty amazing large scale ferrocement architecture from the 50s and 60s still around too, a lot of airports and shopping malls for some reason. I do like the idea of a house that doesn't burn or become bug food.

Carol

[unknownjulie]

I think that house looks amazing! What an accomplishment!

[Obie]

In the pictures from the link you provided you can see mold.The rough surface of concrete allows the growth of mold.
It would be fine in a desert,I don't know about here.
I go through a lot of bleach keeping the mold off of a slab,I can't imagine a whole house.

[csgray]

Obie,
Maybe I'm not seeing what you are seeing, because I've looked at those same pictures and while I see shadows and texture on the walls, I don't see mold. They are pretty lousy pictures though, so I don't think anyone can really tell from looking at the pictures. Any type of construction here gets moldy if the house sits empty without airflow though.

Carol