AirCrete certification course coming to Puna

[terracore]

I don't know anything about this- somebody forwarded this to me and I am sharing:

http://www.domegaia.com/certification-tr...-2018.html

[randomq]

You pay $2000, you build structures for them as part of the certification, and teach classes for them on the weekend. What a deal!

[Seeb]

I’ve looked at their process a little. Looks like it would be good for insulation but I don’t think they have ever gotten a building permit or CO using it for structure

[ElysianWort]

I've known of this for a while now and wondered about it. Anyone out there worked with it?? Mixing foam from detergent into cement into forms, for a light but hard dried structures. Hurricane proof, termite proof won't rot. But they are fairly new. Will these structures hold up, long-term in Puna. Are they moist inside because of cements ability to absorb moisture? I've got a lot of questions about this product, air-crete. Don't think I'm ready to shell out 2k to learn though.

[terracore]

I've never seen an aircrete home listed for sale in Puna before today. It looks a little rough.

https://dayna.justlistedinhawaii.com/lis...id/705662/

[punikahakaiferret]

Interesting...last I knew Aircrete hadn't been permitted, right? Not that that would stop someone from building and selling one.

Things that make you go "hmmmmm". ::: shrug:::

[dobanion]

I don't see aircrete as ever getting permitted, at least as how it's been used so far and shown in that structure terracore posted a link to. Read the building code, there are a number of basics related to masonry construction, and compressive strength and tensile reinforcement are at the very top of things you need to have.

Now I think the domegai people are trying new things, I think some sort of fabric reinforcement, that may get you there.

But when you run the numbers aircrete isn't so much better than concrete. It's MUCH weaker/brittle, takes a lot more work to produce, and per unit volume isn't all that much cheaper than good old concrete with sand and rocks in there instead of air bubbles. It also requires molds/formwork too, as it's so flowable you can't spray it or build vertically with it like concrete/shotcrete can.

I'm biased. I like domes made with concrete/shotcrete, not a secret round here.

[GreenNerd]

Aircrete blocks are certified by code, but I suspect using the commercial (AAC or cellular) blocks would be necessary for permitting.