Styroaircrete 6"panel - SUCCESS! Aircrete with added shredded styrofoam encased in steel grid.

[@BrendaAngelArt]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[@gavin8438]

Looking at the camera is a definite improvement, thanks for sharing! The panel looks nice.

[@gordonmacdonald1378]

Thanks George for making these videos

[@Christ_on_the_River]

Thanks for another good video, George!

[@solutionsnotproblems8946]

Hello from Southern Morocco down in the desert. I've been following you on your videos, and some other chaps engaged in the same enterprise. Its all rather interesting. I've had a good look at shredders and I've built one that shreds and bags at a decent rate. We can shred and bag around 6 x 130L/34gal bags in under an hour. It's so simple that my 15 year old son does it. If you are interested I can make a video to show the setup to you.

[@ruggedist]

For sure! Share whatever you discover to work or be a better way...free thinking is my motto

[@XaYaZaZa]

Awesome stuff man!

[@drVainMD]

Nice work! I've been seeing this subject popping up a lot lately and you are definitely on the right track it appears. And it's good to see you are taking a really ugly waste product with mountains of problems and using it to form something positive in your building adventures. Double win for you and the environment. Yes it would be better if styrofoam didn't exist in the first place, but it does, so any way we can send less to the landfills and the oceans, the better! Keep it up.

[@ruggedist]

Thanks for the encouragement!

[@rollandelliott]

thanks very interesting project!

[@d.e303-anewlowcosthomebuil7]

you can use sil caulk with colorants and thinner...it is pretty and good

[@robertcromer5411]

George - What is the ~density ( perhaps in pounds per square ft) of your panel with the mesh. That would be very useful. Also, if you were to use Nylon Bird Netting on both sides, that might much less expensive when doing the stucko, and perhaps just as strong. Keep up the good work - Bob

[@ruggedist]

Hi Bob! So I used 40 lbs of Portland cement added to 3 gallons of water to make a slurry. This in turn is added to about 18 gallons of high quality foam and after thoroughly mixed, I add as much styrofoam as needed to make 25 gallons. I would venture to guess 2 lbs cured, per gallon and it takes 7.5 gallons per cubic foot. At 6" thick it should weigh about 7.5 lbs per square foot.

[@robertcromer5411]

@@ruggedist George - Thanks! The density is ~15lbs/cuft, with sidewalk screen. What I want to do is to develop a VERY inexpensive single person "bunkie" for the homeless. I am a retired Mechanical Engineer. Several homeless organizations have been using Canastoda Huts(CHs), for this purpose. I was thinking more in the fashion of a cathedral arch hut that was poured vertically using forms and then lowered down horizontally onto pavers. Then inserting the end wall and the door wall. The CHs cost them around $2000 to produce and install. So, the Arch Hut might be 6ft wide at the bottom and be 7-8 ft tall and roughly 12 ft long. It should be roughly 800-900 lbs in total weight. There are Millions of people on the streets right now. I think that StyroAirCrete might just solve the problem. My email is - [e-mail] - if you want to contact me. Thanks, Bob

[@johnle231]

@@robertcromer5411 What kind of bird netting would you suggest? How big of square gaps would there be? Like 2”?

[@d.e303-anewlowcosthomebuil7]

@@ruggedist 4x8 panel about......8x32= 256 lbs.....3 guys....or....2 3 ft panels, set apart, staggered....then fill in aircrete....hmmmm

[@DancesWithWater]

Thank you for making these videos. Please continue because there is so little to be found on youtube about styrofoam aircrete. My family and a couple of my friends are trying to learn all we can about building with this material. It ends up being cheaper than aircrete alone by stretching out the concrete material. Would love to see some construction videos on how to go about it if you feel willing to go doen that avenue. ❤

[@matitina1000]

Hola from Sosua rep.Dominicana ,It luking good

[@ruggedist]

Thanks!

[@johnvajcner20]

Thanks George for posting these videos. I have completed my foam generator and have been waiting to see how to transfer the aircrete for ceiling insulation. Great idea with the barrel mixer. Did you notice any difference in density by adding the styrofoam?

[@ruggedist]

Yes, for sure. I went full strength on Portland but if a stucco coat is applied, a lighter mix will accomplish the same objective.

[@johnvajcner20]

Can you expand a little more on going full strength with Portland? Did you still use foam bubbles? And I am not really familiar with the stucco thing. Thanks!

[@ruggedist]

@@johnvajcner20 'Full strength ' would be considered if one bag of Portland was used with with 50 gallons of foam. For non structural, insulation purposes, strength can be reduced to half, or 1/2 bag per 50 gallons ...

[@d.e303-anewlowcosthomebuil7]

stucco with fibers like for dry lay cinder blocks

[@d.e303-anewlowcosthomebuil7]

looks like a commercial bldg finish

[@d.e303-anewlowcosthomebuil7]

look into rubber molds for trim

[@mindseyeproductions8798]

how about replacing metal reinforcement with fiberglass fabric; the material used on boat building.

[@johnle231]

They use chopped glass in concrete to add tensile strength. It’s already a thing

[@d.e303-anewlowcosthomebuil7]

stucco on bottom....then a little aircrete, the styroaircrete, then the reverse, and a ready panel, no horizontal stucco!

[@ARCOF]

what is your concentrations of each?

[@ruggedist]

30 gal dry shredded styrofoam, one bag of portland cement mixed in 9-10 of water and the rest foam made with marking foam, in a fifty gallon barrel. Seal lid and roll on ground for 5 mins... perfect mixture every time...

[@ARCOF]

9-10 GALLONS of water? I suspect that is what it is. Thanks@@ruggedist

[@RichardOwens]

Where do I get the long mixing paddle that goes on the drill? I've seen short ones but I'll be mixing mine in a 55 gal plastic barrel. Thanks

[@ruggedist]

I think home depot carries them... consider a barrel with removable lid and set up rollers so you can spin it on its side...much easier to mix and with a discharge hole, it can be pumped with air pressure...10 lbs does not effect my foam and can pump at least 15 feet up...see my video ...air mixer explained..

[@ruggedist]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKupl3WepbiXnpI

[@samehmrsameh2150]

How long does it take to dry?

[@ruggedist]

So I was able to walk on the panel after only 2 days, but it should be left to cure for at least 10 days...

[@AllSpeed]

another tip, raise the camera to eye level. cheers

[@johnpiek2750]

Interesting.....But wouldn't it be better and less polluting to not shred the styrofoam and use it whole embedded into concrete mix as the way builders do?? They embed the panels of insulation these days into concrete. e.g. insulated slabs /walls etc

[@ruggedist]

Not sure how shredding would add to pollution... The idea of recycling something that will never rot or decay seems like a great idea. Interestingly, shredded styrofoam will not burn, only melt without the toxic smoke...

[@johnpiek2750]

@@ruggedist Styrofoam is one of the major issues in marine wildlife toxins. In this video we see on a small scale what happens as not all of it makes it into the mix. Styrofoam is one of the most harmful types of waste that exists today and impacts our planet's ecological system negatively. Styrofoam harms animals scavenging for food from landfills. Styrofoam products normally easily break apart into small pieces that can choke animals. When polystyrene doesn't make it to a landfill, it tends to end up in a body of water. This is especially dangerous for marine animals that may eat this plastic. This can lead to blockages and tears in their digestive systems, releasing toxins and killing the animal.

[@prototype9000]

really dont need to add the foam into the cement if you are adding styrofoam it gets much way to weak

[@ruggedist]

That is an interesting point. I would like to experiment with just portland and also thinset used for tiling..

[@prototype9000]

@@ruggedist add some paper pulp in will strengthen it allot to

[@johnle231]

@@prototype9000 I was wondering about a paper Crete * air Crete combo

[@duanethieme4186]

The more that is trapped in the cement; foam and styrofoam the more the R value. Stephen Williams and Tiny-Giant Lifestyle build second story on top of their styro-aircrete. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aGjZaIKnYtZsrtU

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

🙂👍

[@raymondpeters9186]

Taking a horrible toxic product and making it worse

[@bhing1483]

How so?

[@joefriday7609]

Much better to put the Toxic products in a Landfill right??

[@bhing1483]

@@joefriday7609 the troll likes to throw a brick and run, he isn't up to a challenge. 🤣

[@johnle231]

@@bhing1483 That’s very common these days in my experience