Wrapping
up the work on the block plant and the block making process for
making the basic building component of our dwellings: a super-insulating screen-grid ICF wall system made from 87% post
consumer waste using primarily local resources such as waste
styrofoam, sand, and recycled PVA (latex paint). This system
uses a self-consolidating grout with steel fiber to produce an
extremely strong structure with minimal process complexity.
All
equipment and mix design was designed, engineered and fabricated by
the LivingStructure crew....possibly a new line of business of
manufacturing the site technology for builders to produce their own
low cost, high performing and environmentally responsible building
component.
It
took approximately four months to go from design and fabrication of
the machinery and molds to the production of blocks.
The
BaseBlock EPScrete hydraulic mixer is equipped with a
digital scale for process control (PV panel charges the scale's
battery).
The
Hydraulic Power Pack that runs everything:
EPS
Grinder for converting waste styrofoam to EPS aggregate:
Grinder
head
Still
working out the details for an adjustable hopper.
The
DIY thermoforming machine that produces the plastic molds.
Watch
it in action:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/txwiqsbkryuout3/VID_20150515_172323.3gp?dl=0
Released
from molds after 12 hrs
Finished
product after 24hrs:
EPScrete
blocks at work on one of our dwellings:
