Lime concrete

sinnerboy

Has anyone used this instead of cement concrete . I recall a Grand Designs episode where it seemed to take an age for a ground floor slab to dry out .

To maintain the breath ability you are not meant to use a DPM - so any experiences of this in high radon areas ?

I don't expect a big response - posting in hope more than expectation

topcatcbr

See Roman Colosseum. Address Rome Italy.
Probably not much help though.

sinnerboy

smashey

Vexorg might know a thing or two about this. He had a forum for a while about natural building which has since been removed as it didn't get any traffic.

muffler

Was Vex not the only poster in that forum?

smashey

muffler wrote: »

Was Vex not the only poster in that forum?

There were a few others including myself and Mellor. There was also a sub-forum called "Cob Tossers" (great name:D) that got less traffic.

Builderfromhell

A natural building forum would interest me.

sinnerboy

http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/forum114/

topcatcbr

You should probably try some really old construction books as this was a fairly standard method of construction before portland cement. Or try the Georgian society of Ireland. I had a book of theirs showing old construction details. I dont have it anymore though.

Mellor

The problem is those details would be sub-par today,
damp and radon being the main issues.

If I was to use it, i'd likely detail the same as portland concrete. In the interest of "just incase"

RKQ

How's your Welsh?
The couple on Grand Designs seem quite approachable. He's an actor on a Welsh soap-opera on S4C.

It was a major headache for them, so I'm sure he'd be happy to discuss his experience. I'm sure the house is still referred to on Ch4 web site.

There is a Eco village in Wales, Brithdir Mawr, Wales, that probably would have first hand experience of natural lime floors.

http://www.off-grid.net/2008/03/16/welsh-eco-village/
http://www.cat.org.uk/consultancy/PDF/CapabilityStatement.pdf

Retro-Fit

PD is using limecrete slab and screed for his Passive House in Mullingar. The one Duncan is Profiling in about the house. The site's anerobic subsoil is used as aggregade and lime is added to make the on-grade floor slabs. The organic matter is graded out. It is hydraulically consolodated to remove air. You can get a compressible strength of 15Kn/m2 see www.naturalhydrauliclime.com (singleton Birch.) There's a company in Youghal also. This has some technical info on walls too, http://staff.bath.ac.uk/abspw/rammedearth/review.pdf
Google's great isn't it?

County Meath and louth are full of C18th and C19th earth/cob houses, most in bad states of repair but dry, there is also a Pub outside Droheda

There's a Passive Hause conference in UCD this week, wed to friday. Its over 500 euro, see www.plea2008.org

A

Vexorg

I dont know much about using lime as a flooring material, I did a little lime plaster and clay/earth plaster.

I do recall finding some specs for using lime as a slab, will see if I can find the links again.


Did find these

http://www.limecrete.org.uk/about_limecrete_floors.html

http://www.limecrete.co.uk/limecrete_002.htm

A mail to either of them may provide you with the information you are looking for.

If I can track down the PDF docs I came accross before, I will post them.

If anyone thinks the natural building forum would be useful, I am happy to reopen - it got very little use the last time.:)

muffler

Vexorg wrote: »

If anyone thinks the natural building forum would be useful, I am happy to reopen - it got very little use the last time.:)

Its a topic that wouldnt crop up here too often but still whenever it does it would be useful to have a forum to refer people to.

Im sure the DIY forum would also get the odd question also.

So it might not be a bad idea to reopen it and we can give it the odd plug or redirect where applicable.

sydthebeat

i have lots of q's re green building....

rammed earth.....

material uses in controlling building humidity.....

consequences regarding building regs..

etc..

smashey

sydthebeat wrote: »

i have lots of q's re green building....

rammed earth.....

material uses in controlling building humidity.....

consequences regarding building regs..

etc..

Maybe we could bring life to the natural building forum.

sydthebeat

smashey wrote: »

Maybe we could bring life to the natural building forum.

*pictures smashey shrieking maniacly, a la Dr Frankenstein....*

smashey

Igor, bring me a fresh brain.

sydthebeat

smashey wrote: »

Igor, bring me a fresh brain.

:D:D


ps...
went to see IGOR last weekend in the cinema.... complete drivel, dont bother... the kids were boarded after 10 minutes...

now back on topic...