Green Building - Green Foundations?
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Etma6
10-29-07, 11:09 AM
I wonder if someone here can point me in the right direction. I am considering getting a low energy home built. Actually, the firm in question does a modern prefab, rolls up with a few trucks and a crane and installs the thing in a day. My job is having a foundation in place for the day.
While I will almost certainly get this done, rather than do it myself, I would like to have an idea of what my options are in order to build foundations that are as green as the rest of the build. Also, I would like to have an idea of costs. OK, the latter question is perhaps hard to answer but a ballpark figure would do nicely.
Any help would be much appreciated
While I will almost certainly get this done, rather than do it myself, I would like to have an idea of what my options are in order to build foundations that are as green as the rest of the build. Also, I would like to have an idea of costs. OK, the latter question is perhaps hard to answer but a ballpark figure would do nicely.
Any help would be much appreciated
HotinOKC
10-29-07, 07:22 PM
What's more green and earth friendly then sand, gravel, water, and maybe some other aggregrates that make up a foundation?:D
I'm not masonry guy, but foundations sound like they are green already.
I'm not masonry guy, but foundations sound like they are green already.
Concretemasonry
10-29-07, 08:13 PM
Concrete and concrete masonry are very green products, especially compared with the temporary lightweight building materials.
About 10 years ago China conducted a study and designated concrete block as the official preferred wall construction material based on being "green". It had been clay brick, and clay brick plants are in the process of being phased out because of the pollution by the old plants and the loss of valuable land and that could be used for agricultural and other uses. They clay used is in a shallow horizontal deposit that requires large amounts of stripping of good soil in prime agricultural areas. The deplated sites are not reasily reclaimed because of the locations.
The Chinese do not use wood because it is not permanent, strong enough or fireproof. They feel there is great value in mature trees to purify the air when they become mature. Cutting down forests is not good and is generally frowned on. The Chinese import much of the little wood they use from the U.S., Russia and S.E. Asia.
Concrete materials use sand and gravel that are natural materials and are usually river deposits or mined vertically using a minimum of land in pits or quarries that can be reclaimed/returned easily. The cost of mining uses a minimum of energy compared to other man-made building materials.
Cement production has been improved recently, reducing the energy requirements dramatically. Cement is a small percentage of the amount of materials in concrete and concrete products. The total amount of energy used was a big factor in the selection of concrete block as a preferred building material.
Cements have also been developed to use chemically compatible raw materials/by products that meet the current ASTM cement standards. By products such as slag (from steel mils, foundaries, etc.) and fly ash (from coal burning power plants) are processed for use in the manufacture of cement.
Because of the shape and configuration of a concrete block (hollow cores) a minimum of materials can be used to produce a high strength product. Some block can be as high as 7000 psi and pavers have a minimum strength of 8000 psi. During the studies, the Chinese calculated that there is much less cement in a concrete block wall than there is in a tradtional Chinese clay brick wall and block walls use less than 1/8th the amount of energy to produce.
There are "green" energy efficient walls for foundations or for housing up to about 30 strories.
Dick
About 10 years ago China conducted a study and designated concrete block as the official preferred wall construction material based on being "green". It had been clay brick, and clay brick plants are in the process of being phased out because of the pollution by the old plants and the loss of valuable land and that could be used for agricultural and other uses. They clay used is in a shallow horizontal deposit that requires large amounts of stripping of good soil in prime agricultural areas. The deplated sites are not reasily reclaimed because of the locations.
The Chinese do not use wood because it is not permanent, strong enough or fireproof. They feel there is great value in mature trees to purify the air when they become mature. Cutting down forests is not good and is generally frowned on. The Chinese import much of the little wood they use from the U.S., Russia and S.E. Asia.
Concrete materials use sand and gravel that are natural materials and are usually river deposits or mined vertically using a minimum of land in pits or quarries that can be reclaimed/returned easily. The cost of mining uses a minimum of energy compared to other man-made building materials.
Cement production has been improved recently, reducing the energy requirements dramatically. Cement is a small percentage of the amount of materials in concrete and concrete products. The total amount of energy used was a big factor in the selection of concrete block as a preferred building material.
Cements have also been developed to use chemically compatible raw materials/by products that meet the current ASTM cement standards. By products such as slag (from steel mils, foundaries, etc.) and fly ash (from coal burning power plants) are processed for use in the manufacture of cement.
Because of the shape and configuration of a concrete block (hollow cores) a minimum of materials can be used to produce a high strength product. Some block can be as high as 7000 psi and pavers have a minimum strength of 8000 psi. During the studies, the Chinese calculated that there is much less cement in a concrete block wall than there is in a tradtional Chinese clay brick wall and block walls use less than 1/8th the amount of energy to produce.
There are "green" energy efficient walls for foundations or for housing up to about 30 strories.
Dick
UtahBill
10-30-07, 07:00 AM
Poured concrete, insulated on the outside only. Did this years back, had the contractor use new, better quality surface plywood so the inside was smooth. Stuccoed over that and it looked just drywall. You will also want to run conduit in the forms for your electrical wiring. That much thermal mass is wasted if you insulate on the inside, and any leakage through a basement wall that is covered and insulated with fiberglas is a future mold problem, depending on where you live. The outside insulation doens't have to go all the way to the footings, again depending on where you live. ground temperature doesn't change that much, but cold winter air on exposed basement walls will be a big heat loss for your house.
julio333
05-14-08, 04:42 PM
make sure you keep us posted on your progress.