Very well said Curtis.
I echo your sentiments.
You don't have to build the Egyptian Pyramids to experiment and
learn. Mixing one bucket of slurry, forming it, and letting it dry
yields as much education as an entire week of steady reading on the
topic.
Of course, when you mix up that first bucket, write a post and tell
us about it.
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, Curtis Stewart <dbigkahunna@...>
wrote:
>
> I have to disagree with your assesment you do not have the
resources to do some experimenting. All you need is a 5 gallon
bucket, electric drill and a homemade blade to slurry the material.
You can add styrofoam, gypsum board, pine needles, shredded junk
mail,,, get the picture. Kids make this stuff in arts and crafts
every day. Get a bucket and drill and se for yourself what this
material is and how it shrinks, dries, works. Welcome to the forum
and don't worry, make slurry!
>
> theo1728 <theodoreschultz@...>
wrote: Greetings,
>
> I am new to this group. I saw the styrocrete question and felt
> I had to join in. I don't have practical experience, equipment,
> capital or land. What I do have is interest, some small
background
> in engineering, (okay, a degree), and some of the mathematics of
> Peter Pearse.
>
> I guess I'm one of those guys who want to see it tried, wants to
> know how it works out, but doesn't have the resources to do it.
>
> Pearse showed that three-dimensional space could be filled by
> multiple, continuous periodic matrices. I don't know how much
detail
> to go into here on this topic, as it is difficult to explain in
plain
> text, but I'll try to give you a little to go on.
>
> There are basically four to six general types of continuous,
> periodic, space-filling matrices: tetrahedral, cubic, rhombic
> dodecahedral, truncated octahedral, octet truss, and non-
symmetrical
> or irregular types that approximate the foregoing. Multiple
matrices
> that simultaneously fill the same space are complementary, for
> example: a rhombic dodecahedral matrix interspersed with an octet
> truss, or a couple of interspersed cubic matrices. Ball bearings
of
> uniform size will arrange themselves in a rhombic dodecahedral
> matrix, (what mathematicians call a "closest packing array").
Living
> cells often form a sort of truncated octahedral matrix, (Kelvin
> Tetrakaidecahedral minimal surface encapsulation). Natural and
> artificial foams form non-symmetrical or irregular patterns, even
if
> all of the bubbles are of the same volume.
>
> The strongest of these are the triangulated trusses. These are
> the shapes you typically can't get, the patterns formed in space
by
> connecting the centers of the bubbles of the foam. The matrix you
> get from open-cell foam is spongy and weak, mostly tetrahedral.
> That, I suspect, is what most fiberfoamcrete has been so far.
>
> What does this all mean? I think it means that if you want
> strength, yours should be mostly a closed-cell structure. If
you're
> making StyroCrete, by all means include some fiber for strength,
but
> don't aerate it! Don't whip it into a foam! The air you want to
> have in it is encapsulated in the styrofoam already. You don't
want
> flakes or plates of extruded foam, like fast-food containers, egg
> cartons or styrofoam plates; leave those for others to melt down
into
> something else. You want spherical, expanded styrofoam beads of
> uniform size. Actual size of the beads doesn't matter much if
> they're uniform, as long as your paper fibers aren't too short.
As
> hard as it may be to believe, the weight savings will be about the
> same. Sonic or ultrasonic vibration may be useful to help drive
out
> the air during mixing, or to help things pack and settle after the
> pour.
>
> If memory serves, in theory you could get over seventy percent
> of your volume replaced by styrofoam beads with minimal or no loss
of
> rigidity compared to normal concrete!
>
> This is one I'd like to see tried and tested. Theory predicts a
> star performer. Please post results.
>
> Theo.
>
> --- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "slurryguy" <slurryguy@>
> wrote:
> >
> > In some ways Clyde Curry's perlite enhanced mix might be
somewhat
> > similar. Check his posting last week.
> >
> > Keep in mind that styrofoam (Expanded polystyrene, EPS) is open
> celled
> > and will take on some moisture. Extruded polystyrene, XPS, is
> closed
> > cell, denser, and handles moisture better. This does not make
one
> > material better than the other, just different.
> >
> > If I remember correctly, Steve Kornher uses something like what
you
> > suggest for his lightweight roofing structures. I don't
remember
> where
> > I read that. Possibly on FEN. Check the Papercreters links
under
> the
> > non-papercrete but cool folder for "Flying Concrete". You'll
see
> some
> > of his amazing work.
> >
> > --- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "Robert Deutsch"
<robdeutsch@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Dear Builders,
> --==<< ssnniipptt >>==--
>
>
>
>
>
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