Papercreters: [papercreters] Re: Side Slipforming

You're reaching into the "wayback" folder for that post, Bob.

I'm glad you found something useful in the ideas.

The original concept I was mentioning was thinking along the lines of a form that extended up the full height (or more) of a wall. You'd then fill it completely, compress the papercrete, and let it cure/dry enough that the papercrete would be self-supporting before side-slipping the form laterally down the wall to repeat the process.

What you are doing should work also. Your approach is interesting. Please keep us informed as your efforts move along.

btw... side slipforming is now the industry standard method for pouring concrete streets and highways. They dump concrete out on the ground in front of the side slipforming machine that crawls along the ground continuously and slowly. No building of formwork and stripping off formwork. The automated machine screeds and levels the concrete between the side slipforms as it traveles and spits out a nice finished road surface behind the machine. Works great.
http://tinyurl.com/SlipformPaverPicture

I don't suggest anyone try to build such a fancy automated multimillion dollar machine to pour DIY papercrete walls, but the inexpensive manual process can take advantage of the same basic idea.

--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "Bob" <criswells.ok@...> wrote:
>
>
> I wish I had read this post when I first logged on to this site, it
> would have saved me a lot of money and I would have been a lot further
> along. This post started me thinking out side the box. So I decided to
> construct a slipform that is total length 30" x6" tall, I wanted to be
> able to make any size block with this one form. My first attempt will be
> 12" wide, I want to be able to pour one block after another and later
> come back and pour more on top of these, and I don't want to have to
> wait weeks for it to dry before I can make a wall with them. In my photo
> section you will see how I made the forms, the first form was poured
> against a existing brick wall, so I left the end out of the 30" form, I
> drilled a hole into the brick wall and inserted rebar, I also inserted
> rebar into the slab below. I had to line up with the outside of the
> brick and that made me have to pour off the slab below, no problem I
> just stood a 2x6 under the edge of the form and poured away. I also had
> to meet an 1 1/2 off set where the patio rises above the porch slab, I
> laid down some scrap 2x's and solved the problem. I will go back later
> and set my "T-Lock" forms on top of the block's I just poured and
> continue pouring away. You may ask why make the forms 30" long? The
> reasoning behind this is since I'm using 2"x6" red iron to make the
> forms, if I set the depth 3" from the end that will allow me to make a
> 6" lock opening when I place one form against another. I still need to
> perfect my mix, right now I'm using 50% office paper pulp, 30% local
> soil (ours is clay) 10% sand and 10% cement. I think I will increase the
> cement some, I want a quicker set up time. I can forsee digging a
> footing ditch wide enough to put the forms down into, pouring the first
> two courses in real concrete and then "T-Locking" papercrete into these
> first two courses of concrete and continue right around the entire
> building, setting bucks for the door and window openings and installing
> rebar from the get go every 4 ft x 4 ft high and taking this to the top
> plate where a bolt will be installed to tye the top plate to the
> concrete footing.
>
> Bob
> --- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "slurryguy" <slurryguy@> wrote:
>
> Several posts recently have referenced slipforming.
>
> I'm not sure where my following thoughts fit in to the discussion, so
> I'll offer them as a separate topic. Feel free to bash them and pick
> them apart.
>
> I've been thinking and looking at a variety of different techniques
> for working with papercrete and I keep coming back to something I am
> going to call Sideslipforming.
>
> "Slipforming" does not have to have forms that slide UPWARD. The
> forms can slide in any direction. In almost every case where
> slipforming has been mentioned in this group, the forms are intended
> to slide upward. I'd like to expand everyone's thoughts on the topic
> and consider thinking in other directions.
>
> I propose building very narrow forms that are the full height of the
> finished wall. These forms could be made porous. A frame could
> easily support expanded steel mesh covered by hail screen. The form
> would need to be 3 sided. The exterior face of the wall, the
> interior face of the wall, and one edge. A temporary 4'th side, the
> other edge, would be required for the very first pour. The forms
> would be held vertically plumb with temporary bracing.
>
>
>
> I'll describe pouring a simple rectangular structure.
>
> The first pour would use a 4 sided form. The forms would be firmly
> attached to the floor platform or to the foundation wall. A simple
> rectangular column of papercrete would then be poured inside. After
> it initially drains, a beam could be placed across the top and strap
> clamps or cable hoists could be looped over the top of the beam and
> used to pull it down inside the form and compress the papercrete.
> More papercrete could be added and compressed until the form is full
> and tightly packed. Having the formwork extend above the finished
> wall height would probably make the process go a little faster. The
> compressing beam would squeeze downward until the finished height is
> achieved.
>
> Then ... wait. Wait until that papercrete is set and SELF
> SUPPORTING! The papercrete need not be completely dry, but it must
> be able to support itself.
>
> Then the forms can be stripped off and temporary bracing should be
> installed to prevent the papercrete column from tipping over in any
> direction.
>
> The forms would then be slid over and attached to the foundation
> adjacent to the first papercrete pour. One open side of the form
> would be filled by the existing first pour. Repeat the pouring
> process compressing the new pour just like the first one.
>
> Wait.
>
> Repeat.
>
> If 2 sets of forms are employed. You can work twice as fast around
> the wall. You can expand in both directions on either side of the
> initial pour.
>
>
>
> I see a great number of advantages to working in this manner.
>
> No constant fiddling with blocks. No turning them over, no stacking
> and mortaring them together.
>
> Some tarps along the ground and small pit with a pump should be able
> to capture runoff water for recycling into the next papercrete batch.
>
> The width of the formwork is variable. Ideally, it should be the
> amount of papercrete that someone can easily fill in one day. If you
> want to use more forms and work even faster, you can install more
> slipforms adjacent to yesterday's pour that is still drying.
>
> Using narrow forms should allow someone to pour a curved wall.
>
> Any wall thickness can be accommodated.
>
> Protecting the papercrete as it dries should be a lot easier. A very
> small surface area is exposed and tarps can be draped over the
> forms/walls when it rains. This should be a lot easier than trying
> to cover an entire yard with tarps to cover a bunch of blocks when it
> rains. I can even imagine using clear or black plastic and creating
> a very long "pup tent" like structure that might act like a solar
> greenhouse. If a fan is placed at one end of the tent, it may be an
> excellent method for speeding the drying process. (always move the
> air from the dry end of the wall toward the wettest end of the wall.)
>
> If the forms are covered in wax they should easily separate from the
> papercrete as it shrinks away from the form.
>
> This technique lends itself well to the bailing twine reinforcement
> technique I described some time back.
>
>
>
>
> Credit where credit is due:
>
> This idea blatantly steals bits and pieces from many other people's
> ideas.
>
> Some comes from standard concrete pouring techniques,
>
> Tim Pye and Spaceman's experiences contributed.
>
> ElfNori's perforated slipform idea.
>
> Mikey Sklar's battery dome.
>
> Strawbale wall tie down compression techniques.
>
> and probably several other idea sources that I can't remember. My
> apologies to anyone who I left out.
>
>
>
> I encourage anyone to pick apart the idea and point out the flaws, or
> at least the areas where I didn't explain it very well.
>