A trash rated pump, as big as you can afford. I went cheap with one that was supposedly rated for 1.5" particles but in actuality only has 3/4" openings in the impeller so it clogs easily. A friend has a 4" pump with only two vanes on the impeller and it'll pump anything that will fit down the pipe. Unfortunately those are expensive. On Ebay search for "trash pump" (or click) and that should give you some examples. The better your pump, the less you have to worry about mixing all the lumps out, and filtering out staples, envelope windows, book spines, etc. that will clog your pump and make you waste a lot of time tearing it down and cleaning it.
Not this 2" one, but more like this 4" one
The idea with the barrel is to have it on a stand above the wall, doing the mixing up there. The 4'x4' stand would start 4' tall, then would grow in 4' intervals by adding layers. Outriggers for stability, of course. My spray washer has a 50' hose so I wouldn't have to haul wet pc, only dry paper and cement. I can lift those with a pulley/counterweight system. Once it is mixed I'll just open the gate valve and let it pour out into the waiting form. Mixing with a power washer isn't hard, just time consuming - about fifteen minutes per barrel full, and I usually end up with papercrete in my mustache since it invariably splashes back at least once per batch. :) A poncho or rain suit is helpful when it is too cool to be getting wet.
yep, pallets..., about $60 worth if you have to buy them.
Blocks are OK, but you have to handle the papercrete at least twice, plus waiting for the blocks to dry. IMHO a slip formed wall is stronger since the layers tend to melt together and end up almost monolithic.
Judith has been doing a hybrid method using some blocks she had lying around as infill in the slip form. I imagine that is about as strong as straight slip forming.
If I understood your original plan, you are going to put three layers of earthbags on top of the undisturbed soil as a foundation? If you have a 1' deep frost line, you really should put your foundation bottom below that frost line to prevent heaving. The easy way is like Judith did, a rubble trench foundation. This also will give you drainage under your walls. Rubble trench foundations have been used for millenia, and there are many examples of centuries old buildings still standing on rubble trenches. Dig a trench deeper than the frost line, fill it with rocks, start forming your papercrete on top of that. The trench should be twice as wide as your wall thickness.
spaceman All opinions expressed or implied are subject to change without notice upon receipt of new information. http://Starship-Enterprises.Net
On 11/3/2010 12:27 PM, Teresa P wrote:Soooo.......... what pump would you suggest and what are your plans/ideas for moving the barrel up the wall? Maybe it would be easier for me to stair step the wall doing slip forms and then after the wall gets too high I could do blocks to carry up the stair steps? This should be done on the cheap as much as possible....
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"If you give yourself fully to this moment the next moment will turn out just right."
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