4 hours ago, n4gix said:

It would be a trival matter to apply a facade of "bricks" using faux bricks

Are the walls smooth and even enough or would you have to apply some sort of base material to make a flat surface?

This looks pretty cool.  I like the fact that the walls are concrete, not wood frame with plywood panels and vinyl siding on the exterior like most American houses.  Even the brick on American houses isn't really part of the structure and is more of a facade, albeit a sturdier one than siding.  I get worried when there are tornadoes around, but in a concrete house I'd feel more secure.

I wonder if the concrete mix incorporates some type of insulation or does that have to be added on the interior and then a wood frame and drywall put up?

Dave

Few sane persons want to live in a triplex instead of single home on a single lot.

Few sane persons want to take a ride, let alone a daily commute, in a subway or train instead of in a private car. 

But the  central planners are trying to sell us on the idea of a 'brave new world', against which most people with common sense is likely to protest.

As did Shakespeare. Miranda's words show she naively believes, Shakespeare expects his audience not to believe, not to discard their common sense, or to be dazzled by clever wonders.

O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't.

— William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act V, Scene I, ll.

 

 

1 hour ago, dave2013 said:

I wonder if the concrete mix incorporates some type of insulation or does that have to be added on the interior and then a wood frame and drywall put up?

 

31 minutes ago, Fielder said:

brave new world,

After all these decades, at last I know where Aldous Huxley got the title for his novel.

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

Few sane persons want to live in a triplex instead of single home on a single lot.

Few sane persons want to take a ride, let alone a daily commute, in a subway or train instead of in a private car. 

But the  central planners are trying to sell us on the idea of a 'brave new world', against which most people with common sense is likely to protest.

If this is true, why are the most expensive housing markets in the country all in urban areas where the majority of people do not live in single family homes?

Housing is becoming unaffordable across North America and Europe - whether or not everyone even wants to live in a single family home and commute by car is one thing, but it's certainly not financially sustainable for every single person to live in a single family home and drive everywhere, let alone environmentally sustainable.

6 hours ago, dave2013 said:

This looks pretty cool.  I like the fact that the walls are concrete, not wood frame with plywood panels and vinyl siding on the exterior like most American houses.  Even the brick on American houses isn't really part of the structure and is more of a facade, albeit a sturdier one than siding.  I get worried when there are tornadoes around, but in a concrete house I'd feel more secure.

I wonder if the concrete mix incorporates some type of insulation or does that have to be added on the interior and then a wood frame and drywall put up?

Dave

 

Like UK houses, its cavity wall construction with stainless steel wall ties spanning the two leaves. Insulation is added between the cavity, usually spray foam insulation after the walls are up. And of course, concrete acts as an excellent thermal mass. And I don't believe there's any need for a damp course like we in the British Isles require for our brick built homes. 

The most widely used material for the walls is a cement based mix but its not ordinary cement. The precise mix is often patented and closely guarded They include  additives to prevent the print head clogging, improve strength and to mitigate against micro cracks. Plasticizers and all manner of fibers are added. Its not just cement, plastic and even waste from rice production has been used.

You guys in the US tend to build from wood because its an abundant natural resource for you, but yes, brick houses and concrete houses are more resilient in adverse environmental conditions. In fact it often stuns me that you guys in the US have entire communities flattened by tornado's, but then rebuild again with stick framing. 🤔 Maybe build them stronger next time, suitable for the environment they are in? 

https://www.fabbaloo.com/news/3d-printed-concrete-for-tornado-protection

 

8 hours ago, StAgre said:

Housing is becoming unaffordable across North America and Europe

 

Come to Guernsey. Average house price is £638K. And you don't get much for that money, maybe a semidetached and small. Small island, shortage of supply. That's the local market for those with permits and Guernsey citizens, the open market is even more expensive. 

Edited April 9, 20233 yr by martin-w

18 hours ago, dmwalker said:

Are the walls smooth and even enough or would you have to apply some sort of base material to make a flat surface?

Something would have to be applied to create a flat enough surface wherever the faux brick facade would be installed. Presumably they would use the same 'concrete mix' that the printer used, and someone would trowel and smooth the exterior wall in preparation.

Since only the street facing wall, or perhaps even just a waist level portion would be made 'decorative' it shouldn't add too much to the final costs of the project. It would however create a unique identity, especially if done in a 3d printed subdivision! So the project wouldn't have the appearance of:

 

20 hours ago, birdguy said:

Would that be better than using real bricks?

Probably, less material needed, and certainly a lot less weight!

24 minutes ago, n4gix said:

Something would have to be applied to create a flat enough surface wherever the faux brick facade would be installed. Presumably they would use the same 'concrete mix' that the printer used, and someone would trowel and smooth the exterior wall in preparation.

 

Printer heads are available that smooth as they print. Can't recall which company, but some companies do offer the option of a smooth interior and/or exterior finish, ether with the flattening printer head or workmen that trowels it over as its laid. More expensive of course.

The issue with exterior cladding is that its an additional cost, so negating the theoretical benefit of the tech. You would probably have to install a DPM under the cladding too, as condensation would form "house wrap" etc. In addition to a DPM, probably an air gap too, as often a 5mm gap is required between wall and cladding, so battening on the wall. 

 

18 hours ago, Fielder said:

Few sane persons want to take a ride, let alone a daily commute, in a subway or train instead of in a private car.

Straying a bit off topic here but I thought this survey data from the pandemic was very interesting -

During the pandemic lockdowns, when asked if they missed their commute, people who drove to work were by far the most likely to say they did not miss any aspects of their commute. People who took transit were more likely to say they missed parts of their commute, and people who walked or biked to work were overwhelmingly likely to say the missed at least parts of their commute, with nearly half saying they missed commuting a lot.

source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-14/how-will-americans-commute-after-lockdowns-end

Just thought this was interesting data, as it suggests that in actuality driving to work makes people less happy than public transit, and much less happy than biking or walking to work.

3 hours ago, n4gix said:

So the project wouldn't have the appearance of:

 

Local color commentary: “Little Boxes” was inspired by post-WWII housing development in Daly City, CA, which is on the southern border of San Francisco.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boxes

Edited April 9, 20233 yr by Mike A
Spelling

In my area, the little boxes are being knocked down and replaced by great big boxes.

In most cities, people with a car usually will drive it to work, rather than try to flag a bus. The parking lot where I work has a hundred cars. Nobody takes the bus (which stops a block away). Except when their car breaks down. There's an average of 3 people on each bus you see going down the street. Usually these look like very poor people.

----------------

(Los Angeles Times headline 2 weeks ago) "L.A. riders bail on Metro trains amid ‘horror’ of deadly drug overdoses, crime"

So, maybe it's a culture thing. Here in California it's not the same as say Germany or the U.K. where people are more civilized. 

 

Edited April 10, 20233 yr by Fielder