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Housing - New Build: ASMET monocoque building system

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      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeApr 17th 2007
     
    That's good, Guest
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeApr 18th 2007
     
    Protection from the radio waves involved in mobilephone technology may not be such a bad thing anyway. I know of a team of satellite installers who all refuse to carry a mobile phone having seen how powerful the mobile signals are that show up on their installation equipment. Millions of us are walking round with this right next to our heads - but thats a whole other debate.
    As for steveleighs input, there have been many times where the 'industry professionals' have been scratching their heads on site to find a solution when a practically minded labourer walks in and states the obvious. Sometimes we try to over-engineer and complicate things - just look at the building regs!
    The enthusiasm and energy of an admittedly niaive individual can help to shake the cobwebs and focus the mind.
    We're in a position where people are currently constructing staircases and extensions purely from glass - they have just got on and proven it works.
    This is no different and the only thing preventing further development is possibly funding and a supportive architect that will design a whole house system for future monitoring. Forget bago land - think bauhaus with a sunken basement.
    • CommentAuthorTuna
    • CommentTimeApr 18th 2007
     
    Don't get me wrong, I think Steve's posts are excellent - I'm just pointing out to him that this is a good place to work out what questions are going to come up again and again and the sort of answers he needs to have to 'explain' ASMET. Calls to look at the bigger picture and frustration at the hesitancy of people to accept a radical new idea won't overcome the fact that any new way of building a house has to make sense to both the builders and the occupiers (and possibly the local development control, insurers and financiers as well).

    Basically I'm saying that far from being an intellectual game of tennis, discussions like this should be fantastically useful to inform the ASMET marketing and educational material.
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeApr 18th 2007
     
    Bauhaus design, ASMET and glass structures, basements, 500mm deep roof gardens and rainwater roof pools, use of water as a thermal store and manipulation of water from basement to roof in and around a structure without having to worry about moisture rotting the building envelope. Sounds an interesting combination. Providing the ASMET structure is capable of the loadings.

    Steveleigh can ASMET be used for bespoke staircases and kitchen units and can glass be fitted directly to the structure as in windows without frames?

    The following is a design for a simple method of generating electricity in an ASMET house. From a rainwater containment on the roof, water is piped down to a simple electricity generating turbine in the basement and into a holding tank or overflow. This water is then transferred back to the roof storage pool by leg operated or hand operated pump fitted to an exercise contraption. This will save travelling to gym, save fees and keep us fit. It could be easily plastic piped into the sitting room and a foot pump used whilst watching telly. Pumps are low cost and easily connected by a valve to the main line. When it is raining the turbine will turn as it uses the excess rainwater from the roof catchment area. A pump could be fitted under the mat at every entrance door - one step on this could transfer maybe 250ml of water. Any number of activitys around the house could be harnessed it would soon amount to a few gallons a day. It could add up to movement of a considerable tonnage over a year which would produce energy for very little cost - especially on rainy days in winter.
    • CommentAuthorAds
    • CommentTimeApr 18th 2007
     
    Alternatively, use foot pump to power telly directly - if you want to keep watching you have to keep pumping!
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeApr 18th 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
  7.  
    Steve,
    I will repeat "New technologies are often treated with concern by mortguage lenders, insurance companies and building warrenters (NHBC, Zurich etc).
    If ASMET is to find its market these financial types will need to be brought on board otherwise projects will never gain finance. Its hard enough to get these people to trust timber frame never mind something quite so radical and new. Without this backing ASMET will be the playground for the rich and famous who can afford to build without recourse to any of the above."
    I'm surprised that this earlier posting did not lead to further discussion. The practical aspects of implementing a technology with such potential must be considered. How are you going to convince these organisations that the technology is viable?

    Mark
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeApr 19th 2007
     
    Mark Sidall

    Steveleigh explained in another post that he is an early supporter, asmet trained contractor in waiting. It seems to me that he is just sharing with us some questions and ideas in anticipation of an asmet future. I do not think he is in control of the testing etc. Perhaps he can update us in that respect.
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeApr 19th 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
  10.  
    Steve,
    ASMET has great potential, I don't doubt that. Roofcrete and ASMET are not the same, though they may have the same material properties. The difference arises from the nature of its use. Whilst a money lender may accept Roofcrete can be a suitable water proofing membrane, ASMET, being used as a structural element is radically different use of the material. I accept that much work has yet to be done in developing this innovative product. I don't deny that a step change in construction technology is required, either that or a radical improvement in UK construction skills. I will continue to watch for the products development.

    Mark
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2007
     
    Mark
    I think you could well be wrong there. I know for certain that Buro Happold factored in the structural capabilities of Roofkrete when designing the Roofkrete covering for the Weald and Downland gridshell roof.
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2007
     
    Does roofkrete have a bba certificate yet?
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeApr 20th 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeApr 22nd 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeApr 25th 2007
     
    Is ASMET cost effective for single builds? How many have been built to date? Is it suitable for earth covered as regards retaining backfill and tanking issues?
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2007
     
    Sorry I've not replied sooner but I felt this post was getting a little flabby without providing you actual figures to chew over. So here are the Insulation manufactures figures regarding ASMET house.
    Wall starting from outside :- 7mm RoofKrete, 70mm Polyfoam, 14mm ASMET, 200mm glass mineral wool, 45.5 polyfoam, 9.5mm plaster board. Total wall thickness 346mm. This gives a wall U-value of 0.10 W/m²K. This figure would take into account thermal bridges and air movement through insulation.

    The real figure could be substantially lower because there will be no air movement through the insulation on an ASMET house and thermal bridges will be only about 0.3% of wall surface area and less than 0.1% of a roof surface area.

    Thermal bridges and leaks in and around window frames can be eliminated because toughened glass sealed units can be be fixed directly to the ASMET structure, without the need for window frames, costs saved could be put to triple glazing. Toughened glass can be specially made into stepped sealed units which will be fixed on gaskets and trimmed.

    ASMET is expected to be almost 100% airtight with a specially designed MVHR system fitted as standard. This will give superior and fully controllable indoor air quality.

    The plan is to develop a new higher standard for a building envelope which will be built to a strict specification by factory trained personnel only.

    Summer overheating can be tackled by various means. Basements are one method, dig a hole pop in an ASMET house and back-fill around it, job done! Harvested rainwater pumped around an ASMET structure could be another way. Whatever your imagination can design, ASMET is versatile enough to accommodate it.

    ASMET is going through national building regulation assessment at present. Three of the Devon local authorities are involved in this process.


    Also I have amateur video footage of a 15 tonne ASMET structure being rocked on a centre pivot which displays the structural integrity of the system. If you would like a copy of the video email me stephen_leigh@hotmail.com.

    I am taking a full size piece of ASMET to the Sustainable event at Weald and Downland Museum on 20th May. I look forward to discussing ASMET with you on the day.

    Thanks

    Steve
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
    • CommentAuthorTuna
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2007
     
    Steve, can I suggest you put your video on YouTube? It's pretty easy to do and means that anyone that wants can view it!
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
    • CommentAuthorGuest
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2007
     
    Steve
    Roofkrete is a proven product I accept that but as for the idea of creating a monocoque structure likened partially to a 40' ISO container from a similar material raises two immediate issues.
    Firstly having seen the testing of a 40' container to standard, the performance of the steel box body in torsion demonstrates the immense tensile strength of the steel. Clearly ASMET does not possess this strength nor would it experience those torsional forces but in use the monocoque shell will be subject to some possibly significant torsional effect. Has it been tested in that respect. In the video it merely rocks linearly
    Secondly buoyancy, I'm a little short on detail other than what I've read in these postings but considering a construction with such a size/weight ratio how do you hold it down? Your mention of a possible site near Totnes and knowing what the River Dart is sometimes capable of creates interesting but disturbing images. Even a high water table would I think create problems?
    • CommentAuthorsteveleigh
    • CommentTimeMay 11th 2007 edited
     
    No secret formula just ferrocement
  24.  
    Great video's!

    To control quality, construction and material waste etc, it seems to me that prefabricated finished homes would be a good way to go with ASMET. Whole buildings preferable, just swing them of trucks with crane onto prepared surface and connect to services (or built in, composting toilet and solar panels etc).
    In the States prefab homes are growing in popularity because the build quailty is so much higher, more like a manufactoring process.
    The structure strength allows for easy transport (for a house), trucks, trains or ships. Could be built to container sizes to use existing transport infastructure (flat roofs are ok too).

    Good luck with it. I wish the product was in NZ.
    • CommentAuthorSaint
    • CommentTimeMay 15th 2007
     
    Jeff,

    Maybe the constituent properties of Roofcrete could deal with the "leaking building " syndrome in NZ? Certainly when I was there briefly and in discussion with Foramn there was no easy solution
    • CommentAuthorSaint
    • CommentTimeMay 15th 2007
     
    Sorry Jeff that should have read Forman Insulations
  27.  
    Saint,

    Yes I think it would help, as long as it was applied correctly.

    In my opinion a lot of the leaky homes problem stems from lack of skilled and qualified trades personel, the apprenticeship schemes were broken up over the last twenty years and now paying the price. You combine that with over ambious designers, wet Auckland climate (were most of the problems are) and you have recipie for disaster.
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeAug 18th 2007
     
  29.  
    Saw this on the news tonight and wondered if ASMET is similar in tems of its composition?

    http://www.concretecanvas.co.uk/index.html
  30.  
    It says it can be used for flat roofs here so it is similar in that respect to Roofcrete http://www.concretecanvas.co.uk/Docs/070821CC.pdf

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