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Ferrocement - a simple, cheap, long lasting building medium

10/31/2016

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Ferro means iron, and although we do not use iron in ferrocement, we do use steel, an iron alloy.
The cement we use is Portland cement, a form of limestone.
Cement is used to encapsulate the steel mesh in thin layers forming the walls of the tanks. This method utilizes the compressive strength of cement and tensile strength for a marriage of unequal quality.

Ferrocement was first used back in the 1850s, by the great French architect Henri Labrouste, a Boulogne gardener Joseph Monier and a country gentleman named Jean-Louis Lambot. They made plaster vaults, flower pots, doors and boats. In 1876 mechanical engineer W.E. Ward built a ferrocement house in Port Chester, New York which is still in good condition!


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Ferrocement boat built in 1887 and still afloat today.
The building of our tanks is modeled off that of Martin Iorns and Lou Watson who invented and patented this building process in the 1960s called laminated ferrocement - the use of a mold to accurately reproduce super strong and long-lasting boats. And their boats are still in great condition today! We took their idea a step further to make water tanks and integrate a modular system for off-site manufacturing of the tank sections.
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A ferrocement boat built by Fibersteel, Iorns' and Watson's company, in 1978.
We make pre-cast modular water tanks in 2 foot tall sections. Currently we make a 3 foot diameter water tank, but will have other sizes available in the future. The bottom section (seen in below photo) includes the 2 foot tall sidewalls and a bottom, then we can stack additional 2 foot tall sidewall sections on top of the using a male-female compression lip. This allows the sections to nest snugly against each other. Then we seal the seal with a super-strong industrial polyurethane sealant which is potable grade so it does not affect water quality.
The short modular sections allow for an easier casting/curing process and make it much easier to move the sections around. Once cured, we roll them on our trailer and right into your yard where we stack them together, then add a lid. This way we don't need big cranes or a lot of space for installation.
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Bottom section being placed on gravel frame, ready for second section.
Our laminated ferrocement building process uses approximately 80 percent less cement that conventional reinforced concrete and is far stronger and does not crack as is often seen in foundations, bridges, other cement structures. The walls of our tanks are only 3/8" thick but super strong and will hold your water for decades to come!
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Minisode 9 - Cob Cabin Update - Cob Walls Coming Up Fast

10/23/2016

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After a long-awaited update this Minisode shows the amazing and fast progress of the cob walls getting almost to ceiling height on one side of the cabin (south). Just a little more cob and we can begin to put in the roof beams.

Future episodes will go into detail of various elements.

To learn more about this project please check out our previous Minisodes in the Archives.
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$250 Rebate On water Tank Through SoCal Water$mart

10/2/2016

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SoCal Water$mart Rebate
SoCal Water$mart is currently offering a $250 dollar rebate on our water tanks!

Funding for the SoCal Water$mart program is through a partnership between the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and its 26 member agencies throughout Southern California. Their commitment to developing an affordable balance between supply and demand has made “finding” water a mission.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state chartered cooperative of 26 member agencies—cities and public water agencies—that serve about 18 million people in six counties. Metropolitan imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and help its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs. Metropolitan draws supplies through the Colorado River Aqueduct, which it owns and operates.

The rebate process is simple and fast, we are happy to help you through the process.

Contact us for a free at-home consultation to see if our rainwater harvesting systems are right for you!

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