Grancrete as a building material

[samisum]

ijason .... this is a quick short reply .... "concrete" is a matrix solution .... i.e. it is made up of different elements that form a matrix solution .... depending on what your requirements are that need to be solved ..... the matrix elements provide the solution ..... i.e. specify for the required end result .... then you get the required end result ..... example: the new engineered wood, beams, joists, sheeting all start off as just a pile of sawdust .... add the matrix elements to the sawdust i.e. specialty glues etc. and you get product that is stronger than the natural wood beam, joists, sheeting etc. It all boils down to the science and engineering of the product. What you called and described as "concrete" is "old school" matrix ..... you won't believe what is available today ..... ss

[Hap]

Just a quick note here. I came across this forum while doing some research on Grancrete after meeting a couple gentlemen at the marina last Friday. They had pulled up with a modified twin axle boat trailer (looked to be about 24') that had some interesting looking concrete-like modules on them.

I watched them back the trailer down into the water and float the modules off. There was no traffic at the ramp so they started assembling the floats. It was a pretty simple system that they used but I couldn't begin to describe it except things just interlocked. The floats were 6 sided hex shaped. It took them about 5 minutes to assemble the entire trailer load of about 14 of the things in the shallows.

One of the gentleman drove off to get their boat and I went over and spoke the remaining gentleman. Among other things he mentioned that the floats were made out of grancrete as well as the interlocking parts. They didn't want anything that would corrode. He said that they tow the completed sections out to the east bay and that they were building a house on the floats using grancrete a lot like the way shotcrete is used to build monolithic domes.

It was interesting as heck which is why I'm on the web researching the material. Those floats they had were pretty darn neat. I'd guess they were about a yard across and about 24 inches deep, maybe a little more. I don't know how heavy but they rode high on the water.

Jay said they had made smaller versions in 2008 and left them out on the bay for the better part of a year to see how they would fare. Then they brought them back in and broke them open to see what internal issues there were. Apparently there weren't any so they stepped up the scale.

I should have asked about the thickness and how they were made but I was more interested in the floating house idea they were working on. They had already put up a grancrete gazebo and after the house was done they were going to give themselves a "yard" or some sort of recreation area. He said that they would make a trailer load or two each day on the weekends. He said that the grancrete set up quickly and that they would put wet burlap over them and put a tarp over them to keep them out of the sun and they would haul them out the following week.

I sure would like to do something like that. I didn't ask about cost but they didn't look well off or on the brink of poverty either.

Anyway, apparently there are some neat uses for grancrete. Those interlocking floats were a great idea! I guess they could make any sort of modification or expansion they wanted at any time. They sure did go together quick. If I see them again I'll take pictures and post them.

H

[rwatson]

Check out this site - it might illustrate a method of getting structural strength with foams and sprayed product.

http://www.bourneboats.com.au/