Concrete and foam: features and ways of sharing

Concrete is an incredibly strong and durable building material. But for all its merits, it has poor thermal insulation. Because of this flaw, he constantly needs additional weatherization, with which foam does an excellent job.

In this article we will consider all possible ways to solve this problem.

Methods for combining concrete and foam

There are three main ways:

Warming sheets

This option involves the creation of a warming layer, that is, the above-mentioned material is used with its own hands, like any other insulation:

• It is laid under the screed immediately before pouring.

Tip: It is recommended to use sheets of extruded polystyrene foam. Although their price is slightly higher than that of conventional foam sections, but strength indicators are also much better, which is very important when arranging a subfloor.

• Mounted on walls inside or outside. It is noteworthy that this is done for the already frozen monolith.

Is it possible to warm aerated concrete foam? In this case, yes. This is generally a universal method, which is combined with any other building materials.

Styrofoam имеет свою классификацию, которая подробно разобрана в следующей таблице и поможет сделать вам правильный выбор:

Mixing

Tip: It is desirable to use this option only to create a floor screed, since the strength of polystyrene foam concrete may not be enough to perform the bearing functions of the walls.

The mixing instruction of the combined solution looks like this:

1. We load cement and sand in a concrete mixer in the ratio of one to two.
2. Next, we fall asleep as much foam chips. If there are no ready balls, then you can pass through a special crusher whole sheets of foam or their remnants.

1. After some mixing, add water, the volume of which should be equal to about half the volume of the loaded mixture.
2. We interfere until the solution takes a uniform state, resembling buckwheat porridge in appearance.

The result is that the total proportions of all the components look like this:

The finished product will have the following advantages in comparison with pure concrete:

• Low thermal conductivity. Much higher thermal insulation qualities due to the presence of foam particles inside.

• Light weight. That means less load on the foundation. Yes, and work with this solution is also much easier.
• Increased sound insulation. The buzz that can spread over the cement stone will be absorbed by polystyrene balls.
• Reduced cost. Polyfoam is much cheaper than other ingredients of concrete, especially considering the proportions used, which accordingly significantly affects the final cost of the screed.

But one characteristic is still getting worse. This is strength. And in order for this parameter to remain within the normal range, it is necessary to carefully monitor the ratio of the insulating additive in relation to other components.

Fixed formwork

The use of a non-removable frame made of foam plastic for pouring concrete is a fairly progressive and efficient method of building and insulation of buildings, providing many advantages:

• A variety of poured designs. The formwork of polystyrene can be of any shape: arch, column, beam, angle, and so on. This greatly increases the number of design decisions.

• Ease of handling. You will only need to install the necessary structure, inside of which reinforcing rods are already provided, and pour it with cement mortar. There is also no need for pre-installation of wooden formwork.
• Ease of processing. The cutting of blocks is performed using a sharp knife without any special tools, and the grooves for electrical wiring are created in the same way.

Tip: after laying the wires be sure to fill them with cement mixture to ensure fire safety in the event of a circuit.

• Rational combination of heat and reliability. Durable concrete that does not need to be insulated separately.

• Solidity of the finished design. The lack of joints gives additional advantages to thermal insulation and durability.
• High speed of installation work. An ordinary box of a small private house is built in one week.

Tip: it is recommended to use a concrete pump for pouring polystyrene foam formwork. With it it is much more convenient to fill in high thin structures.

The only thing that can be considered a minus is the need for external finishing works. But, if you want to end up with a beautiful facade, then additional decoration will be needed almost when using any building material. In this case, the usual plastering will do.

Conclusion

Polyfoam and concrete are completely different materials, possessing even some opposite technical characteristics. But it is precisely this dissimilarity that makes their combination so beneficial and convenient to use in construction work. Sheets of expanded polystyrene can be used simply for warming cement surfaces, it can be crushed and added to the concrete solution, and even can be used as permanent formwork.

The video in this article will introduce you to additional materials that are directly related to the above information.

The concrete surface needs warming, the most rational solution for this is polystyrene foam.