Having spent approx. 7 years in precast concrete industry as Quality Control - breaking concrete samples - it is possible that you are laying the panels the wrong way when looking for strength. The wire reinforcement should always be placed on the tension side of the panel. In your case, it would have been the side closest to the ground. This would explain the additional strength in the double reinforced panels as the tensile pressure was being handled by the steel.
The way he uses the panels, the weight of the ground inside the box will be pushing in the same direction as he is testing. You are right though. The reinforcement would be more beneficial on the bottom side of this test.
@@j.j.maaskant7287why dont use rebar its no expensive ... still don't understand . Several manufatures they dont even use it as well but use fiberglass and others but are not ligth are heavy
Bravo! I've seen dozens of aircrete videos, but nobody ever tests it. Yours are the first. Thanks a ton (no pun intended) for doing it and sharing the results with us. :)
Although many of the projects I will never attempt, they are really cool. Thank you for doing the work, filming/editing and sharing the content! Thumbs Up!
Cool! You have better data on aircrete than anyone else I have seen. We are making our first aircrete batches, it's a challenge but we are starting to figure it out. Hope to start testing our samples soon. 👍😊 Thanks for the great info!
Es primera vez que veo a alguien hablando y mostrando sus resultados con aircrete de forma tan científica, y el único que ha mostrado resultados de CALIDAD, me quedo con tu fórmula de doble malla metálica y aircrete. MUCHAS GRACIAS
Thanks for the video. Panel 3 is an example why "ferro-cement" is so strong and flexible. Just imagine instead of using mesh with huge openings, to instead using something like rabbit-wire which has smaller openings. Ferro-Cement gets its strength and durability from the lattice structure of cement/fly-ash to metal/basalt mesh.
So, in planning to replace my own cedar raised beds, it seems to me the take-aways of these builds and testing are: Portland cement is good enough; use vermiculite or perlite to save weight, whichever is readily available or least cost; use a double layer of mesh or heavier hog fencing; CSA cement seems to offer no advantage if wear from landscaping and garden tools is a concern. And even though you don't seem concerned about the amount of pressure raised beds will see from frost heave, I'll save the effort and reduce the risk by not bothering with aircrete. Frost moves everything in Canada (except maybe in lower BC).
I don't know why the hell UA-cam offered up this video to me (A IT repair engineer who's never even mixed regular concrete, let alone "Aircrete")........ But on the other hand, they say "All knowledge is useful", and I did find watching these material tests surprisingly interesting. So thanks for the info.
I would love to see you repair those cracks with concrete epoxy and do another test to see how the repair fares. Thanks, looking forward for more videos.
Ima fan of project farm , and like him I like your tests, creativity and ability to convey information with out crazy edits ,and sill sound effects. Well done , thanks for taking time out to help us weekend warriors ... it’s really easy to comprehend and fun .. Most excellent
this was a cool video to see im researching whether to do this or just pavers or cinder blocks for a garden bed I've been planning it for a couple years
I find your experiments super interesting! It would also be interesting to see a series of air crete with higher glass fiber content and / or quality steel fibers which are frequently used for the reinforcement of shotcrete.
I ran out of breath just watching you load the bricks and put them back lol! Subscribed because you are thorough and a good teacher, thanks! Thinking of using Aircrete for a project brought me here.
you have some of the best looking aircrete I’ve seen on UA-cam. Usually it’s all crumbly and full of air pockets. I wonder what you’ve done different to get a better product...
Ok. Very cool video. Thanks! Not rigorously engineered and neither is my following comment: Your panels get their tensile strength from the wire mesh. A logical next step is to stretch the horizontal mesh elements probably using bolts/ nuts/maybe springs ( split washers) outside of the forms during the curing process. ( e.g. crude pre-stressed air crete) I admit it... overkill for a garden bed but, a fairly easy alteration if you have the forms.
Sodium silicate (Water Glass) strengthens and seals concrete. In fact that is one of its primary uses. It is commercially available, and you can easily make yourself. I would love to see a video testing Sodium silicate on aircrete.
great to see the tests - adding rebar along with wire mesh may beef them up much more - it was a good showing of how a little materials science and engineering can go a long way - all the components need to be optimized according to your use case but the modular design was nice to see
I don't know if you would be interested in doing an additional test/update on this series, but I think lava rock might give interesting results. Lava rock as an aggregate is something that's being used/tested by areas of the concrete/cement industry. It's lighter than traditional aggregate, and the unique texture of lava rock may allow the concrete to cure internally for longer due to the way it can hold water. I plan to make some panels using lava rocks. The biggest downside so far is the need to wash the lava rocks and screen/sort them for size.
What I read about aircrete is that it's not bad insulation. Comparing the results in this vid to the other one, I reckon that's about right. Good vid. Thank you.
I love your videos! Great scientific approach. It's true that there are more tests that could be performed and repeated for data accuracy but I personally think that it would be a waste of time. The goal is not to make a thesis but simply find the best materials for garden boxes. I just subscribed! Long live your channel!
I think that iff you separate the double mesh will be adding more strength to the panel and second, the perlite has the the capability of absorbing water so is better if you added it already wet, so That way the mixture won't dry to fast, instead will be adding water to cure slowly.. Thanks for sharing your efforts, keep inspiring others.
I know this is an older video but liked and subbed after this stellar comparison of the raw facts and trends in your experiment. There's really not enough of this content for aircrete on UA-cam.
Great test! I found because of all the air bubbles in the Aircrete it does not grab onto fibers well. I did not see much deference in strength when I added Basalt fiber chopped or Helix micro rebar to the Aircrete. I look forward to see what your findings will be after add chopped fibers.
I wonder if aircrete fibres need to be longer then fibre for heavy concrete to make a difference. also it is amazing to see what a double layre of mesh can do! wow! Interesting to see how perlite really detracts from the mix Thanks for sharing!
Tensile strength is not the only measure of utility in aircrete. For instance floors and ceilings may be OK with perlite, or sand to create the most useful mix for the application.Just seal it for it's environment.
I wonder if connecting the 2 mesh layers with a few short pieces of perpendicular rebar between then, and offsetting the two mesh layers, would greatly increase the strength
Thank you for this video series. I'm going to make some of these. I was just thinking that if you rounded the edges it would allow them to pivot around the rod. Then you could use panels to make a hexagonal or octagonal perimeter for a tree.
I would imagine if you put a steel rod inside you wouldn't have to worry about the strength even if you stacked them on top of each other to make a wall. As for cracking during the winter swelling of the soil, one can only try it and test the results. Thanks for showing us what works and what doesn't.
Outstanding video thanks please make more videos thanks, I'm making aircrete planter boxes for my plants and trees, so far so good wire mesh is the way to go.
Good job with these tests. I wonder if a C channel shaped reinforcing grid would add more strength than the double grid. Thanks for all your hard work on this. Good luck.
Nice work The position of the mesh wire as far as I remember, you made it in the middle, it should be near the bottom for more tensile forces for the application you use.
Great work. Thank you. I wish to know how strong aircrete would be if both sides have embeded various types of synthetic mesh; nylon, polyeter, & especially basalt.
Kent, thank you for this information. I’m busy making more of these, my next wish item is to have a green house for the garden. Have you considered taking one on as a project? Something in the size of 10’x14” adjustable every 2 feet? I have looked at the pergola and other wood projects you have made, would do us all a great favor by having the plans and material list. Stay safe out there during this time.
I am currently working on a geodesic greenhouse that will use a version of what Kent has done here as the foundation. I designed some blocks that are 18" tall and 40" long that taper from 5" thick at the base to 3" thick at the top. These will connect together as do Kent's except they will make a circle of 16 ft diameter to support the greenhouse.
Super cool I have to say it would hurt my feeling to do this test to be honest. Nice work I really like this series their are a lot more things you can do with these also.
I saw your video on pouring the air Crete with the fiberglass mess. A pinch just isn’t enough to really make a difference. I would think a half pound to a pound would really increase the strength. I’m retired now but at one time I drove a concrete truck for a small company. They used the fibers and also washed the rock that there concrete was made from. Dirt in you sand or rock greatly decreases its strength. Keep testing. I saw another guy who was adding micro rebar. They were barely longer than your fiber but added a lot of strength to the mix also. You keep producing an I will keep watch. Later
Did it hurt to see them break after you put so much work in making them? (It hurt me a little! :) ) Also, with the wire, still holding them together I am wondering f they are still usable? Did you assemble them back into to planter box? Great channel BTW! I love seeing your process and you present very well!
The wire mesh would increase the tensile strength if were on to top side of the panel but not so much if is located on the bottom side. Could not tell which form your test. Good job!!! Burt
Great research and description of your methods. Tremendous amount of work went into this! I wonder whether the variation in failure loads was related to how deep the steel reinforcement was located. If set deeply at the time of placement it would be in a much more favorable position to resist the deforming stress. Have you though about rounded ends to allow angles other than 90 degrees to be used? Maybe incorporate a semicircle of 2 inch plastic pipe at the end of the forms? Thanks again, great project
I noticed you are loading them with the wire mesh on top for compression it should be utilize for tension at the bottom. If you load them with the wire mesh at the bottom you will be amaze how much load your panel can handle. Try them standing and it will hold more load. Reinforce with wire mesh on top and bottom of your panel would be perfect for structural load. You can also try inserting a plastic tube at the bottom then insert an allthread rod after its cured put nuts and washers on both end and tighten.for a pre-stressed air create that you might be able to use for a bridge on a mini pond. More power...
Did you ever test a panel with some glass fibers, maybe a screen, but also adding some air entrainment additive? That additive should add strength for inclement weather. FYI, the best place for entrainment additive is Menards. Everywhere else was quadrupled the price. The additive should really strengthen the surface to prevent spalling. Great testing though! Kudos!
I'm no engineer but it seems to me that you could greatly improve the strength by using an interlinked horizontal 'D' shape for the two reinforcing panels creating a 'Arch & Dome Effect' which will evenly distribute the force from the center point to the entire structure.
Great video. What about use a reinforcing steel bars instead of wire mesh. Reinforcing steel is not so havy and will give you tremendous power in compression. Two 10 mm bars in diameter would be enough. You should definitely try it. I like your work not only with concrete, but especially with wood. good job, thanks for what you do.
Thanks! The heavier reinforcement might sink to the bottom of the form as the density of aircrete during the pour may not support it. That's why I went with a lighter gauge wire mesh. It appears to stay suspended while the aircrete sets up.
@@MANaboutTOOLS If you are worried about weight and want to get maximum strength, why not try carbon fiber tubes. You can get some pretty cheap carbon fiber arrow shafts that would work perfectly. They would impart tremendous strength...are light weight and would still float and can be had in 30" lengths for less than a dollar each.
What is the amount of “weight for fail” with standard concrete mix? Adding 2% (by volume of dry concrete) dry biochar to your panels should increase tensile strength by 40 percent. The hydrated BIOCHAR in the mix will ensure a much a much slower curing time because the char retains moisture. I like your videos very informative.
@@johnle231 the char may be crushed down the 1/4” size. Do not crush to powder; you are not looking for large chucks either. Depending on the application the size on your normal aggregate is fine also.
@@johnle231 I would ensure that the incorporation of the char is at least the size of the bubbles in the air Crete. I believe nano bubbles would be the standard, going further to ultrafine Bubbles size would be counterproductive in my opinion.
Pardon my ignorance as I am not a structural engineer nor am I claiming to be experienced enough with cement to understand why you would want to put Perlite into aircrete. Air bubbles are spheres. Cement that incorporates spheres seems logically better able to withstand breaking than cement that incorporates perlite (which I do have some experience with, and know that it is absolutely unable to add strength to anything it permeates). My only experience with aircrete was in pouring a skinned aircrete block dome (interior 15 feet) which had an aircrete block arch entrance doorway then the whole structure was covered with sprayed aircrete, then later, buried with about two feet of soil at the top, tapering out to about three feet at the bottom. The soil has been planted with shrubs and vegetables and has had people climbing all over it for about a year, with no cracks, so maybe it's just that domes are structurally sounder than plates rather than it being the perlite additions?
domes act under compression which concrete does well. he was testing tensile strength which concreet does poorly unless it has steel rebar to take the load and evenly distribute it. however steel rusts and expands over time due to moisture in the concrete. that is why roman concrete has lasted thousands of years (no rebar). and modern bridges last only 20 years or so.
Here is a suggestion for a 'curve wrecker' panel. Embed two tubes the length of the panel. They could be plastic conduit/plumbing or some thing else that is very thin walled. After the panel is made and cured put threaded rod in to the tube. Put a washer and nut on each end and tighten to a fairly high tension. The tube and the rod should fit closely. You will need to up your game as far as the amount of weight it will take after that. This is pre-stressing them. That said. Your right in that the 150# panel would suffice. Particularly if you mound up the soil away from the panel in fall.
Again, good practical testing. Thank you for the video. I suspect that the perlite may not have the shear strength that solid rock type material has and that may be why the two panels that had it were weaker than the two which didn't. Have you determined the soil pressure that a full garden box exerts when unfrozen and then when the soil freezes at say 50% moisture content? My experience with retaining walls has shown that having some form of drainage media against the inside of the wall reduces the hydrostatic pressure and in certain instances provides a bit of free ze expansion relief. Really find your videos informative and professionally produced. Keep up the great work.
If it is the case that the forces of the freezing of soil can be detremental to the panels, then it could be alleviated to some extent by lining the panels with a compressible material, say polysterene sheets prior to filling with soil. This would allow some expansion without affecting the panels - a side benefit would be in keeping the soil warmer for longer due to the insulation the polysterene could offer !
Nice vid! I would like to see you try this test with aircrete but instead of steel mesh, use bamboo mesh. I just found out about this material and bamboo gets really strong in concrete.
Have you heard of Helix micro rebar? If you do any more concrete testing I would like to see you consider using this. I plan to use it on my foundation and ICF pour.
I just looked that up. Interesting. But the orientation of the little rebars is random if mixed in like the fiberglass. Only one orientation is optimal in this application. If laying them in like the mesh, may as well use mesh.
Great!, for me your test is enough due the tested material is the same day production. I´ve worked as supplier quality engineer at some electronics companies and I'm impressed about results.. now I'm going to start the production of some parts for my garden. Which is the thickness and large of the pieces? Regards!!!
Would they work better if you are able to give it a tougher skin? I.e. have a thin layer of cement/sand at the bottom and finishing off with another layer at the top of the pour?
thanks for such perseverance - so if I go with aircrete I'm gonna add a double layer of mesh and avoid perlite after this episode As to whether I go with aircrete or straight CSA concrete panels - well it depends on your upcoming comparison to some extent - I predict greater strength already At the end of the day as to whether its aircrete or CSA wil be down to a cost/benefit analysis - namely the relative benefit of any weight saving of aircrete; factoring in the simplicity, durability and cost of CSA panels. Already I'm leaning towards CSA given the extra equipment needs of aircrete - I just keen to get gardening is all. But I'll wait to see what you conclude in your upcoming post Anyway your clear well produced videos are much appreciated once again from downunder in Melbourne, Australia Please stay safe and don't catch that Covid 19 on us please :)
I appreciate your hard work. It seems as if that single-layer mesh was on the top side. If that is true, the panels would be stronger with the mesh at the bottom (or the side that stretches, instead of the side that gets compressed).
I would think that most of the strength comes from the outer walls, instead of the center. I think a thin wire mesh laid near the bottom and top would be stronger than an equivalent of metal in the middle and 3 layers (bottom, middle and top would be very strong. Even fiberglass window screen would help but prolly not be superior in strength (except metal deterioration). Shaped wire screen mimicking the exterior shape would probably be the best. Air Crete is prolly best for the filler with a thin concrete shell... I would recommend pouring a thin layer of concrete on the bottom of the form, then fine 1/2”x1/2” wire fencing, then aircrete then more of the wire fencing, then a thin last layer of concrete...
It would be awesome if you could have plans for triangles and octagons in order to create more geometric garden designs. I just purchased the plans today and am about to make my molds. Thanks for your videos i was about to use wood until I watched all your tutorials.
I now have molds ready-to-go here: manabouttools.com/store-plastic-concrete-molds/
Having spent approx. 7 years in precast concrete industry as Quality Control - breaking concrete samples - it is possible that you are laying the panels the wrong way when looking for strength. The wire reinforcement should always be placed on the tension side of the panel. In your case, it would have been the side closest to the ground. This would explain the additional strength in the double reinforced panels as the tensile pressure was being handled by the steel.
The way he uses the panels, the weight of the ground inside the box will be pushing in the same direction as he is testing. You are right though. The reinforcement would be more beneficial on the bottom side of this test.
@@j.j.maaskant7287why dont use rebar its no expensive ... still don't understand . Several manufatures they dont even use it as well but use fiberglass and others but are not ligth are heavy
Bravo! I've seen dozens of aircrete videos, but nobody ever tests it. Yours are the first. Thanks a ton (no pun intended) for doing it and sharing the results with us. :)
Although many of the projects I will never attempt, they are really cool.
Thank you for doing the work, filming/editing and sharing the content!
Thumbs Up!
Cool! You have better data on aircrete than anyone else I have seen. We are making our first aircrete batches, it's a challenge but we are starting to figure it out. Hope to start testing our samples soon. 👍😊 Thanks for the great info!
Wow! That's dedication moving all that weight. Great video series. I need to replace 10 rotted 4x8 beds and you've convinced me to use your plans.
Es primera vez que veo a alguien hablando y mostrando sus resultados con aircrete de forma tan científica, y el único que ha mostrado resultados de CALIDAD, me quedo con tu fórmula de doble malla metálica y aircrete. MUCHAS GRACIAS
Thanks for the video. Panel 3 is an example why "ferro-cement" is so strong and flexible. Just imagine instead of using mesh with huge openings, to instead using something like rabbit-wire which has smaller openings. Ferro-Cement gets its strength and durability from the lattice structure of cement/fly-ash to metal/basalt mesh.
Very impressive to have homemade aircrete span that load. And even more impressive for the pinned end connections to take the shear.
So, in planning to replace my own cedar raised beds, it seems to me the take-aways of these builds and testing are: Portland cement is good enough; use vermiculite or perlite to save weight, whichever is readily available or least cost; use a double layer of mesh or heavier hog fencing; CSA cement seems to offer no advantage if wear from landscaping and garden tools is a concern. And even though you don't seem concerned about the amount of pressure raised beds will see from frost heave, I'll save the effort and reduce the risk by not bothering with aircrete. Frost moves everything in Canada (except maybe in lower BC).
I don't know why the hell UA-cam offered up this video to me (A IT repair engineer who's never even mixed regular concrete, let alone "Aircrete")........ But on the other hand, they say "All knowledge is useful", and I did find watching these material tests surprisingly interesting. So thanks for the info.
I would love to see you repair those cracks with concrete epoxy and do another test to see how the repair fares. Thanks, looking forward for more videos.
Ima fan of project farm , and like him I like your tests, creativity and ability to convey information with out crazy edits ,and sill sound effects. Well done , thanks for taking time out to help us weekend warriors ... it’s really easy to comprehend and fun ..
Most excellent
this was a cool video to see im researching whether to do this or just pavers or cinder blocks for a garden bed I've been planning it for a couple years
This was great content. It was also nice to see that all the panels survived the winter freezes without any problems. Liked!
Thak you! This was a good test, and well explained. As someone who is going to build an aircrete dome I really appreciate this video. (I subscribed.)
VERY GOOD DEMONSTRATION
OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF DESIGNS FOR PANELS.
I find your experiments super interesting! It would also be interesting to see a series of air crete with higher glass fiber content and / or quality steel fibers which are frequently used for the reinforcement of shotcrete.
Shotcrete?
I ran out of breath just watching you load the bricks and put them back lol! Subscribed because you are thorough and a good teacher, thanks! Thinking of using Aircrete for a project brought me here.
you have some of the best looking aircrete I’ve seen on UA-cam. Usually it’s all crumbly and full of air pockets. I wonder what you’ve done different to get a better product...
I really like your approach and thinking. You sound very competent.
Ok. Very cool video. Thanks! Not rigorously engineered and neither is my following comment: Your panels get their tensile strength from the wire mesh. A logical next step is to stretch the horizontal mesh elements probably using bolts/ nuts/maybe springs ( split washers) outside of the forms during the curing process. ( e.g. crude pre-stressed air crete) I admit it... overkill for a garden bed but, a fairly easy alteration if you have the forms.
Interesting and nice choice of options to compare.
This is a very impressive video production. So, I'm subbed, now. Hope to see more videos from the Man about Tools
Awesome, thank you!
Sodium silicate (Water Glass) strengthens and seals concrete. In fact that is one of its primary uses. It is commercially available, and you can easily make yourself. I would love to see a video testing Sodium silicate on aircrete.
great to see the tests - adding rebar along with wire mesh may beef them up much more - it was a good showing of how a little materials science and engineering can go a long way - all the components need to be optimized according to your use case but the modular design was nice to see
I don't know if you would be interested in doing an additional test/update on this series, but I think lava rock might give interesting results. Lava rock as an aggregate is something that's being used/tested by areas of the concrete/cement industry. It's lighter than traditional aggregate, and the unique texture of lava rock may allow the concrete to cure internally for longer due to the way it can hold water.
I plan to make some panels using lava rocks. The biggest downside so far is the need to wash the lava rocks and screen/sort them for size.
What I read about aircrete is that it's not bad insulation. Comparing the results in this vid to the other one, I reckon that's about right.
Good vid. Thank you.
I love your videos! Great scientific approach. It's true that there are more tests that could be performed and repeated for data accuracy but I personally think that it would be a waste of time. The goal is not to make a thesis but simply find the best materials for garden boxes. I just subscribed! Long live your channel!
I think that iff you separate the double mesh will be adding more strength to the panel and second, the perlite has the the capability of absorbing water so is better if you added it already wet, so That way the mixture won't dry to fast, instead will be adding water to cure slowly.. Thanks for sharing your efforts, keep inspiring others.
I know this is an older video but liked and subbed after this stellar comparison of the raw facts and trends in your experiment. There's really not enough of this content for aircrete on UA-cam.
Thanks!!
Smart no BS direct to point well spoken good information presented well .
Your methodology is similar to what I'd do to test my own work. Thank you for the work as well as concise and coherent presentation. Well done!
Great job, very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so very much for these tests, the information is EXTREMELY helpful!
Thank you for the information. This information is of so much important for my future projects.
Thank you for the hard work you put into this! I kept wondering when your back was going to snap.
Thanks! It actually was not too bad. Gave me a good workout.
GREAT VIDEO. THANKS FOR YOU TIME ON VIDEO, MUCH APPRECIATED.
Thank you so much for show us your test! Hope your back are fine after that!
Great test! I found because of all the air bubbles in the Aircrete it does not grab onto fibers well. I did not see much deference in strength when I added Basalt fiber chopped or Helix micro rebar to the Aircrete. I look forward to see what your findings will be after add chopped fibers.
Thanks Harry!!
Fibers,wire mesh, rebar.... I just want something structurally sound
@@johnallen9819 For Aircrete a super fine PVA Fibers will work well.
Thinking on ferrocrete, 2, 3, or more layers of 1/2" or 1/4" mesh would help. They make free form houses and even boats using multiple layers of mesh.
I wonder if aircrete fibres need to be longer then fibre for heavy concrete to make a difference.
also it is amazing to see what a double layre of mesh can do! wow!
Interesting to see how perlite really detracts from the mix
Thanks for sharing!
Tensile strength is not the only measure of utility in aircrete. For instance floors and ceilings may be OK with perlite, or sand to create the most useful mix for the application.Just seal it for it's environment.
I wonder if connecting the 2 mesh layers with a few short pieces of perpendicular rebar between then, and offsetting the two mesh layers, would greatly increase the strength
Thank you for this video series. I'm going to make some of these. I was just thinking that if you rounded the edges it would allow them to pivot around the rod. Then you could use panels to make a hexagonal or octagonal perimeter for a tree.
That has been suggested and I believe it would work.
great channel must recomended
I would imagine if you put a steel rod inside you wouldn't have to worry about the strength even if you stacked them on top of each other to make a wall. As for cracking during the winter swelling of the soil, one can only try it and test the results. Thanks for showing us what works and what doesn't.
7:52 count your hand weight. Great video!!!
Very hardwork sir... Nice
Thanks a lot!
Outstanding video thanks please make more videos thanks, I'm making aircrete planter boxes for my plants and trees, so far so good wire mesh is the way to go.
Good job with these tests. I wonder if a C channel shaped reinforcing grid would add more strength than the double grid. Thanks for all your hard work on this. Good luck.
If you separate the double mesh and make it totally flat will uncrease the strength of the panel. Keep up the good work Sir. And inspiring us all. 👍
Very, very helpful! Precise and straight to the point. Thanks!
Thanks for breaking all those panels for us, good sir. May you be blessed with many good taco dinners.
Thanks!
Great presentation 🙂.
Glad you liked it!
Nice work
The position of the mesh wire as far as I remember, you made it in the middle, it should be near the bottom for more tensile forces for the application you use.
I agree.
depends on the structural use of the beam. these things dont experience much vertical force so the mesh is sufficient to add some reinforcement.
Great work. Thank you. I wish to know how strong aircrete would be if both sides have embeded various types of synthetic mesh; nylon, polyeter, & especially basalt.
Kent, thank you for this information. I’m busy making more of these, my next wish item is to have a green house for the garden. Have you considered taking one on as a project? Something in the size of 10’x14” adjustable every 2 feet? I have looked at the pergola and other wood projects you have made, would do us all a great favor by having the plans and material list. Stay safe out there during this time.
I would like to see that. Maybe they could be inter-lockable for expanding length and width?
I am currently working on a geodesic greenhouse that will use a version of what Kent has done here as the foundation. I designed some blocks that are 18" tall and 40" long that taper from 5" thick at the base to 3" thick at the top. These will connect together as do Kent's except they will make a circle of 16 ft diameter to support the greenhouse.
I just love Darwins' (Honey Do Carpenter) Foam mate!!❤
Super cool I have to say it would hurt my feeling to do this test to be honest. Nice work I really like this series their are a lot more things you can do with these also.
Would you try to make fabric reinforced concrete and test it?
I saw your video on pouring the air Crete with the fiberglass mess. A pinch just isn’t enough to really make a difference. I would think a half pound to a pound would really increase the strength. I’m retired now but at one time I drove a concrete truck for a small company. They used the fibers and also washed the rock that there concrete was made from. Dirt in you sand or rock greatly decreases its strength. Keep testing. I saw another guy who was adding micro rebar. They were barely longer than your fiber but added a lot of strength to the mix also. You keep producing an I will keep watch. Later
Thanks Gene! I used the amount of fiber that the manufacturer recommended in this case.
you are a such a nice man that sharing very useful knowledge with great manner. Thumbs up :)
Awesome video! Please keep them coming with aircrete!
Did it hurt to see them break after you put so much work in making them? (It hurt me a little! :) ) Also, with the wire, still holding them together I am wondering f they are still usable? Did you assemble them back into to planter box?
Great channel BTW! I love seeing your process and you present very well!
The wire mesh would increase the tensile strength if were on to top side of the panel but not so much if is located on the bottom side. Could not tell which form your test. Good job!!! Burt
Yes for sure. Thanks!
I think that, if you push the wire mesh closure to outer surface, it will make big difference as it will take the tension
Great research and description of your methods. Tremendous amount of work went into this!
I wonder whether the variation in failure loads was related to how deep the steel reinforcement was located. If set deeply at the time of placement it would be in a much more favorable position to resist the deforming stress.
Have you though about rounded ends to allow angles other than 90 degrees to be used? Maybe incorporate a semicircle of 2 inch plastic pipe at the end of the forms?
Thanks again, great project
I noticed you are loading them with the wire mesh on top for compression it should be utilize for tension at the bottom. If you load them with the wire mesh at the bottom you will be amaze how much load your panel can handle. Try them standing and it will hold more load. Reinforce with wire mesh on top and bottom of your panel would be perfect for structural load. You can also try inserting a plastic tube at the bottom then insert an allthread rod after its cured put nuts and washers on both end and tighten.for a pre-stressed air create that you might be able to use for a bridge on a mini pond. More power...
I was thinking exactly the same, with using a pvc pipe with a threaded rod inserted into it.
Did you ever test a panel with some glass fibers, maybe a screen, but also adding some air entrainment additive? That additive should add strength for inclement weather. FYI, the best place for entrainment additive is Menards. Everywhere else was quadrupled the price. The additive should really strengthen the surface to prevent spalling. Great testing though! Kudos!
I'm no engineer but it seems to me that you could greatly improve the strength by using an interlinked horizontal 'D' shape for the two reinforcing panels creating a 'Arch & Dome Effect' which will evenly distribute the force from the center point to the entire structure.
That is real good excellent buddy
GREAT WORK WITH VERY VERY POLITE .THANKS A LOT .GOD BLESS YOU
Great video. What about use a
reinforcing steel bars instead of wire mesh. Reinforcing steel is not so havy and will give you tremendous power in compression. Two
10 mm bars in diameter would be enough.
You should definitely try it.
I like your work not only with concrete, but especially with wood. good job, thanks for what you do.
Thanks! The heavier reinforcement might sink to the bottom of the form as the density of aircrete during the pour may not support it. That's why I went with a lighter gauge wire mesh. It appears to stay suspended while the aircrete sets up.
@@MANaboutTOOLS If you are worried about weight and want to get maximum strength, why not try carbon fiber tubes. You can get some pretty cheap carbon fiber arrow shafts that would work perfectly. They would impart tremendous strength...are light weight and would still float and can be had in 30" lengths for less than a dollar each.
What is the amount of “weight for fail” with standard concrete mix? Adding 2% (by volume of dry concrete) dry biochar to your panels should increase tensile strength by 40 percent. The hydrated BIOCHAR in the mix will ensure a much a much slower curing time because the char retains moisture. I like your videos very informative.
Does the char have to be grounded up or something
@@johnle231 the char may be crushed down the 1/4” size. Do not crush to powder; you are not looking for large chucks either. Depending on the application the size on your normal aggregate is fine also.
@@johnle231 I would ensure that the incorporation of the char is at least the size of the bubbles in the air Crete. I believe nano bubbles would be the standard, going further to ultrafine Bubbles size would be counterproductive in my opinion.
@@paul49777
I dunno. Seems like aircrete can’t be reasonably trusted for structural build so maybe just for insulation or something I dunnob
If you want resistance, forget the perlite and add another mesh layer. Thanks for a test pretty well done amigo!
Yes! An additional mesh layer makes the most difference.
Pardon my ignorance as I am not a structural engineer nor am I claiming to be experienced enough with cement to understand why you would want to put Perlite into aircrete. Air bubbles are spheres. Cement that incorporates spheres seems logically better able to withstand breaking than cement that incorporates perlite (which I do have some experience with, and know that it is absolutely unable to add strength to anything it permeates).
My only experience with aircrete was in pouring a skinned aircrete block dome (interior 15 feet) which had an aircrete block arch entrance doorway then the whole structure was covered with sprayed aircrete, then later, buried with about two feet of soil at the top, tapering out to about three feet at the bottom. The soil has been planted with shrubs and vegetables and has had people climbing all over it for about a year, with no cracks, so maybe it's just that domes are structurally sounder than plates rather than it being the perlite additions?
domes act under compression which concrete does well. he was testing tensile strength which concreet does poorly unless it has steel rebar to take the load and evenly distribute it. however steel rusts and expands over time due to moisture in the concrete. that is why roman concrete has lasted thousands of years (no rebar). and modern bridges last only 20 years or so.
@@Craig6844 That and the large chunks of calcium.
have you tried treating either the aircrete or concrete pieces with a concrete sealer, whats your thoughts ?
Here is a suggestion for a 'curve wrecker' panel. Embed two tubes the length of the panel. They could be plastic conduit/plumbing or some thing else that is very thin walled. After the panel is made and cured put threaded rod in to the tube. Put a washer and nut on each end and tighten to a fairly high tension. The tube and the rod should fit closely. You will need to up your game as far as the amount of weight it will take after that. This is pre-stressing them.
That said. Your right in that the 150# panel would suffice. Particularly if you mound up the soil away from the panel in fall.
thanks for great lesson
Was the double mesh laid on top of each other? where was the placement in the panel top, bottom or middle? I can see this making a big difference
Again, good practical testing. Thank you for the video. I suspect that the perlite may not have the shear strength that solid rock type material has and that may be why the two panels that had it were weaker than the two which didn't. Have you determined the soil pressure that a full garden box exerts when unfrozen and then when the soil freezes at say 50% moisture content?
My experience with retaining walls has shown that having some form of drainage media against the inside of the wall reduces the hydrostatic pressure and in certain instances provides a bit of free ze expansion relief. Really find your videos informative and professionally produced. Keep up the great work.
If it is the case that the forces of the freezing of soil can be detremental to the panels, then it could be alleviated to some extent by lining the panels with a compressible material, say polysterene sheets prior to filling with soil. This would allow some expansion without affecting the panels - a side benefit would be in keeping the soil warmer for longer due to the insulation the polysterene could offer !
this needs a revisit
Great video!
Where can we purchase the wire mesh?
Do you sell aircrete and/or aircrete molds on Etsy, or on anywhere else, for us to purchase?
Nice vid! I would like to see you try this test with aircrete but instead of steel mesh, use bamboo mesh. I just found out about this material and bamboo gets really strong in concrete.
Good night, good job, what line and material you used, dosages please
Have you heard of Helix micro rebar? If you do any more concrete testing I would like to see you consider using this. I plan to use it on my foundation and ICF pour.
I have heard of it but have not tried it yet.
I just looked that up. Interesting. But the orientation of the little rebars is random if mixed in like the fiberglass. Only one orientation is optimal in this application. If laying them in like the mesh, may as well use mesh.
Wow. I want to do a design using concrete and steel H beam for a retaining wall.
Great!, for me your test is enough due the tested material is the same day production. I´ve worked as supplier quality engineer at some electronics companies and I'm impressed about results.. now I'm going to start the production of some parts for my garden. Which is the thickness and large of the pieces? Regards!!!
i used A.F.F.F. fire fighting foam in the fire dept. It could create a very thick long lasting foam. carlos
Would they work better if you are able to give it a tougher skin? I.e. have a thin layer of cement/sand at the bottom and finishing off with another layer at the top of the pour?
Neat panels, neat test!
Also a control with pure non foamed up concrete would be good.
thanks for such perseverance - so if I go with aircrete I'm gonna add a double layer of mesh and avoid perlite after this episode
As to whether I go with aircrete or straight CSA concrete panels - well it depends on your upcoming comparison to some extent - I predict greater strength already
At the end of the day as to whether its aircrete or CSA wil be down to a cost/benefit analysis - namely the relative benefit of any weight saving of aircrete; factoring in the simplicity, durability and cost of CSA panels. Already I'm leaning towards CSA given the extra equipment needs of aircrete - I just keen to get gardening is all. But I'll wait to see what you conclude in your upcoming post
Anyway your clear well produced videos are much appreciated once again from downunder in Melbourne, Australia
Please stay safe and don't catch that Covid 19 on us please :)
Any activity in Australia on using aircrete for residential fire resistance retrofit?
@@edbouhl3100 no idea. Our science outfit might be the best to follow up. i.e. CSIRO. www.csiro.au/
I appreciate your hard work. It seems as if that single-layer mesh was on the top side. If that is true, the panels would be stronger with the mesh at the bottom (or the side that stretches, instead of the side that gets compressed).
Galvanized mesh was a good addition
It really made a difference.
I like your idea u can use foam bubbles I think will be useful
I would love to see how they respond to impact forces
I would think that most of the strength comes from the outer walls, instead of the center. I think a thin wire mesh laid near the bottom and top would be stronger than an equivalent of metal in the middle and 3 layers (bottom, middle and top would be very strong. Even fiberglass window screen would help but prolly not be superior in strength (except metal deterioration). Shaped wire screen mimicking the exterior shape would probably be the best. Air Crete is prolly best for the filler with a thin concrete shell... I would recommend pouring a thin layer of concrete on the bottom of the form, then fine 1/2”x1/2” wire fencing, then aircrete then more of the wire fencing, then a thin last layer of concrete...
So did you do the same test with the regular concrete panels, if so how did they fair?
It would be awesome if you could have plans for triangles and octagons in order to create more geometric garden designs. I just purchased the plans today and am about to make my molds. Thanks for your videos i was about to use wood until I watched all your tutorials.
The variations are endless!