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» House using permanent formwork technology. Construction of houses from permanent formwork. Formwork for a monolithic foundation: stages of self-installation

House using permanent formwork technology. Construction of houses from permanent formwork. Formwork for a monolithic foundation: stages of self-installation

Wooden or brick houses rightfully have an army of fans. But despite all their advantages, they have one very significant disadvantage - their construction cannot be called quick. For those who are thinking about building own home, but at the same time does not have enough time in reserve and cannot boast of great knowledge in construction, all that remains is to choose monolithic method housing construction. The article will focus on houses from permanent formwork.

In order to fill the foundation and walls of such a house, formwork is used. It can be removable (that is, dismantled after completion of work) or non-removable. The second option remains in place after pouring and curing the solution, and all external Finishing work carried out directly on top of the formwork.

House using permanent formwork technology

  • Formwork is nothing more than a form. You can remember your childhood games in the sandbox or imagine the housewife pouring dough for cakes into special baking containers. Only unlike the examples given, the form will remain in place, becoming part of the walls or foundation.

Houses made of permanent formwork photo


  • Permanent formwork is assembled according to the principle children's construction set from blocks of different composition. The installation principle resembles brickwork. Structural elements have grooves or special lock-type connections.
  • If it is necessary to fasten opposite blocks, tie ties are used. Vertical reinforcement must be used, and in order for the structure to withstand the pressure exerted on it from the inside by the solution, pouring is carried out in series. In each of the passes, a height equal to three or four rows of blocks is filled with cement.
  • Elements for formwork are made from polystyrene foam or some other materials that promote thermal insulation.

Advantages of using permanent formwork

  • Monolithic structures are strong in themselves. Abandoned formwork creates additional frame, reinforcing the walls of the future house.
  • Monolithic walls puts less pressure on the base, therefore, when developing projects for houses made of permanent formwork, it is possible to calculate the option of increasing the number of storeys of the house.
  • Sound and heat insulation of the home. Foamed polystyrene is an excellent material for insulating residential premises, and its characteristics are complemented by the fact that it perfectly dampens sounds. The construction of permanent formwork is, in its own way, the simultaneous carrying out of insulation and sound insulation work.
  • Less time - less labor costs. When building your own home, you need to save wisely. Renting expensive construction equipment will be excluded from the estimate monolithic house. And you won’t need many voluntary or hired workers. The filling process is fast. This means that workers won’t have to overpay for extra time spent on site either.

  • Space saving. There is never a lot of free space, even inside private houses designed according to personal projects. Monolithic walls are thinner than brick ones, but they protect their owners from the cold no worse, and they save a lot of space inside.
  • Continuing the conversation about savings, it must be said that permanent formwork will allow you not to overpay for heating during further operation of the house.
  • Durability. If you adhere to technology to the smallest detail, then walls formed by polystyrene blocks and concrete will last at least a century.
  • Simplicity of finishing. Blocks create good flat surface walls, which allows you to effortlessly and extra costs to level the bases, carry them out finishing both from the street and inside the house.

What type of permanent formwork is there?

Expanded polystyrene blocks for installation of permanent formwork

  • These are hollow elements with walls of varying thickness. Outer side there is much more internal material - it will be responsible for maintaining heat in the house. The blocks themselves are strong enough to hold the solution being poured, are non-hygroscopic and affordable.
  • Assembly as brickwork adds strength to the structure, and reinforcement will give additional rigidity to the wall. Reinforcement rods located vertically are overlapped. It is important to choose the right diameter, as well as the grade of concrete.

  • Communications, including electrical wiring, are laid through pre-cut holes in the blocks. All work must be completed before pouring begins. The result is a kind of sandwich, where the “filling” of reinforced concrete is enclosed between layers of insulation.
  • Opponents of polystyrene foam emphasize that this material is not environmentally friendly. But this is rather a matter of choice of manufacturer. Foamed polystyrene manufactured in accordance with all standards and rules does not pose a threat to health. It is enough to note that picky European commissions and examinations have allowed the use of this synthetic material in conjunction with food. Therefore, when purchasing material, you should familiarize yourself with quality certificates and not pursue dubious monetary benefits.
  • But with the vapor permeability of expanded polystyrene, things are really bad. But problems will not arise if you think through the ventilation system well.
  • It is vapor permeable because it is based on cement. The blocks will have to be laid with special glue, tied with reinforcement and then poured. They are stronger than foamed polystyrene formwork.
  • Cement-based blocks also differ great variety. So there are masonry blocks for load-bearing walls, produced in several sizes and modifications, you can separately purchase elements for the formwork of columns, vertical or load-bearing beams ceilings, lintels or strapping belts.

  • This is an invention of Dutch developers. They have been known since the 30s of the 20th century. Large wood chips are used for their production. coniferous species(it makes up approximately 80-90% of the total composition of the material). The chips are treated with special additives and held together with a mixture of gypsum, cement clinker and some other additives (Portland cement).
  • The advantages, in addition to environmental friendliness, are obvious:
    • high strength against low weight;
    • vapor permeability;
    • heat and sound insulation properties;
    • weather resistance;
    • frost resistance.
  • Fire safety is achieved through special treatment, and such blocks are also not afraid of rot, mold and pests. They are easy to cut and process. When constructing the formwork, the slabs are placed opposite each other and secured with wire ties. They not only connect structural elements, but also do not allow the wall to deviate from the vertical. Standard material dimensions: 2000 × 500 × 35 mm.
  • They have found other uses: often wood chips - cement slabs used for insulating facades or for building small panel houses at the dacha, designed for living in the summer.
  • The structure will have to be reinforced less. Strengthening will require window lintels and doorways, columns. And the walls themselves are reinforced with a significant gap of 2.5 or 3 meters (for formwork made of polystyrene foam blocks, the interval is 1 meter). In one approach, pour the mixture, moving around the perimeter, to a height of a meter (two rows). The poured concrete is compacted using the bayonet method.
  • Since the first version of the material for permanent formwork is much more common, it is worth considering the construction technology from polystyrene foam blocks as an example.

Do-it-yourself construction of houses from permanent formwork

So, there is a foundation made in the most suitable way for the given soil. Most often it is a strip base. In any case, it is first covered with a layer of hydro insulating material, and drive in reinforcing bars.

  • The blocks are carefully strung onto the reinforcement and fastened to each other in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations (wire ties). Start with the corner elements. It is convenient to stretch a cord between them in order to refer to it when laying out the remaining blocks in the row. There are ridges and grooves at the ends of the material. This type of connection will hold all of the formwork pieces in place. The first layer is the basis of the future building. At this stage, bends are laid internal partitions, openings entrance groups. All engineering Communication are formed immediately. Design feature blocks (internal voids) allow you to hide all the necessary wiring inside the walls. We must not forget about ventilation.

  • The second row of blocks is laid offset, like bricks. This dressing will ensure the strength and rigidity of the structure. It is important to ensure that the sides of the stacked blocks match. Be sure to check the level so as not to move the wall away from the vertical. Fixing the blocks of the first and second row is easy. The grooves on the surface of the elements close after light pressure.
  • The laying of the third row of polystyrene foam blocks is carried out similarly to the installation of the second level.
  • Concrete is poured around the perimeter of the area with the erected formwork. It is important to compact the poured mixture well. The small depth of filling with the solution allows you to use a piece of reinforcement for these purposes: they act like a bayonet - they intensively pierce the concrete to get rid of voids, destroying air bubbles. The optimal length is calculated as follows: the height of the block must be multiplied by 3. But purchasing (or renting) a deep-well vibrator will facilitate the speedy completion of work. It will cope much more effectively with the task of compacting the solution. To do this, the diameter of its working part should not exceed 4 cm.
  • Experts advise not to fill with cement upper layer blocks until the very end. If you fill half the outer row, the seam will be hidden inside the polystyrene foam formwork elements. This means the wall will be stronger. Per m² you will need to pour from 0.075 to 0.125 m³ of solution.

Laying the fourth and subsequent rows

  • Laying blocks in subsequent rows has the same algorithm as described. After the sixth row takes its place, the operation of pouring concrete is repeated. It is better to carry out floor formwork with the support of specialists. The technology is like this. A recess is made in the row of blocks where it is planned to lay floor beams (or floor joists) required sizes. The cut fragment should not exceed ¼ of the formwork element. Now the beams are installed in their places and pouring is carried out.

  • Finishing a house using permanent formwork is quite simple. Due to the high adhesion of blocks to plaster mixture, it will lie flat and easy. Roofing V monolithic houses are no different from erecting a roof in buildings built using a different technology.

What can you use to make permanent formwork for your foundation yourself?

If home handyman If he has the strength to be precise, accurate and consistent in his actions, he will be able to make a permanent form for the foundation himself. You will need to choose from several options for suitable material:

  • moisture resistant plywood,
  • cement particle board,
  • flat slate.

All of them are quite durable, resistant to moisture, and elastic. The only indicator that these materials do not possess is thermal insulation. Therefore, you additionally need to purchase something to provide heat (for example, mineral wool). Still needed waterproofing material, fittings, components for cement-sand mixture, a set of coupling screws and nuts for fixing structural elements together.

Cost of building a house from permanent formwork

  • The cost of a monolithic house made of permanent formwork is much lower than a brick or wooden version housing.
  • The price of materials varies depending on the region and manufacturer, but on average you will have to pay from 800 to 1000 rubles for m² of formwork made from polystyrene foam blocks.
  • All manufacturers and sellers calculate the total cost of formwork for free, and the official websites have calculators for making accurate calculations.

House made of permanent formwork: construction technology, Construction portal


Construction of houses Wooden or brick houses rightfully have an army of fans. But for all their advantages, they have one very significant drawback - their construction is not quick.

Nikolay himself is building a private house in Samara. He told us how to save space on a plot of land only 12 meters wide by using universal ties for TECHNONICOL permanent formwork.

Background and technical data

Construction objects on the site: bathhouse - 35 m2, house - 110 m2.

Problem: land plot very small in area, you need to save every meter.

Solution: construction of the foundation, plinth, walls of the bathhouse and two-story house using insulated permanent formwork using universal screeds to reduce the thickness of the foundation and walls.

Contractor: There is no contractor; we hire specialists for construction under our own supervision.

My name is Nikolay, I am a private developer from Samara. My building plot of land is very small - only 12 meters wide. I know no more about construction than you do, but I decided to do everything with my own hands with the help of hired workers.

When choosing materials for constructing the foundation of the house and bathhouse, I relied on knowledge obtained from various sources. And, interestingly, the arrangement of permanent formwork using universal screeds was not initially discussed at all. Just for insulation external surfaces acquired extruded polystyrene foam XPS TECHNONICOL CARBON ECO, and couplers came in addition to it. After reading about the properties of screeds and the method of installing them, I decided that this would be best choice in my case.

Why did you choose permanent formwork?

Just imagine that without permanent insulated formwork and universal screeds, I would have to build walls about 1.2-1.5 m thick and lay a very strong and more expensive foundation. Our winters are frosty and thinner walls would lead to greater heat loss and energy consumption. Or, in an attempt to save on energy spent on heating, my family would live in a cold, damp house. And with such a small width of the site, the thickness of the walls is 1.2-1.5 m - this is a lot!

It was necessary to find a solution to this problem. I chose monolithic construction using insulated permanent formwork using TECHNONICOL universal screeds. This method made it possible to reduce the thickness of the walls by half, and I left the saved space for arranging the terrace.

In addition, the method of installing permanent formwork with universal ties is very simple and significantly reduces the time spent on work. After all, what are universal couplers? This is a fastener that quickly and reliably connects the walls of formwork sheets to each other. With their help, I reduced the time for arranging the bathhouse and the foundation of the house by more than 2 times. This was also facilitated by the fact that a combination of formwork and insulation was used - we did not waste time on thermal insulation of the foundation and walls.

True, at first my hired specialists were unusual. They were also not familiar with this method of laying and. They thought it was very difficult and expensive. They held it in their hands like some kind of jewel. We couldn’t figure out how to position it more conveniently, how to connect it correctly. It took almost two weeks to work on the first level of the house’s foundation - they worked out the laying technology. But once we figured out the screed installation system, the work went very quickly. The bathhouse, where the height of the monolith was 3.5 meters, took only 12 days!

Construction technology using permanent formwork

As it turns out, the installation scheme is completely simple:

  1. installed formwork sheets;
  2. secured with ties for permanent formwork;
  3. installed fittings; Material prepared for the website www.site
  4. poured concrete in a circle to a height of about 50 cm, then vibrated the cement mortar;
  5. wait for the layer to dry;
  6. began installing the screeds for the next layer, and so on in a circle.

It took us 3.5 weeks to build the strip foundation and walls of the bathhouse. There was no need to install any bulky wooden structures, spacers, etc., and then reinstall everything. Moreover, there are no complaints at all about the screeds. They hold the load perfectly, and, in addition, it was convenient for the workers to install the fittings. The main difficulty was that when constructing the walls it was necessary to level them evenly. Also, using permanent formwork and universal screeds, the strip foundation for the construction of the house, the basement was removed, and I plan to build the walls using a different technology and insulate them.

Another benefit that I appreciated was the savings on materials. Not only is this formwork for construction, it is also an excellent insulation material for the basement. There is no need to separately purchase and install insulation. With this permanent formwork, the manufacturer guarantees the absence of cold bridges in finished design, which is what I needed. Especially for the foundation of a house.

My conclusion

Permanent formwork and universal screeds are a reasonable and economical solution for private construction. Especially if you want to have time to rebuild over the summer. Just don’t violate the terms of the instructions. It is necessary to make permanent formwork for each layer at the height of simultaneous pouring depending on the width of the tape, not higher. Before pouring another layer of concrete, allow the previous layer to dry so that it has time to gain the required strength.

The only difficulty was at the beginning - the process of installing the screeds was not easy due to lack of practice. But everything comes with experience. This technology will save you both budget and time. After all, the solution combines both formwork and insulation. It turns out that you are simultaneously closing two construction processes.

The next stage in the construction of my house is insulating the facade with XPS slabs. Then I'll buy more roofing materials for installing the roof of a house and bathhouse.

Traditionally, for the manufacture of foundations and walls in monolithic concrete houses, concrete was poured into temporary formwork, which was removed after the concrete had dried. Construction technology using permanent formwork is an alternative to such construction. The formwork is made of polystyrene foam, which folds like Lego blocks. After the formwork is installed, the reinforcement is installed, the formwork is leveled and concrete is poured into it. After the concrete dries, throughout the life of the building, polystyrene foam works as an insulating material. It seems very good technology quick construction of a house. Lightweight formwork that does not need to be removed ensures virtually no waste. Buildings constructed using permanent formwork have increased strength and are positioned as energy efficient and environmentally friendly. But is permanent polystyrene foam formwork really that good?

First, about the environmental friendliness of polystyrene foam

It should be noted that polystyrene foam, with a very big stretch, can be classified as environmentally friendly materials. Yet it is often labeled as such. This is true unless you look at it from the point of view of:

Impact on humans - styrene, from which expanded polystyrene is made, is poisonous for humans; in expanded polystyrene it is polymerized, but not completely, so the poison is gradually released into environment, and under the influence of light, oxygen, heat, etc. it begins to stand out more actively. In a fire, it burns at very high temperature 1100 °C, destroying even metal constructions, and releases toxic substances. Of course, modern polystyrene foam is treated with fire retardants, so they talk about fire safety, but fire retardants are also not harmless to humans.

Impact on the environment - after the end of its service life, polystyrene foam is sent to a landfill, but there it will lie for hundreds of years, poisoning the environment, since it has poor biodegradability properties.

Question: is such an “eco-friendly” material necessary?

Remodeling a house from permanent formwork

Houses made from permanent formwork are difficult to reconstruct. It is necessary to carefully think through the design of the house and anticipate all possible necessary changes in future. For example, to add a window or door, you will have to cut a monolithic concrete wall, which is not at all easy and will take a lot of time. It is also important to take into account all communication systems in advance: electrical wiring, plumbing pipes, ventilation, etc., since after construction is completed it will be difficult to install all these communications.

Insects or water can get into the walls

Block segments must be installed very tightly, otherwise the outer wall insulation may become susceptible to insects great place residence and will be able to infiltrate groundwater. But this is a partly solvable problem; there are blocks treated with insecticide and protected from water. However, as a rule, such blocks are more expensive than regular ones.

Need skilled labor

This construction technology is relatively new to Russia, so it is difficult to find qualified practicing builders who have fully mastered the construction method. This also increases the cost of construction because skilled workers are in demand and their work costs more.

Can only be built in the warm season

At temperatures below 0°C, concrete hardening practically stops; it must be poured at temperatures above 5°C. Also, during hot periods, it may be necessary to moisten the concrete with water.

High humidity in the house after construction

Immediately after building a house, problems may arise with high humidity. Increased humidity in the home occurs because the concrete is still in the curing process. Once it has completely hardened, the air humidity level may return to normal levels. You can use a dehumidifier to dry the air.

Thermos house

Walls built in this way do not “breathe” well, since polystyrene foam has low vapor permeability. Therefore, it is imperative to provide a forced supply and exhaust ventilation system in the house.

Mandatory grounding and zeroing of the house

The use of metal fittings requires the installation of a grounding and grounding circuit.

The technology of building a house from permanent formwork has obvious advantages, but it also has a number of disadvantages, which are mostly associated with the use of polystyrene foam. If, when choosing a technology for building a house, we take into account not only the speed of construction and cost, but also other factors, then the technology using permanent formwork will not be the best choice.

Screenshot of the video youtube.com/House made of FOAM formwork. (Part 3)

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As soon as new technologies appear, information war immediately begins, which has many rumors and speculations. IN construction industry exactly the same way as soon as a new one appeared innovative technology construction of houses using permanent formwork, as supporters of traditional methods have launched anti-agitation, and are trying by all means to discredit the main material of houses made from permanent formwork - polystyrene foam.

At the same time, the material itself has high performance properties, durability, low cost and other advantages. We will try to refute all the myths and misconceptions associated with expanded polystyrene and blocks made from it.

Misconception 1 – the house will “float” from any flood.

These speculations are based only on a complete misunderstanding construction technology associated with this material. Where do such arguments come from? Some people confuse permanent formwork and sandwich panels, which are used for frame houses. Yes, polystyrene foam is used for houses of this type, but only as insulation! And during a flood, such a house floats like a matchbox along a stream.

In the case when a house is being built using permanent formwork, it is used monolithic concrete, the mass of which reaches 350 kg/m2. Further this technology involves the use of reinforced stubble to connect walls and foundations to each other. The rods are immersed in the foundation in advance, and as a result, a monolithic design. This provides not only flood resistance, but also earthquake resistance, resistance to hurricanes and temperature changes.

Misconception 2 – walls are easy to break

Again, this speculation is related to sandwich panels. The monolith layer is at least 15 cm, excluding the plaster layer. It is very stupid to talk about the fragility of such thickness. And we note that the walls are reinforced with metal rods and mesh, located every 5 cm - good impact resistance is ensured. The roof, walls and foundation are a monolith, which almost impossible to break. Withstands colossal loads.

Misconception 3 – the material is harmful to health

Speculation that polystyrene foam is harmful is completely unfounded. The Association of European Manufacturers conducted an experiment: when burning of this material at a temperature of 300 degrees, toxic substances are released, but their quantity is an order of magnitude lower. Than during the combustion of wood, leather, chipboard, rubber and others. Others harmful factors was not identified. The composition of polystyrene foam includes only mineral substances that even mice don't eat! The material does not interact with salt, water, lime, or cement.

Misconception 4 – polystyrene foam burns like a matchbox

It is worth noting that this building material include fire retardant additives that do not support combustion at all. Also note that the polystyrene foam wall is plastered with a layer whose thickness is at least 3-5 centimeters. This ensures maximum fire safety. There is no direct impact of fire on the polystyrene foam itself, since the thickness of the reinforced formwork (monolithic concrete and metal rods) is at least 5 centimeters.

Misconception 5 – the material has not been studied enough

The history of expanded polystyrene goes back more than 70 years. Over the past 12 years, the material has been thoroughly tested for flammability, flammability, toxicity, degradation, aging and other studies. According to test data, polystyrene foam does not change in the temperature range from -40 to +60 degrees. In construction, expanded polystyrene has been tested for life cycle at 60 years old - without destruction.

Wooden or brick houses rightfully have an army of fans. But despite all their advantages, they have one very significant disadvantage - their construction cannot be called quick. Those who are thinking about building their own home, but do not have enough time left and cannot boast of great knowledge in construction, have to choose a monolithic method of building housing. The article will focus on houses made of permanent formwork.

In order to fill the foundation and walls of such a house, formwork is used. It can be removable (that is, dismantled after completion of work) or non-removable. The second option remains in place after the mortar is poured and hardened, and all external finishing work is carried out directly on top of the formwork.

House using permanent formwork technology

  • Formwork is nothing more than a form. You can remember your childhood games in the sandbox or imagine the housewife pouring dough for cakes into special baking containers. Only unlike the examples given, the form will remain in place, becoming part of the walls or foundation.

Houses made of permanent formwork photo


  • Permanent formwork is assembled according to the principle of a children's construction set from blocks having different compositions. The installation principle resembles brickwork. Structural elements have grooves or special lock-type connections.
  • If it is necessary to fasten opposite blocks, tie ties are used. Vertical reinforcement must be used, and in order for the structure to withstand the pressure exerted on it from the inside by the solution, pouring is carried out in series. In each of the passes, a height equal to three or four rows of blocks is filled with cement.
  • Elements for formwork are made from polystyrene foam or some other materials that promote thermal insulation.

Advantages of using permanent formwork

  • Monolithic structures are strong in themselves. The left formwork creates an additional frame that strengthens the walls of the future house.
  • Monolithic walls puts less pressure on the base, therefore, when developing projects for houses made of permanent formwork, it is possible to calculate the option of increasing the number of storeys of the house.
  • Sound and heat insulation of the home. Foamed polystyrene is an excellent material for insulating residential premises, and its characteristics are complemented by the fact that it perfectly dampens sounds. The construction of permanent formwork is, in its own way, the simultaneous carrying out of insulation and sound insulation work.
  • Less time - less labor costs. When building your own home, you need to save wisely. Renting expensive construction equipment will be excluded from the estimate for a monolithic house. And you won’t need many voluntary or hired workers. The filling process is fast. This means that workers won’t have to overpay for extra time spent on site either.

  • Space saving. There is never a lot of free space, even inside private houses designed according to personal projects. Monolithic walls are thinner than brick ones, but they protect their owners from the cold no worse, and they save a lot of space inside.
  • Continuing the conversation about savings, it must be said that permanent formwork will allow you not to overpay for heating during further operation of the house.
  • Durability. If you adhere to technology to the smallest detail, then walls formed by polystyrene blocks and concrete will last at least a century.
  • Simplicity of finishing. The blocks create a good, even surface of the walls, which allows them to be finished both on the street side and inside the house without effort and extra costs for leveling the bases.

What type of permanent formwork is there?

Expanded polystyrene blocks for installation of permanent formwork

  • These are hollow elements with walls of varying thickness. The outer side of the material is much larger than the inner side - it will be responsible for maintaining heat in the house. The blocks themselves are strong enough to hold the solution being poured, are non-hygroscopic and affordable.
  • Assembly in the form of brickwork adds strength to the structure, and reinforcement will give additional rigidity to the wall. Reinforcement rods located vertically are overlapped. It is important to choose the right diameter, as well as the grade of concrete.

  • Communications, including electrical wiring, are laid through pre-cut holes in the blocks. All work must be completed before pouring begins. The result is a kind of sandwich, where the “filling” of reinforced concrete is enclosed between layers of insulation.
  • Opponents of polystyrene foam emphasize that this material is not environmentally friendly. But this is rather a matter of choice of manufacturer. Foamed polystyrene manufactured in accordance with all standards and rules does not pose a threat to health. It is enough to note that picky European commissions and examinations have allowed the use of this synthetic material in conjunction with food. Therefore, when purchasing material, you should familiarize yourself with quality certificates and not pursue dubious monetary benefits.
  • But with the vapor permeability of expanded polystyrene, things are really bad. But problems will not arise if you think through the ventilation system well.

Polystyrene concrete - it is a “breathable” material

  • It is vapor permeable because it is based on cement. The blocks will have to be laid with special glue, tied with reinforcement and then poured. They are stronger than foamed polystyrene formwork.
  • Cement-based blocks are also very diverse. Thus, there are masonry blocks for load-bearing walls, produced in several sizes and modifications; you can separately purchase elements for the formwork of columns, vertical or load-bearing floor beams, lintels or strapping belts.

Chip-cement blocks

  • This is an invention of Dutch developers. They have been known since the 30s of the 20th century. For their production, large chips of coniferous wood are used (it makes up approximately 80-90% of the total composition of the material). The chips are treated with special additives and held together with a mixture of gypsum, cement clinker and some other additives (Portland cement).
  • The advantages, in addition to environmental friendliness, are obvious:
    • high strength against low weight;
    • vapor permeability;
    • heat and sound insulation properties;
    • weather resistance;
    • frost resistance.
  • Fire safety is achieved through special treatment, and such blocks are also not afraid of rot, mold and pests. They are easy to cut and process. When constructing the formwork, the slabs are placed opposite each other and secured with wire ties. They not only connect structural elements, but also do not allow the wall to deviate from the vertical. Standard material dimensions: 2000 × 500 × 35 mm.
  • They have also found other uses: often chip-cement slabs are used to insulate facades or to build small panel houses in the country, designed for living in the summer.
  • The structure will have to be reinforced less. Strengthening will require lintels of window and door openings, columns. And the walls themselves are reinforced with a significant gap of 2.5 or 3 meters (for formwork made of polystyrene foam blocks, the interval is 1 meter). In one approach, pour the mixture, moving around the perimeter, to a height of a meter (two rows). The poured concrete is compacted using the bayonet method.
  • Since the first version of the material for permanent formwork is much more common, it is worth considering the construction technology from polystyrene foam blocks as an example.

Do-it-yourself construction of houses from permanent formwork

So, there is a foundation made in the most suitable way for the given soil. Most often it is a strip base. In any case, it is first covered with a layer of waterproofing material, and reinforcing rods are driven in.

Laying the first row

  • The blocks are carefully strung onto the reinforcement and fastened to each other in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations (wire ties). Start with the corner elements. It is convenient to stretch a cord between them in order to refer to it when laying out the remaining blocks in the row. There are ridges and grooves at the ends of the material. This type of connection will hold all of the formwork pieces in place. The first layer is the basis of the future building. At this stage, the installation of branches of internal partitions and openings of entrance groups takes place. All engineering communications are formed immediately. The design feature of the blocks (internal voids) allows you to hide all the necessary wiring inside the walls. We must not forget about ventilation.

Laying the second row

  • The second row of blocks is laid offset, like bricks. This dressing will ensure the strength and rigidity of the structure. It is important to ensure that the sides of the stacked blocks match. Be sure to check the level so as not to move the wall away from the vertical. Fixing the blocks of the first and second row is easy. The grooves on the surface of the elements close after light pressure.
  • The laying of the third row of polystyrene foam blocks is carried out similarly to the installation of the second level.

Pouring the solution.

  • Concrete is poured around the perimeter of the area with the erected formwork. It is important to compact the poured mixture well. The shallow depth of filling with the solution allows you to use a piece of reinforcement for these purposes: they act like a bayonet - they intensively pierce the concrete to get rid of voids, destroying air bubbles. The optimal length is calculated as follows: the height of the block must be multiplied by 3. But purchasing (or renting) a deep-well vibrator will facilitate the speedy completion of work. It will cope much more effectively with the task of compacting the solution. To do this, the diameter of its working part should not exceed 4 cm.
  • Experts advise not to fill the top layer of blocks with cement until the very end. If you fill half the outer row, the seam will be hidden inside the polystyrene foam formwork elements. This means the wall will be stronger. Per m² you will need to pour from 0.075 to 0.125 m³ of solution.

Laying the fourth and subsequent rows

  • Laying blocks in subsequent rows has the same algorithm as described. After the sixth row takes its place, the operation of pouring concrete is repeated. It is better to carry out floor formwork with the support of specialists. The technology is like this. In the row of blocks where it is planned to lay floor beams (or floor joists), a recess of the required dimensions is made. The cut fragment should not exceed ¼ of the formwork element. Now the beams are installed in their places and pouring is carried out.

Final stage

  • Finishing a house using permanent formwork is quite simple. Thanks to the high adhesion of the blocks to the plaster mixture, it will lie smoothly and easily. Roofing work in monolithic houses is no different from erecting a roof in buildings built using a different technology.

House made from permanent formwork video

What can you use to make permanent formwork for your foundation yourself?

If a home craftsman has enough strength to be precise, accurate and consistent in his actions, then he can make a permanent mold for the foundation himself. You will need to choose from several options for suitable material:

  • moisture resistant plywood,
  • cement particle board,
  • flat slate.

All of them are quite durable, resistant to moisture, and elastic. The only indicator that these materials do not possess is thermal insulation. Therefore, you additionally need to purchase something to provide heat (for example, mineral wool). You will also need waterproofing material, reinforcement, components for the cement-sand mixture, a set of coupling screws and nuts for fixing the structural elements together.

Cost of building a house from permanent formwork

  • The cost of a monolithic house made of permanent formwork is much lower than a brick or wooden housing option.
  • The price of materials varies depending on the region and manufacturer, but on average you will have to pay from 800 to 1000 rubles for m² of formwork made from polystyrene foam blocks.
  • All manufacturers and sellers calculate the total cost of formwork for free, and the official websites have calculators for making accurate calculations.