FlyingConcrete- Concrete Vaults the Wave of the Future

CONCRETE VAULTS - THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE

One of my main goals is low-cost building construction that lasts 400 years. To accomplish that in this climate you need to build self-supporting structures and use masonry construction — adobe, lightweight concrete block, reinforced concrete columns, etc. The roof is the key to long building life, so it needs to be self-supporting, roundie-curvie — and not flat. Self-supporting vertical walls by nature want to be roundie-curvie. You go on from there and pretty soon everything is roundie-curvie. When you start to think about a long-lasting house, it’s best to build so that remodeling is possible (probable). With adobe and/or lightweight concrete construction, you can hack out a doorway later on. With hard concrete this is an almost impossible project.

400 YEAR GUARANTEE / DISPOSABLE HOUSING
With or present technology we can cost-effectively build housing that will last for 400 years -- OR we can continue to look at housing as disposable -- like they do in some of the wealthier countries.

STEVE'S 200 YR QUESTION
Is your house good for another 200 years? --- If not, perhaps it was a mistake.

400 YEAR GUARANTE/ 50 YEAR REMODEL
OK, now you have finished building your dream home. It is going to last basically forever (400 years) - what's next? Well in about 50 years, somebody will want to change the doorway openings to make a dress store, sheep shed, back bedroom, or new kitchen. Some remodeling is likely in the next 400 years -- so, how does the next guy do it?

CONCRETE ROOF VAULTS
You can build the walls of your dream house out of most anything -- wine bottles, Ferro-cement, dirt bags, Styrofoam panels, poured dirt (one of my favorites), ice blocks, log ends, or sheet rock and metal studs. Lots of choices.

But what do you use for the roof?? Smart, ecological, long lasting, roofs separate the men from the boys -- (women / girls, too). My macho roofs are hard to beat. Some contenders below --

Timber trusses and standing seam, metal roofing -- The metal lasts 50 years and the trusses 50 - 150 yrs.

Actually, there are very few roofs on the market that will give you 400 years.