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To pour the foundation, you need a forming element that will hold the liquid mass of concrete. For this purpose, formwork made from wooden shields, which is removable. The construction of formwork takes a lot of time. It has to be secured with many elements, and after pouring it has to be disassembled again. Permanent formwork is also used, which remains in the ground after pouring. New innovative technologies have made it possible to create permanent formwork, which is assembled as the children's designer. The most well-known lately is the formwork for foundations made of polystyrene foam, with the use of which all processes for creating the foundation have remained unchanged, except for the method of forming the formwork itself.

Technology for using permanent polystyrene foam formwork

• Preparing to build the foundation

Let us consider in detail the entire process of creating a foundation.

When the project is ready and the dimensions of the foundation are known, the site should be cleared and leveled. After this, it is marked, according to which the main contours of the foundation begin to be determined. In the traditional version, you should then dig a trench according to the dimensions of the contour, lay a cushion of a mixture of sand and crushed stone in it, and then install the formwork. The pillow helps equalize loads, drains and is a heat insulator. A typical removable formwork is a complex structure made of wood, including many elements. In this case, you need to have certain skills and abilities. At this stage, they appear significant differences no new technology for creating removable formwork.

• Assembly of permanent formwork

How to make foundation formwork from polystyrene foam? Everyone knows the children's Lego set, which is assembled from cubes with protrusions and depressions. The protrusions of one cube are inserted into the depressions of another, and the result is monolithic design. A new formwork is created in a similar way. The protrusions and depressions of each formwork block are located below and above, respectively. It is assembled from separate blocks with jumpers inside. The body of the block and the lintels are made of the same material - polystyrene foam. The width of the cavities inside the blocks is designed for the width of the foundation. Formwork is also made from individual elements, and then assembled into a single structure. Blocks can be solid or collapsible. Collapsible design block is used to assemble the foundation according to a non-standard option.

In order for the blocks to hold the concrete, reinforcing bars are driven into the sand and gravel bed, onto which the blocks will be placed. Then a layer of concrete is poured on top of the pillow, which levels the bottom to a horizontal level.

After the leveling layer has hardened, the formwork for the polystyrene foam foundation is installed. Expanded polystyrene blocks are placed on reinforcing bars protruding from the bottom of the trench. The blocks are connected to each other using the tongue-and-groove type, as well as with additional brackets. Vertically, the blocks are laid out in the same way with ligation, as bricks are laid. This way the vertical seams overlap. At the corners the blocks are cut in half. They are easy to cut by hand. Builders use special machines for this when high productivity is required.

If necessary, the strength of the connection is increased through the use of special foam. To strengthen the corners, it is necessary to use special corner elements. This design does not require additional fastenings, which are widely used for wooden removable formwork. However, to be on the safe side, additional fastening will not hurt if the foundation is large in width and height. To do this, the polystyrene foam formwork for the foundation is additionally reinforced with boards, which are pressed against it from the outside and secured with spacers.

At the bottom of the trench, check for gaps under the blocks. They should be sealed with cement-sand mortar.

• Laying reinforcement

Reinforcement is placed in the formwork. The blocks provide space for reinforcement. First install vertical racks, providing additional stability. Horizontal reinforcement is laid longitudinally overlapping in the grooves at the bottom and tied together with wire, with transverse rods and posts. The upper part is reinforced in the same way. The lower part of the reinforcement is installed immediately after laying the first layer of blocks. This greatly simplifies its installation.

• Preparing places for communications

The foundation requires passage holes for communications. To do this, transverse pieces of large diameter pipes are placed in the blocks. This can be done before installing them in the formwork. Passages must be made in different places and with reserve. A larger internal cross-section will allow you to lay communications at an angle and with a slope.

Advantages and disadvantages of permanent formwork

Flaws:

1. Expanded polystyrene does not like high temperatures. If a warm basement is built, then the walls with insulation should be reliably lined.
2. Thermal insulation from the bottom of the foundation is much worse than from the side.
3. High price.
4. Laying concrete is more labor-intensive, as uniformity is required.
5. The waterproofing properties of polystyrene foam do not provide complete waterproofing of the foundation. It requires separate waterproofing.
6. It is unknown how polystyrene foam block lintels will affect the strength of the foundation. Reinforcement with transverse reinforcement is required.
7. The material must be protected from ultraviolet radiation. To do this, it is lined on the outside.

Technology with permanent formwork is used for the following purposes:

• housing construction;
• insulation of basements;
• insulation of swimming pools;
• insulation of industrial premises and heated warehouses.

Where to buy permanent formwork?

The blocks are sold in large specialized stores. Typically, the length of the block is 500-1250mm, and the height and width are 250-300mm. There are companies whose main activity is the technology of permanent formwork made of polystyrene foam. They supply products and can install them and pour the foundation at the request of the customer. You can order blocks of the most suitable format from these companies. Buying formwork directly from a company may be more profitable, since stores make large markups on sales.

Before purchasing, you should calculate correctly required amount blocks, taking into account that they will be cut during installation and waste will remain. In addition, the blocks may be defective or damaged during installation. Therefore, stock availability is necessary! The house design may include curved surfaces. Therefore, to install the foundation, certain block designs may be required, which should also be ordered. U different manufacturers can be different ways fastenings, sizes and shapes of blocks. Therefore, you should buy everything at once and from one supplier.

Formwork is a structure made of boards or slab material for pouring concrete. It involves further dismantling. Permanent formwork, as the name suggests, after hardening concrete mortar cannot be removed. And expanded polystyrene will serve as a thermal insulation layer. The article will discuss the types of permanent formwork and the construction of a house using this technology.

Advantages of permanent formwork

• Fixed formwork is relative new technology. It allows you to significantly reduce the cost of the building compared to traditional masonry made of concrete blocks. In addition, the strength and quality of the walls remain the same.
• Despite its simple design, this innovative technology in low-rise construction shows high technological characteristics. In particular, expanded polystyrene initially protects concrete walls from adverse effects environment. Increases heat and sound insulation qualities. Especially when extruded polystyrene foam is used (besides, unlike regular polystyrene foam, it is not damaged by mice).
• The use of high-quality reinforcement in structures made from permanent formwork makes it possible to increase the quality of reinforced concrete on both vertical and horizontal surfaces. Therefore, it is allowed to erect buildings up to 3 floors.
• The house is being built in a short time. The longest stage is the installation of frame blocks. But in the future, it is enough to pour the solution, and after hardening, cladding the building.

Advice: the most critical stage of construction is pouring concrete. Since from monolithic frame It is difficult to monitor the uniform filling of all cavities. For this reason, the work is being carried out in stages.

Types of permanent formwork

Manufacturers of permanent formwork sell it as a ready-made kit, which includes molded polystyrene foam blocks and various lintels and locks that provide the required rigidity. This method immediately includes several construction processes, so it is often chosen for self-construction Houses. In addition, the assembly process itself does not require special knowledge and is accessible to most.

There are several main types of permanent formwork: expanded clay concrete, arobolite, expanded polystyrene, glass magnesite.

• Permanent formwork made of expanded clay concrete. Outwardly it resembles an ordinary one expanded clay concrete block, but has cavities inside. The cost of the material is low. After laying it, the cavity inside is reinforced and filled with concrete. In this way, even an unskilled worker can cope with the construction of the walls of the house. Advantages include easy installation and durability load-bearing walls. But due to the lack of thermal insulation material, additional work insulation, otherwise the house will not be suitable for year-round residence. In addition, the final cost will be higher than a similar house made of the same expanded clay concrete with a reinforced core.

• Expanded polystyrene formwork. This is the most popular and in demand material for permanent formwork. These houses, thanks to their foam frame, are energy efficient. The good thermal insulation qualities of the material completely eliminate the need for additional insulation. The wall structure is durable and can be manufactured in the shortest possible time. The price is also important, which is perhaps the lowest of the possible similar options. Despite the fact that non-flammable foam is used, its presence with inside not recommended at home. And due to the thermal effect, it is necessary to provide for an expensive system at the design stage compulsory system ventilation. It is also worth noting that mice often live in polystyrene foam and make their homes in it. Which will immediately lead to freezing of individual sections of the walls.
• Fixed wood concrete formwork. Wood concrete is made from wood chips and concrete. It looks like blocks with voids inside, which are reinforced and filled with concrete after installation. Thermal efficiency of external walls made of of this material low, so further thermal insulation is required. Among the advantages are strong load-bearing walls, good sound insulation, and the ability to place expanded polystyrene only outside. But all these advantages are canceled out by the high final cost of construction.
• Fixed formwork made of glass-magnesite. These blocks are a metal frame covered with glass-magnesium sheets. Outwardly, they look like sheets of drywall. Due to the low strength of such walls, they are chosen only as interior walls, which are not load-bearing. This inexpensive way make an interior wall that is quite strong and have good sound insulation. In addition, interior finishing will not take much time, since it does not require complex surface leveling.

Advice: it’s worth mentioning separately fixed formwork "Technoblock"" This is the easiest way to build a house yourself without special skills. Since the blocks already have external decorative and heat-insulating layers, the kit includes fasteners for fixation. In addition, they have the ability to dismantle the inner layer of foam after pouring the walls. The resulting walls are so strong that they are suitable for multi-story construction. But in order to build from such material, the house design must be optimized for the size of the blocks.

Do-it-yourself installation of permanent formwork for a house

Construction of a house using this technology takes place in several stages.

First, prepare the foundation. Diagonally check the evenness of the corners. If there are deviations, then markings should be applied in the form of a stretched string under the laying of the blocks. All debris is removed from the base and waterproofed with roofing felt or liquid primer.

Installation diagram of polystyrene foam formwork

Instructions for installing polystyrene foam formwork

• The laying of permanent formwork elements begins from the corner. And they move along the perimeter of the first floor. The connecting grooves should be at the top. The edge of the blocks is aligned with a stretched rope, and the horizon is checked with a level.
• If a polystyrene foam block needs to be cut to length, then this can only be done along recesses that are created specifically for this. Otherwise, it will be unsuitable for further use due to the impossibility of fastening.
• Then comes the stage of horizontal reinforcement. Fiberglass reinforcement fits into the grooves provided for this purpose. The vertical rods are tied with wire to the horizontal rods and extended to the concrete pouring level.
• After the first row, you need to check the house design and determine the location of the door and window openings. And with this in mind, continue to do the masonry. Frames are made from boards according to the size of windows and doors; the corners are fixed for the required rigidity metal corners. The finished frames are fixed in the openings so that there is a small gap at the bottom for visual control of concrete pouring. Since the strength in these places is lower, and the walls are load-bearing, all openings need to be additionally reinforced.

• Place the blocks in a checkerboard pattern so that the joints do not coincide in subsequent rows. Since the laying of all rows begins from the corners, it is the corner blocks that should be fastened with an offset.
• You immediately need to provide for the location and routing of all technological holes(water supply, sewerage, electricity, ventilation, etc.).
• Concrete is poured every 3-4 rows. To do this, order machines equipped with a concrete pump with a ready-made solution. Its compressive strength should be class B15, and the filler fraction should be within 10-15 mm.
• For better control When supplying concrete, it is recommended to put a nozzle on the end of the hose. After filling the cavity, the liquid solution, if possible, must be compacted.
• If you plan to make bay windows or other architectural elements, then it is optimal to use ready-made rotary blocks.

• When the masonry has reached the gables, they are cut at the desired angle after the concrete has hardened (which depends on the angle of the roof). Unnecessary fittings are also cut down.
• Afterwards they begin to produce electric installation work. Considering that the outer side of the walls on both sides is polystyrene foam, all wiring is allowed only in thermocorrugation. Distribution boxes attached to a dowel concrete wall, through a layer of foam.

Polystyrene foam formwork for the foundation

Tip: the foundation is partially located underground. Since permanent formwork is used for the work, polystyrene foam will remain as insulation. Mice love to make holes in this material and will definitely ruin it with their moves. This will lead to partial freezing of the foundation and destruction of concrete. If possible, it is advisable to replace polystyrene foam with Penoplex or any other extruded polystyrene foam.

Stages of work

• Markings are made at the construction site and a trench is dug for the foundation. It is recommended to immediately make the walls as smooth as possible and exactly to the size of the permanent formwork blocks so that they can be installed in the ground with greater accuracy. Do it better in early spring when the ground has just thawed and is still quite hard. In summer, if the process is delayed, the trench collapses under the influence of rain and possible groundwater.

• Next it is poured sand cushion at least 15 cm thick. Already in the trench it must be leveled and compacted.
• Next they put either a roll waterproofing material, or reinforced polyethylene film. Be sure to overlap and seal the joints with tape. This will prevent laitance from leaking into the ground, which is necessary for the concrete to gain strength.
• The first row of horizontal reinforcement and vertical extensions are knitted. Then blocks of permanent formwork are installed and horizontal reinforcement is placed in it, in the grooves. When the height of the foundation is laid out, concrete is poured into the formwork.
• Boards are attached on top ground floor or lay out 3-4 rows of bricks.

Installation of polystyrene foam formwork video

Of course, an inexpensive, warm monolithic reinforced concrete house is the ultimate dream of any owner. Eat different types structures of permanent formwork, but, despite the differences, the principle of construction using them is the same. The box of the house is built from, like from Lego, reinforced with reinforcement and filled with mortar.

Granulated polystyrene is poured into a foaming hopper, where, with constant stirring, they are foamed with steam required temperature and pressure. The granules increase and are fed into the storage bunker for 24 - 48 hours to stabilize the pressure and shape of the granules. From there, the polystyrene is fed into a press mold, where, when treated with steam, the volume of the granules increases further. The granules are mutually deformed, fill the voids, and “weld”. Afterwards the mold is cooled with water, and ready-made blocks removed and stored. They are delivered ready-made for construction.

The shape of polystyrene foam blocks comes in the following types:

• intermediate wall;
• wall with a plug, installed in the openings;
• wall blocks internal partitions;
• corner;
• small non-standard plugs;
• wall blocks with oblique angles.

The blocks are very similar in principle to Lego sets; they have special locks on the top and bottom. When blocks are connected to each other, the convex elements of one block fit into the depressions of the other.

Technology of building a house using permanent polystyrene foam formwork

As usual, it all starts with . It is optimal to sit on a bed of gravel and sand. It is possible to arrange a monolithic foundation.

The laying of blocks begins on a leveled foundation. They are placed along the foundation, put on the reinforcement terminals in places where it is necessary to build walls. Installation of blocks begins from the corners.

Between the rows, in the grooves of the blocks, horizontal and vertical reinforcement is made, which gives the reinforced concrete wall maximum strength. The reinforcement is connected with tying wire.

After installing the first three rows, pour into the cavities. The wall made of polystyrene foam blocks is sealed and has no cracks. While the concrete has not hardened, it is compacted so that there are no air pockets left inside.

All pipes and cables are embedded in the wall, blocks with plugs are used in the openings, and temporary formwork is installed to form the top of the opening, which is removed after the concrete has hardened.

The concrete-filled structure is 0.15 m monolithic reinforced concrete wall, covered on both sides with 0.05 - 0.1 m of insulation.

The floors between floors and polystyrene foam can be made of both wood and concrete. For concrete, a special formwork is used, on which a monolithic reinforced concrete floor. In interior wall The formwork makes a cut into which reinforcement is inserted and cement is poured. The cutout is made so that the top layer necessary for attaching the wall blocks remains.

According to the same scheme, the second floor is erected, reinforced and concreted.

The walls are sheathed outside and inside or covered with plaster.

What harm does polystyrene foam cause?

Polystyrene foam can turn your life into a nightmare, as it releases benzene compounds (heavy poisons), which are very harmful. Remember that the interior decoration of the house should absolutely not be done by them. It has been scientifically proven that benzene affects possible deformities of the baby during pregnancy.

Experts from the Russian Research Center for fire safety have proven that in terms of their toxicity, polystyrene foams are highly dangerous. They easily spread over long distances and can cause suffocation not only for you, but also for your neighbors.

The release of toxic smoke into the atmosphere during the combustion of polystyrene foam not only poisons the health of people and animals, but also poses a global environmental threat.

In our age Construction Materials often include an expanded and supplemented periodic table. Decide for yourself whether to use such materials for the construction and renovation of your home. Remember that your well-being depends on it.

Construction technologies are constantly being improved - quality improves, new methods are developed, and working times are reduced. In our country, foam plastic formwork has been used relatively recently, while in European countries they have known about it for more than 50 years. Thanks to such formwork, the noise insulation properties of the building are improved and the efficiency of the heating system increases. In essence, this is a structure that consists of a large number of foam blocks connected through special jumpers. Among the main advantages of formwork is a reduction in time and labor costs.

Foam formwork

Foam formwork - design diagram

This is a hollow structure into which reinforcement is installed and concrete is poured. The formwork is made of polystyrene foam blocks connected by jumpers. This technology, as already noted, greatly simplifies construction process, since additional arrangement of both thermal and noise insulation is not required in this case.

Polyfoam itself as a building material is quite durable, moisture resistant, not chemically active and safe for health. It weighs little, so the formwork blocks can be manipulated even without the use of special equipment. And this, in turn, significantly reduces the cost of construction.

During the production of the described products, a fire retardant is used, which increases the fire safety of the finished building significantly. Such formwork (also called permanent formwork) is characterized by simplicity of design, and even those who do not have great experience in the construction of houses. All that is required in the work is accuracy and utmost attention.

Classification of permanent formwork

Depending on the purpose, formworks are divided into two large categories.

1. Construction– serve as a kind of frame in structures monolithic type. The cavities in the blocks are filled with concrete during construction. As soon as the mixture hardens, the walls are sheathed with fire-resistant material of at least 3 mm thickness (this can be either plasterboard or ordinary plaster).
2. Decorative– made of blocks with reinforcement and insulating material inside. They are assembled directly on the walls using lintels (no sealants or solutions are used). Walls made in this way do not need cladding.

Note! In addition to polystyrene foam, there are a number of other materials that can be used in the construction of permanent formwork.

1. Expanded clay concrete structures are the first options for permanent formwork. Externally they resemble ordinary cinder blocks. They are not very popular because they are expensive and require additional insulation.
2. Glass-magnesite structures weigh little and are used mainly for internal partitions, because their load-bearing capacity is low.
3. Arbolite structures are constructed from wood chips and cement. They have excellent thermal insulation properties, but are quite expensive.

Note! In light of everything said above, it becomes obvious that foam formwork is best option, because other materials have many disadvantages. By the way, about the advantages and disadvantages.

Video - Fixed polystyrene foam formwork

Advantages of expanded polystyrene formwork

As we just found out, it is better to use foam plastic for formwork. It's environmentally friendly safe material, in the production of which no toxic substances are used. Other advantages of this material include:

1. ease of installation, allowing you to save a lot of time and money;
2. long service life;
3. the ability to dig a not too deep trench during installation;
4. efficiency;
5. For waterproofing protection of the base, drainage is quite sufficient;
6. foam boards do not attract rodents as much as other materials, and, moreover, do not rot;
7. high thermal insulation properties, allowing significant savings on insulation;
8. installation channels in blocks designed for laying various types of communications.

Flaws

Of course, the structures also have weak sides, even if they are few in number. These include:

1. impossibility of construction in winter;
2. mandatory grounding of a house under construction;
3. The humidity in such walls will be very high, and therefore it will be necessary to install forced ventilation.

How to calculate construction costs?

To become more familiar with the savings achieved by using foam formwork, let’s calculate approximate cost erection of walls. Calculations are made based on the current cost of the material (more on this at the end of the article) and the size of the building itself. Approximate calculation necessary materials will look like this:

1. concrete- about 125 liters per 1 sq. m. (price depends on the cost of the required materials);
2. – 3.3 pieces per 1 sq. m. (about 500 rubles);
3. fittings- about 10 kilograms per 1 sq. m. ( specific cost depends on current prices).

And if we proceed from prices in Moscow, then approximate calculations for the construction of one floor will look like this (the cost of the work itself is not included):

1. total area (various types of openings are not included) - about 180 sq. m.;
2. concrete solution for a given area - about 27 cubic meters, that is, 81 thousand rubles;
3. the price of the formwork itself is about 88.2 thousand rubles;
4. fittings - 1800 kilograms or 37.8 thousand rubles.

It turns out that total cost Total consumables for one floor will average 207 thousand rubles.

Dimensions of permanent foam formwork

How is foam formwork made?

Stage one. Let’s immediately say that there is nothing complicated in making polystyrene foam formwork, but only on condition that you strictly follow our instructions. So, first mark the area and prepare all the materials necessary for the work. Compose construction plan future building, then mark the area for the foundation in accordance with it.

It is important that each of the corners is aligned with utmost clarity using a mounting level. Moreover, you need to carefully level the entire area of ​​the construction site, since only under such circumstances will you be able to apply the required markings with a minimum error.

Stage two. Next, arrange a trench for the future foundation. The depth of this trench should be 0.5 meters and the width should be only 0.4 meters. When working, pay special attention to the horizontalness of the bottom of the pit. The fact is that the formwork will not be removable, therefore, it will no longer be possible to level the surface for the walls.

Stage three. Then proceed to make a drainage pad. Such a pillow should be laid exclusively on a leveled surface (the mounting level will help you!). Use as a pillow sand and gravel mixture– pour it onto the bottom of the trench in a 15-centimeter layer and level it. This way, the future load from the building will be distributed as evenly as possible.

The pillow will also have another function - a thermal insulator and drainage system. Insert reinforcing rods into the cushion - in the future they will take part in connecting the formwork blocks.

Stage four. Pour over the pillow thin layer concrete mortar - it will serve as a kind of “sole” for the base. Thanks to this “sole” the surface will be as smooth as possible, which is very important when constructing formwork with your own hands.

Stage five. After the concrete solution has hardened, place the foam blocks on the reinforcing rods installed in the previous steps. Install jumpers between the blocks, with the help of which they will be connected to each other. It is typical that the blocks must be connected according to the tongue and groove principle, which will minimize the number of additional assembly seams. For corners, use special corner connections- this way you will protect yourself from labor-intensive fastening of elements in the corners.

Stage six. Having installed a row of blocks No. 3, align them vertically. Make sure that the side surfaces always coincide with one another.

Stage seven. As soon as all the voids inside the polystyrene foam plates are filled, you can begin to actually pour the concrete solution. To compact it, experts recommend using special deep vibrators. Having finished compacting the surface, take a trowel and carefully level the upper “mirror”. It is worth adding that foam formwork involves adding coarse crushed stone to the concrete (it is important that the size of its fractions exceeds 0.8 centimeters).

Note! This kind of formwork has recently become increasingly popular, since it does not need to be dismantled after the solution has hardened, but on the contrary, it will also serve as an additional thermal insulation layer in the future.

Stage eight. This completes the construction of the formwork. As a result, you will get walls that will look like a “sandwich” in cross-section: two rows of foam plastic, between which there is a heavy-duty concrete monolith. Characteristic, but inner layer will be thinner than the outer one, due to which the insulating properties of the material will be excellent.

Video - How to build foam formwork

Price of foam formwork

In specialized stores, foam blocks are sold for corner, end and wall blocks. They must be purchased separately. The cost itself, of course, largely depends on the thickness of the outer layer (read: insulation), although if the order is wholesale, the price can drop significantly. Below are the average prices of the most popular manufacturers.

1. The products of the Minsk company BelTeploDom will cost approximately $19 per sq. m.
2. Blocks from Auto-B.A.N are cheaper - only $8.
3. The St. Petersburg company Bamlex produces formwork elements that sell for an average of $15.
4. Finally, blocks from Chelyabinsk " Construction technologies…” cost an average of $12.

It is worth noting that people often encounter certain difficulties when constructing foam formwork. This is often due to:

1. with non-compliance with construction technology;
2. with questionable quality of the elements themselves.

Areas of application

The described auxiliary structures made of polystyrene foam are used in the construction of monolithic reinforced concrete structures and foundations. Sometimes formwork is used as decorative material(see varieties) for various architectural objects.

In addition, foam blocks with insulation are often used when finishing windows and constructing interior partitions. And thanks to their excellent external properties, the modules can also be used for finishing office premises.

Before proceeding directly to installation work, you need to calculate the approximate cost to know about future costs.

That's all, good luck with your work. Warm winters!

Permanent formwork made of polystyrene foam is aimed at simplifying and speeding up construction, as well as reducing the cost of work and materials. The versatility of the design lies in the harmonious combination of the load-bearing monolithic base with insulation.

Expanded polystyrene formwork works as an energy-efficient structure. Internal voids are filled with liquid concrete mortar. After hardening it serves load-bearing basis, and the outer walls perform thermal insulation properties. The thickness of extruded polystyrene foam varies from 5 to 10 cm. The design of the formwork elements is strengthened by lintels, which are equipped with special recesses for longitudinal laying of reinforcement. The process of installing permanent polystyrene foam formwork is reminiscent of assembling a LEGO set.

Technology using expanded polystyrene formwork allows you to save up to 40% on house construction. This indicator is achieved due to low cost lightweight material and lack of implementation thermal insulation works. Feedback from owners of private houses built using monolithic formwork technology will help you make your choice.

Where is it used?

Permanent formwork made of extruded polystyrene foam is used for:

• construction of load-bearing walls and partitions;
• insulation basements in residential and industrial buildings;
• construction of warehouses;
• creating a strip foundation;
• insulation of swimming pools;
• creation of interfloor ceilings.

Types of new generation formwork systems

Manufacturers offer different types of permanent formwork. Products differ in shape and purpose. Each option has its own physical and technical characteristics.

For foundation and walls

The formwork structure is of the following types:

• Lightweight panels made of durable and dense extruded polystyrene foam (EPS). The sheets are connected to each other by plastic bridges (spacers), resulting in the formation of an internal cavity into which the reinforcement cage is installed and concrete is poured. Using panels and fasteners you can create formwork required sizes. Expanded polystyrene panels are used for the construction of external and internal corners.
• Permanent formwork blocks made of polystyrene foam are manufactured various forms. For construction, angular, straight, figured, curved, and transitional elements are used. Such a variety of forms allows the construction of buildings in the most complex architectural projects. The hollow elements are fixed to each other using lock system“tenon and groove”, which allows you to increase any height of load-bearing walls. Locks are located on the vertical and horizontal ends.
• Permanent formwork made of polystyrene concrete is hollow blocks and panels that are used in low-rise private and commercial construction. The products differ from their polystyrene foam counterparts in their installation technology - they can be installed not only on a prepared concrete base, but also on compacted soil.

When using formwork for a foundation made of expanded polystyrene, the waterproofing properties of the base increase. The reason for the manifestation of such properties lies in the properties of concrete. A concrete solution poured into the voids of expanded polystyrene for foundation formwork acquires the ability to maintain its plasticity and fluidity for a long time (at least 10 hours). This directly affects the absence of temperature stresses in the thickness of concrete. The solution can be poured into the polystyrene foam formwork structure at low temperatures environment +3-5°C.

It is not difficult to install permanent formwork for a polystyrene foam foundation with your own hands. But the new technology requires certain installation knowledge, so it is better to seek the help of specialists.

For overlap

Fixed ceiling formwork made of polystyrene foam consists of modules with parameters 600x600x190 mm, reinforced with a crossbar or steel profile. Density of expanded polystyrene 30 kg/m3. The main requirement for the elements is the ability to hold the mass of the mortar and reinforced frame. The modules have size restrictions during installation - when assembled they should not exceed a length of 12 m.

Before making formwork with your own hands, you need to make accurate calculations amount of material. Different types of blocks are taken into account, as well as waste that is generated as a result of adjusting the elements to the specific parameters of the structure. Formwork elements should be purchased with a reserve, as products may be accidentally damaged or cut incorrectly.

You should not purchase material from different suppliers. Deviations from the dimensions will lead to disruption of the entire structure.

Specifications

The popularity of building houses from permanent polystyrene foam formwork is gaining momentum. The reason lies in the technical characteristics and properties of the material itself:

• Volumetric weight - 27-30 kg/m3.
• The thermal conductivity of expanded polystyrene is 0.036 W/(m°C), for polystyrene concrete it is 0.08-0.36 W/(m°C).
• Heat transfer resistance - over 3.2 (m??)/W.
• Frost resistance - 300-600 cycles.
• Vapor permeability - 0.032 mg/(m*h*PA).
• The moisture absorption of the wall from the total volume is 0.1% per day.
• Sound insulation L49-53 dB.

The dimensions of permanent polystyrene foam formwork depend on the type of block. The standard wall and end element have parameters of 125x25x25 cm, corner - 70x25x25 cm. The weight of 1 product reaches approximately 1 kg. With a wall thickness of 5 cm, a concrete layer of 15 cm is obtained.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of permanent formwork made of polystyrene foam are as follows:

• At the same time serves as a wall, sound and thermal insulation material. Heating costs are reduced by almost 3 times.
• Simple and quick installation- It’s not difficult to install polystyrene foam formwork with your own hands. Construction time is reduced by at least 1.5 times compared to other building materials.
• Convenience when laying engineering systems- holes can be easily cut in the modules in the right place.
• Lightweight blocks and panels, which reduces transportation costs and simplifies the work process. No lifting equipment is required for installation of floor modules
• Possibility to build buildings in any season and at a temperature not lower than 5°C.
• High resistance to corrosion. The walls do not rot, the formation of fungus and mold.
• Good interaction with other materials for external and interior decoration - fiberboard slabs, chipboard, flat slate, DSP, plywood, OSB.
• Absence of “cold bridges”.
• Small volume of internal and external finishing works thanks to smooth surfaces.
• Environmental friendliness.
• Low cost. Construction 1 sq.m. monolithic walls costs from 12 thousand rubles, from rounded logs - from 18 thousand rubles, from laminated veneer lumber - from 23 thousand rubles. The difference is about 1.5-2 times.

Despite its many advantages, the material has some disadvantages:

• Low fire safety rating. The indicator is different for each type of polystyrene foam, so you need to check before purchasing the material. For safety reasons, the surface is covered heat-resistant paints or sheathed with non-flammable finishing material, plastered.
• The new technology is more expensive, since formwork installation specialists are not easy to find.
• The walls, due to the double layer of polystyrene foam, do not “breathe” well, so the house experiences high humidity. This leads to the problem of removing condensation from the premises. One of current options to resolve this issue - arrangement of forced ventilation.
• The structure necessarily requires grounding, since the formwork contains a large number of fittings.

Installation work

The technological process of installing walls and foundations made of polystyrene foam (permanent formwork) begins with preparing the site where the blocks or panels will be placed. Level the base level to high precision possible by making several rows of brickwork.

If you don’t set the level right away, then nothing can be corrected during the work. The technology of leveling blocks by changing the thickness of the solution does not work here.

Stages of installation of polystyrene foam foundation formwork:

• Waterproofing is laid on the prepared base.
• Installation work starts from the corner. The first row of blocks is strung on vertically installed reinforcement pins, which are firmly driven into the sand and gravel layer (“cushion”).
• After passing the initial layer, the grooves of the blocks are filled with reinforcement rods of the appropriate diameter, which are located longitudinally along the entire perimeter and are fixed to the vertical rods with knitting wire. At joints, the reinforcement is overlapped. The vertical position of the blocks is checked building level on every 3-4 rows.
• Communication networks are exposed through holes made in the blocks.
• Next, the concrete solution is poured. The mixture should reach halfway through the last row.
• As a final result, the wall structure takes the form of a “sandwich panel”. The outer walls consist of insulation - polystyrene foam, inner part- monolith.

Modules for polystyrene foam floors are laid on beams. As a result, the upper surface becomes ribbed, onto which the solution will subsequently be poured. To strengthen the structure interfloor covering Longitudinal rods with a pitch of 8x8 cm or ready-made meshes with cells of 10x10 mm are laid in the openings and over the spans. Before concrete works Bottom part modules supported construction equipment- for permanent formwork made of polystyrene foam, racks or scaffolding are used as supports. Retaining structures are removed after the concrete has completely hardened.

Before deciding to install permanent formwork made of expanded polystyrene, reviews from developers who have already resorted to this method of construction will be very useful. You can read them on construction sites.