Our House

I’m researching tiltwall stuff again. I’ve learned some neat stuff, but obviously have more to learn. What I learn I will have to adapt to my application.

Tiltwalls are generally made with the structural layer on the inside and are quite thick. For example, a fresh fruit processing plant in Florida has a 6″ structural layer (inside the building), then insulation, then a 3″ external wythe. The outer layer was formed first, then the insulation was added and then rebar and the final layer of concrete. My inner layer will indeed be 6″ and will be laid first, but it will be papercrete and non-structural. Then one inch of foam and the 1″ ferrocement structural layer.

This link has a good image of a residential tiltwall being lifted into place.

I found a company who does residential tiltwall construction. They don’t do the standard sandwich; structual wythe/foam/fascia wythe. Instead, they lay foam, insert windows and doors, add reinforcing and pour the structural wythe. Once the wall is in place they wire and plumb, then add sheetrock. None of that is what I found interesting. They do something I had planned on and it’s neat to see my idea in action. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ve very sure they or someone else thought of it first.) They set the wall on pier blocks and pour the foundation beneath it. Very cool! I also notice the blocks aren’t in the corners, which is interesting. They aren’t even uniformly set.