The most popular precast foundation walls come as nearly finished panels, incorporating insulation and interior studs ready to accept drywall.
For a garage floor, the trowel versus air-entrained concrete issue is a tough balancing act.
A self-climbing core system used on the most luxurious building in South Florida.
Custom-built homes are commonly gracing glossy magazine covers. That's because people in the U.S. have been in love with the idea of owning a large elegant home. For architects and designers, there is more opportunity to present interesting ideas and work with unusual concepts. But with the decline...
Keeping water drained away from home foundations is important for three reasons.
The world of decorative concrete keeps expanding, even into the realm of furniture. On first blush it doesn't seem that using concrete to...
Building homes with abovegrade concrete walls is one of the fastest-growing methods of residential construction in the United States...
Custom-built homes are commonly gracing glossy magazine covers. That's because people in the U.S. have been in love with the idea of owning...
A comprehensive waterproofing system revived this 100-year-old abandoned cotton mill.
There is nothing else like it in Las Vegas, but if Tyler Johns, president of Blue Heron Builders, Las Vegas, has his way, this house will be the first of many concrete homes that blur the line between indoor and outdoor living.
Bithuthene waterproofing membranes are designed for a wide variety of surfaces.
Designed for easy maneuverability, the Mud Dog 650 hydro excavator features a 6 1/2-cu.-yd. debris dump body and is ideal for digging in...
Graylastic formliners provide maximum design latitude for precast or cast-in-place applications.
More people are choosing insulated concrete walls than wood frame walls in residential construction. Concrete homes can be constructed with...
Although most of the recent media coverage is focused on the negative trends in the housing market, there is one residential industry segment that the long-term economic outlook favors: concrete.
As the final days of 2007 wind down and you begin to plan your 2008 calendar, make sure your New Year's resolutions include becoming more involved with the Concrete Home Building Council (CHBC).
Until recently, concrete was either taken for granted or largely ignored for many residential uses.Many people had the incorrect perception that a concrete home would look like a rectangular, gray bomb shelter.
Recommendations and code requirements regarding backfill of newly poured basements are one of the most ignored aspects of foundation construction. The International Residential Code, ACI 332 Standard, and the CFA Standard all state that foundation walls must be supported at the top and bottom...
Mix design is based on knowledge of the materials, experience, and testing. If job conditions are different from lab conditions, the trials should extend to the field to replicate job conditions.
Today's concrete foundation contractors are well equipped to offer a variety of insulation options to suit the builder, homeowner, site conditions, or any other variable that may place limits on the construction of the home.
Landscaping is no longer the traditional focus on plantings, turf, and irrigation. Clients are now demanding sophisticated hardscapes that encompass many factions of the concrete industry. This can range from water features constructed with either shotcrete or concrete, concrete pavers, cast...
A simple concept such as cutting a line into concrete with diamond blades and reciprocating impactors produces attractive geometric and complex curvilinear forms.
With computer-dispensed color accuracy can be gained across doses, a large array of colors now is available, and a streamlined process helps ready-mix producers and supply houses offer a quality product.
When brick veneer is used as an exterior finish for an insulating concrete form (ICF) home, a cavity wall is recommended to manage moisture penetration.
Removable concrete forms can create a vertical concrete retaining wall with almost any shape desired. Large walls and special situations require design by a professional engineer. The typical installation procedure for a simple retaining wall less than 4 feet tall on good soil is described in this...
The most common window installation combines a window buck for the rough opening and a face-mounted flanged window.
Basements are a valuable part of any new home, with benefits far outweighing the costs. About half of all new homes in North America are built with basements, and the rest could be. Concrete is the material of choice for basement construction, with 98% of North American basements built of one of...
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005 H.R.6) created tax incentives for energy-efficiency measures in buildings or systems placed in service from Jan. 1, 2006 through Dec. 31, 2008.
Concrete masonry provides a home with superior comfort, solidity, durability, resistance to natural disasters, quietness, and energy efficiency.
The CFA provides promotional materials, educational seminars, networking, newsletters, and technical meetings to its members.
ICFA provides resources on ICFs, including technology briefs, FAQs, education and training, and more in its technical library.
NAHB helps promote the policies that make housing a national priority. Learn more by joining NAHB’s Concrete Home Building Council.
The PCA offers resources for concrete contractors building concrete homes, including technology briefs, home plans, show homes, and more.
