Technology of monolithic construction of private houses - advantages and disadvantages

What qualities of a future home are decisive for its owners: reliability, economy, speed of construction or environmental friendliness? The choice of the project and the basic building material depends on the answer to this question. If the house of your dreams should be reliable and durable, as warm and spacious as possible, then pay attention to the modern technology of monolithic construction.

Developers argue that the share of monolithic private houses in the Russian construction market is growing every year, and behind them is the future. Perhaps this was due to the obvious advantages of such housing and new technologies, which significantly reduced the cost and simplified the construction of monoliths. How to build a modern monolithic cottage?

Monolith construction technology

The site is prepared and marked out, just like in the construction of any other house. Then a monolithic strip foundation is laid, proceeding from the project of the house. Since 1 sq.m. The walls of a monolithic house are lighter by 15-20% brick, then the foundation can be lightened. Both the foundation and external walls are erected with the help of a fixed formwork made of expanded polystyrene foam. Its elements have a shield design and are rigidly fastened together by means of built-in locks. The reinforcement is put inside the formwork, then concrete is poured under concrete pressure. It takes less than a week to install and fill the formwork of the walls of a single-storey house. The total thickness of the walls is about 30 cm-50 cm; outside they can be plastered, painted, clad with brick or any other materials.

Advantages of monolithic houses

1. With monolithic construction, the imagination of architects and homeowners is not limited to straight lines. The walls of the house can have a different configuration and even be rounded. Arches, non-standard door and window openings will not cause difficulties in the erection.
2. Since the construction is based on concrete reinforced with a metal rod, and there are no seams between the elements, the structures are extremely strong and durable. According to the documentation, their service life exceeds 200 years.
3. The absence of seams and joints means another advantage - the house will be a single whole. There will be no cracks through which the wind can blow out and penetrate the moisture. About its insulation also do not have to take extra care - foam expanded polystyrene, of which the formwork is today one of the best insulation.
4. The construction of a monolithic house is moving fast even when compared with the construction of a house made of aerated concrete. In addition, it can be frozen at any stage and prolonged without damage to the structure.
5. Due to the fact that the walls of monolith, which are the same for heat conductivity, for example, with brick, are of a smaller thickness( 2-3 times), the inner area of ​​the house is larger.
6. Reduces the cost of interior decoration of premises, as the walls inside the house are smooth and smooth. Finishing works can be carried out immediately after the concrete has dried out - no additional shrinkage time is required.

Disadvantages of

Skeptics are finding disadvantages in monolithic construction.

1. The technology is quite expensive. This is due to the fact that high-quality formwork is not cheap, and there is no drop in prices for it. The cheaper analogues of local workshops often have fixing or geometry defects. If the project provides non-standard elements, for example, round window openings, then this will further increase the cost of construction.
2. The cost of building the need for the use of special equipment - without a concrete truck is indispensable. It also makes it impossible to build houses from monolith in hard-to-reach areas.
3. Expanded polystyrene, used as an external and internal insulation, prevents gas exchange through the surface of the walls, therefore, as in frame-panel construction, the house must provide a ventilation system.
4. Repair and redevelopment inside a monolithic house is not an easy exercise, as it will have to wall the walls. To accelerate it and reduce costs, even at the design stage of the house you need to finally plan its internal space, outline the passage of communications, the location of sanitary ware, sockets, lighting devices and other things. In this case, the channels for pipes and cables can be laid before casting concrete and time-consuming and dirty stapling can be avoided.
5. There is a lot of controversy at the forums, whether it is possible to consider a non-removable formwork environmentally safe. In fact, this method of construction has long been used in Europe, and the best elements for formwork are produced there as well. They are equipped with all the necessary certificates and are allowed for use in the EU countries, and the requirements for the environment there, as you know, are very strict.

If you fulfill all the technical requirements when building a monolithic house, it will turn out to be reliable and warm, and it will be comfortable to live in it.