anchor
Image Courtesy: Automated Construction
A new solution to America’s multifaceted housing frustrations is emerging in New York’s Hudson River Valley, thanks to a startup called Automatic Construction.
The company says it has invented a new technology called Inflatable Flexible Factory Formwork (or IFFF). This technology, with the help of air pumps and compressors, can first inflate unfolded PVC formwork for residential construction and then drop concrete mix to reinforce it.・Pour the fibers of the stitch inside and harden.
The injection process itself takes about an hour. After the concrete has hardened to approximately 70% strength, the shoring is removed, leaving the membrane in place as a means of providing waterproofing to the structure. Add drywall, doors, windows and cladding to complete the structure. At the moment, CEO Alex Bell finishes it off with rebar that may be pre-installed in the future.
“The prefabricated foam is built with reinforcements in our factory,” Bell tells Archinect. “Forms are built to client specifications. We can currently support 2”, 4” and 8” cast walls/slabs. The chamber is included, shoring first followed by the concrete chamber, we work with the client’s engineer or recommend a mixed design with additives for concrete flow and compaction. ”
ADU’s prototype came in 100-square-foot and 200-square-foot iterations, and another 650-square-foot two-story residential design is currently being tested. Automatic has an amazing construction cost of only $10 to $30 per square foot for each structure, and its materials and construction methods add 80% to the overall cost when compared to traditional residential structure deliveries. argues that there is a difference between
Additional applications for commercial and military interests are also being considered. For now, the designs are the company’s proprietary property, but Bell says it will explore the possibility of collaborating with the design community in the near future.
“We are currently writing plugins for software packages such as Revit and other CAD/BIM solutions,” he finally promises. “Architects can upload their designs for houses, buildings, culverts, etc. by uploading from their CAD/BIM tools or directly on our website. We will provide quotes for the delivered formwork and approved contractors and subcontractors.”
