Dousman Durisol/AAC Home (Pragmatic tasks complete October, 2007)

Pragmatic Construction was contracted to construct the wall systems for a home outside Dousman, WI.  The home utilizes the Durisol ICF (insulated concrete form) below grade and AAC (autoclaved aerated concrete) above grade. 

Select from the images below to see the work

The basement was built using 14" Durisol forms with mineral wool insulation inserts to provide an R20 insulation rating.

Below we have a Durisol wall with some bracing remaining from our final concrete pour.  The wall was poured at 5 and 10 ft. heights

Time for the AAC. We stage block around the jobsite with a Telehandler.

The first course is laid in a mortar bed. 

For this project, AAC is being laid above grade at an 8" thick course.  Outside the AAC will be 2" of  rigid foam with brick cladding.  We used Durisol's 14" block with a top course of 8" Durisol to generate a brickledge (still covered by the 2x6 "cap" form in the picture below).

The jobsite.

Lining up the AAC.

Setting up story poles.

Charlie (Blockalypto) running our Jumbo-band saw

Walls taking shape

Cores grouted and lintels installed.





Finishing courses laid up.








Driving to the site- we used way too many fossil fuels getting from Milwaukee to Dousman for this job- apologies, Earth.

Charlie pouring the bond-beam that runs the entire top course.

Detail of the bond beam- rebar vertical at cores, and horizontal through the entire bond beam.

Charlie finishing off the bond beam above a lintel.

Completed wall at the sunroom/greenhouse (to have a dirt floor for planting).

Framing at a half-hex wall.  This home was not designed for AAC, so we had to do this section in wood (not enough space between windows for block).

We put up rigid foam on the exterior as the roofers do their thing.

Bucked-in doors and windows as interior framing completed.

Adam whips up an OSB block for the curved windows.



Testing the pattern.



Success.



Charlie and Delgado Cero finish installing the last of the pink foam.



Found art: a decorative rebar arrangement.



Lauren taping foam.



Pragmatic hires garden gnomes to administer Great Stuff window sealer at the buck gaps.



Checking for square.  Square attained.



These are two PVC tubes the solar guy installed in holes we cored for him. They will connect an external solar hot water unit at a later date.  They tubes provided us with much lunchtime entertainment.  





The final and hardest part of the project was hauling monster windows through sloppy and slippery clay- a few more pictures than usual, but we needed to document the pain.



The pain begins






Clay is our enemy.



All the way around the house.


 
At least we had a perfect fit at the far side.





Installed and wrapped- and thats a wrap for us too!  The General Contractor will finish the home- we will see if we can get a pic of the final product to post. Thanks to AAC, this will be one of the best-insulated homes in the state.