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Poured concrete walls vs block cost4/10/2024 ![]() ![]() If you’re considering a pre-construction home today, it’s likely poured concrete. Concrete block is usually found on older homes (pre 1970s) while poured concrete has become the new standard. The wall is more expensive to build due to more concrete and heavier, so there will be more costs associated with trucking and installing it.Ĭontinuous insulation can be achieved (but it’s also more challenging and costly).The two most common types of house foundation types found are concrete block and poured concrete. With plumbing, you’ll have to leave it exposed or build a “pony” wall to conceal it (which adds to finishing costs). The inside is solid concrete, so if you need to run electrical, you can run conduit inside the concrete (but it’s more costly and challenging). Like Superior Walls, precast insulated concrete sandwich panels are low maintenance, insulated and very durable - concrete structures can last for hundreds of years. They can be built in various thicknesses to vary the R-value of the wall and its load potential. They can span significant unsupported vertical wall heights up to 65 feet (for higher structures beyond 20 feet, concrete sandwich panels have to be pre-stressed to handle the shear forces). They offer concrete on both the inside and outside of the building, so there are no extra costs to finish the inside of the building. They are versatile and can handle significant structural loads to form the structure of the building, or can be used as a “cladding” around the building with a steel or concrete superstructure. The modular, pre-fabricated product is widely understood and accepted. ![]() Precast Insulated Concrete Panels (sandwich panels): They are limited to the height of a continuous unsupported vertical wall of approximately 20 feet, which is a two-storey building. The wall can only withstand approximately 7,500 lbs per linear foot of pressure (precast insulated concrete panels can be manufactured to hold much more weight). ![]() The inside of the wall is unfinished (in some commercial applications, it’s better to have a concrete interior because it’s durable for say, a chicken barn or car wash). market and their use is growing in western Canada (currently more than 300 builders use them. Superior Walls are widely adopted in the U.S. It’s possible to flip the wall around so that the concrete finish is on the inside and then you can finish the exterior with your choice of material or product, including inexpensive siding. The walls weigh less, so they are more efficient and therefore less costly to transport. The wall is insulated and requires no vapour barrier, and with galvanized steel facing, the drywall is simply screwed to it. The inside of the wall is unfinished, making it easy to run electrical and plumbing, and then finish it off with drywall. They cost less (usually 30% to 40% less than precast insulated concrete panels). Wood or steel structures will require multiple steps and more time to construct. The walls, insulation and structure are all “integrated” into one element. ![]() As a result, there’s less fussing and messing around on site. Integrated: With precast concrete wall systems, the structure (or load bearing component) can be integrated with the insulation and the exterior finish. This reduces ongoing maintenance and operational costs. Longevity: Concrete structures outlast wood and steel structures. Wide variety of architectural finishes: Precast walls come in a variety of colours, textures and patterns. Speed up construction time: Precast concrete products can be built in advance and then stored offsite until needed. Longer construction season: Heating and hording are not required during the winter months with precast concrete products. Reduced number of trades on site: This is ideal for rural settings where trades and services aren’t readily available and for markets that lack skilled trades. Less onsite labour: This means fewer health and safety concerns on the job site, as well as improved site efficiencies - meaning fewer people, fewer issues. Higher quality concrete: The quality control processes in manufacturing (less honeycombing and the proper curing of concrete in a controlled environment) means a higher quality product and longer-lasting structures, especially when compared to pour-in-place concrete. ![]()
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