Tilt

Tilt-up concrete construction is a proven method for building office buildings, retail centers, warehouses, distribution centers, call centers, manufacturing facilities and other commercial / industrial structures with speed, safety and construction cost benefits.

In a tilt-up construction project, the building's walls are poured directly at the jobsite in large slabs of concrete called "panels". These panels are then raised into position around the building's perimeter forming the exterior walls. Tilt-up construction allows general contractors to build a wide range of commercial buildings more quickly and with lower construction costs than what is typical for traditional masonry construction projects.

Steel Frame

The development of steel frame construction technique has made the construction of skyscrapers possible.  Steel frame typically refers to a building technique with a skeleton frame of vertical steel columns and horizontal I-beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls.

The frame needs to be protected from fire because steel softens at high temperatures and this can cause the building to partially collapse.  In the case of the columns this is usually done by encasing it in some form of fire resistant structure such as masonry, concrete or plasterboard. 

The walls of steel framed building are usually totally straight as opposed to walls formed with wood, which typically as a few imperfections.

Cordwood Construction

Cordwood construction is also known as cordwood masonry, stackwall construction and stackwood construction.  These different names all refer to a natural building method in which “cordwood” –short pieces of debarked tree are laid crosswise with masonry or bog mixtures forming the walls.

Cordwood homes are known for their esthetic appeal, maximization of interior space from a rounded plan, economy of resources and ease of construction.  More than half of the building is usually made from wood.  The walls are filled in with a mortar mix and insulating fill.  The mortar does not continue throughout the wall, it only covers each side of the wall to provide stability and support. The strength of the wood and mortar allows for roofing to be tied directly into the wall.  Different combination of mortar mixtures and insulation fill impact the walls resistant to heat flow or R value.

Cordwood structures are extremely sturdy, the remains of cordwood structure are still standing in parts of northern Greece and Siberia and date as far back as one thousand years old.  There are more contemporary versions in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

The majority of the work for a cordwood building can be done by the owner and therefore the overall cost of a cordwood building is often considerably less than mainstream construction options.  Cordwood is safe for the environment, inexprensive, durable and beautiful.

Log cabin

Log cabin can be built with little more than an ax.  The log cabin was introduced to North America by Swedish settlers in the early 1700s. 

The structure of the log cabin is typically built with no nails and is usually only one room. A rock or stone foundation is laid to keep the logs above damp soil.  Each log is then squared off. To make the logs fit together notches are cut in the top and bottom of each end.  The notches logs are then fitted together and “chick” or sticks, wood chips, and mud are placed in the gaps between the logs.  A door is then cut out and fireplace built inside.  There are variations to this general plan but the overall idea remains the same.

Cob

Cob is a type of building made out of clay, sand, straw and water. It is a technique that has been a staple of British and Western European home architecture for centuries.

There are many advantages to cob architecture.  The earthen walls of cob architecture are extremely durable, last for centuries and create no pollution or disposal problems for future generations. Cob structures are also well suited for a variety of climate temperatures.  They can withstand earthquakes, resist fire, are energy efficient and are inexpensive to build.

The process of preparing cob involves mixing clay, sand, straw and water by foot or by a cement mixture.  The clay acts like glue, the sand hardens the structures and the straw works like rebar to give the walls tensile strength.  The consistency of the cob should be like dough.  The dough like cob is then planed onto the walls and shaped by the builder to a desired shape.

Geodesic Domes

Geodesic domes are complicated structures, partly because there is no standard design. All geodesic domes are an almost spherical structures based on a network or struts arranged on great circles or geodesics lying approximately on the surface of a sphere.  These geo-discs intersect and form triangular elements that have local triangular rigidity while distributing the stress across the entire structure. One of the most interesting characteristics of geodesic domes is that it is the only man-made structure that becomes proportionally stronger as its size increases.  The geodesic dome also has highest ratio of enclosed volume to weight.

Stick frame homes

Stick frame or light frame construction is a building technique that uses studs to provide a stable frame for interior and exterior wall coverings to be attached and then covered by a roof made up of horizontal joins or sloping rafters enclosed by various sheathing materials.

Light frame construction is cost effective and for this reason it has become the dominant construction method in North America and Australia. It is cost effective because it requires a minimum amount of structural materials while still allowing builders to enclose a large area with a wide variety of architectural styles.

The materials used most often in light frame construction are wood and rectangular steel tubes.  The preferred species are softwoods such as spruce, pine, and fir.

Concrete block homes

Concrete block homes have many advantages over the stick frame construction technique that is so popular in North America.  Concrete blocks are non-combustible and termites are of no concern.  Wood rot is also of no concern with concrete block.  Concrete block walls are able to withstand stronger winds.  For example, a concrete wall is 500% stronger than a wood-built wall. Additionally there is a substantially reduced noise level with a concrete wall.  These advantages highlight the weaknesses of a wood framed structure.

Styro-foam homes

One of the greatest advantages to this type of structure is the efficiency it provides in keeping a stable temperature.  The insulation provides for reduced energy cots where are of great concern with raising energy costs.  Additionally these structures are relatively light compared to the other forms of construction.