Life Without Concrete . . . is Solid, Dry and Warm.

Economic

1. The concrete industry is essentially a racket. In america by myself, concrete production is a $30 billion in keeping with 12 months enterprise, considering only the cost of the prepared-combined concrete sold every 12 months. Concrete’s use in the modern-day global is only handed with the aid of using clean water! It’s massive commercial enterprise.

2. Locals in many countries are persuaded that they need concrete (to be present day, or to create robust housing). Building codes and authorities quangos in most international locations paintings in league with foremost cement manufacturers to create legal guidelines all but forcing humans to use concrete. This has generated an utter smash-down in nearby arts and professional artisans (stonemasons, cob plasterers and so on.) I couldn’t discover a plasterer left within a 50km radius from my house, as an example.

Building Disadvantages

1. Concrete doesn’t ultimate specifically lengthy earlier than it starts to degrade (approximately 50 years). Without reinforcing it with metal, it’s simply pretty brittle.

2. It wicks up water giving it a damp, bloodless experience in wetter climates.

3. It absorbs warmth after which radiates it again out, as a result developing uncomfortable dwelling conditions in hot international locations.

4. It doesn’t breathe.

Aesthetic Disadvantages

1. It’s grey, it’s soulless, and except it’s crafted by a proficient architect it’s nearly constantly unpleasant.

But are we able to truly stay without concrete these days?

I set myself a goal of 0 concrete on my land. So a ways I’ve managed to stick to that focus on by way of locating alternatives. Most of the time the options turned out to be a long way greater green than concrete might ever were, though I’ll admit that finding water storage answers with out the use of cement is hard.

Where can we commonly want concrete?

1.Foundations
I’m now at a whole loss as to why concrete has emerge as the principal basis cloth of our day. It wicks up water, it’s crap for drainage, and it’s now not even especially robust except you reinforce it. (As I said, there’s a racket taking place). Unless you are building a multi-story automobile-park, there are plenty of higher alternatives.

The Greeks had no Portland cement, nor did the Mayans nor the Egyptians. Cob houses in the UK have survived for 500 years or more without a basis at all! The Romans utilized a form of concrete but it turned into made with lime which fits very otherwise. Unlike Portland cement, lime breathes, dries, and rids itself of water fast. It’s ideal for a wet climate.

For a natural home, I’d propose the rubble trench basis any day. You can read more about that here.

2. Mortar.
Cement is regularly used for mortar between bricks or stones. It genuinely serves its characteristic better here than in the basis or plaster. But there are plenty of alternatives. We used a cob mix with lime as mortar for a small stone wall with great outcomes. When restoring historical buildings, Portland cement is a huge no no. It without a doubt eats on the historic stones, and because it isn’t always breathable, the homes are frequently difficulty to mold and damp. What you must be using is lime mortar rather.

3. Plaster
Again, I have no concept how concrete became slapped on walls as a coating. In iciness it’s cold (because it would not breathe and holds the damp) and in summer season it’s baking hot. Lime plaster, earthplaster or cob are more attractive, have less effect at the environment and breathe. Your house turns into toasty inside the iciness months and cool like a cave within the summer when using those alternatives. Furthermore, if you are constructing with earth and plaster with concrete, you chance the plaster cracking and falling off. This is because clay in the earth will swell when it receives moist, and settlement whilst it dries, wherein as Portland cement has no flexibility. Hence the cracking.

4. Lining pools
This is the handiest use of concrete which is hard to overcome environmentally. Alternatives are fibre-glass or plastic liners that have a worse environmental effect. Concrete swimming pools (if nicely-designed) frequently appearance extra appealing than fibre-glass constructions. However, in case you’re a die-hard eco-lover (or simply simple cussed like me) then bentonite clay is an alternative.