Carboard / Cement laminate

Ok, I have not been able to find this via Google, but it seems like something that probably has been tried.
Cut a bunch of cardboard to the same size, then layer it with cement or morter, probably inside of a form.
The aim is an insulating ridged panel for walls or roofs. Papercrete without the mess.
Anybody ever heard of such a thing?

They have made boats out of cement don't see why this wouldn't work in some fashion.
I would think that you would have to get the cement into the layers or middle to hold to gather.
I've always thought you could build swarm traps with news paper and cement.
let us know how it works out sounds like a project.

Our old chickenhouse has floors made with sawdust for an "aggregate"; that is sawdust instead of rock and sand. It held together for 27 years. I do not see why cardboardcrete would not work as well. Cardboard is just processed sawdust when you break it down...literally.

The fatal flaw here is that the cardboard layers will completely separate the cement layers, so when the cardboard gets damp the whole thing will immediately fall apart into thin sheets of cement with paper facings. The cardboard would have to be shredded for this to work.

Maybe you could run it through a yard shredder then mix it with the cement and call it Papaercrete?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papercrete

William,
Crazy idea! I'll play!
There is a great saying, "without women, men would just live in cardboard boxes". I have this funny image of you finding a huge box, or pallet splicing a couple boxes together into a double wide, and then stuccoing it, standing back, popping a beer and admiring it.
There is some crazy strong cardboard out there. Who knows what the resin glue is that binds the corrugated layers together. Some resin types seem downright indestructable and waterproof. I'd find the msds on that. May need a lime - borax applied for mold, insect, fire retarder. I imagine if you find a great bulk source for sheets (4x8ish) 20 layers glued, stapled or wired together, stapling tar paper outside, rosin inside, maybe on studs.
But nonetheless, this wouldn't be my first choice as I favor mineral non-organic construction, and I would think more along the lines of used rigid sheets of polyiso or eps. But most like organic construction materials, and to me this is along similar lines of framed plywood or strawbale buildings. There are pressed straw panels.
I wouldn't do panels, though many FC buildings are panelized. Either way keep it monolithic, that seamless equally distributed strength of FC is what makes good plaster skins so structural. But given a killer source, I'd do it for walls on a workshed personally. Not sure how I feel about the roof part. Besides moisture issues, which are easily dealt with numerous ways, cardboard bends to nice curves and would create a nice backing for a vault. A bomber membrane or layers of lesser quality and then laminated FC without stapling down as I imagine they would respond and move at quite different rates with regard to temperature and humidity.
Do something fireproof around electrical boxes and an electrical inspector would have a fit I imagine.

- Just my two cents - A little time checking out W.W.W. Sites for '' Cardboard Furniture " would convince almost everyone that With properly placed waterproofing
membranes simple Pavilion Type Tentage or bigger is possible and with careful maintenance can be made to last at least a couple of years.

If the Cardboard could be fireproofed ( Borax?) and still be recycle-able, or easily returned to the earth then the builder/occupants need changes, I can't see a

Permies-type objection ! Big AL

- and here is a Concrete-cloth used to make semi-perminate structures for The British "Tommy'' in Afghanistan, expected habitable life up to 10 years ! Big AL

Just an idea......
Soak cardboard sheets in water until slightly soft.
Make form, 8'x4' or any size desired.
Trowel in 1/8"-3/16" cement.
Take wet cardboard sheet and poke holes in it with like a pitchfork or spading fork.
Place a layer of them on cement; press make cement to come up through holes part way.
Another layer of cement troweled on, pushed into the holes would bind the cement layers.
Repeat.
Add wire mesh ( optional )
When desired thickness is achieved, place weights or use a press to compress laminate.
I'm not able to try it myself, but I think it could work.
I could send a few bucks to someone who tries it, and posts results.

I built two cabins with a combination of cardboard, plastic, and carpets on a pole and bamboo frame. Two thicknesses of cardboard was fence-stapled to the frame....this was painted with a saturated solution of borax in hot water first. Followed with overlapping courses of sheet plastic. Followed with overlapping courses of carpets, preferable the "indoor-outdoor" type with a short, looped nap. All of these materials were from dumpsters.... I then made a wet sloppy stucco of portland cement and stuccoed this onto/into the carpets on the roof. Soapy water splattered on the carpets beforehand helps the stucco wick into the fibers, and paint can be added for color. This hardens the carpet into a solid surface, mostly waterproof in itself, and made moreso by the plastic underneath. On the walls, under a 2 foot overhang, I used three coats of mud (sand/clay/soapy water) stucco overlaid by a thin wash of cement/water/paint put on with a paintbrush..... I think now in retrospect I could have done without the stucco on the roof, since moss grew there within a few years and I imagine it's well on the way to becoming a living roof in any case. I had five people on that roof once and ten years later, still no leaks. I miss those cabins.....

Rick Stewart wrote:Just an idea......
Soak cardboard sheets in water until slightly soft.
Make form, 8'x4' or any size desired.
Trowel in 1/8"-3/16" cement.
Take wet cardboard sheet and poke holes in it with like a pitchfork or spading fork.
Place a layer of them on cement; press make cement to come up through holes part way.
Another layer of cement troweled on, pushed into the holes would bind the cement layers.
Repeat.
Add wire mesh ( optional )
When desired thickness is achieved, place weights or use a press to compress laminate.
I'm not able to try it myself, but I think it could work.
I could send a few bucks to someone who tries it, and posts results.

I am going to build forms for casting refractory, so I can make them do double duty.
I will post my results.
I also just found some used carpet, so I will try making panels with that as well.
I think Alders method could be a great way to create a ferrocement or latex concrete of sorts.
This might be a way to build water tanks,garden beds, roofs ,sheathing/siding,etc, while "sequestering" the carpet at the same time.