Jd Wilder

Great thread, and I am late to the party, but am also looking to use CEB in a stem wall application, and below grade.   Hopefully, this doesn't hijack it too far off track.

I, too, am finding there is a transition from "really cheap and a few blocks an hour" to $65K +S/H to produce all the needed block in about one good day of running...and moreover, for aesthetics as much as anything, I am looking for 18" thick, which is its own challenge.

I saw the comment on the plate compactor, which was the search that led me here.  In my case, I am entertaining the thought of using a 2nd hand hydraulic compactor head like you would put on an excavator (example - https://www.impulse-evo.com/product/vibrating-compactor-impulse-v30/).   40 Hz, with a few T each impact should go a long way, and a simple weld onto the foot of the appropriate size, and let the whole thing slide on rails up and down (so no excavator).    And use this as mold mold press, with additional weigh if needed.  Then, as much width as I can get on 18" length, sacrificing time for width, if that makes sense.  

This is from read an interesting journal article where the compaction was tied to some net total impact energy (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223019143_Performance_of_compacted_cement-stabilised_soil), and this apparently works better than the squish, the slow squish, and even the squish with a hold.

Unfortunately, I don't have one of these heads, so am looking for some degree of confidence before going to find one and build a test frame.  I have to assume there is a minimum level of intensity needed, that is quite dependent on water content, and so a lot of testing....but hat assumes it has a hope of working in the first place.  Hoping to find someone who has tried something like this for some pointers, or else point out the obvious flaw that i am missing?

I don't know what the lower limit is, but for low clay soils, gypsum and lime (Alker) is supposed to work quite well.  I have not tried it, but I have certainly had good results with CSA cements which are "almost" the same thing.

Out here, drywall is not supposed to go into the landfill (it does...), so it costs to get rid of.  So you can likely find it for free.  That might get you half way, and reduce the cost of the clay?

Hi all,

I am working on a little project to convert my Ponderosa slash into a debarked wood chip to later be used in a cement mix.  I would love to get these limbed and debarked right after felling, and everything I see is either too manual or WAY to big (and $$$) to buy.  Is there an intermediate solution that is affordable, or does anyone recommend renting for something like this?   For example?

Afterwards, the chip size I am looking at ranges from ~1/2" square to ~1/4"x1", and I would like to try to utilize as much as possible of the white wood, not sure how small diameter things work for things like this.

Any help on this is very much welcome.  Do to the particulars of my process, I need to do everything while the chips areas fresh and green as possible, so speed of debarking is important.

Thanks guys.  I am usually able to search and ferret this stuff out, but my searching skills let me down on this one.

Regards,
Jeff

Hi there.

Curious to the process and results?  I know that hempcrete isn't structural, but any feedback on strength?  There are literally hundreds of journal articles on every kind of geocement.  I always liked the slag cement route, but the closest slag is southern CA.

Also curious as to the concentration of silicate and how it gels?  

I have a bag of type-s currently, ready to test out some pumice instead of the meta kaloin.  And a sample of slag powder and fly ash (ebay!) Just for kicks.   I can find slag locally, but would need to get it ground....looking forward to learning from you.