As it’s a given I’m going to have problems being allowed to use papercrete as a structural element, I’m going to have to use a hybrid system that will give me the strength of ferrocement and the insulative and acoustic values of papercrete. I’ve hit on another protocol I feel is an improvement on my previous method.
In building my tiltwalls, each will have to be build in stages, starting with the papercrete which takes the longest to dry.
I will have to do testing to ensure I know to the nth degree what the rate of shrinkage will be before I lay up the papercrete portion of the wall. Also, I need to know how long it has to set to be strong enough to pick and lay aside without damaging the wall.
Once the papercrete layer of the wall is movable, it’s pull off the layup table and the ferrocement layer is then assembled. As soon as the concrete is floated on/vibrated in, the 1″ foam layer is placed on top followed by the papercrete layer with it’s embedded connectors, pressing the foam onto and the connectors into the ferrocement layer.
The only issues I see with this series of steps is the connectors. The connectors will have to have a point on the end to sneak the end between the elements of the different the layers of reinforcing in the ferrocement layer. It is conceivable that drilling holes in the foam to accommodate the connectors is not necessary. Simply laying the papercrete with embedded connectors on the foam (with some judicious walking on top) will be sufficient to push the connectors through the foam and into the ferrocement layer. Testing required . . .