Insulation "Sandwiched" Between Concrete

Insulation Sandwiched Between Concrete Latest new concept in swine housing are precast concrete panels with insulation “sandwiched” in between “It’s actually an old idea whose time has come ” says E A Olson University of Nebraska agricultural engineer He and his co-workers at the University working in cooperation with several Nebraska concrete companies developed the panels which consist of a 2 in thick concrete A standard panel measures 4 by 8 ft and weighs approximately 1 800 lbs The concrete panes are mass produced at an area concrete factory then delivered to the building site where they’re bolted together A key advantage is that they require less labor than conventional construction According to the University of Nebraska the concrete panesl are “pig-proof” in that you can run confined pigs right up against them and they won’t rust corrode or rot In addition the precast concrete panels provide more insulation having an R value of 10 -- as compared to 5 8 for insulated concrete blocks and slightly over 1 when the centers are left empty Also the new panels are much more resistant to vapor movement The Nebraska cooperative extension service has developed plans for swine confinement units using precast concrete panels Cost of the plans is $3 00 for Plan 6061 a tilt-up swine building and $2 00 for plans on open front hog houses “The panels are intended to be made at concrete ready mix plants and are provided with corner inserts for lifting onto trucks and also for setting on the foundation wall At present they are available from 7 places in Nebraska ” explains Olson “We have had a number of farmers build their own hog houses with insulated concrete tilt-up panels However since many prefer a packaged unit the plans are an attempt to help fill this need Costwise the walls are competitive if not less expensive with other construction ” For more details contact: FARM SHOW Followup E A Olson Dept of Agricultural Engineering Agricultural Engineering Bldg East Campus Lincoln Neb 68583 ph 402 472-2824

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