2005-07-13

Posted at 19:01 UT by Tamara

Rastra Building systems of Scottsdale Arizona,

Is joining in the series: " From the Ground Up"- creating Environmentally Friendly, Energy Self Reliant Homes and Living Systems,

Bringing into the architectural design their " Green", Environmentally Correct - Rastra Block.

Rastra Block is a recycled cementitious foam block with open cores that are stacked, grouted with concrete, and reinforced with rebar, an Earth Friendly Concrete form system which originated 30 years ago in Austria, made of a material called Thastryron, Thermal acoustic Styrofoam concrete. <>

It is 85% recycled post consumer polystyrene waste, Styrofoam, which does not naturally recycle for more than two million years.

This waste material, currently filling our dumps is being chopped and mixed with a cementitious binder to create instead a rebar reinforced concrete wall construction system that provides a 10 inch thick wall rated at R-25 insulation, compared to R-19 ratings of standard frame construction with fiberglass insulation, with no offgassing.

The Thermal mass of concrete, together with the insulation of the recycled polystirene, provides the insulation advantage.

It minimizes the use of lumber, conserving resources and money.

Energy efficient, fire, frost, insect, mold, hurricane and tornado resistant, it boasts near perfect vapor diffusion, and provides soundproofing.

The China Academy of Building Research in Bejing tested an actual sized 3 story home under dynamic loads to withstand 8 point earthquakes without measurable or visable damage.

Rastra provides a permanent framework for a grid of reinforced concrete that uses less concrete than other insulating concrete forms and has been used around the world in all climates.

Environmentally friendly, each element is air dried. No energy is used for curing.1 KwH produces one Rastra element, 10 inches thick by 15 inches high by 10 feet long.

During production no byproducts are freed and all debris is recycled into new elements, or other products.

Elements can be cut, rasped, routed, or carved into stunning sculptural forms using tools common for wood-working.

Nitches, Arches, insets of bottles, glass, and other creative formings can be achieved.

Plaster adheres without preparations of wire mesh or lath. Tiles can be set with thinset. Gypsum board can be glued directly to the walls or can be finished in stucco, plaster, or drywall mud.

You can finish a Rastra wall with any generic plaster/stucco system without any preparation. Most frequently a 2 layer application is used with a brown coat and an acrylic based color coat. On the inside plaster on gypsum basis can be used. But also all kind of veneers have been installed.

Learn more about Rastra at

www.rastra.com