Sandwich‐Barrel Shell Construction by Inflation

Abstract

Fabric‐reinforced mortar faces on expanded polystyrene (EPS) core structural sandwich construction is used for low‐cost quonset buildings. The construction, especially suitable for warehousing and agricultural buildings, consists of: (1) Laying polystyrene insulation boards on a flat surface; (2) stretching reinforcing fabric over the boards to keep them tightly abutted; (3) screeding a cement‐fly ash slurry containing styrene‐butadiene latex admixture through the fabric; (4) inflating a polyethylene film under the EPS boards thus joined to form them into an arch after the mortar hardens; and (5) tilting precut sandwich panel end walls up under the arch to support it. A cement mortar reinforced with polypropylene chopped fiber is then gunned inside the arch to complete the structural sandwich construction. Required cylindrical sandwich core and face thicknesses to resist buckling at minimum material cost are calculated. Material costs are tabulated. Flexural modulus is determined from panel‐bending tests. The flexural stiffness/dead weight ratios are compared with those ratios for precast prestressed concrete decks.