SOVBI Holding was the first to succeed in onsite production of new insulation material – ultralightweight non-autoclave foam concrete SOVBI with density of 130 kg/m³ and higher. The insulation material produced directly on the construction site from ordinary cement for heat shielding of high-rise and low-rise buildings provides for year-round industrial application.

  

   The Holding is provided with own facilities for production of mobile plants SOVBI with various capacities. The mobile plant is easily transported in a light-duty vehicle like Ford; its energy consumption does not exceed 10-13 kW and may be operated by 1-2 workmen. Production of 1 m3 of foam concrete branded SOVBI D200 requires as little as 150 kg of cement, water, and about a liter of foaming agent.

  

   For low-rise construction our equipment and technologies provide production and multipurpose utilization of foam concrete SOVBI of various densities, practically in all building structural members, as well as for thermal insulation of pipelines, for construction of roads, manholes, parking areas, etc.

  

   The Holding participated in construction of low-rise houses heat-shielded with foam concrete SOVBI with use of cast-in-situ concrete, bricks, vibrocompressed blocks, small-plated formwork as load-bearing structures.

  

   Framed-wooden house construction is the least expensive type of construction and has been long used in Russia; such bulk materials as sawdust and slag, which tend to slump, were used as heat shielding in this case. Heat shielding materials borrowed from the West in the form of mineral wool and foam polystyrene, though having improved thermal protection, failed to make these houses thorough, durable and comfortable. Over time mineral wool sags, soddens and deteriorates, while foamed polystyrene is not heatproof and emits toxic substances in fire conditions. Obligatory application of vapor-proof films for mineral wool and vapor-permeable foamed polystyrene means that walls are not breathing. Therefore, efficient forced ventilation is necessary, and intake of cold air for this purpose in winter neutralizes the heat insulation effect for the walls.

  

   SOVBI technology came up as a crucial breakthrough in low-rise construction through combining the well-known technology of framed-wooden construction with the use of wooden or light-gage construction and the leading-edge technology for onsite production of cast-in-situ non-autoclave thermal and noise insulating constructional foam concrete applied in all members and units of the house, from the foundation to the roof. First houses with application of light galvanized metal frame in a year-round construction mode were built as early as in 1999 in the suburbs of St. Petersburg. Cement-chip boards and gypsum boards were used as external and internal permanent formwork, with cast-in-situ foam concrete SOVBI of 250 kg/m³ cast in between. No domestic or foreign firm has yet created any technology that would provide for production and use of ultralightweight constructional foam concrete with density of 200 kg/m³ and lower, and for year-round performance at temperatures up to – 25⁰С. We made attempts to use cast-in-situ foamed polystyrene concrete as early as in 1999, due to the availability of low-grade cement only and due to problems in obtaining ultralightweight foam concrete. However, the attempts were unsuccessful because of excessive costs, the same values of density as with foam concrete, uneven texture, impossibility of carrying out works in winter, low durability, etc.

 

   Our low-rise construction technology provides for erection of houses of 200 m² in area by several workmen within 1-1.5 months. Consumers may be involved for reduction of construction costs, while SOVBI equipment may also be used for onsite manufacture of partition blocks, facing plates from foam concrete, etc.

 

   Low-rise construction technology SOVBI features all advantages of quick frame construction with durable ‘Warm contour SOVBI’, containing no cold joints and made from ultralightweight foam concrete branded SOVBI D200. This technology was submitted to the President of Russia by the authorities of Union of Construction Companies of St. Petersburg SOYUZPETROSTROI as an optimal solution to the housing problem in outlying regions, neutralizing the need for establishing big construction companies and making considerable investments in production of gas-concrete blocks and other thermal insulation materials.

 

   With due account for the breakthrough achievements of SOVBI Holding, construction companies of St. Petersburg came forward with establishment of Holding-based International Foam Concrete Technologies Center (IFCTC), at whose disposal the Holding has provided its experimental base.

 

   Due to the fact that starting from 01.07.2008 many state functions will be transferred to self-regulating organizations, Russian Union of Constructors has approved IFCTC as its expert-and-consulting body for carrying out works related to standards development, expert examination of projects and executed work, certification of organizations, etc. Further information concerning functions of IFCTC and membership conditions is provided at web site www.sovbifoamcenter.com.