High-rise Construction
We are the pioneers of industrial production and utilization of cast-in-situ ultralightweight foam concrete with density of 130 kg/m3 and higher (hereafter - foam concrete SOVBI) and have been developing this trend in high-rise construction since 1999. During this time, in St. Petersburg only, construction technology SOVBI has been used by our branches on as many as 80 high-rise construction sites. About 30 firms of St. Petersburg and more than 270 firms in Russia and abroad are currently carrying out works with use of our equipment and under technology SOVBI.
SOVBI technology makes it possible to considerably simplify construction and reduce its costs, to carry out works in a quick manner and in year-round mode, to obtain additional living space through reduction of external walls thickness owing to higher thermal insulation of cast-in-situ foam concrete as compared to gas-concrete blocks that also require additional heat shielding.
Estimates and experience show that use of cast-in-situ foam concrete with density of 200-300 kg/m3 poured in between the half brick wall and waterproof gypsum board allows forming additional living space of above 1000 m2 per one 16-storeyed house with 400-500 m perimeter.
SOVBI foam concrete is the only high-quality thermal insulation material produced year-round directly on the construction site. It is used as heat shielding for flat roofs, attics, upper stories, cladding structures instead of foamed polystyrene, which is non-durable, combustible and emits toxic substances in fire conditions, and mineral wool insulators, which sag and settle. A well-known developer of external heat shielding with mineral wool and foamed polystyrene provides only 10 years of guarantee on strict condition of adherence to work procedure, which is also a big problem. The same applies to ventilation facades that may collapse due to non-observance of construction methods.
We have elaborated the technology for use of SOVBI foam concrete in all structure members – walls, roofs, attics, upper stories, floorings and basements, including carrying out of works in winters with temperatures up to -25 оС. We made attempts to use cast-in-situ foamed polystyrene concrete as early as in 1999, due to problems in obtaining ultralightweight foam concrete caused by unavailability of high grade cement. However, we had to give it up 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.
We elaborated specifications for SOVBI foam concrete, carried out tests in certification centers, and obtained a report on fire risk assessment, which allowed us to adopt foam concrete for high-rise construction.
SOVBI Walls. Since 1999, for the first time in the world, there has been a year-round application of several patented versions of wall constructions with the use of foam concrete SOVBI for high-rise residential houses construction:
- casting of foam concrete SOVBI D200-D300 in between a half of face brick and waterproof gypsum board has found a wide application on the majority of residential, trade, sporting and other construction sites in Russian cities and abroad;
- casting of foam concrete SOVBI D300 in pit masonry made of vibrocompressed blocks, brick, including limestone brick;
- casting of foam concrete SOVBI D200 in between sheeting mounted on a light metal frame makes it possible to obtain additional living space. In Burgas (Bulgaria) foam concrete SOVBI was cast in between the external ‘Aquapanel’ (Knauff) and gypsum board. ‘Aquapanel’ was mounted on light small section racks aligned along the flooring edge in such a manner that ‘Aquapanel’ overlapped the butt ends of monolithic flooring.
Roofs. Formerly employed technology implied sloping with foam concrete SOVBI D200 and tensioning with foam fiber concrete SOVBI D450-D600 with subsequent waterproofing of the same. Contemporary ‘Roof SOVBI’ is a floorslab-mounted frame forming the roof slope, which is stitched with sheeting. The sheeting surface is covered with heat fusion roof coating, the cavity between the sheeting and the floor slab is filled in with foam concrete branded SOVBI D130-D200. Roofing under this technology may be carried out without sheds, in rain and in frost up to -25°С.
Attics SOVBI. Had been erected since 1999. Formerly represented a load bearing iron metal frame and now is made of large section galvanized sidings with casting of foam concrete SOVBI D200 in between the sheeting, attached to the framing from outside and from inside. The works are carried out without crane machinery, dwellers resettlement and require practically no construction site. The prime example is the buildup of an attic on a 19th century palace in the center of St. Petersburg carried out in 2005.
Floorings. Thermal insulation of the ground floors, upper stories, crawl floors and basements with layered foam concrete SOVBI D200 and D450 over the waterproofing layer applied on the surface, and arrangement of heated floors on the floorings with foam fiber concrete SOVBI D450 instead of foamed polystyrene that emits toxic substances in fire conditions.
Partition walls. In many cities that face the problem of partition materials it is possible, and often economically feasible, to supplement inter-flat partitions with inter-room ones, the latter normally made of foam concrete branded SOVBI D600, as the case was in certain Russian cities, Burgas (Bulgaria) and a number of others.
According to thermal vision measurements carried out in many cities, there is a clear advantage in application of this heat shielding material for cladding structures of buildings, roofs, and attics.
The foam concrete technologies from SOVBI protect houses in the North from frost, and in the South – from heat, significantly reducing expenses on energy-consuming heating and air-conditioning systems.
SOVBI Holding is provided with own facilities for production of mobile machinery for making foam concrete of various densities directly on the construction site, with vertical delivery above 70 m and horizontal delivery above 250 m. At the moment we are producing a lineup of SOVBI plants with various capacities and a wide range of applications.
More than 200 cities and 10 countries are currently employing SOVBI technologies and plants.
In 2009 St. Petersburg-based branches of SOVBI Holding alone carried out heat shielding works with the use of foam concrete of 200-300 kg/m3 density in the amount as much as 25,000 m3 or 60,000 m3 of exterior walls and roofs.
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 MTsPT and membership conditions is provided at web site www.sovbifoamcenter.com.
We are ready to demonstrate our technology and equipment at different construction sites, year-round and at your convenience.
We guarantee the high quality of our equipment and technologies.
Certificate No. SDS. TP. SMK. 001789-07 as per International system ISO 9001:2000.
SOVBI equipment and technical solutions are provided with patent protection in Russia and abroad, the unlicensed use of the same is forbidden by law.
