PROTOYPING THE WORKSHOP CASTING EXERCISE The intention of this workshop was to give participants hands-on experience with formwork and casting inside of a sustainable formwork. Casting particular mixes and materials is such an integral part of construction, and to be able to do this at a small scale, within the homes of participants, shows that these exercise are both accessible and exciting. We used Blue Planet C03 coated aggregate and natural cement. This allowed participants to physically interact with mixes, their ratios, and alternative innovative options to low-carbon concrete.
OBJECT Blue Planet donated a certain amount of aggregate to use in our low-carbon concrete casts. We divided this amount by how many participants we were expecting and the ratio which we tested. This gave us an 8 cubic inch object in which we could work with. After testing the quality of three different ratios by weight and volume with different release agents, we landed on a 1:2:3 by volume with no release. The largest variability was in the amount of water. Because we decided against using plasticizers, which allow for better workability while using less water, meaning the concrete maintains a needed strength while still cast and easily workable, we added more water to the object. We landed on 2 oz of water. Mixes given to participants (natural cement, Blue Planet aggregate, and all purpose sand
Initial tests of concrete ratios, sizes and release agents
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