5 ms·

An alternative to steel for concrete reinforcement is glass blown basalt [0], which struck my interest via its use in a project for free-floating, (geopolymer)

by jpt4 10y ago

An alternative to steel for concrete reinforcement is glass blown basalt [0], which struck my interest via its use in a project for free-floating, (geopolymer) concrete seasteading vessels [1]. [0] http://basalt-rebar.com/ http://basalt-rebar.com/ [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/Floathouse/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Floathouse/

danieltillett 10y ago
That basalt rebar is very interesting - what is the cost compared to steel?
- jpt4 10y ago
  I am afraid I don't know specifics. For a while the only suppliers were non-American (primarily Russian), so the market prices were not equitably comparable. /r/floathouse (link [1]) will have up to date information.
  - krasin 10y ago
    Interesting. I've made a quick search over Runet, it seems that basalt / basalt-plastic rebar is in large-scale production: http://nano-sk.ru/stekloplastikovaya-armatura/bazaltovaya/ http://nano-sk.ru/stekloplastikovaya-armatura/bazaltovaya/ They claim it's better and cheaper than steel rebar. No word about disadvantages, which I assume exist (edit: found, see below). Edit. Oh, they carry a price: http://nano-sk.ru/price-list/ http://nano-sk.ru/price-list/ -- 1m of d=14mm rebar costs ~$0.60. But I don't know the price for the regular steel rebar, though :) Edit2. There's a list of disadvantages here (sorry, in Russian): http://www.tdbazalt.com/category/materiali_dlia_stroitelstva_i_otdelki/armatura_stekloplastikovaya/nedostatki_stekloplastikovoi_armaturi_minusi/ http://www.tdbazalt.com/category/materiali_dlia_stroitelstva... 1. Can't stand high temperature, as basalt rebar has polymer as a binder for basalt fiber. 2. Can bend easier than steel; will break easier than steel 3. Can't stand alkaline environment (there're claims that some newer types of the basalt rebar don't carry this issue)
- emilong 10y ago
  No idea on the accuracy of this, but this article claims there's a company (http://www.neuvokascorp.com/ http://www.neuvokascorp.com/) making basalt rebar at the same price as steel: http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/06/neuvokas-basalt-rebar-lighter-stronger-cost-steel/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/06/neuvokas-basalt-rebar-li...
HillaryBriss 10y ago
That's really interesting. There are a lot of advantages to this kind of rebar apparently. The website also says: > Basalt rebar does not conduct electricity Which got me thinking about electrical codes. In some cases, a concrete building's electrical wiring system uses the rebar in the concrete structure as an electrical ground. But, I guess for buildings constructed with basalt rebar, conductive copper rods would have to be specifically built in separately, for purposes of electrical grounding.

by jpt4 10y ago

danieltillett 10y ago

That basalt rebar is very interesting - what is the cost compared to steel?

jpt4 10y ago
I am afraid I don't know specifics. For a while the only suppliers were non-American (primarily Russian), so the market prices were not equitably comparable. /r/floathouse (link [1]) will have up to date information.
- krasin 10y ago
  Interesting. I've made a quick search over Runet, it seems that basalt / basalt-plastic rebar is in large-scale production: http://nano-sk.ru/stekloplastikovaya-armatura/bazaltovaya/ http://nano-sk.ru/stekloplastikovaya-armatura/bazaltovaya/ They claim it's better and cheaper than steel rebar. No word about disadvantages, which I assume exist (edit: found, see below). Edit. Oh, they carry a price: http://nano-sk.ru/price-list/ http://nano-sk.ru/price-list/ -- 1m of d=14mm rebar costs ~$0.60. But I don't know the price for the regular steel rebar, though :) Edit2. There's a list of disadvantages here (sorry, in Russian): http://www.tdbazalt.com/category/materiali_dlia_stroitelstva_i_otdelki/armatura_stekloplastikovaya/nedostatki_stekloplastikovoi_armaturi_minusi/ http://www.tdbazalt.com/category/materiali_dlia_stroitelstva... 1. Can't stand high temperature, as basalt rebar has polymer as a binder for basalt fiber. 2. Can bend easier than steel; will break easier than steel 3. Can't stand alkaline environment (there're claims that some newer types of the basalt rebar don't carry this issue)
emilong 10y ago
No idea on the accuracy of this, but this article claims there's a company (http://www.neuvokascorp.com/ http://www.neuvokascorp.com/) making basalt rebar at the same price as steel: http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/06/neuvokas-basalt-rebar-lighter-stronger-cost-steel/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/06/neuvokas-basalt-rebar-li...

HillaryBriss 10y ago

That's really interesting. There are a lot of advantages to this kind of rebar apparently. The website also says: > Basalt rebar does not conduct electricity Which got me thinking about electrical codes. In some cases, a concrete building's electrical wiring system uses the rebar in the concrete structure as an electrical ground. But, I guess for buildings constructed with basalt rebar, conductive copper rods would have to be specifically built in separately, for purposes of electrical grounding.