It has been a hard an exciting challenge.
It was 2012. An alternative to materials made from petrochemicals to be used as void formers. That’s what I was looking for when I begun the development of a cardboard pod.
Carton forms were already used in the construction industry (to form the void
space between the bottom of grade beams and slabs over expansive soils [1] to form pockets [2] and to construct circular columns) but I needed something different. I wanted my cardboard to be modeled in a complex shape, to be suitable for use in wet conditions, to provide enough strength to resist under the pressure of wet concrete and to be safe for a builder to walk on.
It looked far too ambitious for many people. More than one time I got asked if I was serious.
We worked relentless for three years and eventually we got a wonderful product able to satisfy all our needs.
We have been the only (so far) and first to use a pulped molded cardboard for this application: The Armadillo 500R/C at CTV news
Unfortunately the limits in the production efficiency forced us to suspend the use of this amazing material for the time being. Industrial processes are evolving so in the future I hope that us or someone else will be able to use this material on a wider scale.
Armadillo™ 500R/C Foundation – Pods Layout
Armadillo™ 500R/C Foundation – Concrete Pour
Fabio Parodi
CPEng MIPENZ Dott.Ing(ITA) M.Eng(Hons)
CEO and Founding Director of Cresco
www.cresco-group.com
www.cresco.co.nz
[1] http://www.foundationperformance.org/pastpresentations/IsbellPaper-PresentedFeb01.pdf
[2] http://www.frank-italy.com/it/prodotti/casseri-a-perdere/info/scatole-per-vuoti-e-bicchieri.html
lateral thinking. 