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Inflatable Flexible Factory Formwork (IFFF) blow-up prefabricated home
A New York-based start-up called Automatic Construction have devised a new technology called Inflatable Flexible Factory Formwork (IFFF), where a prefabricated balloon-like structure made from PVC is pumped full of concrete.
The company estimates that houses built using this technique can be erected in less than an hour and cost about one-fifth the price of more traditional, cast-in-place concrete methods that are used to build commercial structures and single-family homes.
Here’s how it works: The prefabricated PVC inflatable module is delivered to site, rolled out and inflated using conventional construction air compressors. At this stage, two structures are actually inflated. The first, called shoring, sits on the inside to prop up the oncoming building while it is cast and supports the weight of the roof. The second is the prefabricated inflatable house, which has concrete to be pumped in from one end while the air is sucked out from the other.
The concrete cures for about two days, after which the shoring is deflated and reused on their next build. The other prefabricated PVC module capturing the now-solid concrete isn’t removed, and is retained as a waterproof, airtight membrane. The structure would still need insulation and cladding.
They have a patent-pending on their technology, and it further promises to reduce on-site labour costs and onsite waste. Additionally, the company says the process is twice as fast as traditional construction methods because air and concrete pumps assemble structures in minutes instead of months.
Watch how it works
The company already appears to have traction as they’re now selling homes direct to customers in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Along with homes, commercial buildings and infrastructure-related projects, other envisioned applications of the IFFF technology include swimming pool foundations, rapid-deploy military structures or delivered for use on Mars.
