Alcrete Precast Concrete House

Alcrete Precast Concrete House
Manufacturer: The Structural and Mechanical Development Engineers Ltd
Designed By: The Bristol Aeroplane (Housing) Co.
Period Built: 1940’s
Number Built: n/k
AKA: Alcrete Mk I/ Alcrete Mk II/ Bristol Aeroplane

The Alcrete House is sometimes mistakenly misidentified as a BISF House, due to external design similarities.

Built as two storey semi detached houses with low pitched roofs covered in Aluminium profile sheeting.
The properties were built on a concrete strip foundations atop which was laid a low height concrete substructure.

Structure

• The ground floor walls are constructed from 4″ precast foam concrete panels with the exterior surface covered in cement render up to first floor level. The concrete wall panels vary in width from 1ft 8ins to 6ft 7ins with aluminium framework at panel joints.
• Bitumen covered metal anchors and metal locating rods secure the concrete panels in place.  The cavity is filled with
• The first floor walls are generally clad in plain or profiled aluminium sheeting but timber timber panelling has also been used.
• The separating wall is constructed from an 11″ foamed precast panel cavity wall.
• The ground floor surface is constructed using a cement/sand screed on  1″ sawdust cement slabs.
• The First floor is supported by 7″ x 2.5″ PRC joists on timber battens on double RSC, forming I-section, floor support beams. First floor build variations have also revealed the use of timber joists or cellular concrete units with sawdust cement slats.
• The ceilings are covered with Plasterboard.
• The Roof is constructed from channel section aluminium trusses and purlins with fibreboard or bituminous felt and profiled aluminium sheeting.