Mowlem In-situ Concrete House

The Mowlem Poured Concrete in-Situ House

• Manufacturer: W Airey & Sons Ltd & R COSTAIN Ltd
• Type: Precast Reinforced Concrete (PRC)
• Designer: Sir Frederick Gibberd
• Period of Construction: 1945-55
• Numbers Built: 26,000

Build Types

• Bungalows
• Terraced
• 2 Storey Semi Detached
• 3 Storey Semi Detached

Construction Detail: Solid cavity wall. Cast in-situ concrete form of construction, first used in 1952 but mainly in the period 1962 to 1981. Construction substitutes mass concrete for the inner blockwork walls of traditional housing. Solid wall types 225mm thick cast in lightweight concrete, rendered externally. Cavity wall types with an ‘inner leaf of 100-­‐125mm thick concrete, separated by a 2″ cavity, reinforcement in both skins located in 4 horizontal bands above and below window openings.

• Foundation: Concrete slab on strip foundation
• Exterior Walls: Brick Outer. 2″ Cavity. 4″-5″ Aerated poured concrete inner wall
• Roof: Trussed rafters & concrete tiles
• Ground Floor: Concrete

The Mowlem house was built in a wide variety of variations which can often make identification difficult.

• Flat roof on timber joists, woodwool slabs and asphalt.
• External walls of 9″ no-fines concrete
• RC ring beams at 1ST floor and eaves level.
• Additional reinforcement above and below widow openings.
• Render to external wall surface.
• Hanging tiles to exterior upper elevation.
• Horizontal timber boarding on timber battens to exterior upper elevation.
• Concrete window sills.
• Asbestos cement soffit boards.

Example Locations

Google Maps Location Example