Monopour Definition

Monopouring with Nudura occurs when the wall and footing are poured at the same time. There are several significant material cost reductions and time savings with monopouring.

Benefits

  1. Technically the joint between the footing and wall is eliminated, therefore the foundation behaves as an inverted "T" beam and is much stronger structurally.
  2. As the cold joint is eliminated, the risk of water entering inside the structure is considerably reduced.

Cost Savings

The monopour leads to significant cost savings by eliminating the second order of concrete. Each mobilization of concrete delivery is expensive as the pump and hopper must be filled with concrete. As well there is wastage with the balance of the concrete load in the truck being sent back to the ready mix plant.

Secondly, there is the cost of the second pump to pour the walls after the footings.

Labour Savings

Monopouring eliminates or reduces the following labour costs:

  1. Mobilizing the placing crew for a second time.
  2. Extra labour to lay out the footing and then laying out the wall on top of the footing.
  3. Extra labour to adapt the footing steel to the wall forms.
  4. Extra labour to level up the wall forms to the prepoured footing (which is often out of level).

Risks of Monopouring

Given that monopouring can save up to $5,000 in material, rental and labour costs on each foundation, one must ask the question: what is the downside?

  1. There is the risk of movement of the footing forms. For example the the stakes or side supports can settle into the ground. Reinforcing steel in the ICF wall forms can be heavy and lead to settlement. However if the number of stakes supporting the wall forms is increased to withstand the vertical loads, this risk can be minimized.
  2. Many forming crews to not have experience in monopouring and would rather pour the footing first. After all, they are not paying the bills - it is the homeowner or builder.

Types of Monopouring

There are two types of ICF monopouring:

  1. Staked Monopour: where wooden or steel stakes are used to support the lumber rails and Fastfoot.
  2. MP Side Support Monopour: where drill adjustable side supports are used to support the ICF wall.

Click on the links above or on the menu above to get details on each method.