Is this plan (oven entry) structuraly strong enough ?

[stonecutter]

Re: Is this plan (oven entry) structuraly strong enough ?

ok. You confirmed one of my other things I feared. Vermicrete is probably not good under compression. The rebar will make the vermicrete crack over time and then the rebar is useless, both around the dome and next to the entry arch.

Vcrete is pretty good under compression, and the more portland in the ratio, the higher the compression rating. The problem, as with regular concrete and most masonry, it has weak tensile strength. That is way reinforcement is added to concrete or cladding....it's just that vcrete/perlcrete is weaker in bind strength as well, compared to concrete or mortar.

[nachtwacht]

Re: Is this plan (oven entry) structuraly strong enough ?

You can see in this pic that the vent is just butted up to the oven opening.

That is exactly what I was planning to do ! I had found your picture and stored it localy allready and it is basicaly where I got the idea from I just did not know where it came from anymore.

And you made that without any cladding ? Nice...

I think I will use cladding or some other extra reinforcement anyway, just to be sure, but it is reassuring that your oven is still standing without it I do have the feeling that in your door the arch is a little more bend and the the 3 stones that it is standing on are a little lower (for sure, since I use 4 stones) That will structuraly probably make it somewhat stronger... I will see if I can live with a small redesign like that. I will still use some reinforcement but it will only be half way the stones so I like to make it as strong as possible without the reinforcement...

Again thanks for all your replies.

[stonecutter]

Re: Is this plan (oven entry) structuraly strong enough ?

......... but it is reassuring that your oven is still standing without it .......

I haven't seen the oven in over 3 years, but we are heading up to CT in Oct, and I planned on stopping by to check it out. Hopefully the dome hasn't imploded and the arch a crumbled ruin.

[nachtwacht]

Re: Is this plan (oven entry) structuraly strong enough ?

Mine should be finished before that so if it has imploded, please don't tell me

Thanks for all the advice !

[ATK406]

Re: Is this plan (oven entry) structuraly strong enough ?

Option 5 sounds like a winner if you are dead set against buttressing the arch from the outside. But I would fill the hole in your "stones" and slab (surrounding the rebar) with cement (mortar) to ensure the rebar is anchored to the slab and enusre that there is no movement between the rebar and the "stones". I would use 1/2" or 5/8" rebar for this.

[nachtwacht]

Re: Is this plan (oven entry) structuraly strong enough ?

Thanks ATK406. I think I will indeed do exactly that. It sound to me like "fairly easy" to do and structuraly very strong.