I am in the planning stages to build a single story 1800sf active and passive solar house in Harbourville Nova Scotia Canada. The house will be partially built into a hill, approximately 4' at the most, and slab on grade with frost walls down to the bedrock. The plan for the exterior walls is as follows:
Interior finish - bare concrete, 4" of high density foam in two layers with joints staggered and taped, tyvec house wrap, either steel or stucco exterior finish. Below grade I will be using a hydraulic pressure breaking drainage board and waterproofing membrane and a carefully installed footing drainage system.
I am interested in comments or suggestions. I am not interested in using ICF. I want the exposed concrete finish inside and no foam on the interior of the house. Electrical boxes with conduits to the mechanical room will be installed prior to the pour.
Does anyone know what the "R equivilant" of 8" concrete and 4" of extruded foam is? I know I am going to have challenges with the building inspectors on this. I'm sure they will also want me to install a poly vapour barrier on the inside of the wall and I will need to have some proof that it won't be needed.

Thanks
Steve

you'll probably be in R20 area with 4" of XPS. I would look into FPSF (frost protected shallow foundation) with what you want tot do to minimise the heat loss to the ground (something like legalett). I don't know what kind of inspectors you have there but they should't ask for a VB with your kind of wall (give them some credit :-)).

good luck
adi

Have you looked at the CIC shotcrete panel systems? EPS sandwich with two shotcrete layers. Suspended metal mesh allows for utilities to be put in between mesh and EPS prior to shotcrete.

tridipanel

metrock scip - has built in screed wire guides for a consistent shotcrete layer/flatter wall finish