Energy Efficient Building Solutions,

Fast-Tube™ is a green building product used for forming round concrete columns & pilaster from a 'soft' fabric. 

Manufactured from high strength polyethylene, Fast-Tube™ comes on rolls 100' in length and in standard diameters of 8", 10" and 12". Installation, pouring and stripping is quick and easy.

Fast-Tube™ Advantages

• No waste: cut any length from 100' roll
• Ships flat, 1% the space of cardboard tubes
• Light weight, 10% the weight of cardboard tubes
• Strips in seconds
• Recycle as underslab membrane
• Undamaged by rain and moisture 
  

Get a free quotation for Fast-Tube™ fabric formwork for concrete columns and pilasters - Contact Core and Get an initial Free Consultation or Quote on Fast-Tube here. 

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Why is Fast-Tube™ a Green Building Product?

Sustainable and green buildings start with a foundation that minimizes construction waste and is cost effective. Fast-Tube™ achieves both these. 

1 - Conserves Natural Resources 

A single roll of Fast-Tube™ 10" diameter forms fifteen 8' columns, yet weighs only 17.1 pounds and takes up the space of a brief case. The equivalent in cardboard tubes weights about 150 pounds and takes up almost 90 cubic feet. This efficiency in space and weight results in energy efficiency throughout manufacturing and distribution. As cardboard columns are manufactured in short lengths, on the jobsite there is typicaly a 25% waste as the contractor cuts the tube to the required height. When the cardboard is stripped, all this material is sent to the landfill. Stripped Fast-Tube™ is recycled as an underslab membrane. 

2 - Contributes to USGBC LEED® Points 

There are seven areas where Fast-Tube™ contributes including: 

Storage & Collection of Recyclables

• Cardboard formed concrete columns are not environmental because of excessive transportation, storage, and waste. 100% of cardboard tubes are sent to the landfill. Fabric forms are recycled as an underslab membrane, providing value for the life of the home. In addition, fabric column forms are approximately 10% of the weight and only 1% of the volume, leading to efficiencies throughout the manufacturing and distribution processes. 
  

Construction Waste Management: Divert 50% from Disposal

• Fast-Tube™ is recycled as an underslab membrane with no material been sent to the landfill. Whereas cardboard column forms are 100% sent to the landfill. 
  

Durable Building

• Fast-Tube™ prevents rapid hydration of the concrete in the column, leading to stronger and more durable concrete. 
  
• Recycled Fast-Tube™ is used as an underslab membrane to eliminate rising damp, thereby preventing the deterioration of the building structure and interior finishes from mold and dampness. 
  

Construction IAQ Management Plan: during Construction

• Recycled Fast-Tube™ is used as an underslab membrane to act as a permanent membrane, preventing rising damp through the concrete and into the building interior. Elevated moisture levels are linked to mold and the proliferation of other indoor air borne pathogens that directly affect human health. 
  

Innovative performance not specifically addressed by LEED®

• Fabric formwork for concrete columns is a dramatic innovation over rigid cardboard forms. This technology is not only more efficient than cardboard, but offers ongoing benefits as an underslab membrane to the building occupants for the life of the structure.
  

3 - GreenSpec® Listed 

GreenSpec® is the highly respected green products directory produced by BuildingGreen, Inc. The company does not charge for listings or for the review process, nor do they accept advertising. As their resources are totally subscription supported, they have complete editorial independence and integrity - providing information that can be trusted. 

"GreenSpec is the best resource in my collection of sustainable product guides and I refer to it frequently for my own projects and when providing recommendations for others." 

Grant Crosby, Historical Architect, National Park Service (Alaska Region).  

4 - Provides a Drier, Healthier Indoor Environment 

Stripped Fast-Tube™ is recycled as an underslab membraine, preventing moisture from wicking up through the concrete slab into the home. This prevents mold and fungi that grow in damp environments and can cause severe respiratory infections and allergic reactions. Concrete is 'hygroscopic', meaning ground moisture wicks up through the slab concrete and inside the building. Recycled Fast-Tube™ is a vapor barrier which prevents this wicking.

Get a free quotation for Fast-Tube™ fabric forming for concrete Columns & Pilasters - Contact Core and Get an initial Free Consultation or Quote on Fast-Tube. 

 Get my Free Quote or Consultation ►