Ram Babu

What is a Sonotube?

A Sonotube is a cardboard concrete-forming tube made of waxed paper or lamination that is wound into a tube into which concrete is poured to create supports, columns, and supports for posts. Sonotube® is a registered trademark owned by SPC RESOURCES, INC.

They are made of fiber, plastic, and composite materials and are used for a variety of applications, from DIY projects to the construction of large buildings. According to the application, they vary in size from ones small enough to be purchased at the local hardware store to others several feet long with diameters measured in feet.

To create a column or support, Sonotubes are properly and securely positioned. Concrete is poured into them and left to set. Once the concrete has cured and set, the tube is cut away, leaving a durable strong support or column.

The different sizes of Sonotubes can fit any application, which one is chosen depends on the design of the structure, building codes, and the supporting soil. Sonotubes can withstand water for 24 hours with custom-designed ones are capable of withstanding water for 72 hours.

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Sonotubes Sizes

To form columns and supports of the exact dimensions, concrete forms must have smooth flawless interiors and be able to withstand the pressure produced by poured concrete and maintain their shape. For a long time, creating supports required the construction of wood or steel molds that took time to assemble and disassemble. The time and effort involved in the process delayed and completed construction, and columns produced from the process did not have a smooth and even surface.

The introduction of Sonotube forms has removed the labor-intensive time-consuming methods for creating molds, forms, and castings for column making and radically simplified the process. Sonotubes have made it possible to efficiently place columns and supports that have exceptionally smooth surfaces that are cost-effective and structurally sound.

The strength of Sonotubes is due to the tightly wound fibers that are adhesively bonded to produce a smooth and uniform surface. The process includes wrapping ribbons of heavy paper, cutting into strips, around a mandrel, and sealing by a pressure roller.

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Forms of Sonotubes

The invention of Sonotubes opened a whole new world to architects, contractors, and designers since they provided the flexibility and adaptability to easily place columns without the concerns of fitting a form or mold. Sonotubes are a convenient alternative for forming columns that provides a faster, easier, and more efficient method.

The many sizes of Sonotubes make it possible to adapt them to a wide range of applications. The most common is columns forming as supports for buildings, patios, cabanas, and other structures. Though Sonotubes are made of paper tightly wound to form a strong cylindrical shape, they are adequate to hold several yards of concrete. This factor, added to their cost, makes them an ideal choice for the construction of structural supports.

The chart below provides a brief overview of the available dimensions of Sonotubes with the cubic yards of concrete required for the various column heights.

Each manufacturer produces Sonotubes of different sizes but offers custom designs to accommodate customer requirements.

All of the various types of Sonotubes are designed for commercial construction use. The many different sizes provide capabilities that assist in increasing the efficiency of a construction project.

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