OK, now THIS rocks.

[unixronin]

A pair of British engineers have come up with an instant, permanent, inflatable building in a bag that they call Concrete Canvas -- just add air and water.  (Well, OK, not really instant, it takes 12 hours to cure.)  A 500lb package turns into a 16m² (172ft²) building, for around $2,100, about twice the cost of a tent the same size ($1,150) or a quarter of the cost of a comparable rigid shelter such as a Portakabin or Nissen hut (almost $8,000).  It can be erected by unskilled labor, can be hydrated using non-potable water, and can even be delivered sterile for use as a field OR.  A relief mission can arrive at a disaster site in the afternoon, have buildings erected and curing by sundown, and have a field hospital ready to start accepting patients the next morning.

Comments

[yndy.livejournal.com]

That's pretty freakin' cool...
Hope you don't mind if I lift this in its entirety - I'll credit! :)

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Isn't it though? This could help in a huge number of places. There's lots of other potential applications too.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Damn. They would go and patent the sucker.

Ah, well, it's no good around here anyway. Not for what I'd want it for.... gotta have something not so rigid to survive shake-rattle-and-roll....

[ilcylic.livejournal.com]

Holy fuck that's awesome.

I see massive future potential use out here in the Southwest.

-Ogre