ICF

What is ICF?

What are insulating concrete forms?

ICFs are hollow "blocks" or "panels" made of plastic foam that construction crews stack into the shape of the walls of a building. The workers then fill the center with reinforced concrete to create the structure. The combination of foam and reinforced concrete creates a wall with an unusually good combination of desirable properties: air tightness, strength, sound attenuation, insulation, and mass.

Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) represent the superior way to
build. Building with ICF materials is simpler and easier to install
than wood-frame methods It's faster, taking less time with fewer
people. And it's better, because our buildings are vastly more energy-
efficient. Stronger. Quieter. Resistant to fire, moisture, mold and the
elements. With a positive ecological impact.

-Build from the footing to the roofline, using one crew, one system.
-Form walls 4" thick and greater in any configuration.
-Create any shape or contour your design calls for.
-Apply any exterior or interior finish.
-Significant energy savings.
-Reduced noise transmission.
-Will not support the growth of mold or mildew.
-Can be built to any seismic or hurricane-storm standard.
-Up to a four-hour Fire Resistive Rating.

Walls built with ICF buffer an interior from the outside, and sharply cut temperature fluctuations, air infiltration, water penetration and noise - keeping the home quieter and more comfortable than an ordinary wood frame unit.

Insulated Concrete Forms is the new-generation Integrated Building Technology that is vastly superior to traditional stick framing methods. Building technology has seen rapid advances in recent times, with home owners looking for newer, more efficient ways to build homes that are stronger, more comfortable and energy-efficient, while allowing for flexibility of design and lower future maintenance costs. With Insulated Concrete Forms, you can save time and money and get a stronger, more comfortable energy-efficient home.

NUDURA is the new generation of ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) technology. NUDURA's double insulation protection is a high-performance expanded polystyrene building form made for erecting concrete walls. .
1. Double Insulation Protection
2. Concrete Core
3. NUDURA’s Patented Hinged, Folding Web

Greater Comfort & Lower Energy Bills
Energy savings and comfort are built into every ICF system. ICF's start with a high it-Value. Four inches of ASTM C 578 polystyrene foam insulation, combined with a five inch concrete wall a typical ICF system - are rated above R-17 at 75* mean test temperature. Other insulating form configurations and materials also exhibit high it-Values.

But that's not all! Air infiltration in an ICF Home is minimal due to the continuous air barriers provided by the foam insulation and the concrete. Likewise, there are no convection currents within wall cavities.

The concrete walls of an ICF home have high thermal mass, which buffers the interior of a home from the extremes of outdoor temperature during every 24-hour cycle. This reduces both peak and total heating and cooling loads.

This combination of high R-values, low air infiltration, and high thermal mass is believed to account for the amazing 25% to 50% energy savings of ICF versus wood or steel-framed homes.

Things to think about when planning an ICF house or building:

1. Use non ozone-depleting foam - all expanded polystyrene foams are now produced without ozone-depleting chemicals, the same cannot be said of all extruded polystyrene foams.

2. Plan for future expansions/additions - because they are filled with concrete, making a doorway out of an existing window or wall for an addition or expansion requires the use of a

jackhammer. Planning ahead and creating knock-outs in the walls can save time and money and add long-lived versatility to a building.

3. The cost of concrete - all of these products must be filled with concrete, check the price of concrete before settling on ICFs as your building system. Though most are efficient with their

concrete requirements, systems vary, and recent increases in the price of concrete have added substantially to the cost of an ICF house.

4. Roof connections - how your roof connects to the hurricane and tornado resistant walls is important. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and ensuring your roof is properly tied to these walls is part of the process of creating a wind resistant building.

5. Excellent product support - is the manufacturer willing to come out to your site and help train you or your contractor?

6. Properly size your air-conditioning system - because many ICFs help reduce the cooling load, a smaller air conditioner may be appropriate. The Portland Cement Association has several technical guides for right-sizing the A/C system in ICF houses