The mass of concrete acts like
a reservoir with the ability to slow down the passage of heat from
the interior to the exterior, and vice versa," he adds. And air
infiltration-accounting for 32 percent to 39 percent of the energy
loss of a house-is substantially reduced with concrete. "A concrete
home can help cut monthly utility bills by nearly one half and
reduce insurance premiums by 15 percent to 25 percent,"
homeowners will enjoy an effective R-28 insulation efficiency, plus
highly insulated concrete exterior - paving the way for increased
comfort and savings.
Using an air cannon, researchers fired a 2 Yen 4 wood stud at 100
miles per hour at six concrete walls and four frame walls. The test
represents the force generated by flying debris during a tornado
with 250 mph winds, which covers 99 percent of all the tornadoes and
100 percent of all the hurricanes that occur in the U.S. each year.
The research concludes that frame walls built using wood or steel
studs lack the strength and mass necessary to resist the impact of
wind-driven debris. In all the cases tested, the frame walls failed
to stop the 2 Yen 4 "missile." Even a frame wall finished with solid
brick was completely penetrated by the flying debris. In all cases,
the concrete walls successfully stopped the flying debris. Exterior
finishes were slightly damaged by the impact, but the walls were
unscathed. Even the narrowest wall, a 2-inch thick section of a
"waffle" ICF, was undamaged by the direct impact of the flying
debris.
Fire tests Of all construction materials, concrete is one of the
most resistant to heat and fire. Experience shows that concrete
structures are more likely to remain standing through a fire than
are structures built of wood. Unlike wood, concrete doesn't burn.
Unlike steel, it doesn't soften and bend.
This has been confirmed in countless "fire wall" tests conducted
by various testing laboratories and summarized in the McGraw-Hill
book Insulating Concrete Forms for Residential Design and
Construction. In these tests, concrete walls built using ICFs were
subjected to continuous gas flames and temperatures of up to
2000degrees F for as long as four hours. None of the concrete walls
ever failed structurally. In contrast, wood frame walls typically
collapse in an hour or less.
Polystyrene used in ICFs is manufactured with flame-retardant
additives and is less likely to spread flames than wood. In a
procedure called the Steiner Tunnel Test, researchers line a tunnel
with material, start a fire at one end, and measure how far the
flame spreads. Flames travel about one-fifth as far down the tunnel
lined with polystyrene as with wood. In addition, the Southwest
Research Institute reviewed the numerous existing studies of fire
emissions and concluded that emissions from polystyrene are no more
toxic than those from wood.
Master craftsman restoration and custom home building, designing
and building superior quality, low maintenance and highly energy
efficient houses. We design and build houses to maximize the unique
features of a specific lot and implement alternative building
materials for a permanent dwelling to serve the needs of many
generations. We specialize in Insulated Concrete Form Systems
ICF construction is a building technique that allows us to
provide not only effeciency, but an affordable high quality
structure that will reduce daily cost of living while providing a
safer longer lasting home.
