Constructions built with insulated concrete forms (ICF) are becoming a popular choice that delivers durability, insulation, resistance and performance for both residential and commercial projects.
Insulated concrete forms (ICF) are cast-in-place concrete walls sandwiched between two layers of insulation material such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. ICF building provides energy-efficient, airtight and cost-effective insulation with a host of other benefits.
Here are a few things you may not know about ICF.
1. ICF buildings perform better than wood-frame constructions
Buildings constructed using ICF outperform the traditional timber and wood-frame construction techniques, as well as bricks and blocks building regarding thermal insulation, energy-efficiency and strength.
Continuous insulations on both sides of the concrete wall in ICF ensures important savings in annual energy, heating and cooling costs, from 25% up to 50%, according to various US studies. By comparison, wooden buildings will need additional upgrades to their insulation.
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) manufactured by the Isowall Group is fast becoming recognized as the insulation material of choice by specifiers of “Bills of Quantities”. This comes largely as a result of our technical knowledge backed up by years of experience in the building and construction industry.
2. ICF can withstand severe weather and impact
A steel-reinforced solid concrete core using ICF proves to be more durable and stronger than its wood or brick counterparts. ICF concrete structures have better resistance to unpredictable weather elements such as floods and hurricanes and other hazardous circumstances like fire incidents or earthquakes.
ICF construction results in more resistant and durable buildings that provide extra safety for their occupants. Impact resistance is another differentiator since concrete forms and steel reinforcements can protect against the physical impact that can cause structural damage. In all these cases, the resistance factor minimises costs associated with these risks.
3. ICF building is environmental-friendly
One of the many other reasons why insulated concrete forms are preferable in the building process is due to the environmental-friendly properties of the insulated core structure.
The use of ICF in construction creates less waste, which is also recyclable, not to mention the reduction in the building’s total carbon footprint and the substantial energy savings. It is why more and more builders rely on ICF to build sustainable and energy-efficient buildings.
