Building with insulated concrete formers or EPS blocks has considerable advantages over the traditional brick wall construction, starting with the efficiency gained in thermal insulation alone.
The high-density EPS blocks are made of locked-in vertical expanded polystyrene panels and can be used together to create a reinforced concrete wall by pouring concrete between these panels. The reinforced EPS blocks act as an effective thermal and moisture barrier and are ideal for maintaining side walls in position or as retaining walls.
Here are some widespread benefits of EPS block building, as opposed to the traditional brick building, according to the Expanded Polystyrene Association of South Africa (EPSASA):
Thermal Insulation. EPS blocks have the advantage of keeping homes warm in winter and cool in summer, thus saving energy costs with heating and cooling.
Lightweight build. EPS walls filled with concrete are about 50% lighter than equivalent sized brick walls, shows EPSASA research.
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.
Fully load bearing. EPS blocks are a shuttering system for reinforced concrete walls. The walls are designed using conventional reinforced concrete design methods.
Quick and easy to build. EPSASA research indicates that EPS blocks are equivalent in size to at least 36 bricks! Building with EPS blocks requires fewer resources. Builders only need to use a mechanism to lock the blocks together or reinforce them with concrete.
Fast construction speed. Walls can be built up to five times as fast as brick construction. Building rates of 50m2 per day per building team are easily achievable, EPSASA notes, speeding up work on the construction site.
No need for skilled bricklayers. EPS blocks are lightweight and easy to transport and install. The simplicity of fitting the EPS blocks and filling it with concrete means that developers do not require skilled bricklayers in the construction process.
The Isowall Group has been manufacturing and distributing Isolite Block Moulded EPS since 1985, and Isolite Shape Moulded EPS since 1992. Isolite EPS products are used primarily for insulation, lightweight fillers and semi-rigid cushioning.
Isowall is the supplier of choice within Africa for Insulated Sandwich Panel, EPS and EPP products. Contact us for more information.
