During Construction

Speed of build is one of the unique selling points for considering an ICF solution. It is far faster to build with than traditional brick & block or frame structure. 

Heavy plant and equipment that you would normally find on the average building site when using traditional building methods is not required with ICF’s. This is due to the lightweight forms and the speed of the modular build.

Using ICF makes it very easy to keep the building site tidy and clean, as the forms are easy to stack and waste is kept at a minimum. This is achieved by the fact that ICF’s are light and easy to handle, so less chance of injury. The workplace is easy to keep tidy, thereby cutting down the possibility of trips, falls, etc., and because the need for plant and other equipment is minimal, chances of accidents are also minimised.

Material availability is on short lead times. The structure can be built in most weather conditions, including rain and frost.

ICF systems allow the watertight building shell to be erected in days. The follow-on trades can therefore enter the building and start putting utilities and finishes into place much more quickly than traditional building methods.

A great benefit of using an ICF system is the ability to put the conduit, cabling, ducting, etc., for the services you require within the wall space of the empty forms prior to pouring the concrete; this saves time and makes for a very efficient way of construction. This can be supplemented by chasing within the inner wall of polystyrene after the concrete wall has been poured and cured.

When all the factors and benefits are taken into consideration, Insulated Concrete Formwork becomes extremely competitive compared to both traditional building methods and lightweight framing. Site examples have proved savings of between 25% to 30% in cost compared to traditional build and lightweight framing if a render is an external wall covering and a further 25% to 30% saving in build time against traditional where materials are on similar lead times. A similar timescale advantage accrues versus lightweight systems if the time starts from the date of frame order.

This is achieved when insulated Concrete Forms are used to build the structure as they offer low ‘U’ Values from 0.3W/m2degk down to 0.11W/m2degk, and they perform to their ‘theoretical calculated design performance’ unlike most materials where a lower U value simply means an improvement on previous. Because dense concrete is the structural core and the layer of insulation is much thicker on the outer leaf (in the lowest U value requirements), “thermal mass” benefits are obtained, which means that the building is warm inside when it is cold outdoors in winter and vice versa in summer. This means you can turn your heating on later in the year and switch it off earlier. Because there is better retention of heat within the building, you can use a small boiler than you would have to had the structure been built out of lightweight materials and in some cases – Passiv Haus Design, a boiler will not be required at all.

As summers in the UK get increasingly warm, air-conditioning will increase, but the thermal mass will minimise the need for air-conditioning, offering further savings against lightweight framed structures not yet considered by regulation but coming soon!you dreamed of.

Due to the density and thickness of the concrete cores within the ICF’s, excellent acoustic insulation is provided, well below the current Building Regulations Part E. Currently (November 2007), pre-completion tests are required since no Robust Details are in place for ICF’s, but to date, all tests with all ICF systems have passed the Building Regulation requirement. 

An ICF structure will have minimal air leakage as it is a monolithic structure. North American experience demonstrates that occupants with allergies and chest complaints have minimal difficulties caused by dust, pollen etc., within the property than competitive house-building systems 

All Insulated Concrete Formworks provide fire protection more than normal requirements. EPS (expanded polystyrene) is manufactured containing a fire-retardant substance, which means the ICF does not support a flame. 

Concrete and construction grade EPS are unaffected by water. If ICF buildings are in an area which is subject to possible floods, they will withstand the pressure of water and flood damage will be minimised, especially when compared with building methods. ICF properties exposed to water can be pumped and dried out, leaving the structure integrity unaffected. 

ICF structures do not rot and are unaffected by vermin and termites. 

ICF structures – concrete framed buildings – are accepted by all reputable companies and organisations, providing they have passed the recognised third-party tests and standards that are needed to obtain building approval. In the UK, ICF’s should have either BRE or BBA certification, and ready-mixed concrete should be supplied from manufacturers offering BSI or QSRMC Quality Assurance schemes. 

Because concrete frames offer a whole floor space without further load-bearing walls, it is easy to remodel and upgrade floor layouts in the future. The strength of ICF walls allows extra floors to be added subject to authority approval, and it is easy to add and tie in future extensions. The structural walls also will accommodate extra openings in the future, though engineering approval would be needed. If even lower U values are required in the future, extra polystyrene could be fitted externally and reclad. 

Under normal circumstances, no maintenance would be required on the ICF walls in the life of the building. The internal and external facades could be subject to minor damage, which be easily repaired or completely stripped and renewed.