Structural Design Of Insulating Concrete Form Walls In Residential Construction

The first edition also served as the source document for building.

Structural design of insulating concrete form walls in residential construction.

Insulating concrete form or insulated concrete form icf is a system of formwork for reinforced concrete usually made with a rigid thermal insulation that stays in place as a permanent interior and exterior substrate for walls floors and roofs. Concrete block or concrete in insulated concrete forms icfs. Nahb research center author see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. This style of residential structural design can be considered a combination of both load bearing walls and post and beam construction since as a whole the framed exterior wall is a load bearing wall but all the elements within in are acting as posts and beams.

This step by step guide will introduce you to the many advantages of icfs such as energy efficiency design flexibility strength durability and ease of construction and show you how to design and construct houses out of them. Represented the outcome of an initial effort to fulfill the need for prescriptive construction requirements and to improve the overall affordability of homes constructed with insulating concrete forms. These include traditionally formed reinforced concrete slabs icf slabs precast hollow core plank concrete on metal deck combined with steel joists or cold formed joists. Common applications for this method of construction are low rise buildings with property uses ranging from residential to commercial to industrial.

Structural integrity for better resistance to forces of nature compared to framed walls. Icf walls are simply concrete bearing walls so any floor system that is used for other types of bearing wall construction can be used in combination with icf wall systems. The objective of this design guide is to employ the technology efficiently. Ideal for today s housing requirements insulating concrete froms icfs are hollow units made of plastic foam assembled into the shape of a building s exterior and filled with reinforced concrete to create structural walls.

Structural design of insulating concrete form walls in residential construction was developed as a guideline for the design of single and multi unit residential structures using insulating concrete form icf wall systems. The insulating concrete form association represents the icf industry in north america and provides an overview of the technology. Structural design of insulating concrete form walls in residential construction eb212. Insulating concrete forms create a structural concrete wall either monolithic or post and beam that is up to ten times stronger than wood framed structures.

These systems are strong and energy efficient. The insulating forms protect the concrete from temperature extremes permitting concrete to be placed at below freezing temperatures and extending the construction season.