Construction
ICFs are currently manufactured from any of the following materials:
- Polystyrene foam (expanded or extruded — most common)
- Polyurethane foam (including soy-based))
- Cement-bonded wood fiber
- Cement-bonded polystyrene beads
Concrete is then pumped into the cavity to form the structural element of the walls. Usually reinforcing steel (rebar) is added before concrete placement to give the concrete flexural strength, similar to bridges and high-rise buildings made of concrete (see Reinforced concrete). Like other concrete formwork, the forms are filled with concrete in 1-foot to 12-foot "lifts" to manage the concrete pressure and reduce the risk of blowouts.
After the concrete has cured, the forms are left in place permanently, for the following reasons:
- Thermal and acoustic insulation
- Space to run electrical conduit and plumbing. The form material on either side of the walls can easily accommodate electrical and plumbing installations.
- Backing for gypsum boards on the interior and stucco, brick, or other siding on the exterior
Read more about this topic: Insulating Concrete Form
Famous quotes containing the word construction:
“No real “vital” character in fiction is altogether a conscious construction of the author. On the contrary, it may be a sort of parasitic growth upon the author’s personality, developing by internal necessity as much as by external addition.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“The construction of life is at present in the power of facts far more than convictions.”
—Walter Benjamin (1892–1940)
“There’s no art
To find the mind’s construction in the face:
He was a gentleman on whom I built
An absolute trust.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)