ICF construction

What is:

Construction system consisting of insulating blocks in EPS, expanded polystyrene (known in Portugal as styrofoam) which, after assembly, are filled with reinforced concrete, forming the exterior walls of the buildings.



ICF advantages:
Insulation High thermal and acoustic insulation.
Economic Reduction of waste on site and low maintenance cost.
Easy and Fast Light and easy to apply, it reduces construction time.
Resistance Greater anti-seismic and fire resistance.
Versatile Simple, versatile system with a wide variety of finishes
Sustainable Construction Reduced energy consumption in manufacturing and throughout the life of the building.

About ICF:

Thermal insulation

High thermal insulation obtained through the combination of two EPS layers, with reinforced concrete, obtaining unique insulation levels, meaning less energy used to heat and cool the building.

Anti-Seismic Resistance

Reinforced concrete walls make the construction solid and safe, being more effective in resisting seismic events than conventional constructions.

Fire resistance

Bearing in mind that the EPS used is not flammable, it makes the structure even more resistant to fire than others
construction systems, the same having already been proven in resistance tests carried out on ICF walls in the USA and Canada.

Soundproofing

With the application of roof insulation and double-glazed windows in the building, the sound transmission through the ICF walls becomes less than in a common building, this has already been proven in tests for this purpose.

Water insulation

The combination of EPS with the concrete walls forms a barrier preventing the passage of water.

Pathologies and maintenance

Bearing in mind that there are no pathologies such as those of a common construction, such as cracks, infiltrations, fungi and molds, it means that it translates into low-cost maintenance.

How it is built

Its construction is simple and versatile. It is basically based on linking panels across the web's forming blocks. The blocks, in turn, will fit together, which will make the construction of the walls according to the project. The fact that the fitting is reversible reduces the system assembly time and material waste. The web’s or sleepers were designed to facilitate the fitting of the steel rods that will constitute the reinforcement of the wall. After assembling a wall, or set of walls, concreting is carried out in the traditional way. In fact, construction with the ICF system has great advantages for workers: EPS is light, easy to handle and cut, and concrete can be pumped by mechanical means.
The finishing of the constructions that can be considered include the EPS approved busbar, ceramic tiles, natural stones, metallic coating, wood, phenolic panels, etc ..., with the designer having complete freedom in his options.
For interior finishes there is a wide variety of options. The interior faces of the walls can be plastered, plastered, finished directly with ceramic or stone coating, or even plasterboard. The dividing walls of the interior of the building can be made with any of the options available on the market and used in other construction systems, such as plasterboard partitions, concrete block masonry, brick masonry, etc.

Economic

Taking into account the material to be used (panels), the charged costs are considerably reduced, as are the costs
improvements since there is a reduction of waste on site.
Also managing to reduce construction time.

New ICF

Now improved, with fewer joints, making the insulation even more effective and extremely quick to assemble, since the panels are 120 cm wide by the height of the desired right foot and also bring the iron inside.