ARXX® BRINGS UNISCAFFOLD ON BOARD,
FURTHERING ITS INSULATING CONCRETE FORMS (ICF) SOLUTION FOR TALL WALL PROJECTS
Portland, Oregon – September 15, 2008 – ARXX Corporation, a leading provider of green building envelope solutions, announced today its acquisition of Uniscaffold, LLC.
With the addition of Uniscaffold tall-wall scaffold system, ARXX is able to deliver an efficient and highly cost-effective solution for larger commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. The state-of-the-art Uniscaffold system has been in the market for over three years, is transportable globally and has been used to build ICF walls up to 63 ft. in height.
“There is no doubt that Uniscaffold system is recognized as the undisputed leader in the ICF building industry. As a result, we knew that it would be the best system to add to our current scaffolding/bracing product line-up.” said Frank O’Dea, President and CEO of ARXX Corporation. “Now we can fully service the needs for our commercial projects and offer cost efficiencies for tall-wall commercial construction.”
"Uniscaffold was poised for growth and was in the midst of deciding what our next steps were going to be," comments Al Peterson, former President and Owner of Uniscaffold, LLC. "As a leader in the ICF industry, ARXX will provide our customers with a true envelope solution for tall-wall projects. As part of the ARXX team, I look forward to continuing to develop products and services for the commercial market."
Al Peterson will move into the role of Director of Technical Services for ARXX Corporation; managing the technical services team. In addition to Al Peterson, ARXX will retain three Uniscaffold employees in various capacities.
Located in Lewiston, Idaho, Uniscaffold started manufacturing scaffolding systems in 2005. Uniscaffold goes beyond traditional scaffolding systems; it is an essential piece in building ICF tall walls. The system provides the installer complete control over the ICF wall during the building and pouring phases. Uniscaffold allows building tall walls with ARXX products up to 125 ft. in height without scaffolding engineering requirements, while meeting OSHA wall attachment and safety requirements.
About ARXX Corporation
ARXX® Corporation is a provider of green building envelope solutions that
includes tested and certified Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) for building
walls and foundations. ARXX currently offers a wide-range of ICF systems
including ARXX forms, PolySteel® forms and APEX™ recycled block, as well as
scaffold and alignment systems, waterproofing membranes and accessories.
ARXX products are used in commercial, residential and institutional
construction applications to make high-performance, sustainable buildings
that are safe, healthy, comfortable and energy efficient.
For more information visit www.arxxbuild.com.
Media Contact:
Gloria Tuck
Director of Marketing
ARXX Corporation
800.293.3210 ext. 413
gtuck@arxxbuild.com"
Of all construction materials, concrete is one of the most resistant to heat and fire. That fire resistance gives houses built with insulating concrete forms (ICFs) certain safety advantages. And those advantages give builders and buyers yet another reason to consider using ICFs for their next project.
How well do ICF walls hold up in a fire?
Experience shows that concrete structures are more likely to remain standing through fire than are structures of other materials. Unlike wood, concrete does not burn. Unlike steel, it does not soften and bend. Concrete does not break down until it is exposed to thousands of degrees Fahrenheit—far more than is present in the typical house fire.
This has been confirmed in so-called “fire-wall” tests. In these tests ICF walls were subjected to continuous gas flames and temperatures of up to 2000°F for as long as 4 hours. All of the ICFs tested were of the “flat” or “uninterrupted grid” type, having no significant breaks in the concrete layer. In contrast, wood frame walls typically collapse in an hour or less.
Do they stop fire from spreading?
Concrete walls have also proven more resistant to allowing fire to pass from one side of the wall to the other. This is especially of interest in areas with brush fires that could spread indoors.
The fire wall test confirms this rule for ICFs once again. Part of the test measured how well the wall slows the passage of heat and fire from the side with the flame to the other side. The ICF walls tested did not allow flames to pass directly through. They also did not allow enough heat through to start a fire on the cool side for 2-4 hours. In contrast, wood frame walls typically allow both flame and fire-starting heat through in an hour or less.
Will the foam add fuel to the fire?
The foams in ICFs are manufactured with flame-retardant additives. These prevent the foams from burning by themselves. If you hold a match to the material, it will melt away.
Of course, in a house fire the foam may be subjected to constant flame from other materials burning nearby (wooden floors, fabrics, etc.). The “Steiner Tunnel Test” measures how much a material carries fire from an outside source. In the test, technicians line a tunnel with the material, run a fire at one end, then measure how far the flame spreads. The flames travel about one-fifth as far down a tunnel lined with ICF foams as they spread down a tunnel lined with wood.
Can the foam give off harmful emissions?
Practically any organic material, be it wood or plastic, gives off emissions when it is subjected to intense heat or flame. The Southwest Research Institute reviewed the numerous existing studies of fire emissions and concluded that the emissions from polystyrene foams are “no more toxic” than those of wood.
What precautions should I take to make my house fire resistant?
No matter what your walls are made of, there is no sense playing with fire. Building codes require covering the inside face of exterior walls with a fire-resistant material, such as gypsum wallboard or a stout plaster.
In areas prone to outdoor fires, it is wise to finish the exterior with a fire-resistant material, too. Favorites are Portland cement stucco and masonry.
And of course the more you can design your home to limit the exposure of flammable materials like wood and fabrics, the better.
What's the bottom line?
Evidence suggests that ICF walls may be safer in many ways than wood frame in a fire. Including ICF walls in your next home would provide an important and effective measure of fire safety.
A little less than 10 years ago, insulating concrete forms (ICFs) were known as a relatively obscure building system used mostly for foundations.
However, ICF construction has grown quietly over the past decade to become one of the fastest growing building systems in North America. It is certain that in the years to come, ICFs will receive a great deal more attention and become a building system of choice for several market segments.
Market shareICFs have seen tremendous growth over the past 10 years. In 1996, ICFA estimates the total square footage of ICFs used in North America was approximately 17,400,000 sq. ft. Since 1996, ICF market share has increased almost sixfold with approximately 104,000,000 sq. ft. used in 2006. Despite the dramatic growth in the first few years, industry gains have slowed to roughly 20 percent per year in the past several years. However, the growth in the ICF market is just part of the story. Understanding shifts in markets and market segments are equally as important so that the industry can understand the direction the market is moving.
In 1996, it is estimated that more than 90 percent of all ICFs were used in the residential market. Also, approximately 83 percent of ICFs in the residential market were used in below-grade applications. Fast-forward to 2006 where ICFA estimates that approximately 52 percent of all ICFs used in the residential market were used in above-grade applications. Given these numbers, ICFA estimates the majority of those homeowners building foundations using ICFs in 2006 also decided to use ICFs for their above-grade walls.
"People have decided to upgrade their wall systems and go to the roofline using ICFs," says Jim Niehoff, residential promotion manager for the Portland Cement Association. "The price of energy, concerns about natural disasters and a desire to improve the overall quality of the home have pushed people to consider a better building system."
The commercial market is equally interesting. In 1996, ICFA estimates that less than 10 percent of ICF square footage was used in the commercial market. However, this percentage has grown to over 30 percent in 2006. ICFs are now becoming widely used for a full range of market segments including the theater, hospitality/resort and big box retail segment. Theaters are among the hottest, as numerous theater megaplexes were built using ICFs in 2006. It isn't hard to believe within the next few years that ICFs will become the building material of choice for many market segments, especially the theater market.
ICFs have a competitive edge in the theater market. ICFs are being chosen to reduce noise and improve the construction schedule. ICFs are faster to build and better than alternative construction methods.
What does the future hold?
Although ICFs continue to gain awareness in the marketplace and overcome resistance to using a relatively new product, the ICF industry's biggest hurdle remains creating a subtrade to install ICFs. Unfortunately, the product's appeal has outstripped the industry's ability to install all the ICF projects that clients and homeowners are interested in having built. Pressured by time constraints and a lack of competitive bids from ICF installers in certain areas of North America, individuals are often forced to substitute ICFs with an alternative wall system.
Pieter VanderWerf, president of Building Works, Inc. and a longtime ICF industry insider, believes training and experience is key to helping the industry build a subtrade that will overcome these issues. He says, "The creation of a true ICF installer base will help prevent the ICF industry from turning away business while increasing the competitive edge needed to gain market share. Increasing the number of ICF installers and increasing their jobsite efficiency will help to dramatically improve the installed price of ICFs."
Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." The construction industry should take notice to what the famous designer once said. For years, there has been an overwhelming need in the construction industry to simplify building systems and create more user-friendly building materials due to the lack of skilled labor in the market. This is why the future looks so bright for the ICF industry. Although technologically advanced, an ICF wall system is simple in its design. With ICFs, a single crew can reduce the need for a separate structural, insulation and noise abatement subcontractor for the same job all while improving construction schedules.
Above all, proper training is an important component to ICF installations. Many ICF companies, as well as the ICFA, sponsor ICF installation courses throughout the United States and Canada to train contractors on industry-accepted methods for installing and consolidating concrete in ICFs. This more than anything will help an ICF project succeed. Please check with ICFA or ICFA Primary members to learn how you can increase your level of expertise by attending one of these courses.
With ICFs accepted in the model building codes, field proven throughout North America and currently being used by some of the world's largest clients, design firms and contractors, ICFs are ready to make the next big leap.
Joseph Lyman is the executive director of the Insulating Concrete Form Association. The Insulating Concrete Form Association (ICFA) is the trade association representing the business and political interests of the insulating concrete form industry, representing over 470 member firms through ICF promotion, codes and standards, research, partnering and education. Founded in 1994, the ICFA is located in suburban Chicago, Ill.
author: By Joseph Lyman, executive director, Insulating Concrete Form Association
For more information go to: www.conduitdevleopment.com
