Author: Corey Rozon
ICF construction is rapidly gaining popularity in both the residential and non-residential markets, so much so that the Cement Association of Canada has developed standardized ICF training modules to help facilitate greater adoption of ICF construction. Two of their main objectives are:
• To facilitate greater understanding and awareness of ICF construction as a viable building alternative, that will escalate its adoption in the residential and non-residential markets.
• To provide an industry baseline benchmark for required ICF training, ensuring adequate skills competence in the building workforce for the delivery of quality construction.
What is ICF Construction
Insulating Concrete Forms are energy-efficient reinforced-concrete walls that are dry-stacked without using mortar and filled with concrete, think of them like Lego blocks. The blocks, or forms as the are referred to, are stacked to form exterior and interior walls, reinforcing steel or rebar is then added into the openings and then concrete is pumped in to form the structural element of the walls.
An Insulated Concrete Form can be made from a variety of materials:
· Cement-bonded wood fiber (recycled waste wood and cement)
· Cement-bonded polystyrene beads
· Expanded polystyrene
One of the best ICFs are wood concrete forms, that is those that are made with cement-bonded wood fiber material that only uses natural ingredients. This combination of recycled waste wood and cement results in a better performing ICF wall system. If you are looking for ICFs you want to ensure you are looking for insulated concrete forms that are environmentally friendly. ICFs that are made from recycled material and do not contain or emit any toxic elements. Furthermore, insulated concrete forms that do not contain plastic, foams or polystyrenes are better for the environment than those that do contain these materials.
Benefits
ICF construction has many benefits over traditional wood frame construction.
· Strength and Comfort
In ICF construction the walls and floors form one continuous surface. This will help to keep out insects and create an environment free of allergens, dust, mold and other irritants. Furthermore the insulated forms are virtually soundproof and keep out unwanted noises and distractions..
· Energy Performance
Using insulated concrete forms means that your walls are already insulated better than any wood frame house. The ICFs will help to keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter and you can save as much as 50-80% on heating and cooling costs.
· Structural Integrity
A building built with insulated concrete forms can stand up to winds of 200 miles per hour and resist fire for up to 3.5 hours. ICF homes have been know to withstand hurricanes, tornados and a wide range of weather conditions from coast to coast. Furthermore concrete does not rot when it gets wet, making the upkeep and repairs minimal.
· Green Building
ICFs are inherently green, from raw materials to installation. Depending on the product, you can find ICFs that have no CFCs, HCFCs or formaldehyde used in the manufacturing process and made from recycled material. Also, 100% of the installation waste, even the insulated forms themselves, are recyclable.
Within the last decade many homeowners, builders and architects have come to realize the superiority of the ICF construction, even though they may be more costly to build, the energy savings that ICF homeowners receive make it a more affordable home in the long run.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/tools-and-equipment-articles/what-everyone-should-know-about-icf-forms-455131.html
About the Author:
ABOUT THE WRITERS
David Leonhardt and Corey Rozon are Ottawa ghostwriters.
Thirty percent of recently surveyed homeowners believe concrete to be the most environmentally friendly material, compared to wood or steel, according to a recent market research survey by the Portland Cement Association (PCA).
In addition, durability, energy efficiency, low maintenance and mold resistance were listed by current homeowners as the most important characteristics they would consider when buying a newly constructed home—all attributes of homes with concrete wall systems.
“The awareness of concrete homes and their advantages is at an all-time high since we began surveying homeowners more than a decade ago,” said Jim Niehoff, PCA director, low-rise building markets. “With limited dollars and concerns about energy efficiency, weather-resistance and indoor air quality, more and more homeowners are considering concrete for their next new home.”
According to the survey, 75 percent of homeowners were aware of concrete homes, even though an almost equal amount (76 percent) currently live in wood frame structures, followed by 16 percent who live in concrete block or masonry homes. However, the future likelihood of homeowners building with wood has decreased for the first time since 1998 with 54 percent reporting they would build wood compared to 63 percent in 2005, the last time the group was surveyed.
Concrete offers many advantages when compared to traditional wood frame construction. For example, homes built with insulating concrete forms, where concrete is sandwiched between two insulating layers of foam, require significantly less energy to heat and cool, which can save the homeowner of an average-sized house hundreds of dollars per year in utility costs. Concrete wall systems also significantly reduce the risk of building in hurricane zones and are well-known for creating a quieter, more comfortable indoor environment.
The questionnaire, conducted in 2008, was sent to 3,000 single-family detached homeowners in the United States to assess the awareness and use of concrete home building systems and competing materials as well as to measure the attitudes and perception of homeowners toward these systems.
Article credit: www.lawnandlandscape.com
Radiant heating systems are considered by many as the ultimate form of comfort heating. In addition to the advantages of hydronic heating in general, warm floors provide benefits that virtually no other system can match. Any one of these benefits can become the “hot button” that convinces a discriminating customer to install a radiant heat system. Here’s a summary of these key benefits.
Thermal Comfort: Buildings equipped with radiant heat systems have interior environments that are highly favorable to human thermal comfort. Unlike many systems that directly heat the air, radiant floor heating gently warms the surfaces of objects in the room as well as the air itself. The warm surfaces significantly reduce the rate of heat loss from the occupants, allowing most to feel comfortable at room temperatures 3 to 5 deg. F. lower than with other methods of heating.
The air temperature at floor level is slightly higher than the average room temperature. This significantly reduces the rate of heat loss from the feet and legs. Several feet above the floor, the air temperature begins to decrease. Most people tend to feel more alert with slightly lower air temperatures at head level. The lowest air temperatures in the room typically occur just below the ceiling. The result is reduced heat loss through the ceiling insulation and hence lower heating costs.
A system that’s out of sight: Most people realize that just about every occupied building in North America needs a heating system. However, few enjoy looking at the heat emitters that are a necessary part of that system. The fact that such heat emitters often restrict furniture placement further adds to their invasiveness. With a radiant heat system, the floor surface is the heat emitter. There’s no need to compromise the aesthetics of the space or restrict furniture placement. It’s a system that gives your clients a building interior that’s as thermally luxurious as it is aesthetically elegant.
A quiet system: One of the strengths of a radiant heating system is its ability to deliver heat without delivering noise. A properly designed radiant heat system is the epitome of silence. The gas or oil burner on the boiler is often the only component that makes any detectable noise, and it’s usually located in the mechanical room away from the occupied spaces.
A clean system: One of the biggest complaints associated with forced air heating is its tendency to distribute dust, odors and germs throughout a house. In contrast to whole house air movement, radiant flooring heating creates very gentle (imperceptible) room air circulation. Many people who suffer from allergies have found that radiant heat doesn’t aggravate the symptoms the way a forced air system often does.
A durable system: A concrete slab type radiant floor heating system is nearly as indestructible as the slab itself. It’s the ideal way to heat garage facilities, industrial buildings, recreation rooms, basements, or other buildings with high interior traffic. You must always insulate the concrete slab from the earth.
A system that reduces fuel usage: Radiant heat systems have a proven record of reduced energy usage relative to other forms of heating, both in residential and commercial / industrial buildings. The savings result from several factors such as the ability to sustain comfort at lower indoor air temperatures, reduced air temperature stratification, non-pressurization of rooms (which leads to higher rates of air leakage), and the ability to operate with lower water temperatures. Savings vary from one building to the next. Although some projects have shown savings in excess of 50%, a more conservative estimate is 10 to 20% in savings.
As energy costs continue to escalate, the ability to reduce fuel consumption will play an increasingly important role in how heating systems are selected. Radiant heat Systems can keep energy costs to a minimum while also delivering exceptional comfort. It’s truly the benchmark system against which all other methods of heating will be compared.
Article By Radiant Heat Products LLC
Although the majority of American homeowners, a full 76% of us, live in wood frame structures, we ‘re more interested and impressed with qualities concrete offers.
The top things we look for in a home are durability and energy efficiency, according to a survey conducted by the Portland Cement Association(PCA), with low maintenance and mold resistance also scoring high points. For those of us paying attention to the group compiling this information, it should come as no surprise that concrete beats wood in all these categories. So what does that mean for the furture of home construction?
Unfortunately, the numbers are murky on this, conveying a much less than direct association between homeowners acknowledged feelings and their actions. Thirty percent believe that concrete is the environmentally friendly material, compared to wood or steel. And, again 76% felt that energy efficiency was a top concern, but still, a full 54% report that if building a home, they would choose wood.
This number is down from 63% in 2005, good news for concrete interests, environmentalists, and trees, but why aren’t the numbers tracking more directly?
That we don’t know. But Jim Niehoff, PCA director, low-rise building markets, chooses to note the positive trend, saying, ““The awareness of concrete homes and their advantages is at an all time high since we began surveying homeowners more than a decade ago. With limited dollars and concerns about energy efficiency, weather-resistance and indoor air quality more and more homeowners are considering concrete for their next new home.”
Beyond the survey and what people may believe about concrete, here are somethings we know for sure:
* Homes built with insulating concrete forms , where concrete is sandwiched between two insulating layers of foam, require significantly less energy to heat and cool, which can save the homeowner of an average-sized house hundreds of dollars per year in utility costs.
* Concrete wall systems significantly reduce the risk of building in hurricane zones and are well-known for creating a quieter, more comfortable indoor environment.
Article posted on : purecontemporary.blogs.com
