INSULATING CONCRETE FORMS FOR COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

摘要

Insulating Concrete Forms, or Forms for short, combine two well-established building products, reinforced concrete for strength and durability, and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation for energy efficiency. ICF walls are made up of two layers of rigid insulation held together with plastic ties to form ICF units with a cavity in the center. The ICF units are stacked in the shape of the wall, reinforcing steel is added into the form cavity and then concrete is placed into the form. The result is a reinforced concrete wall with a layer of insulation on each side. What makes ICFs different than traditional concrete construction is that the forms remain in place after the concrete is cured to provide thermal insulation. The combination of reinforced concrete and insulation provides an ideal load bearing wall, thermal envelope, fire barrier and sound barrier.