Product Description
by U. S. Dept of Housing and Urban Developm (Created by), Nahb Research Center Inc (Created by)
Insulating concrete form (ICF) construction increases comfort, saves energy, muffles exterior noise, and requires less maintenance than standard techniques, a new HUD-sponsored study shows. Insulating Concrete Forms for Residential Construction reports on a demonstration program coordinated for HUD by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center on the use of this alternative structural material for single-family houses. ICFs can replace conventional stud construction for basement and side walls. The forms usually consist of concrete between polystyrene foam, although other form materials such as polyurethane, recycled wood, and cement mixtures are sometimes used. There are three general types of ICF construction: flat ICF wall, where the poured concrete surface is flat; waffle grid, where the concrete has varying thickness; and open grid, where the concrete forms a grid.