Insulating Concrete Forms for Commercial Construction
1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 ICC CEU; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 AIBD P-CE; AAA 1 Structured Learning Hour; This course can be self-reported to the AANB, as per their CE Guidelines; AAPEI 1 Structured Learning Hour; This course can be self-reported to the AIBC, as per their CE Guidelines.; MAA 1 Structured Learning Hour; This course can be self-reported to the NLAA.; This course can be self-reported to the NSAA; NWTAA 1 Structured Learning Hour; OAA 1 Learning Hour; SAA 1 Hour of Core Learning
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the basic design criteria and construction elements of commercial and institutional buildings built with insulated concrete forms (ICFs).
- Enumerate the many benefits of building with ICFs, including energy efficiency, cost efficiency, health, acoustics, durability, and fire safety.
- Discuss how concrete contributes to a building’s resilience to fire, flood, wind, and earthquakes, and helps protect the safety and health of occupants.
- Identify ways in which ICF concrete construction can promote health, safety, and welfare in a variety of building types.
This course is part of the Concrete Academy
Photo courtesy of CMTA Consulting Engineers
Case Study: Richardsville Elementary School, Bowling Green, Kentucky
The 550-student Richardsville Elementary School in Bowling Green, Kentucky, achieved the distinction of being the first net-zero school in the United States in 2010. A net-zero building is one that is extremely energy efficient and has a renewable energy source on-site, which produces energy that is returned to the energy grid. To accomplish this, Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects reduced the average energy use from 60.5 kBtu per square foot to 18.2 kBtu, which is 75 percent less than the ASHRAE 90.1 standard. This involved investment in technologies such as natural daylighting, solar orientation, efficient lamps, photovoltaic panels, a geothermal system, and thermally superior ICF walls and concrete floors to maximize energy performance. ICFs also reduced sound transfer between classrooms, the gymnasium, cafeteria, and music media center. In addition, due to the school’s location in Tornado Alley, ICFs will help keep the building’s occupants safe in the event of a natural disaster. The $14.9-million, 72,000-square-foot project was constructed within budget and ahead of schedule thanks to ICF construction. The investments paid off: In 2012, the school district received a check for more than $37,000 from the utility company for electricity it generated.
Photo courtesy of Mackey Mitchell Architects
Case Study: West Village Student Housing at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
A design-build project with Whiting-Turner, BGK Architects, and Mackey Mitchell Architects, this 230,000-square-foot West Village Student Housing complex at Texas Tech University implemented fast-track construction methods to deliver the project within an incredibly compressed schedule: 16 months for design and construction. Opened in 2014, this $54.8-million project contains 455 beds, community lounges, conference rooms, and designated study rooms. The complex was designed to meet LEED certification, serving as a model for Texas Tech’s newly adopted sustainability initiatives. Expected to reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent more than a typical residence hall, West Village utilized insulated concrete form (ICF) walls and precast hollow core floors, which delivered a highly energy-efficient, structurally solid, exceptionally fire-resistant, and acoustically sound dormitory. Another key aspect of the project was indoor air quality. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a stable and durable material ideal for construction. No chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, or formaldehydes are used in the manufacturing process, and there is no off-gassing.
Institutional Buildings
Hospitals and clinics, police stations, fire stations, and other government buildings have one thing in common: they need to survive disasters and last for a long time. This is why many communities are turning to ICF construction, since reinforced concrete has long been the material of choice to resist extreme structural loading from wind, earthquakes, floods, and fires. Many ICF buildings have survived disasters while surrounding buildings with less-durable materials have been completely destroyed.
Because ICF walls are integral with a concrete floor and roof system, they are extremely resistant to high loading and provide significant structural redundancy to avoid catastrophic failure. The solid walls act as shear walls to resist wind and earthquake loading. They also provide protection from flying debris caused by hurricanes and tornadoes. Because concrete and EPS are water resistant, even when a building is subject to flooding, the structure survives. This property protection is vital for communities to withstand and recover from disruptive events.
ICF walls are designed using traditional design requirements of the ACI 318 Building Code. This means that architects and engineers can use the same analysis and design techniques used on traditionally formed concrete buildings.
Photo courtesy of Logix
Case Study: Kalispell Fire Station, Kalispell, Montana
Kalispell, Montana's new fire station was specified to have a design life of 100 years. The architect, CR Architecture + Design, designed the building with insulated concrete forms (ICFs) for superior disaster resilience and low maintenance because of the architect’s experience of living in a concrete home. The station serves as a model for future stations and features a 16-person training room, drive-through bays, a fitness/wellness room, and provisions to expand. The tower serves as a functional training element for fire-rescue operations. The 13,000-square-foot station was built with ICFs and features 34-foot-high gabled ends. As with all projects, speed of construction was a deciding factor, and the ICF shell was completed in just six weeks.
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