Poured
Walls
Poured concrete foundation walls are stronger than hollow core
masonry foundation walls.
Engineering tests and technical data demonstrate poured concrete
foundation walls have both ultimate flexural strengths many times
greater than hollow core masonry foundation walls to resist the
pressures of earth, wind, and water, and ultimate compressive
strengths many times greater than hollow core masonry foundation
walls to support vertical building loads.
Poured concrete foundation walls are a choice for builders because they
are stronger, go in quicker, can be built on marginal lands, and can
be constructed year-round.
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Tilt-Up
Walls
Tilt-up concrete walls have been used for a century and offer many
environmental benefits. Because they are cast on-site,
transportation costs are minimized. Typically, the thermal mass of
tilt-up eliminates the need for insulation. Of the approximately 25
percent of panels that are insulated, most use non-conductive ties
to take best advantage of thermal mass properties—creating solid,
insulated walls that offer high energy efficiency.
The large
panels require minimal energy and labor when it comes to erection
and finishing. And tilt-up buildings can be designed to accommodate
change, with panels easy to remove and reuse, or even recycle if
necessary.
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Insulating
Concrete Forms
Insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are rapidly gaining popularity in
commercial and residential construction. The stay-in-place forms are placed in the
shape of a structure and connected with steel or plastic ties, and
reinforcing steel is installed to provide additional support.
Concrete is pumped into the forms and allowed to set, creating a
wall with foam insulation on each side, sandwiching the reinforced
concrete core.
The high R-value of the insulation, the thermal mass of the
concrete, and the ability to moderate temperature swings, will
increase energy efficiency in any region. The forms can be installed
quickly and are an easy fit to custom-design homes.
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