Commercial Buildings Take on a New Form
Wall system offers energy efficiency, durability, safety—and sustainability

ICFs are ideally suited for smaller commercial structures, like this theater in Austin, Texas built with the Rastra system.

ICFs are stay-in-place forms for casting concrete walls. The foam forms are available in a variety of sizes and configurations, which are placed in the shape of the structure and connected with plastic ties. As the forms are placed, reinforcing steel is installed to provide additional support. Concrete is pumped into the forms and allowed to harden. The resulting wall typically has two inches of foam insulation on each side, sandwiching approximately four to six inches of concrete. The interior and exterior of these walls can be easily clad with many traditional materials.

Energy Savings Help Achieve LEED Credits
In a typical ICF home, energy savings are significant, usually in the neighborhood of 15 to 35 percent less than conventionally framed construction. The ICFs’ heavy-duty insulation and concrete’s thermal mass help even out temperature swings in even the most dramatic climates. And HVAC systems can be designed on a smaller scale, further cutting costs at the front end of construction.

Research conducted in the U.S. has shown that the bigger the ICF home, the bigger the efficiency benefit. Proponents of the system’s use in light commercial construction say there is an obvious correlation: commercial buildings stand to benefit greatly, says Ed Alsamsam, PhD, PE, SE, LEED-AP, and manager of PCA’s buildings group.

“Most commercial buildings pursue LEED certification based on at least meeting the applicable ASHRAE requirements or exceeding them. In those cases, they are mostly improving mechanical systems’ efficiency and design to achieve enhanced performance over ASHRAE,” says Alsamsam. “ICFs are a building system that can achieve similar gains in building performance and potential LEED points in the Energy and Atmosphere category,” he explains.

“As designers try to get low-rise commercial buildings LEED certified, they need to tackle the issue of energy performance,” Alsamsam continues. “They have been honing their skills in terms of mechanical, electrical and piping equipment to minimize water, heating, cooling, and lighting needs. A building designer has the ability to make the single greatest impact in making the building envelope efficient, and ICFs provide superior thermal performance.”

Durability: Buildings That Last
As the sustainable movement grows, more emphasis is placed on life cycle assessment and analysis, an examination of the long-term costs of building green compared to conventional techniques. When it comes to optimizing life cycle costs and benefits, ICFs are a great fit, providing unmatched durability that ensures the structures will last for generations. Many structures built with concrete are designed for 100 years of service or more, and ICF buildings are no exception.

In fact, the government is starting to embrace ICF technology for its durability and strength, using it to meet blast resistance requirements on projects like the Florida Armed Forces Reserve Center, a 140,000-sq-ft multi-use complex in Pinellas Park, near St. Petersburg. “Since September 11, all military buildings must have force protection built in,” explains William Murray, project architect with URS Corporation, designers of the complex. “ICF construction was the most cost-effective way to achieve that.”

Speed and Ease of Construction
On the job site, construction is quick and simple, says Joseph Lyman, executive director of the Insulating Concrete Form Association (ICFA). “For large commercial jobs, speed of construction is one of the biggest reasons for using the technology,” he says. Materials can be stored on-site during construction, and leftover forms can be used on other projects, so there is little construction waste. Fast erection times minimize truck traffic and disruption to the surrounding community.

Quality of Life
Beyond increasing energy savings or ensuring durability and safety, ICFs offer some basic benefits that boost employee productivity and enhance the health and well being of building tenants. The thermal mass of concrete walls ensures evenness of temperatures, providing a comfortable working environment no matter the season. The monolithic construction method reduces air infiltration, boosting indoor air quality. Solid concrete walls help reduce sound transfer, providing a quieter work environment. All these benefits add up to more comfortable, inviting workplaces, which help businesses attract—and retain—the best employees.

Poised for Growth
According to the ICFA approximately 22 percent of today’s ICF construction is commercial work, concentrated in markets including schools, light construction, strip malls, agricultural projects, jails and prisons, and smaller public and private office buildings.

The Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox Monastery in Dendalli, Texas, will stand two stories tall and includes two towers built with Arxx ICFs.

Alsamsam agrees, predicting ICFs will quickly take hold in the sustainable marketplace. “The range in sustainable benefits from ICF systems is tremendous. Energy efficiency and indoor air quality are attributes that support LEED points, while durability, occupant comfort and disaster resistance are sustainable qualities that reach beyond the current LEED rating system,” he explains. “They’re going to address sick buildings, employee retention, building leasing, owning and operating in the long-term, life cycle costs and their importance to the owner and developer.”

Florida Resort Embraces ICFs For Expansion JW Marriott Grande Lakes Exhibit Hall has tallest ICF walls in the country In Florida, insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are a common method of residential construction, offering energy efficiency, strength and durability in the tropical environment. Increasingly, corporations are also turning to ICFs for projects in the region, building commercial structures that beat the heat and provide sustainable performance. Photo by Florida Aerial Services, Inc. courtesy of Reward Wall Systems. The JW Marriott Grande Lakes Exhibit Hall is one of Florida’s largest commercial ICF structures, a space of almost 29,000 sq ft located on a 500-acre luxury resort in Orlando. Built with ICFs from Reward Wall System, the hall boasts structural walls as high as 54 feet, approximately five stories—the tallest ICF walls in the U.S. It is scheduled to open in September 2004. Building with ICFs cut the original construction schedule by about six weeks and allowed general contractor Hunt Construction Group to complete the project in a constrained space. “An increasing number of large companies are choosing ICFs for big projects because of the wall performance characteristics and constructability,” says Ed Storm, president of Reward. “In this case, the resort will also benefit from the system’s excellent energy efficiency.” The state also is home to the new Florida Armed Forces Reserve Center, a 114,000-sq-ft multi-purpose facility built with Reward ICFs in Pinellas Park, adjacent to St. Petersburg. “The federal government and the corporate community are seeking out alternative building products that provide lower life cycle costs and more durability, something ICFs have done for years,” says Storm. “This is a trend that will continue for years to come.”

 
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