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Q: Where can I get information about building
in concrete?
 By Jamie Farny, PCA Market Manager, Buildings
Buying a home is a big decision. So is building a home. There
are so many choices. You have to know where you’re going
to build, how big you’re going to build, and what material
you’re going to use. Once someone has decided to use concrete
for their home, they are faced with another choice. What type of
concrete system should they use? There are several: concrete masonry,
insulating concrete forms (ICFs), removable forms (cast-in-place),
precast, tilt-up, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), and shotcrete.
Unless a large tract is being developed where repetition presents
economies of scale, single-family construction may favor concrete
masonry, cast-in-place, and ICFs. These systems do not require
much mobilization and materials are readily available throughout
the country. The other systems may require more machinery or specialized
materials.
The following sources provide various design and construction aids,
including details, for designing and building concrete homes and
other structures: American Concrete Institute (ACI), the Insulating
Concrete Form Association (ICFA), and the National Concrete Masonry
Association (NCMA).
ACI publishes Residential Code Requirements for Structural
Concrete (ACI 332) and Commentary. The current edition of this document
is dated 2010.
ICFA
provides a wealth of general information about ICFs.
Some of it has been developed with government assistance or with
public-private partnerships, including Housing for Urban Development
(HUD) and the Partnership for Advanced
Technology in Housing (PATH). For the most current and most specific
details and guidance about a particular brand of forms, consult the
manufacturer.
NCMA has its online TEK
Notes and Details for concrete masonry
construction. From structural topics to insulation strategies, NCMA
can help you
build with CMU.
Portland cement-based finishes like cement plaster (stucco) are
good choices for homes built using concrete systems. Some details
that show how wall sections are assembled are available here.
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