Insulated Concrete Formwork - Innovative ICF

Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF), sometimes referred to as Permanent Insulated Concrete Formwork (PIF), is a building system made from interlocking hollow insulating foam elements. The insulating foam elements works as formwork to in-situ poured concrete as well as a permanent insulation to the buildings.

ICF systems offer many advantages with regards to the construction of buildings and the management of construction sites, these are:

• Easy to use and install
• Speed of erection
• Limited number of subcontractors on site
• No need for special handling equipment
• High level of flexibility in design
• High level of thermal insulation and air tightness
• Compatibility with other construction systems

These advantages certainly appeal to the self-builders who have been using the ICF systems either to create hybrid construction (coupling ICF with an other construction method), or as the main structural elements for all components of the building. With the new Regulations and the stricter requirements for thermal and acoustic insulation, it is likely that ICF will become more popular amongst contractors, developers and builders as an alternative to traditional masonry.

Innovations such as offsite manufactured wall elements and panellised flooring solutions are making ICF more commercially attractive and allied to the emergence of indigenous supply-chains this sector certainly has a lot to show.

Learn about the challenges of making ICF technology mainstream at Innovative ICF.