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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

INSULATING CONCRETE FORMS (ICFs)

What are Insulating Concrete Forms? (ICFs)
A: Insulating Concrete Forms are hollow blocks or panels made of EPS (expanded polystyrene) plastic foam that construction crews stack in the shape of the exterior walls of a residential, or commercial building. Workers then add reinforcing steel and fill the gap (typically 4' - 8', but can go to 2 feet) between the two layers of foam with concrete, which cures and hardens into a monolithic core. The foam panel stays in place. This combination of concrete, steel and foam creates an incredibly strong and energy-efficient structure.

What are the design possibilities and/or limitations with ECO-BLOCK?
A: Today's concrete homes can be created with virtually any design or architectural feature. ECO-BLOCK has furring strips every 8' imbedded in the panel to allow attachment of any finish - such as: wood, aluminum siding, brick, stucco and stone on t he exterior, and drywall or plaster on the interior. The result is a home that looks like any other structure in the neighborhood, but has all the benefits of solid concrete construction.

How much money can I expect to save on my utility bills?
A: A study commissioned by the Portland Cement Association concluded that homes built with ICF exterior walls offer up to a 50 percent savings for heating and cooling costs over comparable wood-frame houses.

What is the average R-value of ICF walls?
A: Walls made of ICFs perform, on average like a wood-frame wall constructed with R-30 insulation. But that's not the whole story. The equivalent R-value performance of ICFs consists of 3 factors. First, the R-value of the Expanded Polystyrene; Second, the thermal stability of massive concrete walls reduces the temperature fluctuations, and, consequently, the heat load requirements that are images to wood-frame buildings. And finally, air leakage (and/or infiltration) can account for 20 to 40 percent of the heat load requirements of a wood-frame building. ICFs eliminate this air infiltration through the wall assembly. As a result, with the combined performance of the R-value of the Expanded Polystyrene, the stabilizing effects of the thermal mass of the concrete, and the reduced air infiltration, ICF walls actually perform as high as R-40 or more in some areas of the country (Canada/US).

Won't the foam burn or give off added harmful emissions?
A: No. The foams in ICFs are manufactured with flame-retardant additives. The National Research Council (US) reviewed the numerous existing studies of fire emissions and concluded that the emissions from polystyrene foams are no more toxic than those of typical softwoods used in home construction.

Who can build ECO-BLOCK homes in my area?
A: Virtually every part of the country now boasts ICF homebuilders. For information on finding a contractor in your area, please contact Cancon Building Solutions - info@canecon.com Call 403-236-9101 or 403-236-9101, for builders/installers certified to work the this ICF product.

Why is ECO-BLOCK considered an environmentally friendly method of building?
A: In a building's life cycle (from construction to demolition), the greatest ecological impact is the amount of fuel needed to heat and cool the home. Insulating Concrete Homes are a preferred environmental choice because of significant savings in natural resources needed to maintain a comfortable temperature.

When building with ECO-BLOCK, will mold and mildew in my new building be a problem?
A: ECO-BLOCK ICFs can significantly contribute to a mold-free environment due to the inorganic nature of the material. They also create a very tight building envelope reducing unintentional air infiltration.

Can ECO-BLOCK be used for tilt-up applications?
A: Yes. The ECO-BLOCK system for insulating tilt-up concrete panels offers the speed of tilt-up construction with the benefits of an ICF wall. After setting the panels in the form, you install reinforcement and embeds, and place the concrete. Once the concrete achieves the specified strength, the wall is lifted in place and screw-ties directly to the web system on the panel. For each additional inch of concrete penetration, attach 1" extensions to the web.

NewSIP Panel

What is a SIP?

Structural Insulated Panels (or structural insulating panels), SIPs, are a composite building material. They consist of a sandwich of two layers of structural board with an insulating layer of foam in between. NewSIP Panels are made with MagBoard sheathing. These are structural sheets that can be finished like drywall on the interior and covered with siding materials or have stucco directly applied to the exterior of the panel. When the panel is used for basement or foundation walls, foundation spray can be applied directly to the surface.

In accredited third party testing, this combination has outperformed traditional products such as wood frame and light gauge steel construction, as wall as traditional OSB structural insulated panels. NewSIP Panels can also be used to replace traditional concrete foundation and frost walls.

This is especially useful in markets where concrete is hard or impossible to obtain. Where concrete cannot be obtained the panels can be combined with a Preserved Wood and granular footing and column pads as well as a Preserved Wood sleeper floor system. The system also eliminates more seasonal weather related work stoppage due to the ability to assemble in cold temperatures and damp conditions. In comparison to PWF (preserved wood foundations) the NewSIP Panel system requires less skilled labour and can be completed in a fraction of the time. A simple foundation wall can be erected within hours as opposed to days. The panel also eliminates the interior frost wall required with concrete. New SIP Panels are rated at 1/2" hour without a frame. Under the building code exterior walls of residential construction with standard setbacks require 15 minutes of fire protection. On the exterior of a residential building, plywood or OSB are used to achieve this rating. With the introduction of new siding products over the past 20 years fires are becoming more severe within minutes.

In areas such as Alberta, it is very common that when a house starts on fire, the houses on either side will also become engulfed. In Multi-family projects it is common that buildings across the street suffer extensive fire damage as well. It is anticipated that there will be changes to the building code in the near future requiring, at a minimum of 1/2" drywall on the exterior of the structural sheathing, adding cost and time to the project.

The NewSIP Panel addresses these concerns with a single product while saving construction time and costs.

What is the New SIP Panel System?

The NewSIP structural insulated panel is a Patent Pending proprietary system developed to address concerns and deficiencies related to residential construction. These benefits are also related to commercial construction.

New SIP Panels can be used to replace any type of residential building envelope (wall), including basement foundation and frost walls, or as a curtain wall on commercial applications.

What a NewSIP Panel will do for you

With Residential Construction, the panel offers versatility and, more importantly, solutions to issues like energy efficiency, mod and quality of installation, at a comparable cost to current construction.

In hurricane belts the structural properties offer safety and sustainability of the building structure. Resistance to high winds, debris damage, mold and contamination absorption, lower refit costs, vacancy periods and insurance rates, or ultimately the ability to obtain suitable insurance in the specific region.
The system brings the construction industry one step closer to a solution for the affordable housing crisis by reducing the skill level of the installer while ensuring the integrity of the building envelope.

For individuals, the product allows them to construct their home themselves, without the need to purchase special tools. There is no time delay and they can make changes to the window and door openings onsite as they see fit.

For Commercial Construction the system can actually save money from typical construction techniques. Most of the savings come by eliminating steps in construction and therefore costly, and timely, labour. Energy savings in hot or cold climate operating costs can be passed onto the tenant to make the building a more attractive property to lease, or increase the bottom line to the landlord/building owner.

In Hi-Rise Construction, the system can shorten construction schedules, reducing carrying costs and, in colder climates, save enormous hoarding and heating costs. With a single step in construction the exterior can be sealed and insulated allowing trades to proceed with interior finish.

With the movement to "Green" construction, the system brings alternative energy sources into commercial affordability in all types of construction. The tighter more efficient building envelope will typically reduce Ground Source infrastructure costs by up to 40%.

The market segment for this product will only grow as governments come under pressure to reduce emissions from heating and cooling. Currently, commercial and residential buildings in North America contribute about one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions!

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