Insulating concrete form or insulated concrete form (ICF) is a system of formwork for reinforced concrete usually made with a rigid thermal insulation that stays in place as a permanent interior and exterior substrate for walls, floors, and roofs. The forms are interlocking modular units that are dry-stacked (without mortar) and filled with concrete. The units lock together somewhat like Lego bricks and create a form for the structural walls or floors of a building. ICF construction has become commonplace for both low rise commercial and high performance residential construction as more stringent energy efficiency and natural disaster resistant building codes are adopted. ICFs may be used with frost protected shallow foundations (FPSF).
The design for this amazing waterfront site is loaded head to toe with energy-efficient construction features. It gets going right from the start with an ICF foundation and four inches of XPS rigid insulation under the basement slab, creating an airtight envelope with great R-value.
The ICF walls will continue up to form the first floor walls in many areas, mostly north and east facing
The completed project: