By The Coffee Shops®.

Insulated concrete panels deliver many of the advantages associated with ICF construction with added flexibility and efficiency for many residential, multifamily and light commercial projects.

In the last few years, we’ve been talking a lot about ICF (insulated concrete forms) and the benefits they offer contractors (see this article and this podcast). But in this piece, we’re going to focus on one of the products that has been developed using very similar technology – ICPs (insulated concrete panels).

As factory-made, full height wall panels, ICPs are one of the most efficient ways to create concrete wall systems today featuring four main components:

1. EPS foam insulation: The expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam serves as a framework and insulator in ICPs. With a 1.5 pound density, it meets/exceeds code requirements for sheathing, eliminating the need for additional sheathing.
2. A water-resistant barrier (WRB): Most ICPs feature a polyester film layer. This acts as a WRB, removing another installation step.
3. External reinforcement system: In contrast to traditional concrete work which features internal rebar, ICPs utilize an external reinforcing system that “functions like a composite truss in a vertical position.” This type of reinforcement provides structural strength and an easy attachment point for interior finishes and external cladding.
4. Site-integrated concrete: The last part of installing an ICP is pouring the concrete on site into the vertical cavities. Most manufacturers will provide a mix specification document that outlines what type of concrete should be installed.

A prime example of a modern ICP product is Nudura’s HercuWall™ panel system. This product delivers “impressive thermal performance, typically R-28 to R-31, code-listed fire and STC ratings and fast installation, benefiting builders, building managers and occupants alike.”

As Greg Garrison, Business Development Specialist at Tremco CPG, explained, “[In comparison to Nudura ICFs], we're able to install HercuWall faster in the residential environment, especially [in projects like] build to rent, townhomes [and] multifamily. [Additionally, these HercuWall panels] use less concrete thanks to our concrete stud wall technology. So, it brings all the benefits and attributes of ICF into a much more scalable package.”

Read more about ICPs and HercuWall.

By Emma Peterson. 

Nudura ICFs are engineered and certified for structural integrity in the face of earthquakes.  

Across the world, seismic activity has been growing more threatening. In 2020 alone there were three major earthquakes across Croatia, Turkey and Greece that not only caused more than 1 billion Euros in damage but also put large numbers of human lives at risk. One of the most important things we can do in the face of this rising threat is to build stronger buildings that can endure Mother Nature’s worst.  

The first step to doing so? Making higher-performance products that can withstand high winds, flying debris, seismic waves and more. Products like Tremco Construction Products Group’s Nudura® Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). 

Nudura ICFs combine the strength of concrete with advanced engineering that not only provides increased energy efficiency but also safeguards lives during seismic events. In fact, Nudura ICFs meet and exceed a variety of building codes that cover earthquake resistance, such as the International Building Code (IBC), National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) and Eurocode 8.  

Further, Nudura has just been tested and certified to meet the ASTM E2126 standard. What is this standard? It is a dynamic seismic shear test that assesses the performance of framed wall assemblies in the face of in-plane seismic forces. The test of Nudura ICFs was conducted by the third-party Eucentre Foundation out of Pavia, Italy. Their findings indicated that:  

The Insulated Concrete Form walls performed equally compared to the conventional concrete walls in reducing lateral sway when faced with seismic shear loads. The findings also indicate that the success of concrete shear walls is less dictated on whether the walls use insulated concrete forming systems or traditional formwork, but rather dependent on steel reinforcement layout and type of concrete utilized. 

In addition to this, Nudura ICFs comply with Department of Defense (DoD) standards UFC 4-010-01 and UFC 4-023-03 and EN 1991-1-7 (Eurocode 1: Accidental Actions), which assess structures’ ability to endure and resist progressive collapse. 

Download Tremco’s Disaster Resilience Brochure to learn more about how Nudura stands up to earthquakes and more.