Primer

Insulated Concrete Forms

Great thermal performance with a lot of rigid foam

Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) are permanent forms for poured-concrete walls; the forms are typically stacked without mortar before concrete is poured, providing insulation and often reducing the amount of concrete needed for the resulting wall.

The insulation material varies from system to system, with the most common being high-density expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, which, unlike extruded polystyrene (XPS), is produced with a non-ozone-depleting blowing agent. Some include recycled EPS foam, waste wood fibers, or a combination of EPS beads and portland cement.

Published May 1, 2007

Wendt, A. (2007, May 1). Insulated Concrete Forms. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/primer/insulated-concrete-forms