by Marty Baron
Marty Baron
According to an assessment conducted by Kelly Parker, P.E., LEED, president of GWS, LLC, BuildBlock Building Systems Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) can help your construction project attain LEED Green Building status. The assessment asserts that BuildBlock ICFs can furnish the basis for 19 LEED points if the guidelines outlined below are applied in the building design and construction. Another 8 LEED points can be achieved indirectly because of the highly synergistic thermal control qualities of BuildBlock ICFs.
BuildBlock ICFs consist of foam insulation forms for poured concrete walls that stay in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly. The forms are interlocking blocks connected with high-density plastic webs. The stay-in-place forms provide a highly effective insulation, a sound barrier, and a backing for exterior and interior wall materials (drywall, siding, brick, etc.).
The ICFs can contribute to attaining LEED credits by affording the flexibility required in choosing exterior finishes and extending the life cycle of the building being constructed, and the significantly lower total quantity of wood makes Certified Wood easier to justify in the overall cost of the project.
Marty Baron is regional manager for BuildBlock Building Systems and managing director for North America for Core Construction Products, LLC.
