Article

Recycled Foam and Cement Composites in Insulating Concrete Forms

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Abstract

The world of building construction is changing in response to concerns about urban sprawl, resource conservation, and sustainable development. In many communities you would now find homes and commercial structures being built with insulating concrete forms (ICF) as an alternative to traditional concrete basement walls and above-grade wood frame construction. (For more information about ICF construction methods and the advantages of ICF buildings see the Insulating Concrete Form Association web site at http://www.forms.org.) Main- stream production builders such as CENTEX Homes are offering ICF homes as an alternative to wood or masonry construction in selected markets (“Homebuilder gives,” 1999). However, even the composition of ICF systems is evolving to include recycled material and cement composites to meet specific construction challenges and to provide a more environmentally friendly product. Educators and students graduating from Industrial Technology programs should be aware of new developments in alternative construction materials and methods and their impact on the use of plastics and composites in manufacturing.

Keywords: construction|composite materials|environmental issues|plastics/polymers

How to Cite:

Boser, R., Ragsdale, T. J. & Duvel, C., (2002) “Recycled Foam and Cement Composites in Insulating Concrete Forms”, Journal of Industrial Technology 18(3).