Around the Block

Amvic Aligns with CMHC to Provide Energy Efficient Solutions to Minneapolis Architects

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:05:00 GMT

Recently Amvic presented “Designing with Insulating Concrete Forms” (ICF) to the majority of Architects located in the Minneapolis area. This event was sponsored by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and was hosted at the Canadian Consulate with the intention of promoting excellent Canadian companies and products.

PCBC Delivers Quality Over Quantity

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:39:00 GMT

Amvic exhibited at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) on June 25-27 in San Francisco, CA. It has been just over a month since the show and after following up with our leads we discovered that even though the number of leads was down the quality was much improved.

Hi-rise Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) Construction

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:04:00 GMT

According to the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), Insulated Concrete Forming (ICF) is the fastest growing building system in the U.S, at approx. 30% annually. Much of this increase can be attributed to the growth of ICF construction for commercial applications. The popularity of ICF construction is clearly rising, and so are the heights of the structures being built.

Proper Concrete Consolidation for Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:38:00 GMT

Concrete consolidation is the process of compacting freshly poured concrete to eliminate voids and release entrapped air. This ensures that the cement paste (also known as mortar) properly encapsulates reinforcing steel, coarse aggregate and other objects (webs) in the concrete mix. Proper consolidation for Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) is very important because it helps to prevent leaks and creates stronger walls.

ICF in Tornado Prone Areas

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:29:00 GMT

According to Wikipedia’s Tornadoes of 2008, as of July 7, 1,686 tornadoes have been reported in the United States, resulting in 118 confirmed fatalities. With increasing occurrences of extreme weather, it is quickly becoming evident that we need to reassess the way we build. Our homes, offices and institutions must be designed to provide us with protection and safety at all times. Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) are an ideal building solution for areas threatened by high winds and storms.

ICF and LEED Certification

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:10:00 GMT

This blog entry provides a guideline designed to help make it easier to understand how Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) can potentially contribute points towards LEED Certification.

New Edition of Prescriptive Design Standards

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:41:00 GMT

A new edition of the prescriptive design standards for exterior concrete walls for one and two family dwellings has recently been published by the Portland Cement Association (PCA). The new publication titled “PCA 100-2007, Prescriptive Design of Exterior Concrete Walls for One and Two Family Dwellings” applies to the design and construction of concrete footings, foundation walls, and above-grade concrete walls built with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) or traditional forms.

2008 AIA Convention Indicates a Strong Future for ICF

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 20:49:00 GMT

On May 15-17 Amvic attended the AIA National Convention in Boston, MA. This premier event for architects and building industry professionals was a tremendous success! The high level of interest we received reflected the growing popularity of ICF amongst the architectural community.

Termites and ICF Construction

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:02:00 GMT

Spring is termite season, so what better time to discuss ICF construction in termite zones than now?

The Importance of Bracing for Plumb Walls

gbrown@amvicsystem.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:13:00 GMT

One of the biggest issues in the ICF industry today is that walls are not always straight and plumb (vertically level). As walls get higher, they tend to lean slightly and can be out of plumb by up to ½”. Once concrete walls have cured incorrectly, there is very little that can be done to fix them which can greatly complicate the remaining stages of construction.