With the slowdown in the housing industry, predictably the attendance at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) dropped from prior years by reportedly 25-30%. While the traffic decrease was noticeable in the booth, the quality and awareness of the prospects was…
In the past, Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) were primarily used for residential construction and low-rise commercial projects. Today, as developers, architects and builders strive to build green, energy efficient and sustainable buildings at an affordable cost, ICF has become a…
Internal mechanical vibration is the most consistent and effective method of consolidating concrete for Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) applications and therefore will be the focus of this entry. Equipment Low modulation (small movement) and high frequency (many times per minute)…
Change Building Priorities After all the death and destruction we have experienced in recent years from tornadoes, hurricanes and other extreme weather, it is clearly time to shift our thinking about the way we build. We have repeatedly wasted resources, time and most…
Points towards LEED certification can be gained in two ways: 1. Directly – By meeting a LEED requirement. 2. Indirectly – By enabling/facilitating a LEED requirement or by reducing the incremental cost of a LEED requirement. Direct Points The following…
The PCA 100-2207 is a consensus standard that was developed by the PCA’s National Standards Development Committee which operates under PCA’s American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved “Procedures for the Development and Maintenance of Portland Cement Association Standards”. The consensus…
Amvic has attended the AIA Convention since 2006. We started with a small 10×10 booth with intention to build awareness about ICF. At that time, many of our booth visitors were either completely unfamiliar with ICF or thought ICF was…
Eastern subterranean termites are the most common and widely distributed termites in the United States. They are often found in the eastern and central states, with the heaviest concentration in south-eastern states. Like all termites, they eat wood and often…
A good alignment system is essential for any ICF installation because it supports the walls to prevent failure and ensures straight, plumb walls. In addition, any time a worker’s feet are more than 6’ off the ground, back bracing is required…
Here are a few of the basic requirements that you should look for: Skills and experience. Since ICF is an alternative building method that makes up a small percentage of the construction industry, you want to make sure that the…
