Combining the strength and durability of reinforced concrete with high performance rigid insulation, insulated concrete forms (ICFs) provide ideal solutions for developers of apartments, condos, hotels, dormitories, and assisted living facilities.

ICFs are cost competitive with wood frame construction on a first-cost basis and offer operational cost savings through lower energy bills and reduced insurance costs among other benefits such as fire resistance and noise reduction. This article makes the business case for building multi-family homes with ICFs.


Learning Objectives

  • Demonstrate the economic benefits of building multifamily projects with insulating concrete forms (ICFs), including first cost and long-term value.
  • Understand the basic design criteria and construction elements of structures built with ICFs for multifamily residential projects.
  • Assess when to use or consider using ICFs.
  • Evaluate the energy efficiency, disaster resilience, and noise mitigation properties of ICFs.

Pre-Requisite: Basic knowledge of building with concrete.