There are quite a few insulated concrete form (ICF) systems on the market whose manufacturers make a variety of resource efficiency claims.
EBN came across an interesting newcomer, Tech Block, at this year’s Greenprints conference in Atlanta. Tech Block uses 100% recycled EPS in a cementitious matrix similar to the popular Rastra system (see
EBN
Vol. 5, No. 4).
Tech Block® is a large 11” x 16” x 48” (280 x 400 x 1,200 mm) insulating concrete form made from a patented cement-EPS composite with a layer of
3⁄
4” (20 mm) sheathing (either OSB or exterior-grade plywood) bonded to the interior face. Stuart Jones, CEO of Tech Block of Georgia, describes the form as “basically a Rice Krispies cake made from cement (marshmallow) and EPS (Rice Krispies).” The 100% regrind EPS beads make up 84% of the block composition by volume. Each block has 4” (100 mm) horizontal grooves at the top and bottom, and 6” (150 mm) vertical cores, formed by routing and plunge-cutting, respectively. The resulting hollow grid makes up about 11% of a wall’s volume. Blocks are easily cut with an electric chain saw retrofitted with a perpendicular guide bar for straight cuts.
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