Sustainable concretes for insulated concrete form (ICF) construction

Abstract

In response to the need for improved residential concrete practice and the existing societal goal of creating sustainable building materials, high volume fly ash mixes for residential construction were developed. Other existing technologies including self-compacting concrete and insulated concrete forms were used to improve the economics associated with residential concrete construction without compromising the performance and sustainability goals. Two primary mixes, EcoA and EcoS, were designed for wall and slab application with 70% and 60% of the cementitious binder composed of fly ash respectively. These mixes were tested in the laboratory for a number of performance criteria such as consistency, set time and compressive strength. Once satisfactory lab results were attained, field trials of both mixes were carried out to validate their real world application. These preliminary t rials have provided promising results and have indicated some areas for further research and development.