Eco Building Systems (EBS), the makers of ThePerfectBlock™ is reintroducing the “gray block” ICF, insulating concrete form or insulated concrete form to the green building industry. So why is this a “reintroduction” of this ICF? The gray block ICF has been around for some time now but there are many misconceptions of the block and awareness to the public as a tremendous sustainable green building material is virtually unknown.
Eco Building Systems Reintroduces The “Not So New” Gray Block ICF To The World Of Green Building
A reawakening to the sustainable building industry is in order. Imagine what a beneficial asset to “green living” a simple building block would be that is many times stronger than wood framing, costs less than wood framing, easy to build with, saves energy, mold and termite resistant, earthquake safe, hurricane and tornado safe, reduces noise pollution, and here’s the big one ……. fireproof! All this in a building block made with cement and 100% recycled material. That beneficial asset is gray block ICF. So, let’s answer these two questions: what is a gray block ICF and why is it not so new?
First, gray block ICF is a stay-in-place form ICF when stacked together much like traditional brick or block and grouted (filled with concrete) creates an incredibly strong concrete and reinforcing steel post and beam wall, that is well insulated, and makes a very quiet and safe home or building.
Gray block ICF is made from 100% recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) ground into aggregate and mixed with water and Portland cement. Gray block is an ICF but it has its own name: ICCF or insulated composite concrete form. For decades, ICF has been commonly known to the building industry as the lightweight white EPS foam panels linked with plastic web ties and awareness of the gray block ICF has been relatively obscure.
Why is this? Maybe it is marketing or maybe it’s because it is vastly different from its white block brother and hasn’t received the recognition it deserves because it’s so different. The name ICCF accurately describes the gray block and differentiates it from its more well-known brother.
As to why gray block ICF or ICCF is “not so new”, gray block ICCF actually predates EPS white block ICF. ICCF has been around since the 1960’s. With the invention of expanded polystyrene (EPS) shortly after WWII, the innovative uses for the lightweight foam skyrocketed and not long after the intended use for the foam in its individual applications became unnecessary a troublesome refuse problem arose.
As their landfills were filling with EPS foam refuse with a lifespan of nearly 500 years the Europeans saw a need and were the first to develop a use for the nuisance foam trash by grinding it up and mixing with cement creating a new and useful green building material made from the world’s trash. ICCF was born.
Eco Building Systems offers an array of precise ICCF building elements for worldwide sustainable construction.
For much more information, please visit our website: theperfectblock.com