Constructing Insulated Concrete Walls During Cold Weather Months

Project: Volkswagen of Streetsboro
Contractors: The Ritenour Group
Concrete Material: Fox Blocks ICF’s
Superintendent: Todd Dercyk

Challenge: Construct an energy efficient building, under a tight schedule during the winter months.

Solution: Fox Blocks ICF’s to help insulate concrete walls during construction in freezing temperatures.

Constructing 26’ high insulated concrete walls in freezing temperatures was the task that The Ritenour Group addressed during the winter of 2014-15 as it built the new Volkswagen of Streetsboro (Ohio) dealership. The developer, Geis Construction, and Ritenour had successfully used Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) manufactured by Fox Blocks of Omaha, Nebraska on other projects since 2012, and they chose Phipps to supply the Fox Block forms and other accessories. The Ritenour Group’s experienced crews erected, braced, and reinforced over 25,000 S.F. of ICF’s to the necessary heights. By design, the ICF’s retain much of the heat generated during the concrete curing, and Ritenour’s crews needed only to place a tarp on the top of the wall. Because of the ability to build with ICF’s at any temperature, Ritenour was able to stay on schedule even with the severe weather conditions.

A Fox Block consists of 2-5/8” expanded polystyrene panels 48” long x 16” high which are connected by rigid, high-density plastic ties. The block width varies with the thickness of the reinforced concrete wall called for by the building design. ICF’s provide a functional R-Value of 32, have a 2-4 hour fire rating, and they can withstand winds in excess of 200mph. They also save on heating and cooling costs by 50% - 80% by enabling the use of smaller HVAC systems and providing a better insulated building. The Ritenour Group also used Fox Bucks for all exterior doors and windows. Fox Bucks are made of the same expanded polystyrene which maintains thermal continuity around the wall opening. Their use eliminates the need for wood framing which has a lower R-value and may eventually deteriorate. The integral plastic ties used in Fox Blocks and Bucks are recessed 5/8” from the face and spaced 8” on center to allow for fastening interior or exterior finishes. Phipps is pleased that in 2015 it supplied over 200,000 S.F. of Fox Blocks to area contractors to build strong, well-insulated buildings in all seasons.

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