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How to Stay on Schedule Whatever the Weather with Advantage ICFs from Plasti-Fab
We are a few days in to March and winter seems to be going on for quite some time now. This is great for winter sports and activities like skiing, ice skating, and the random snowball fight, but it’s not so great for your construction schedule. However, we have some good news for you. Our Advantage Insulated Concrete Forming System (ICFs) can be installed in whatever the weather may throw at you.
Living in Canada, a question I frequently get asked is “how cold of temperatures can I pour concrete into ICF blocks?”
Concrete construction during cold weather conditions requires special consideration to ensure that the concrete achieves the desired strength prior to freezing. Conventional concrete form walls can be constructed in all seasons; however, during cold weather months special measures must be taken to prevent the concrete from freezing. The special measures may include the use of windbreaks, insulated form work and/or heaters. These extra measures can greatly increase construction costs.
And now for the good news! Advantage Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) offer the ability to pour concrete into your walls at temperatures colder than that of conventional concrete forms due to their high insulating properties. This ability can drastically extend your construction season, possibly allowing you to pour all year round. In very cold weather conditions, minimal precautions may be required, especially at wall penetrations and edges.
Many studies have been done on this topic and they have all concluded basically that concrete can be placed in ICF walls at temperatures much lower than that allowed for concrete walls using conventional forming systems.
Unfortunately I cannot give exact temperatures because people reading this may be in different climates around the world. However, I can say that using Advantage ICF blocks instead of conventional will prevent freezing and reduce or even eliminate the need for a heated enclosure. Covering the top of these forms is essential to retain all the heat of hydration.
Many building officials who are not familiar with Advantage ICF blocks may require ICF wall pours to follow the typical cold weather concrete practices that were developed for conventional concrete forms. Cold weather concrete practices may vary between jurisdictions. Be sure to check with your local official before pouring concrete on a cold day in your area. Also check with your ready-mix concrete supplier to see what options they for concrete being poured in cold weather.
Do you have more in-depth questions about pouring concrete in cold weather and how the Advantage ICF System is ideal for this? Contact an Advantage team member today for assistance.
For more on Advantage Insulating Concrete Forms visit http://www.advantageicf.com
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