What is Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF)
Insulating Concrete forms (ICF’s) enclose a massive, high-strength material (concrete) between two panels of polystyrene creating structural walls that are insulated on the inside and outside.

Insulated concrete formwork is a building system utilising formwork panels, manufactured from ultra high density expanded polystyrene (EPS), which are used to construct walls, floors and roof panels for houses and other buildings. These panels are then filled with ready-mixed concrete and left in place permanently as thermal insulation.

The system exploits the insulation properties of the polystyrene and the structural integrity of the concrete and has been used in Europe and in North America for over fifty years. For an internal finish plasterboard is used in normal way to obtain standard internal finish and fire ratings. For external finishing, the EPS can be plastered or external brickwork or stonework added if required by the end user.

Eurozone Building Solutions Limited manufacture expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels into which concrete can be poured and which forms an insulated concrete formwork system (ICF). Insulated Concrete Formwork (IFC) building methods are what is referred to as modern methods of construction (MMC) which, combines permanence and durability with thermal efficiency. Eurozone Building Solutions is the first company in Ireland to offer a complete Insulated Concrete Formwork building system manufactured in Ireland.

ICF originated in Europe approximately 40 years ago and has recently become popular in the US and Canada. In the last 5 to 6 years ICF has entered the Irish market with micro sized companies acting as distributors for manufacturers based outside Ireland. As a result of pressure to build faster, more and more developers and builders are trying ICF because of the reduction in construction time and the self builder is trying it because of its simplicity and the high quality result. In addition, house builders are becoming more aware of the fact that energy certificates and ICF houses will be to the fore in minimizing heat loss and will attain an “A rating” very simply. It will be of growing importance for developers to obtain this rating in order to achieve satisfy requirements.