Insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are an increasingly popular choice for infill and curtain walls in high rise construction.

    November 2002, Ft. Myers Beach, Florida--“Anyone who is planning a high rise building should look at using ICFs for their infill walls.”   So says Robert Ambrose, vice president of Ostego Bay Construction of Ft. Myers Beach, Florida.

   Ambrose is the general contractor for the Waterside condominium complex in Ft. Myers Beach.   Construction is currently underway on the fifth of eight 11-story buildings planned for the development.   The first two buildings were completed with concrete block infill walls.   However, a shortage of qualified masons caused Ambrose to look for a viable alternative for the infill walls of the third building, and he turned to ICF construction.

   “We were charting new territory with Waterside III, and the completion of the walls took longer than I would have liked.   For Waterside IV, we hired Icon, Inc. as the wall subcontractor and never looked back,” said Ambrose.   Icon Structures, LLC. may be the country’s only construction company that specializes in large-scale and high-rise ICF construction.

“I estimate that we saved more than 30 days on the overall construction time of Waterside IV because of the speed of the ICF wall construction,” Ambrose said, and added that with Waterside V they are running approximately 15% faster than concrete block construction.

   Harry Pilkington, Icon Structures general  manager confirmed that construction on Waterside V has progressed even faster than on Waterside IV.   “We are nearly finished with the fifth deck,” he said, “and are down to a 7-day completion for each 11,000 square foot floor.”   Wall construction began in mid September and will be completed by January 1, 2003.

“One reason the overall construction time is reduced, is that other subcontractors can move right in behind us,” explained Pilkington.   “Since the furring and insulation are completed right along with the steel-reinforced concrete walls, total construction is further along.   And because there is less waste and a cleaner site, very little time is wasted on cleanup after the wall construction is completed,” he added.

   “ICF infill walls are the wave of the future,” said Edward L. Storm, president of Reward Wall Systems, Inc., whose forms were used for Waterside IV and V, and for an 8-story 436,161 square foot vacation resort in Seaside, Oregon.   “ICF walls are substantially faster.   The building is done faster, contractors get paid faster, you save on the interest on construction loans, all of which translates into huge savings for the general contractor and the building owner.   Add to that the extra benefits that ICFs provide, such as storm safety, fire safety, sound attenuation and energy efficiency, and the choice is clear.”

   Ambrose agreed and said, “Now that we have someone qualified to install the ICF walls, they are more viable than ever.   I am very comfortable with the ICF infill walls.”