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ICFs Critical Backbone to Green Building Tour Home
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The ICF home by Sage Homebuilders is on display during the Green Building Conference in St. Louis. |
 A St. Louis home that is being built with insulating concrete forms (ICF) and provides enhanced energy efficiency and is strong enough to withstand tornadoes and other severe weather conditions is on display during NAHB’s 2007 Green Building Conference this week.
ICFs are stay-in-place forms in which concrete is poured around a stacked foam frame. The construction technique creates a continuous point of attachment and a solid thermal envelope to help the structure meet or surpass several green building standards.
The ICFs in the custom home by Sage Homebuilders give the home an energy-efficient core that slows heat transfer and lowers overall energy costs. The Sage ICF home is also fire resistant and offers superior structural integrity than traditional wood-framed homes.
“In the past, home builders may have dismissed concrete as simply a solution for sidewalks and roadways, but the Sage ICF home showcases two of the most important benefits our product offers for green homes — energy efficiency and durability,” said Dave Shepherd, director of sustainable development for the Portland Cement Association (PCA). “Builders and home owners alike are beginning to realize the wide array of concrete applications for sustainable development.”
Built with a combination of ICF walls and other environmentally responsible applications like fiber-cement siding — a more durable, low maintenance alternative to traditional wood siding — the Sage home is being built following NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines and is expected to achieve the “Near-Zero Energy Home” standard and recognition as an EPA Energy Star® Home.
“In recent years, we have seen a rising trend in the number of new homes being built with concrete,” said Ed Sullivan, chief economist at PCA. In 2004, 16.3 % of all new, single-family homes were concrete homes, he said. In 2005, that increased to 17.9%
“As green building principles have become more widely accepted in recent years, there has also been increased demand for cement because of the benefits of concrete for sustainable development,” Sullivan said. “Homes like the Sage model reflect the rising trend of using concrete for residential purposes and the increased cement consumption as a result of the green building movement.”
Attend the Concrete Technologies Tour on May 6-8
 The latest advances in concrete construction, production, materials and design will be showcased at the 2007 Concrete Home Building Council Concrete Technologies Tour in Minneapolis on May 6-8.
The tour will feature educational programs, networking and behind-the-scenes tours of six cement-based building materials and manufacturing facilities.
To Register
For more information and to register, visit www.nahb.org/concretetour.
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