There is a construction technique for residential construction which has superior structural integrity over standard 2x stud construction. After volunteering in the cleanup/reconstruction of the Birmingham ’98 tornado and seeing the same situation in the new debris strewn countryside after the April 27, 2011 tornadoes an Alabama, we have to re-evaluate the minimum standard used for residential construction. There are multiple reasons for this:
First is energy efficiency; sustainable construction practices mandate the use of energy efficient materials. Not only materials that perform by allowing less waste of the dollar used to heat and cool your home, but materials that are readily available in our environment which have no or very low emissions of phenyl formaldehydes and remain stable and structurally sound past their useful life cycle.
Second is strength of structure: Standard 2x stud construction can be engineered to be super strong. Accomplishing this is simply an act of intentional design fortification and inspection during construction to insure the minimalistic characteristics of studs provide the solidity to prevent weak links.
The system that combines both the characteristics for energy efficiency and strength is an Insulated Concrete Form or ICF. ICFs have been used since apx 1992 with great success. ICFs are formed, interlocking Expanded Polystyrene blocks that stack and lock together like Lego blocks which are reinforced with steel bars and filled with concrete. There are several types of ICF blocks and manufacturers that produce these, but experience has shown a couple that perform excellently under many construction conditions.
In 1992 I designed a building for the late Dennis Weaver; (remembered for McCloud, Chester in Gunsmoke, among other Hollywood accomplishments,) which is a conference center/emporium that was designed to be constructed with ICF. This building was a innovative landmark, in that the construction methodologies be sustainable, and the building be energy efficient. Dennis Weaver formed the Institute of Ecolonomics-with the simple premise that Making Green Technology economically attractive to business, and that they would then choose that alternative over more traditional methods.
Dennis Weaver was born in Joplin Missouri; the site of the May 22, tornadoes.
Now more than ever this idea is ringing loud and true. The pictures are of the Weaver building and another commercial building constructed using ICF from foundation to the top of the wall.
