ICF is the New Green

When something becomes cool or really starts to catch on and show up everywhere people always say, “It’s the new black.” I recently saw a post about green building that said, “Green is the New Black.” I thought that was pretty good. Being around insulated concrete forms for over 20 years now, I feel like we have always been in the “green” conversation but recently it has really escalated.

Photo courtesy of Fox Blocks by Airlite Plastics Co.

What is “green building”? Well if you ask Google AI, it will tell you:
“Green building is the practice of designing and constructing buildings that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient. Green buildings are intended to reduce a building’s impact on the environment and human health.”
I would say that’s pretty accurate. There are seven main building practices that encompass what most of us see as green building: energy efficiency, materials, waste reduction, toxics reduction, indoor air quality, site planning, and water efficiency. Insulated Concrete Forms can contribute to five of these seven aspects. Most people I talk to want a green building, whether they refer to it as such or not.

Energy Efficiency
I feel like energy efficiency is the number one driver for most ICF customers. This is also the cornerstone of the concept of green building. Creating an efficient building envelope is the most important part of the building process. You can have all the solar, heat pumps, radiant heat, or state-of-the-art HVAC, but if the envelope can’t contain the heat or cold, it’s a waste of money and effort. With ICF you will usually be installing R-22 EPS without any concrete inside. After you add the concrete, you are now using thermal mass to achieve performances equivalent to R-50+ stick-frame structures. (Controversial take, I know!)

Materials
Though every manufacturer is a bit different, most companies are using some recycled materials in their manufacturing process. I know some of them even have recycling programs within their distributor channels. Old blocks, or small chunks that can’t be put back in the wall, can be crushed up and made into new blocks. Whether it’s the polystyrene or the polypropylene, these can be separated and recycled to create new products instead of landfilled, contributing to a lower environmental impact compared to some alternative materials. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is considered environmentally friendly because it is primarily composed of air (around 98%), making it lightweight and requiring less energy to transport. Polypropylene is considered relatively environmentally friendly compared to other plastics because it is widely recyclable, has a lighter carbon footprint during production, is chemically inert, does not contain harmful additives like plasticizers or heavy metals, and can be burned without releasing significant toxic emissions when properly disposed of.

Photo courtesy of IntegraSpec

Waste Reduction
Construction materials are considered to be one of the largest contributors to landfill solid waste. According to available data, construction waste is estimated to account for up to 40% of landfill materials. With ICF we can put those small pieces right back into the wall. Pieces as small as 6 inches can be placed into the wall instead of the landfill. You can’t put a bunch of 6-inch pieces of 2×6 together and form a stud to put back in the wall. Outside of the obvious construction waste at the time of construction, you also have the waste at the time of demolition. Most sources put the lifespan of a stick-frame house at 30 to 50 years. Similar sources cite ICF with a lifespan of 75 to 100 years. This means building a more resilient and indestructible home will keep that waste out of the landfill twice as long.

Something that doesn’t get talked about enough is the amount of waste that comes from natural disasters. What doesn’t burn gets landfilled. Most building foundations will be deemed “not structurally sound” due to exposure to extreme heat. They will be busted up and hauled to the dump. Tornadoes and hurricanes cause a lot of building materials to be landfilled. Then we cut down more trees to rebuild only to have it be destroyed in the next natural disaster. This is ridiculous. We could rebuild with ICF and stop the vicious cycle.

Photo courtesy of Quad-Lock

Toxins & Indoor Air Quality
One thing that I have been asked a lot over the years is about VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and off-gassing (the release of VOCs into the air). Because EPS and polypropylene are petroleum-based products, people worry. Rest assured. ICFs are considered to be a Low VOC product. ICFs are made using steam, so no harmful CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) are used. ICFs contain no HCFC, formaldehyde, asbestos, or fiberglass.
Years ago I was involved in building an ICF retirement center. During that planning process I heard the term “healthy home” a lot. This refers to the importance of maintaining a dry, clean, pest-free ventilated yet contaminant-free environment. This is exactly what can be achieved with ICF. The airtightness of an insulated concrete form structure gives the operator the ability to control the indoor air quality substantially more than other methods.

LEED Standards
You can not have a conversation about green building without discussing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This point-based rating system evaluates how environmentally friendly a building is. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed LEED to promote sustainable building practices. To achieve LEED Certification you must earn 40 to 49 points for a Silver, Gold, or Platinum rating. ICF construction can contribute more than 40 points by itself. Achieving LEED certification offers numerous benefits, including reduced energy and operational costs, improved indoor air quality and occupant comfort, increased property value and market appeal, and enhanced corporate social responsibility and public perception.
Green building has been discussed since the 1980s and the US. Green Building Council has been around since 1993. Green building is not new. Neither is ICF, but as people continue to strive for a better way to build, they continue to be spoken of in the same breath. I commend the USGBC for their efforts to make construction methods a hero and not a villain in the mission to make the world better. As an ICF promoter, I welcome all conversations that bring in our industry as an option to do that. Let’s get GREEN!!