Using fiberglass rebar and vermiculite concrete you can up the r value in cored block. I filled empty cores with vermiculite in my cmu block piers and foundation. Make sure to put coating on both sides cmu block if using vermiculite to seal in dust indoors. If your masonry wall is wicking a lot of moisture expect a lower r value. They say insulating empty cores in cmu ups r value to 3.7, but only where the cores are which is like half the wall.
These look interesting, and seem to be an improvement over typical ICF forms, but they also appear far weaker than than regular CMUs or cinder blocks. I would be concerned with damaging the surface of the block. I think a better application of these would be in a hybrid approach with traditional board formed concrete walls, wherein you would build the wall with these with proper rebar reinforcement and electrical conduit for outlets run through the blocks as you lay them. Then, use a whole saw to cut holes through the face of the blocks into the void space, but alternating between every other void on the inside and outside so that you don't have any continuous holes going straight through the blocks. Then assemble your traditional concrete forms about an inch or two on either side of the blocks, with any necessary reinforcement run through the holes you cut and tied to the main rebar "skeleton" that runs through the center of the block. Finally, pour the concrete so that it fills the inside of the blocks and the space between the blocks and the forms, with the holes you drilled connecting the three planes of concrete together. If you used the 10 inch thick blocks and set your forms one inch off the block, you would end up with a 12 inch thick insulated composite concrete wall that would be nearly as strong and durable as a typical poured concrete wall, but with significantly less concrete and significantly higher average R-value with no direct thermal bridging from the inside to the outside. This would also improve the fire resistance over just using the blocks themselves, while also being easier to waterproof and providing greater thermal mass for more consistent indoor temperatures.
Hey Steve, love the dropped floor truss detail. I noticed intello on the ceiling as an air barrier. Any reason you went this route over wrapping zip around the top plate and using drywall for the lid?
That looks a lot like the thermal breaks we use around windows and doors. A regular 8 inch concrete block only has .11 r value and the air space of the core is 1. So with open core and block come to 1.11 r value. If cored with concrete and rebar the block is only .19 r value.
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Steve,
I love the Improvements in ICF/ICCF over the years! So many building science Improvements over the years.
Cheers, Eric
Thanks for posting this video. I started looking at the product a year ago and will be using it for the basement in my geodesic dome in SE CT.
Using fiberglass rebar and vermiculite concrete you can up the r value in cored block. I filled empty cores with vermiculite in my cmu block piers and foundation. Make sure to put coating on both sides cmu block if using vermiculite to seal in dust indoors. If your masonry wall is wicking a lot of moisture expect a lower r value. They say insulating empty cores in cmu ups r value to 3.7, but only where the cores are which is like half the wall.
These look interesting, and seem to be an improvement over typical ICF forms, but they also appear far weaker than than regular CMUs or cinder blocks. I would be concerned with damaging the surface of the block.
I think a better application of these would be in a hybrid approach with traditional board formed concrete walls, wherein you would build the wall with these with proper rebar reinforcement and electrical conduit for outlets run through the blocks as you lay them. Then, use a whole saw to cut holes through the face of the blocks into the void space, but alternating between every other void on the inside and outside so that you don't have any continuous holes going straight through the blocks. Then assemble your traditional concrete forms about an inch or two on either side of the blocks, with any necessary reinforcement run through the holes you cut and tied to the main rebar "skeleton" that runs through the center of the block. Finally, pour the concrete so that it fills the inside of the blocks and the space between the blocks and the forms, with the holes you drilled connecting the three planes of concrete together.
If you used the 10 inch thick blocks and set your forms one inch off the block, you would end up with a 12 inch thick insulated composite concrete wall that would be nearly as strong and durable as a typical poured concrete wall, but with significantly less concrete and significantly higher average R-value with no direct thermal bridging from the inside to the outside. This would also improve the fire resistance over just using the blocks themselves, while also being easier to waterproof and providing greater thermal mass for more consistent indoor temperatures.
@Steven Baczek Architect, Thank you!!! I am considering Perfect Block in my next build and calling them latter today??? Liked#3 !!!
Hey Steve, love the dropped floor truss detail. I noticed intello on the ceiling as an air barrier. Any reason you went this route over wrapping zip around the top plate and using drywall for the lid?
That looks a lot like the thermal breaks we use around windows and doors. A regular 8 inch concrete block only has .11 r value and the air space of the core is 1. So with open core and block come to 1.11 r value. If cored with concrete and rebar the block is only .19 r value.