Insulated concrete forms

Another system of insulation is the use of EPS molded foam parts (insulated concrete forms) for a combination of outer and inner wall insulation. A wall is built with these molded foam parts and then filled with concrete. 

Energy-efficient building design using insulated concrete forms minimizes unregulated heat transfer across basement walls. Primarily made from reinforced Styrofoam or a proprietary wood fiber and concrete mixture called Durisol, insulated forms are stacked like bricks inside a retaining form and then filled with concrete in the usual way. Once the concrete has set, a well-sealed, insulated wall remains. 

At the same time, new industries are produced that provide specialized expertise with the new methods of energy-efficient building. A concrete-forming company, for example, will add proficiency with insulated concrete forms to the traditional services it provides and so continue as a viable business, else it may find that the demands for its services steadily decrease while those for a newly established competitor that specializes in energy-efficient methods rapidly increase. 

NAHB Research Center. Insulating concrete form for residential construction demonstration homes. Report prepared for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Portland Cement Association. Upper Marlboro, MD NAHB Research Center 1997. 

Material stored at or below its atmospheric pressure boiling point has no superheat. Therefore there will be no initial flash of liquid to vapor in case of a leak. Vaporization will be controlled by the evaporation rate from the pool formed by the leak. This rate can be minimized by the design of the containment dike, for example, by minimizing the surface area of the liquid spilled into the dike area, or by using insulating concrete dike sides and floors. Because the spilled material is cold, vaporization from the pool will be further reduced. 

Thermal Insulation. Foamed plastics (qv) are used as thermal insulation for aU types of constmction because of their low heat- and moisture-transmission values. Polystyrene is used either as foamed board or expandable beads. The foam may be faced with a stmctural surfacing material, eg, a kraft liner-board, to form a panel for insulating mobile homes. These foams can dupHcate the appearance of wood and be used as trim. Foams can also be used as backing, for example, on aluminum siding, to provide heat and sound insulation. Foamed beads can be incorporated in concrete to reduce its density and provide some thermal insulation. 

Polymers are all around us. They serve as the very basis of both plant and animal life as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides. In construction they serve as the concrete, insulation, and wooden and composite beams. At home they are found as the materials for our rugs, pillows, curtains, coatings, wastepaper baskets, water pipes, window glass, and ice cube trays. In transportation they are present in ever-increasing amounts in our aircraft, automobiles, ships, and trucks. In communication they form critical components in our... 

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