The ICF Italia Building System

Following a few simple construction requirements guarantees, in conditions of normal operation, correct structural behaviour of walls realized with ICF Italia system: joints with foundations and floorings, intersections, between walls and in correspondence of openings; methods of formwork rods collocation, of casting and finishing.

It is important to specify that the panels are supplied to construction site in the form of modular polystyrene elements without any structural function in themselves (as for definitions given by Decree 14/01/08: “products for construction” and not “products for construction for structural use”). To guarantee the correct structural behaviour of the supporting walls system, the panels should be properly completed by the contractor by means of integrative reinforcement rods and concrete casting.

The total amount of reinforcement rods depends on aisles and actual loadings of the building; therefore it is the designer’s exclusive prerogative to determine this amount, depending on cases. Without ignoring construction requirements that are illustrated in the booklet ICF, practical application of ICF panels can be optimized by any executor, even if from our many years’ experience, we suggests to follow our simple instructions, which favour a good result of the works.

Obviously the pictures in the operating booklet show just an example of some specific operations, as it would not be possible,to show a complete representation of all executive phases.

ICF Italia company offers technical assistance both in the design and execution phase: our team of engineers is able to assist external technicians in the design of the structures, optimizing the thickness of the walls and the quantity of reinforcements in relation to single cases.

In collaboration with the University of Bologna has been developed a method of specific calculation for supporting walls in accordance with the new techniques of construction (DM14/01/08). Thus, in normal cases, the average incidence of iron contained within the walls of ICF structures is reduced to 6-8kg/mq, while in conventional reinforced concrete walls can exceed 12-14kg/mq.

Similarly, for the shipbuilding aspects, we are in possess of specialized workforce, able to provide assistance (start-up) to the companies using the system for the first time.