Ghana ICF Design Manual Part 1

Builders in Ghana are transitioning to ICFs, the new technology for building isolated concrete forms. ICFs can be used to create permanent formwork for almost any exterior wall or interior closure wall. ICFs can be used for load-bearing and non-load-bearing wall applications, below-grade foundation walls, single-story and multi-story above-grade walls, insulated exterior walls, fire walls, acoustical separations, and construction applications. curtain walls.

The most popular ICF core thickness is 101mm, which produces a 101mm thick concrete wall surrounded by ICF panels. Ghanaian builders are choosing 101mm shapes for residential projects. 152mm, 203mm, 254mm and 305mm shapes are options for larger buildings. ICF shapes come in five different basic shapes: straight shapes, 90-degree and 45-degree corner shapes, T-shapes, and factory-cut radius shapes for curved walls. Two-story tall buildings can use 101mm shapes. Examples include the exterior walls of houses and small offices. Three-story buildings must use 152mm forms. Engineering is available from ICF manufacturers for buildings such as warehouses, theaters, churches, hotels, and apartments. Ghanaian builders like Sirius Kay have transitioned to ICF construction. After speaking with several clients, Sirius Kay has won two ICF hotel projects. He also won the Eliza Relief Foundation’s ICF land development project. There are some important items to consider when transitioning to ICF construction. The first element to consider is the thickness of the wall. The outer face of the ICF wall is 67 mm from the concrete core. Care must be taken to ensure that the architectural and engineering plans reflect the exterior concrete wall versus the exterior of the EPS panel. This insulation also extends to the interior. This means that each wall is always 133mm thicker than the actual concrete core. This can change the design of the building for usable interior space. If concrete block heights are not a concern, ICFs can be built to any desired height. For planning purposes, the form unit is based on a height of 457 mm. Height adjustments are also available in a height of 76mm. Standard forms can also be cut to a suitable height. Pile heights with ICF construction can be particularly important when considering base elevations relative to grade, brick finishes relative to grade levels, floor support heights relative to finished grade and the floor support heights in relation to each other.

Another Ghanaian builder that has made the transition to ICF construction is Elegant Homes. The owner of Elegant Homes even visited an ICF dealer during his business trip to the US. Since then, he began bidding on a three-story ICF church project. Other applications for ICF construction should be considered for slab-on-grade, grade-on-floor, mid-floor details, windows, doors, and roof connections. Gusset and other design boards can be found with Ghanaian builders, engineers, architects or suppliers. Other ICF projects are scheduled to start in the new year after the ICF Ghana Conference in October. These builders have chosen to wait until they receive training during the conference. Other builders who chose to prepare ahead of the conference are getting a return on their efforts by being known as leaders in this new construction technology from Ghana.