US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Prescriptive Method for Insulating Concrete Forms in Residential Construction, Second Edition
(January 2002, 214 p.)

Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) represent a category of building product that is receiving greater attention among builders. ICFs are hollow blocks, planks, or panels that can be constructed of rigid foam plastic insulation, a composite of cement and foam insulation, a composite of cement and wood chips, or other suitable insulation material that has the ability to act as forms for cast-in-place concrete walls. The forms typically remain in place after the concrete has cured, providing well-insulated construction. ICFs continue to gain popularity because they are competitive with light-frame construction and offer a strong, durable, and energy-efficient wall system for housing.

The first edition of the Prescriptive Method for Insulating Concrete Forms in Residential Construction represented the outcome of an initial effort to fulfill the need for prescriptive construction requirements and to improve the overall affordability of homes constructed with insulating concrete forms. The first edition also served as the source document for building code provisions in the International Residential Code (IRC).

The second edition expands on the first edition by adding provisions for Seismic Design Categories C and D (Seismic Zones 3 and 4). Wall construction requirements utilizing Grade 60 reinforcing steel and concrete mixes with selected compressive strengths are included. In addition, tables throughout the document have been simplified as a result of additional evaluation and user input. http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/destech/icf_2ed.html