Sky's the limit

... but you have to start somewhere.

Here's where we're starting in Waterloo. Eventually it will be a student residence 17 storeys high, for now it's simply a hole in the ground. We expect to be setting block come October, but until then here's a panoramic shot of the footings being dug for the building.

The job site is being run by Melloul-Blamey and we're excited to be working with them on this project.

Getting Your Footing Right

We are now three weeks into our project in Sudbury, ONT. The guys have been working hard to get the building set on the right path and getting themselves up and out of the mud. We are putting up a three story, 90 unit seniors residence. There are a lot of ICF walls going up; a couple of thousand linear feet. With all these ICF walls going up, it is so very important for our footings to be level before we begin to set our block.

Well constructed footings are important regardless of the type of wall you build and are absolutely essential for ICF construction.

ICF contractors know that a quality footing will save them headaches later on, and are willing to put the time in to make them as perfect as possible. We like to pour our own footings, because we know that the extra attention will be worth it when we set the wall.

Any deviance in the footing from straight, level or plum will cause significant problems later.
 
If the footing isn't absolutely level, the wall will be out of plumb. Absolutely. An out of plumb wall is no good as a wall.

If the footing dips in the middle than at the corners, when the ICF blocks are set they will be tight as they go up. They'll bind and twist and make getting the wall straight difficult, and could increase the chance of a blow out during a pour. Contrariwise, ff the footing humps, the corners will be pushed out of plumb.

Out of square layouts are just as bad. We have cursed an inaccurate footing with out-of-place rebar. We make absolute certain that our vertical bars come out of the concrete straight, and are on the surveyed centre of wall line.

It doesn't have to be difficult, and it's possible to easily pour accurate, level footings every time.

Here's a link to some more images of the footings. We expect to be done the footings and on to walls before the end of this week. The linked photo-set will be updated as the building goes up and we have more to brag about.

Which we will, cause we're pretty proud of our work.

Cheers, and happy Friday!

Make your house Green!

Building your home using ICF products is a green choice for you, your family and the environment.

You and your family get the benefit of improved indoor air quality, less exposure to outdoor pollutants and allergens, and no volatile organic compounds. ICF walls and foundations are also mold- and mildew-resistant, decreasing risk from those irritants.

As well, your home will use less energy, reducing your carbon footprint – less fuel will be used to heat and cool it, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Your green choice will have an additional positive impact on your wallet. Your ICF energy-efficient home may be able to be LEED-certified, or receive a higher ‘HERS’ score or EnerGuide rating – and either of these (along with your lower utility bills) will improve your home’s resale value.

Joplin, MO

After the storms hit Joplin, MO, a co-worker and I went to survey the damage, and to speak with local builders, architects and concrete suppliers to see what could be done for the community when they rebuild.

As seen in the attached news report, it seems that at least one local builder has taken steps to ensure his family is safe if a tornado like the one that Joplin in May.

To read more about how an ICF house can keep you safe visit this link.

As well, here is a link to the photos we took while in MO.



To be even more safe, I would suggest constructing your basement foundation, even the entire house (right to the rafters) out of ICF block. Not only will your family be safe, but your house will remain intact after a powerful storm passes through.

Houses constructed out of ICF have remained after storms went through New Orleans, and other major storm centres.

Read More

Looking for Hard Workers

Job Title: General Employment: CRONIN CONTRACTING INC. Specializing ... Date Posted: 7/8/2011 Closing: 7/21/2011 City: Sudbury Source: The Sudbury Star

CRONIN CONTRACTING INC. Specializing in ICF Construction. We are currently accepting applications for construction labourers to work in the city of Sudbury. Applicants must be hard working, able to work outdoors and have a valid drivers license. Construction experience an asset. Please fax resumes to (519)345-0201

Google and ARXX

 Twitter was humming the other day when Arxx made this announcement. I use google applications for just about everything I do (Docs, gmail, blogging) and now, thanks to innovations at both offices, we can use Sketch-up to add ICF to your drawings.

 Below is the news release from the ARXX website.

June, 2011
Cobourg, ON, June 16, 2011 – ARXX Corporation announced that it has completed the process to have all of its products available in Google SketchUp 3D becoming the first Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) company to have this tool. Google SketchUp is a user-friendly 3D modeling program incorporating an intelligent drawing system and product models. Google SketchUp is showing rapid growth and adoption within the design professional community as well as by contractors, builders and homeowners. Using Google SketchUp can incorporate ARXX ICF products into buildings instantly, making the design process easier and faster than ever.
“We take leadership and innovation seriously,” said Gael Mourant, President & CEO of ARXX. “Being a leader requires taking the steps to continually evolve products and services. We want to ensure that designing and building with our products is as easy and accessible as possible. We recognize the role that technology is playing in facilitating how people design buildings. Google SketchUp is another complementary tool being added to our existing technical resource base. At ARXX we’re dedicated to providing the best customer and technical support in the industry,” she added.
Access to the ARXX Google SketchUp product models can made through the Technical Resources section of www.arxx.com. The addition of SketchUp complements the existing Building Information Modeling (BIM) files and CAD product and design library.
About ARXX
ARXX is a leading supplier of Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) for green, energy-efficient residential and commercial construction. ARXX products have been used in over 105,000 projects, representing 140 million square feet of walls and foundations, throughout the United States and Canada. ARXX products enable significant energy savings, greater comfort, security and quiet, and a faster build than conventional construction. ARXX products have been used in numerous LEED-certified projects have received major industry and sustainability awards. See www.arxx.com for more information.

Happy Thursday!