Is ICF suitable for apartment buildings?

ICF stands out as an outstanding building material for apartment construction, delivering advantages in both energy efficiency and fire safety. By utilising ICF for this 28-unit development, the client achieved a high-performance commercial building that integrates modern heating and cooling systems with the inherent thermal benefits of ICF construction. This synergy has resulted in remarkably low energy consumption, significantly reducing operational costs for tenants while providing the landlord with a durable, low-maintenance asset that will perform reliably for decades.

Beyond energy savings, the project’s fire safety strategy was strengthened through the combination of ICF walls and precast concrete flooring. The ICF structure’s solid concrete core provides inherent fire resistance, while the precision-engineered precast floors create seamless horizontal barriers. Together, they form a robust compartmentalisation system, with carefully detailed junctions between walls and floors acting as effective fire breaks. This integrated approach not only meets but exceeds current Building Regulations, ensuring superior protection for occupants and long-term peace of mind for building owners.

The Wellington St apartment building was finished with a combination of render and brick slip forms. ICF is ideal for render finishes as its easy to apply and the labour cost and availability is competitive. Incorporating brick slips on to an ICF building is straight forward. Nevertheless It is important to note that, from a warranty perspective, when combining a brick slip and render finish to an ICF building. The basecoat material, adhesive and grouts needs to come from the same manufacture/supplier.

‍

Despite all the extra detail required for apartment construction, we deployed a dedicated team of five ICF specialists (a larger crew than typical for this scale) who completed the ICF structure in little over three weeks. This achievement underscores the versatility and compatibility of ICF construction in the modern age and clearly is a solution to creating more affordable housing at speed.

‍