Last week, Dominic DiCenzo of the Connecticut Concrete Promotion Council hosted a tour of a 16-story panelized ICF apartment building under construction in Mt. Vernon, NY, just north of New York City. DiCenzo, along with NRMCA's Gregg Lewis and Doug O’Neill, led the discussion during the bus ride to the New York suburb.
“Many in the group had never seen ICF construction before, let alone panelized ICF, so there was a sense of anticipation and excitement on the bus going down there,” O’Neill remarked. ICF panelization is when the ICF walls arrive at the jobsite as custom-made 50-foot panels. The panelization is done off-site at an assembly plant operated by ICF Panels of Scotia, NY.
Michael Cleary, president of ICF Panels and tour guide for the day, has estimated that panelization will shorten the construction schedule by several months, allowing the building to be occupied significantly earlier than would otherwise be possible. “Owners and developers will see that building with ICF panels is literally money in the bank,” Cleary said. "Opening early allows them to gain access to hundreds of thousands of dollars that is otherwise unavailable.”
Panels are delivered to the jobsite ready to be braced and poured (shown here). Bucks, weld plates and lintel rebar are installed prior to shipping. Most of the reinforcing steel is replaced with a steel fiber, a twisted steel micro rebar technology developed for the military that creates a stronger concrete with better consolidation and pour characteristics. Panelization offers several other benefits, such as reduced hazard insurance, less form waste, virtually no weather delays and improved worker productivity. It’s an attractive option for commercial developers, designers, ICF installers and others wanting to maximize profits and gain market share.
The group returned to Connecticut with a much better understanding of not only how easy this form of construction can be, but also what the benefits to the owner are both short and long term. “Dominic did an amazing job organizing this event, from the breakfast at the meeting place to the tour by Michael Cleary with ICF Panels, to the lunch and return bus ride, the event couldn’t have run any more smoothly,” O’Neill remarked.
For more information about panelized ICF construction, contact Doug O’Neill at doneill@nrmca.org.
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association