Insulated Concrete Form (cfi) Construction

[helitool]

My wife and I arrived in CM a month ago and will be designing a house shortly. I would like to use ICF wall construction if possible as it provides excellent insulation and allows the walls to be constructed in about one day (OK, one week in thai time).

Does anyone know of a supplier in LOS? If you are not familiar with this form of construction a link is provided below for a time lapse video of a house wall being constructed in 10 hours.

http://www.quadlock.com/insulated_concrete..._time_lapse.htm

[Rimmer]

Never seen that here but that's not say it's not available but at a high premium. Have you thought about using Q Con blocks? They offer excellent thermal and sound insulation at 18 baht a block.

Even with a cavity wall system the cost is very small and the workers love them because they build so fast and are all perfectly sized and square.

[helitool]

Thanks, Rimmer I will check into the Q-blocks as well. One of the main reasons to go with a continuous cast in place wall is the earthquake resistance it provides.

Cheers, Ray

[chownah]

Thanks, Rimmer I will check into the Q-blocks as well. One of the main reasons to go with a continuous cast in place wall is the earthquake resistance it provides.

Cheers, Ray

Continuous cast in place concrete does not have any particular earthquake resistance to it as far as I know. Earthquake resistance is more a matter of rebar than concrete placement. At least let me say that the structural engineering courses I took never mentioned continuous casting as being especially desireable for earthquake engineering......rebar placement was, however emphasized along with designing collapse resistent failure mechanisms.

Also, earthquakes are not a big structural problem in Thailand. Serious structural damage from earthquakes in Thailand is either very uncommon or non-existant. I have never heard of serious structural failure of any building in Thailand caused by an earthquake (tsunamis excluded)......with the exception of hundreds of years old temples and chedis which were never maintained. But of course there is no harm in preparing for the eventuality of an earthquake.

Chownah

[canuckamuck]

The earthquake last week took out a ten year old tourist information building (I think it was in Mae Rim). It took a week to completley collapse though.

[Shah Jahan]

My wife and I arrived in CM a month ago and will be designing a house shortly. I would like to use ICF wall construction if possible as it provides excellent insulation and allows the walls to be constructed in about one day (OK, one week in thai time).

Does anyone know of a supplier in LOS? If you are not familiar with this form of construction a link is provided below for a time lapse video of a house wall being constructed in 10 hours.

http://www.quadlock.com/insulated_concrete..._time_lapse.htm

Did the OP ever get an answer?

I would also like to find ICF somewhere.......

come one, if two falangs want it, then a 3rd falang needs to open a business to provide it......

[kamalabob2]

"Lego Like Blocks" Were in a full page advertisement in one of the 90 baht Thai Language "Home/House/Builder" type Magazines at the Doctors office for

SMART BLOCK from www.ccp.co.th (038) 442-500 The NEW Smart Block Autoclaved Aerated Light Weight Concrete Block come in many sizes, BUT this block had a "LEGO" like system to attach and stack. The web site is not yet operating for the Thailand Smart Block, but they will mail you a catalog and someone does speak English at that number. Smart Block is a division of Chonburi Concrete Product, but the www.ccp.co.th web site does not adequately represent the NEW products from Smart Block.

This product looked somewhat similar to what the OP requested and is a locally made product at a competitive price with Q CON, CPAC BLOCKS. and www.superblockthailand.com I believe all of the companies have "shopped studies" to "prove" they each have the superior product, but our purchase decision was based on the total price of of the Autoclaved aerated materials including the rendering materials and job site delivery. The "list" price was a reference point, our builder was able to obtain a discount from each of the four major block companies. I specified the thickest exterior size I could afford, but the interior wall size of 7.5 cm seemed a standard for door frames. We are happy with the insulating benefits of 12.5 cm thick exterior wall, but you might consider the 15 cm thick blocks if it is in your budget. The yellow electric conduit is "hidden" in our 12.5 and 7.5 walls prior to rendering with the special "SMOOTH" material. There is no sand (fine or otherwise) added to this rendering material.