Concrete Fly Ash Mix

All of the concrete used in the foundation walls contains 20% fly ash. Fly ash concrete mixes are green for a few reasons. By adding fly ash to the mix, the amount of cement used is reduced. Fly ash is a waste product created by coal fired power plants, so by mixing it with cement, large quantities are diverted from landfills. In addition, these fly ash mixes have the added benefits of improved workability, improved strength, decreased water usage, and resistance to chemical attack.

Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)

Our foundation wall is made of BuildBlock ICFs. Insulated Concrete Forms are hollow foam blocks which are stacked into the shape of the exterior walls of a building, reinforced with steel rebar, and then filled with concrete. Insulated concrete forms combine one of the finest insulating materials, Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), with one of the strongest structural building materials, steel reinforced concrete. The benefits of this wall system are energy efficiency, noise dampening, affordability, decreased construction waste, recycled content in the plastic components as well as the ability to recycle the scrap EPS, which we did.