Staying Safe Around Heavy Machinery
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Staying Safe Around Heavy Machinery

When I started working with my Uncle Bob last summer, I assumed that construction would be an easy, fun way to make a few extra bucks. However, I quickly discovered that construction work was serious business, filled with risks, difficulty, and rewards. After almost being creamed by a few backhoe booms, I learned how to stay out of the way. However, staying safe around heavy machinery isn't always easy to do. My blog talks about how to use machinery properly and what you need to do to stay safe so that you can return home to your family each and every day.

Staying Safe Around Heavy Machinery

Is Insulated Concrete Formwork Worth It? 3 Key Benefits

Ashley Hayes

Today, building contractors can enjoy an abundance of construction options that weren't available in the past. However, for those who're yet up-to-date with the latest trends, the availability of numerous alternatives may seem intimidating. One cutting-edge trend in commercial construction is insulated concrete formwork, which offers immense benefits. This post provides more insights into ICF by highlighting three crucial advantages they afford.

Energy Efficiency

Almost all concrete projects use some kind of form, which creates void spaces similar to wall shapes. Contractors pour wet concrete in these voids and allow it to cure. After that, they can choose to demolish the formwork or integrate it into the wall's exteriors.

After curing, the insulated concrete form is integrated into the walls to help enhance the building's insulation capabilities. It has higher thermal resistance degrees compared to wooden forms. Simply put, ICFs significantly boost the energy efficiency of a structure.

Highly Durable

Concrete is well-known for its impressive durability, and it's one reason why many contractors choose it as their material of choice for construction projects. However, concrete structures designed with wooden forms become susceptible to structural issues over time. Wooden formwork may undergo rotting or mold growth if the exterior walls suffer damage. Water seepage may result in concrete spalling or shattering.

The best way to alleviate such problems is to use insulated concrete formwork. It's made up of polystyrene material that's least affected by water. Structurally, ICF is composed of closed cells that help mitigate moisture transmission or absorption. Insulated concrete walls provide unmatched benefits for keeping a structure protected from any water damage.

Resistant to Fire

Unlike wooden formwork, insulated concrete formwork is resistant to fire. While fire threatens any structure, those build with wooden formwork remains more vulnerable to fire than those designed with insulated concrete forms.

Wooden formwork walls wear down in a matter of minutes when exposed to extreme heat from fire. However, ICF walls may endure the same conditions for longer. That means the difference between these two can potentially be life-saving. It allows people inside the premises to evacuate to safety quickly.

Final Thoughts

Indeed, insulating concrete formwork is continuing to rise in popularity in the construction sphere. The more you understand ICF, the more its notoriety makes sense. These three crucial benefits make it an ideal construction choice for many building contractors. If you would like to understand whether ICF is the most suitable material for your upcoming construction project, consider getting advice from a reputable construction contractor.


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