How Insulated Concrete Forms/ ICF Blocks are made | Factory Tour!

[@PaulDominguez]

Great "how its done" video. Really liked the chemistry explanation. I've been fascinated with ICF blocks. Its Legos for adults who want to build real life structures.

[@akgunkel]

I also thought the chemistry part was just the right level of detail for this non-chemist. Wonderful video, Belinda!

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks, Paul and Alexander! I really appreciate your support and feedback.

[@rockys7726]

I love how you look at things from a sustainability POV. It's always in the back of my mind especially for construction materials. Since there's so much waste involved.

[@msshelbyful]

Only in modern times. Ancient tribes reused and recycled everything. Everything had a purpose.

[@divinejudge1]

Great video. I’ve been looking to study ICF for my future home build. Thank you for this video - look forward to the other videos on ICF.

[@dpie4859]

Belinda: You are such a cool woman. Your videos are extremely well made and you really go into technical details. Its very rare to see a woman with such passion for engineering. Keep it up!

[@legendaryscrub]

Very cool and informative! That was a great take on pollutants as well, we need to be responsible with how we use and dispose of materials.

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks, Andrew!

[@KaceyGreen]

It's awesome to see them recycling the rejects and ties back into your earlier videos on the EPS and related materials themselves. It's good to see them formed into a finished product and theses ICF bricks in particular were interesting as I'd seen a few projects using them but they don't seem too common.

[@te71se]

Another wonderful video from you Belinda - keep it up!

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks for the support!

[@PlanetFrosty]

Belinda, you do a great job with both precision and passion for the industry. Graphite infused polystyrene maintains its R value better, better fire retardant along with more structural support. I believe there’s only one using this BASF product, but I think it’s worth considering. I’m planning on using the GPS ICF in my log home. The ICF will comprise the lower level and rock walls. My 10” logs will have Rockwool layer I between inside and outside log. The entire log is utilized

[@petermayiii722]

Very goo d presentation, being in the industry since the early 1960's I glad you see through the lies of those against this process.

[@Alex-nl5cy]

It makes a lot of sense that it would be easier to recycle and use more sustainably with construction than it would with packaging or single-use cups, looking forward to the next video!

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks, Alex!

[@alexl2981]

Very informative video. Learned something new from watching this.

[@byronlaw6724]

A Sony engineer developed a way to more fully recycle polystyrene using the solvent D-limonene to dissolve the polystyrene and then process the solution through a distillation process that reconstitutes it back into the styrene pellets (the salt/sugar you mentioned in your video I think?) ready to be expanded. The distillation process also separates out the solvent ready to be used dissolving the next batch of polystyrene. I have often though it would be great if communities could recycle their polystyrene this way and form reduced cost ICFs for construction use in their communities thereby reducing energy consumption, improving quality of homes and reducing the largest contributor to landfills by volume. Win-Win-Win.

[@chrisfisk7316]

I love your videos. Would love to see a video on icf blocks made from mineralized wood.

[@chrisfisk7316]

Like Nexcem or Faswall or ECT.

[@markhoffman]

Very thorough.

[@fregmnt]

This video is going to blow up

[@lowrads3653]

It looks like the most costly aspect is transportation. I kinda doubt that miniaturizing a fab facility to fit on a trailer would really alleviate costs very much though. Realistically, most of the styrene that enters the general waste stream could be best treated with pyrolysis. Until the need for dump loads increases as a function of managing electrical grid stability, it's likely that pyrolysis plants are going to remain uneconomical in most regions, or at least niche. e.g., turning tires in methane et al We have a couple of styrene plants here in Baton Rouge, and they have a lot of legacy issues.

[@tiberionblock1047]

The mostly costly aspect is transportation! So you should always use a folding block like CelBlox in order to save a great deal of money.

[@epicuritus9761]

Thanks for another excellent video, Belinda. I've really liked the concept of ICF blocks and studied a fair bit about how they are used. I didn't know how they were made though. This was very informative and I'm looking forward to your future video(s) about this.

[@BelindaCarr]

Thank you! I'll release the pros and cons video on Monday.

[@RJM1011]

Thank you for the video GREAT to see how they are made. I am looking at using ICF in the future for some builds I would like to do.

[@larrylizano8094]

Very good video

[@Busezon]

Superrrr👏👏👏 Please provide more detailed information I wonder how much such a facility costs? Thanks

[@leadlearner6391]

an awesome no-nonsense video Belinda stating the True benefits of ICF :-) i would like to know, I am planning to retire to PH 🇵🇭 this year, do companies export ICT blocks? i wish to fill the middle with AirCrete 🙂

[@darrellgeerlinks1562]

I prefer Nudura ICF. I am curious if they have the same recycling techniques as foxblocks.

[@fredflickinger643]

Unfortunately the state of Florida provides no means for members of the public to recycle polystyrene. Great video!

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks, Fred!

[@Rmorine]

Great info as always. Regarding future topics, how about a video on the Pros and Cons of engineered flooring products. They’ve come a long way in the last decade or so, but do they compare favorably to traditional hardwood?

[@BelindaCarr]

Great idea, thanks! Many are basically the IKEA-grade planks. MDF with a printed veneer.

[@briandeeker324]

Thanks for the video. What is the name of the manufacturing plant?

[@amangraphics]

Please make a video on EPS panel house construction technology, there is a company called Rapidcon in Mumbai, INDIA they are manufacturers of these panels and build houses using it. they claim its easy, fast, lighter, 3 times stronger than brick construction and lasts longer than brick house.

[@klauszinser]

In Germany there is the very similar isorast. Different thicknesses of insulation is possible.

[@paulbooij7594]

Great job. In Canada building an average house, it costs about $3000 more for ICF, I asked a contractor.

[@BelindaCarr]

An average 3 bed 2 bath home, compared to stick build? That doesn't sound right.

[@achasilas6535]

@@BelindaCarr you are right. It's usually 5% to 10% more expensive than stick buildings.

[@tiberionblock1047]

@@achasilas6535 You are absolutely incorrect. I own an ICF manufacturing company called Celblox. We continually build homes that are less expensive than stick buildings.

[@vacheGagagrigs]

thank you Belinda, vert cool video, there is a topic I am interested in. After war in Artsakh, there is a lot of concrete waste, can you explore the topic of mixed construction waste recycling. How can the destroyed buildings and material be reused to build locally. It is important to cut down on the travel time and cost of building material to Artsakh, which now only has one road going to it.

[@deltaleon]

I used to work in place where we made those blocks but they pay sht and is a super hot place

[@aireepds5212]

Great i am looking for icf block machine

[@Repoboba]

Thank you for making such informative videos, your channel is great! Would you know anything about wood-concrete blocks? I think they are mostly used in Europe (e.g. ISO SPAN blocks). Thank you.

[@sadrasadjadi8116]

How much many for establish this factory?

[@vincebaker3384]

Great video very informative I have a couple of questions the first is about recycling the black plastic clips in between the Styrofoam how are they recycled. The second question once the Styrofoam blocks are put together in a building if the Styrofoam is damaged say from flying debris from a hurricane can the damaged Styrofoam be patched or replaced.

[@bjarnevarme9830]

Repairs can be done with PU-foam

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks, Vince! Polypropylene can also be recycled. It's done at another facility. Thanks for answering the other question, Bjarne.

[@vincebaker3384]

@@bjarnevarme9830 What is PU foam & how are the repairs made?

[@thejoz5464]

may i know..whare this factory? i never see in malaysia..

[@construcaoicfbrasil]

Gostaria de saber mais e entrar em contato via e-mail...pode me passar?

[@larrylizano8094]

Hello Belinda. I would like to start a company like that here in Mauritania, West Africa. How can I go about?

[@jeffreyokun2355]

The real issue with polystyrene is how it ends up in landfills, the ocean and the environment. No amount of recycling will solve that.. When concrete buildings are demolished, the ps goes everywhere and is carried by the wind. The process of making them maybe highly organized towards recycling, but getting the material there is the issue.

[@lupus7297]

ICF aka Insulated Crap Forms. Concrete is unsustainable although I get it’s necessity in specific circumstances, styrofoam however should be illegal. We don’t need more waste in the construction industry. Steel reinforced concrete is impossible to recycle, I don’t want to imagine what it’s like if you add styrofoam. Very good video btw, would love to see a video of a sustainable factory from you. Especially on CDB or something similar!

[@BelindaCarr]

Thanks! CDB?

[@lupus7297]

@@BelindaCarrMeant CEB sorry :) compressed earth bricks

[@tiberionblock1047]

You seem to be very misinformed about the carbon life cycle of actual buildings.

[@lupus7297]

@@tiberionblock1047 In that case please inform me :)

[@tiberionblock1047]

@@lupus7297 I own an ICF company named CelBlox. We build LEED Platinum, Energy Star Certified, Zero Waste houses.

[@NeoRazor]

Unfortunately, the fact that it gets recycled doesn't make it any less damaging to the environment. During the video, I could obviously see millions of little beads and flecks all over the place. There's no way to contain all that fragmentation of the material. The reason it's so dangerous is that it fragments into these very small, sometimes even microscopic, pieces, and then get dispersed as a potent poison into the world. Sorry, this material still needs to be banned.

[@ThexAristotle]

Why are these things being used now? aren't they like terrible for the environment? lmao rip

[@mowcius]

I love their "build green" tag-line. As if XPS, plastic ties and a massive quantity of concrete is a green option, however much recycling they implement into their manufacturing processes.

[@BelindaCarr]

I agree concrete is terrible for the environment, but we should compare the short lifespan of a poorly built wood stud home to the 100+ year lifespan of an ICF home.

[@mowcius]

@@BelindaCarr But can we not compare a well built flat pack wood home to an ICF home? There's nothing to say that an ICF home is going to be built well, and a well built wood house could happily outlive the seemingly short lifespan of most concrete.

[@tiberionblock1047]

@@mowcius This statement is just completely factually inaccurate.

[@RJM1011]

@@mowcius It's greener that a lot of other things used stupid ! Using wood is green if you replace the trees you use but the home will not last as long and will give off more CO2 when they wood/timber of that home fails as wood/timber is just stored CO2. Building with concrete is greener than people think as you only have a limited about of CO2 that you could get rid of and the building will last longer to use and is cheaper to heat and cool which also means less CO2.