as nations around the world begin to adopt green building initiatives bill block insulating concrete forms offer substantial benefits over concrete block construction using bill block ICF's instead of concrete blocks will decrease many construction costs reduce the overall job completion time increase the safety of the construction process and lower ongoing operating expenses the most significant way in which ICF's reduce construction costs is by reducing the overall construction time and labor this allows you to lease or occupy the structure sooner increasing the rate of return on your investment both short and long term one bill block ICF is 16 inches tall and 48 inches long the wall area of a single ICF form equates to six standard concrete masonry units just as important the features of an ICF form eliminate the need for several products and construction steps which are required in concrete block construction the strong interlocking connection grid makes stacking ICF's fast and easy this eliminates the time-consuming practice of mortaring between concrete blocks and reduces the number of skilled masonry laborers required the molded in web securely lock in place to number five rebar virtually eliminating the time consuming process of tying steel the web's also serve as furring strips for interior and exterior finishes eliminating the additional step of adding furring strips as required with concrete block these furring strips include hard points with a pullout strength of about 500 pounds and are easily identified by molded in markings on both sides of the form the EPS panels stay in place creating permanent insulation and are ready to finish surface for brick siding Efus or stucco this stable substrate eliminates the common problem of stair step cracking in the stucco finish the molded and numbered cut lines located on both sides of the ICF save installers valuable time cutting an ICF is quick and easy to do with the simple handsaw compare that to the grueling process of cutting concrete block not only does the lightweight nature of ICF's make them faster to work with it also creates a much safer environment for workers this will result in fewer job site related injuries and lower workers compensation premiums to further expedite the construction process additional types of ICF forms are available including 90 and 45 degree corner brick ledge and double taper top forms ICF walls can be engineered to bear substantially greater loads than concrete block walls vertically and horizontally the ICF walls can actually be engineered to share the load that would otherwise rest solely on large steel or concrete columns also elevator shafts and walls located under escalators can be formed with ICF's it's easy to see how these many features reduce construction time when compared to concrete blocks faster easier construction time means fewer skilled laborers fewer overall labor hours less construction loan interest and faster occupancy these significant areas of savings help to mitigate the cost of using this state-of-the-art construction technology the construction advantages of ICF technology are only the beginning the finished ICF structure is highly energy-efficient remarkably comfortable quiet and very safe EPS has an R value of approximately are four per inch when combined with the thermal mass of the concrete and the significant reduction in air infiltration this can result in a performance our value of our 32 are 50 this built in energy efficiency significantly reduces annual energy costs when compared to concrete block structures providing substantial savings over the life of the building the mass of the insulated concrete walls also serves to create a quiet comfortable interior for occupants internal temperatures are more stable and uniform ICF walls are an excellent choice for the construction of theaters an 8-inch ICF wall has an STC of 53 without the need for additional sound mitigation materials or methods ICF walls are significantly stronger than those built with concrete blocks ICF structures are proven to be highly resistant to tornadoes hurricanes earthquakes and fire providing safety and peace of mind for occupants around the globe ICF construction technology is changing the way the world builds now is the time to partner with bill block building systems build at once build it for life with bill block