About Ballantine Building Solutions

What Is Integraspec Icf?

Insulating Concrete Formwork (ICF) is an innovative, sustainable, high performance building system. Quite simply, it allows fast construction of creative, flexible buildings with low running costs and a long life.

How does IntegraSpec ICF work?

On site, IntegraSpec expanded polystyrene panels are fixed together with webs made from high impact polystyrene plastic to create a formwork to which horizontal and vertical steel reinforcements can be easily added for extra strength. Once braced, the formwork is simply filled with concrete. The expanded polystyrene panels stay in place, resulting in a super-insulated monolithic solid concrete structure.

Watch our video to see IntegraSpec ICF in action!

What are the key benefits of IntegraSpec ICF?

• It’s easy – experienced installers can achieve up to 4m2 per hour, with minimal mechanical equipment and power tools required
• It’s quick – the building can be watertight in less time, and supporting trades can get on site swiftly
• It’s robust – designed to withstand the pressures of wet concrete pours of up to 3m
• It’s designer-friendly – ideal for innovative or unusual design features, including curved walls and freeform shapes
• It’s flexible – variable size webs and our unique H clip allows total core size flexibility; we’ve already used it to create walls over 1m thick!
• It’s easy to clad – inserts are moulded into each panel to allow easy mechanical fixing of a wide range of exterior cladding, including stone, brick or rendering. Or choose our unique ‘exposed concrete face’ option
• It’s cheap to transport – save fuel with up to 1,000m2 of panel loaded in one truck
• It’s easy to store – our unique independent panel design reduces storage space compared to fixed block ICF
• It’s energy efficient – the great insulation properties of polystyrene and our unique cavity closers around windows and doors create a comfortable living environment all year round, keeping energy bills low
• It absorbs sound – the formwork is an efficient sound absorption system; great for acoustic performance and reducing noise from adjoining properties
• It’s made in the UK! – supporting British jobs, and ensuring the quickest possible turnaround time from initial order to delivery on site

Where can IntegraSpec ICF be used?

The flexibility of IntegraSpec ICF means it works well for a wide variety of different building projects. It has already been successfully used in the construction of apartments and houses, care homes, commercial buildings, hospitals, hotels, schools, stables, hot tubs, swimming pools and basements.

It’s no wonder IntegraSpec is already the first choice for high performance and sustainability with designers, installers and occupiers across the UK, Europe, America, Canada and Asia.

What’s the thermal performance of IntegraSpec ICF?

The thermal performance of any structure depends on two key measures – ‘thermal mass’ (the ability of the exterior envelope to store heat and release it over a 24-hour period) and ‘thermal storage’ (the ability of the building material to minimise temperature fluctuations and stabilise internal conditions). With IntegraSpec ICF, the thermal mass of the concrete combines with the expanded polystyrene insulation inside and out to help keep the structure warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Whatever the external temperature, the heat energy inside the building is continually conserved.

What are the U-values of IntegraSpec ICF?

In the standard configuration, the IntegraSpec ICF system can offer U-values down to 0.20w/m2k. By adding our unique expanded polystyrene inserts, U-values can be improved to around 0.10 w/m2k.

Download our brochure to find out more about our thermal performance

Does IntegraSpec ICF prevent thermal bridging?

Following independent tests for thermal bridging prevention, IntegraSpec has been verified as the best in the UK, with a lower thermal bridge loss than any other building system.

To be sent our Thermal Bridging certificates please contact us

What’s the fire performance of IntegraSpec ICF?

As concrete can’t be set on fire and doesn’t burn, the IntegraSpec ICF system is very safe, providing an excellent level of protection against fire. Depending on the thickness of the concrete core, it can provide up to 3 hours of fire protection.

How green is the IntegraSpec ICF system?

Every element of the IntegraSpec ICF system is geared towards energy efficiency, low waste and long life:

• All our products are either made from recycled material or can be recycled
• Our expanded polystyrene is free from CFCs or HCFCs
• Up to 1,000m2 of panels can be loaded onto one truck, saving on fuel costs and reducing the carbon footprint
• One standard panel size fits any wall, saving on storage space
• Buildings constructed using IntegraSpec ICF exceed the energy efficiency requirements for current building regulations