Element ICF has a wide range of design features and benefits that builders love. We describe many of them in this post.
Additionally, below are four unique design benefits that truly set Element ICF apart from other ICF systems:
Bridging Flexties
Element’s patented Bridging Flexties will permanently lock two stacked blocks together, top to bottom.
There are many uses for this patented feature, but mostly builders use bridging flexties to quickly reinforce and add forming strength, when needed, to 90 degree corners in their walls.
In addition, all site-assembled Element blocks will accept bridging flexties and builders will use them whenever they want to add forming strength to their walls, such as in wall areas near openings as an example.
All-Foam Wire Chases
With most ICFs, creating horizontal wire chases to inset your interior wiring means cutting through hard plastic webs that are every 8” o/c, and this is nowhere near as easy, nor as neat and clean, as it can be made out to be.
With Element ICF there are convenient all-foam channels every 16” o/c for easily creating wire chases. This means there is far less work for the electrical subs and they are also free to use a hot-wire to cut the foam if they wish to.
Wiring needs to be installed in almost every ICF installation and these all-foam wire chases are a huge advantage.
Two Ways To Make Half Height Blocks
First, you can cut two half height blocks by cutting a full height block in half. Simply cut on the center horizontal cutline embossed on the panels. This gives you half height blocks with one flat surface, which is perfect for the first or last course in a wall. Because the interlock is reversible you can use both halves.
Secondly, you can make a half height block using 4 height adjusters and 6 flexties. This creates a half-height block with an interlock on the top and the bottom, so you can place this block anywhere within the wall.
Quickly Change Your Horizontal Rebar Spacing
Element blocks are 16” high and the horizontal rebar placement in an Element ICF is 16” o/c, which is industry-standard.
However, every once in a while, builders might want an alternative horizontal rebar spacing – for instance in safe-room walls in or in shear walls, both of which may require a 12” spacing, or even an 8″ or 4″ horizontal spacing. With most other ICFs this adjustment usually entails “wire-hanging” horizontal rebar from the webs, but with site assembled Element ICF blocks, simply slotting in an occasional ½ flextie or bridging flextie easily facilitates an alternative horizontal bar spacing.
