If you’re in Canada, designing Element ICF walls for residential homes has never been simpler. While Logix has always offered comprehensive engineering resources, we’ve now gone a step further and compiled them into a single, newly-updated and user-friendly app: the One-Minute Engineer.
In the post below, we’ll go over the prescriptive engineering tables that were used to develop and update the One-Minute Engineer, help you see if your building falls under the app’s scope, and walk you through step-by-step instructions on how to use the app.
What Is “Engineering” In the Context of ICF Walls?
Engineering is a key component of ICF wall design, because it ensures that the walls have sufficient strength to carry their design loads. The thickness of the concrete core and the amount of steel reinforcement in the wall determines this strength. Generally, thicker concrete cores and greater rebar density translate to stronger ICF walls.
What Is Element ICF Prescriptive Engineering?
The Element ICF prescriptive engineering report provides tables and diagrams that can assist in structural design of buildings that use Element ICF for:
- Basements only
- Basements plus up to 2 stories above grade and/or roof
These prescriptive engineering reports are available separately for the US and Canada.
US Prescriptive Engineering
The Element ICF prescriptive engineering tables for the US were based on the relevant sections of:
- Chapter 16 of the International Building Code 2018 — Structural Design
- Section R404 of the International Residential Code — Foundations and Retaining Walls
- Section R611 of the International Residential Code — Insulating Concrete Form Wall Construction
- ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete
Canadian Prescriptive Engineering
The Canadian prescriptive engineering report was developed using the 2015 National Building Code of Canada and the CAN/ULC 123.2. The tables in the report carry a stamp for all Canadian provinces, so you can use this resource nationwide, as long as the building conforms to the following:
- Maximum floor area: 3,200ft2
- Maximum clear spans:
- Floor: 24ft
- Roof: 40ft
- Maximum wall heights:
- Foundation: 12ft
- Main: 16ft
- 2nd floor: 10ft
If your building has a residential occupancy and meets the criteria above, you can simply use the Logix prescriptive engineering tables instead of paying for site-specific engineering. You can download the resource here.
One-Minute Engineer App Makes Prescriptive Engineering a Breeze
To make your job simple, Logix has developed the One-Minute Engineer — a handy app that spares you the trouble of digging through the prescriptive engineering reports. All you have to do is input the characteristics of the building, and you’ll get a report with the recommended rebar density and placement, along with a wall section detail.
You can generate such a report using the One-Minute Engineer for any Part 9 homes that meet the criteria described above and submit it with your plans to the building department. In most cases, the building officials will accept the report without asking for site-specific engineering.
Note that the One-Minute Engineer report can also be used when you’re converting a conventional basement to an ICF design.
For now, the One-Minute Engineer is only available for below and above-grade walls (lintels coming soon) in Canada. The US counterpart is under development and will be available later this year. So, if you’re hailing from the US, be sure to bookmark this page and check back later in 2022!
First, you’ll have to enter some project data so the app can confirm the building’s eligibility for the Logix prescriptive engineering use:
Next, you’ll input more data about the project. This information will help the One-Minute Engineer come up with its calculations. The images below show the data you’ll have to supply in the next few forms you fill out:
Note that the One-Minute Engineer will actually provide you with wind and seismic load factors automatically, so you don’t have to search for these values yourself!
In the end, you’ll get a report, including the wall section detail, which looks like this:
That’s it — you’re done! You can now submit this report to the building officials for review along with your plans. Don’t forget to [lead_popup_link link=”2″] for your materials!
Wrapping It Up
Logix is the only ICF supplier to have developed an engineering app like the One-Minute Engineer and it will save you considerable time and money during the design phase!
If you need any assistance with the One-Minute Engineer, you can [lead_popup_link link=”3″ label=”contact your Logix territory manager or local dealer”], and they’ll be glad to lend a hand. You can also attend this webcast on June 16th, 2022, to learn more — go ahead and register here.
