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Investigation of Moisture in Insulating Concrete Form Walls

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Investigation of Moisture in Insulating Concrete Form Walls PCA R&D Serial No. 2190 INVESTIGATION OF MOISTURE IN INSULATING CONCRETE FORM WALLS by John Gajda, Martha VanGeem, and Thomas Gentry ©Portland Cement Association 2000 All rights reserved KEYWORDS Concrete, details, distress, drying, foundations, insulating concrete form, ICF, moisture, relative humidity, water vapor retarder, windows ABSTRACT Insulating concrete form (ICF) wall systems are rapidly gaining market share in new housing. In the past, their use was primarily limited to custom single-family housing. Today, however, ICF wall systems are being used throughout North America for a variety of housing types ranging from custom to production, expensive to affordable, and single- to multi-family. The scale on which ICF wall systems are being used has grown from scattered individual buildings to entire subdivisions. ICFs, like all wall systems, require special attention to detail to avoid potential moisture problems. Standard guidelines are needed to help architects and contractors use these systems more effectively. A project was performed to investigate the potential for moisture problems associated with ICFs and to develop standard recommendations and guidelines to avoid these problems. The project was conducted in four parts. In the first part, six wall sections were constructed and instrumented to determine rates of drying as affected by various combinations of exterior and interior finishes and vapor retarders. After one year of monitoring in a controlled atmosphere, the walls were systematically dissected and examined for signs of moisture-related distress. The second part of the investigation involved analyses to evaluate the condensation potential of wall sections utilizing various interior finishes, vapor retarders, and exterior finishes. Analyses were performed for winter and summer seasons for locations throughout North America. Results of the analyses led to recommendations on vapor retarders. The third part of the investigation involved gathering window installation and flashing details from ICF manufacturers and other sources. Because ICFs represent a relatively new means of above-grade construction, only limited details were found. This provided further justification of the need to develop recommended practices for ICF wall openings. The final part of the investigation involved recommending standard window details to mitigate water entry at joints. Additional details were developed to address proper practices for exterior walls, from the foundation to the eave, for a variety of exterior finishes and construction types. Details were developed with the assistance of construction tradespeople to facilitate effective, yet practical means of ICF construction. Investigation of Moisture in Insulating Concrete Form Walls REFERENCE Gajda, John, VanGeem, Martha, and Gentry, Thomas, “Investigation of Moisture in Insulating Concrete Form Walls, R&D Serial No. 2190, Portland Cement Association, 2000, 170 pages. ii PCA Research and Development Bulletin 2190 TABLE OF CONTENTS KEYWORDS.......................................................................................................................... i ABSTRACT............................................................................................................................ i REFERENCE......................................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................ vi LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. xi ACRONYMS...................................................................................................................... xiii INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................1 SCOPE OF WORK.................................................................................................................2 DRYING OF ICF WALLS.....................................................................................................2 WALLS..................................................................................................................................3 Materials...........................................................................................................................3 Formwork.........................................................................................................................4 Concrete ...........................................................................................................................5 Finishes ............................................................................................................................5 Measurement Conduits.....................................................................................................6 Edge Sealing.....................................................................................................................6 CONDITIONING ENVIRONMENT.............................................................................................6 DATA COLLECTION...............................................................................................................7 Humidity and Temperature Measurement Probes............................................................7 Data Logger......................................................................................................................7 Calibration........................................................................................................................7 RESULTS...............................................................................................................................8 Measured Results .............................................................................................................8 Visual Observations .........................................................................................................9 Moisture Content..............................................................................................................9 Discussion ........................................................................................................................9 Recommendations ..........................................................................................................12 iii Investigation of Moisture in Insulating Concrete Form Walls CONDENSATION ANALYSES .........................................................................................12 LOCATIONS AND CLIMATE..................................................................................................12 WALL SECTIONS AND CONSTRUCTION ...............................................................................13 ANALYSIS METHOD............................................................................................................14 RESULTS.............................................................................................................................14 Condensation Philosophy...............................................................................................15 Whole Wall Analyses.....................................................................................................15 Lack of Insulation ..........................................................................................................16 Wet Concrete..................................................................................................................16 Additional Analyses .......................................................................................................16 Potential Freeze-Thaw Damage .....................................................................................17 RECOMMENDATIONS ..........................................................................................................18 REVIEW OF EXISTING WINDOW DETAILS .................................................................19 REQUEST FOR DETAILS.......................................................................................................19 DEVELOPMENT OF ICF WINDOW AND WALL DETAILS .........................................20 WINDOW DETAILS..............................................................................................................20 Design Philosophy..........................................................................................................20 Six Details ......................................................................................................................22 CONSTRUCTION DETAILS (ISOMETRIC)...............................................................................23 Recessed Window with Stucco ......................................................................................23 Flush-mount Window with Vinyl Siding.......................................................................23 WHOLE WALL DETAILS......................................................................................................24 Design Philosophy..........................................................................................................24
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