Insulated concrete formwork
Offsite residential construction, Glossary of terms, published by Buildoffsite in 2018, defines Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) as: ‘ An onsite innovation, ICF is a building system made from inter-locking hollow polystyrene elements that act as permanent formwork as well as permanent insulation. In situ concrete is then poured into the polystyrene formwork.’
The insulated formwork remains permanently in place, acting as both the insulation and formwork for the wall.
The acronym PIF can also be used to refer to Permanent Insulated Concrete Formwork.
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