ICF DESIGN
LAKE RESIDENCE - PRIEST RIVER, ID
BUILDING STRONGer AND HEALTHIER
WADE Design Group has been involved in the ICF industry since 2010, designing everything from She-Sheds to large Residential homes. Completing a large number of ICF homes per year. WADE has been known as the largest ICF design firm in the US with designs in 43 states and growing.
By definition, Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) is system of form work for reinforced concrete, usually made with a rigid thermal insulation that stays in place as a permanent interior and exterior substrate for walls, floors, and roofs.
ICF has become something we believe in and we love knowing our clients are building a safe home for their families.
Homes Built with ICF are -
Tornado, hurricane, and earthquake resistant.
Three times quieter than a traditional framed home.
Energy efficient - 30 - 80% savings in energy consumption and costs.
Can be used to build virtually any home plan, using any finish.
ICF assembly cut-away.
ICF Codes & Technical Resources
The following codes, standards, and technical publications are provided as helpful references for homeowners, builders, contractors, and design professionals working with Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) construction.
ICF construction may be designed using prescriptive residential provisions or engineered structural design depending on the project, building configuration, loads, and requirements of the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).
Residential ICF Design & Construction
HUD — Prescriptive Method for Insulating Concrete Forms in Residential Construction
A comprehensive prescriptive guide developed for residential ICF construction. This publication provides guidance for ICF wall systems, reinforcement, wall thicknesses, openings, lintels, connections, and other common residential construction conditions.
View the HUD Prescriptive Method for ICF Construction
International Residential Code (IRC) — Section R608
Section R608 of the International Residential Code addresses exterior concrete wall construction and provides requirements applicable to residential concrete and ICF wall systems.
It includes provisions for wall construction, reinforcement, concrete placement, openings, lintels, connections, and other structural requirements.
View IRC Concrete Wall Provisions — ICC
International Residential Code (IRC) — Section R404
IRC Section R404 addresses foundation and retaining walls, including concrete foundation walls commonly used with ICF construction.
This section is particularly useful for projects incorporating ICF basements, below-grade walls, and concrete foundation systems.
View IRC Foundation Wall Provisions — ICC
ACI 332 — Code Requirements for Residential Concrete
ACI 332 provides requirements specifically for structural concrete used in one- and two-family residential construction and townhouses.
The standard addresses residential concrete foundations, walls, slabs, reinforcement, construction practices, and other requirements relevant to ICF construction.
ACI 332 — American Concrete Institute
PCA 100 — Prescriptive Design of Exterior Concrete Walls
PCA 100 provides prescriptive design requirements for above-grade concrete walls in residential construction.
PCA 100 is one of the standards recognized by the International Residential Code as a design method for certain residential concrete wall systems.
Learn More About PCA Codes & Standards
Engineered Structural Concrete Design
ACI 318 — Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete
ACI 318 is one of the primary structural concrete standards used throughout the United States.
Projects that exceed prescriptive residential code limitations may require structural design in accordance with ACI 318 and other applicable engineering standards.
ACI 318 — American Concrete Institute
ASCE 7 — Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures
ASCE 7 establishes structural loading criteria used in building design, including wind, seismic, snow, rain, flood, dead, live, and other loads.
These requirements are commonly used by structural engineers when designing ICF buildings that require engineered structural calculations.
ASCE 7 — American Society of Civil Engineers
ICF Materials & Energy
ASTM E2634 — Standard Specification for Flat Wall Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) Systems
ASTM E2634 establishes requirements for flat-wall ICF systems used as permanent formwork for cast-in-place reinforced concrete walls.
ASTM E2634 — ASTM International
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
The IECC establishes minimum energy-efficiency requirements for residential and commercial buildings.
ICF wall assemblies can provide continuous insulation, reduced air infiltration, and thermal-mass benefits that can contribute to meeting applicable energy-code requirements.
International Energy Conservation Code — ICC
REScheck — U.S. Department of Energy
REScheck is a U.S. Department of Energy compliance tool used to demonstrate compliance with residential energy-code requirements in many jurisdictions.
It can be useful when documenting ICF wall assemblies and overall building-envelope energy performance.
REScheck — U.S. Department of Energy
Additional ICF Connection Reference
HUD — Prescriptive Method for Connecting Cold-Formed Steel Framing to Insulating Concrete Form Walls
This HUD publication provides technical guidance for connections between ICF walls and cold-formed steel framing, including floor and roof framing connections.
View the HUD ICF Connection Guide
Important Notice
These codes, standards, and publications are provided for general reference and educational purposes only. Applicable building codes, code editions, local amendments, structural requirements, wind and seismic design criteria, and engineering requirements vary by project location and jurisdiction.
The local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) determines the codes and requirements applicable to each project. Projects requiring structural engineering should be reviewed and designed by a licensed structural engineer or other qualified design professional as required by the jurisdiction.
Wade Design Group provides residential design and construction-document services but does not represent these reference materials as a substitute for required engineering, permitting, or approval by the applicable building authority.