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Building Green

At Polycrete® we are dedicated to improve our construction methods and by manufacturing products with minimal impact on the environment. Our ICF products combine the expanded polystyrene qualities to reinforce concrete. This union results in building structures with a high thermal efficiency. In addition to making secure and comfortable buildings, substantial savings on HVAC are resulting from a building as efficient as Polycrete® ones. Savings can go as high as 70% in comparison to conventional structures.

Walls, from the footing up to the roof, are insulated on both sides, without air gaps, and with no thermal bridges : with Polycrete®, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) losses and air infiltrations are over!

Moreover, the ICF expanded polystyrene envelope prevents humidity transmission through the concrete : all building walls are dry.

Better than any conventional construction methods, Polycrete® ICFs ensure to the building occupants a healthy, comfortable and soundproof environment.

Polycrete® walls contribute to gaining LEED credits (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) thanks to its characteristics and qualities that are aligned with an environmental approach tending to decrease our ecological footprint.

  • ENERGY PERFORMANCE: The energy effectiveness of an ICF wall is due to the unique synergy of continuous insulation, virtually no air infiltration and the added thermal mass of the concrete wall.
  • REDUCED FOOTPRINT : The ICF construction method reduced the development footprint and limits the site disturbance to preserve existing natural areas. A Polycrete® construction can reduce the impact to a construction site, as the bracing is typically erected on the inside of the ICF wall, with limited construction activity around the perimeter.
  • WASTE REDUCTION : The construction site waste is greatly reduced when using Polycrete® ICF products. Moreover, all ICF elements stay incorporated to the building structure.
  • RECYCLED MATERIALS : Our ICF products are made in part of recycled material. Also, all construction site waste is recyclable*.
  • INCREASED DURABILITY AND RESISTANCE : Polycrete® ICF concrete reinforced walls are one of the most reliable and long life building solutions due to their structural strength. Polycrete® ICF products provide a perfect concrete maturation that reduces potential cracks in the concrete wall. Concrete is protected both sides by panels of expanded polystyrene, which is an inert material with stable properties and is non-biodegradable. EPS panels can’t be degraded by extreme climatic conditions such as rain, sun or freeze and thaw cycles. Also, everybody knows that nothing can resist to extreme nature cataclysms, nevertheless, it’s worldwide recognized that concrete building with monolithic structures, are the best building solutions to resist hurricanes or seismic phenomena.
  • INDOOR AIR QUALITY : The airtight nature of the Polycrete® ICF concrete wall allows for better control of air flow. Using Polycrete® ICFs for the building envelope reduce temperature and humidity variables, and facilitate the maintenance of the comfort ranges. Also, the EPS foam used in Polycrete® ICFs products emits no VOCs of formaldehyde, nor does it produce any CFCs or HCFCs during manufacturing. EPS will not generate any off-gassing, as the material is inorganic and inert.

Polycrete® is proud to contribute to sustainable construction with its products and construction technics for any type of buildings : residential, commercial, industrial and institutional.

* Subject to local recycling programs