I'm a builder and developer and have decided to use the ICF Process. The first project was a basement pour which presented some problems. Due to spacing we were not able to block and brace the outside wall of the basement properly and resulted in several blowouts along with lots of wasted concrete.

Question? When you brace the interior walls properly is it possible to go ahead and backfill prior to the pour in order to brace the outside wall and prevent blowouts? Or is there a better process? We used the 8" Poly Steel form for this project.

Glad to have a new builder developer using ICF's. Sorry you had the trouble you described on your first job. The Poley Steel 8" monolithic form is a good form. You shouldn't have any trouble bracing on the outside or inside. You typically only brace on one side. Where did the blowouts occure? My guess is that you poured a concrete mix that was too wet. Water causes great preassure on the forms and can contribute to the failure of form, i.e. blowouts. I certinally would not backfill ICF forms that are not poured and set. Stick with a 5" slump mix and use a vibrator to consolidate the mix. In an 8" form I would use a 3/4" topsize stone.

Question is did you get any help from your dealer/ dist. ???????

Dave

Sometimes it pays to put scabs on the corners to help hold them together. For that you do need some room so a man can get between the wall and the bank. I have not used PoleySteel lately.  The last several jobs I have done were IntegraSpec and Nudura. there are no issues with either of these blocks with corners pushing or blowing out. We don't pump directly into the corner but instead let the concrete flow into the corners and vibrate to insure consolidation.

Thanks,
Tom
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