Hi All, Dealing with 1940's house with rock-rubble core-rock wall construction for the basement. 25 years ago had 24' corner/side section fully rebuilt by a great stone mason. Not an option anymore. Has anyone done a single wall replacement using ICF? Intent is poured footing/anchors then ICF stack, in total about 30 feet long, bump-out plus bay included. But done WITHOUT raising the house, just supporting it. Issues about rebar placement, pump-crete access when at full height. Plan B is regular forming/pour. Thoughts or better yet experience? East coast of Canada, frost depth the usual 4 foot when designing, soil is fine/clean/well draining (right into the basement!) Tx, Tim

I'd also consider concrete blocks (plus EPS foam). Preferably with a thermal break between the footing and the blocks (if the EPS isn't all on the interior side).

Hey Tim
Many different ways to do this, but ICF is a great choice.
We are assuming you know the basics of supporting a house in a safe manner prior to removing the damaged wall, so won't go into that.

Our choice is usually a block like Nudura or IntegraSpec which come unassembled. They give you a little better access for rebar, etc. You can pour the footer first or not. Install the block and bar as required up about 3/4 of the way and then just do one side and the web to the top. Finish the bar and install an anchoring mechanism. You might use regular anchor bolts hanging from a sill plate or maybe Simpson straps nailed into the joist work and wrapped around the top rebar in such a fashion that they will prevent the top of the wall from moving in when external lateral loads are applied.

If the wall is perpendicular to the joists, there should be enough gap on the inside that you can put a "J" spout on a line pump and fill the wall from the inside. If the wall is parallel with the joists, you need to do things a little different if there is no inside space. Prior to closing the top of the wall, install a 2" pvc sched. 40 pipe the full length of the wall and protruding out one end wall. Have a fitting on that end that a line pump can hook on to. As the wall fills, the pipe is slowly pulled back. It is important to have someone on both sides of the wall at all time and someone on the pipe to pull it back. If everything is just right, the pipe will pretty much push itself out as the wall is filled but you might need to keep slight traction on it to assist it. The key is having an intelligent pump operator who will work with you and the right mix of concrete. Small agg., at least one liter per meter of super plasticizer or equal, water reducer. Keep tapping the wall to confirm complete fill and obviously the vibration must be done from out side.

Usually you can lean the wall out enough to install the final top panel but if this is not possible, you go without the web interlock on the final side. Just cut the interlock off the web prior to placing. This allows it to act as a spacer and hanger for the rebar. To secure the top, screw a 2x4 to each side and then drill a hole clear through the wall and both 2x4s at about 4' intervals. Install short pieces of threaded rod to act as ties. 1/4" rod is enough as there is not much pressure at the top of the wall. When you strip, cut the threaded rod with an angle grinder or sawsall.

Sometimes it is easier not to pour the footing first. Use the mono pour system from FAB-FORM. http://fab-form.com/fastfootMp/fastfootMpOverview.php Place your liner bag, install the footing rebar and then place the first row of block with the feet attached but full collapsed. Build up the wall to the right height (it should be about 6" below the bottom of the joists) and then screw down the feet to raise the wall to the underside of the joists. This gives you six inches to insert your top panels onto the web and makes installing the vertical rebar a little easier.

Other ways of doing this involve cutting out access panels in the top of the block to access the inside of the wall with the pump and vibrators. Sometime a combination of these methods are called for. Take your time and build it in you mind and you should be able to figure out which method is best for your situation.

Good luck

Hi All, great ideas FBBP, most appreciated. Ditto Jonr, I did look at concrete block, and it was tempting but I'm hoping i can make ICF work first. The Nudura folks when I inquired suggested using their brick ledge block for some of the top course. This would give a narrow lip out past the house siding for the pump truck to fill, then trim/trowel flush the brick ledge once the concrete has started to set. Like the pipe extension trick better!! Vibration suggestions all sound viable, tx! Time to go view FAB-FORM!

Regarding footings... Looking through "Logix" ICF guidelines, and it showed a slick integral footing technique using two brick ledge faces back-to-back and upside down as the first ICF course. This adds about 8" from the two ledges to the main wall thickness. The brick ledge blocks go directly onto soil upside down, then a small toothed/interlock strip was applied that then allowed the rest of the ICF blocks to be stacked with correct orientation. This would give a monolithic pour from sill to dirt in one shot. Anyone tried this technique already? Cant see why it wouldn't work provided the resulting footing width met code. Tx, Tim

••••using two brick ledge faces back-to-back and upside down••••

Be very very careful! The concrete now has an upper surface to push against and can lift the rest of the block wall!