POLYSTEEL FORMS PRODUCE STRONGER CONCRETE RESULTING IN FEWER CALLBACKS

BENIFITS
 
 
 
Due to the superior strength PolySteel adds, homebuilders experience fewer callbacks for sheetrock stress cracks and other settling problems. PolySteel homes are durable and offer a better building envelope that lasts maintenance free for generations.
 
PolySteel Forms Produce Stronger Concrete

 
American PolySteel Forms® provide the ideal conditions for curing concrete. This allows the concrete to achieve the greatest strength possible, creating a PolySteel® wall that outperforms traditional construction methods.
Concrete is made possible because of the chemical reaction of cement and water. This reaction, called hydration, requires time and favorable conditions of temperature and moisture.
 
Water is required initially to begin the process by making a cement paste. Once the compound is formed, hydration starts and continues as long as moisture remains. The process stops when moisture is removed by heat and evaporation, but can be restarted by adding moisture, even though this is undesirable.
 
This chart shows the compressive strength that is formed under various conditions of hydration. When the hydration process is controlled for the first 28 days, that is, when moisture is continually available in the mass, 100 percent strength is obtained. If hydration is continued beyond that point, strength continues to increase, exceeding 125 percent after 180 days. However, notice that various degrees of strength are obtained if improper methods of curing are used.
 
Chemical action in the concrete mix can be sustained by:
 
1. Keeping the concrete wet 24 hours a day, using water and hoses.
 
2. Applying a plastic cover over the concrete, trapping the moisture within.
 
3. Covering the concrete with burlap, which is kept wet.
 
4. Covering the concrete with fresh hay, which is kept wet. This method also aids against freezing.
 
As you can see, the self-contained environment created by the PolySteel Form® provides the ideal conditions for hydration to continue up to, and beyond, 180 days. This creates a compressive strength in the concrete that exceeds 125 percent of the strength provided by conventional concrete curing methods.
Steel vs. Plastic:
Steel's Superior Strength, Safety, and Energy Efficiency
PolySteel patented galvanized steel attachment studs deliver the strongest most durable and user-friendly ICF wall on the market today. The galvanized steel webs make a stronger form during concrete placement, reducing the chances of blowouts. It is also very easy for the homeowner to find our studs with a common magnet to easily hang pictures.
 
STEEL PLASTIC
Strength
Kitchen cabinets and other heavy objects can be attached securely to the steel attach-points.		 Other forms, using plastic ties, require costly and time-consuming anchors be placed into the concrete to be able to support such loads.
Safety
PolySteel's galvanized steel ties and attach-points will not burn!
Gypsum wallboard will remain in place in a fire situation.
 Plastic ties used in other forms typically do not contain fire retardant and will not only melt but also add fuel to the fire and emit various types of vapors and toxic gases that can be harmful for occupants and emergency response personnel.
Energy Efficiency
In accordance with ASHRAE Standards, PolySteel's galvanized steel attach-points actually achieve an 11% increase in R-value performance by enhancing the thermal mass of the concrete.

 Plastic webs and ties actually diminish the thermal performance of the concrete mass.
Waffle Grid vs. Flat Walls
 
PolySteel is an engineered concrete wall system utilizing practical engineering designs to deliver the optimal design strength and insulation values using the least amount of materials.
 
  • Structural Strength - In areas of seismic concerns, the reduced weight of a waffle grid wall increases the design flexibility of PolySteel compared to flat wall systems. ......................,,,,,
  • Full Code Approval - PolySteel was the first to receive code approvals from all the major code acceptance services in North America (BOCA, ICBO, SBCCI & CCBC). Many flat wall forms currently being marketed offer little or no code approvals or evaluations as to acceptance or performance.
 
PolySteel with Perform Guard® Termite & Fire Ant Protection
 
American PolySteel has licensed the patented termite-resistant technology, Perform Guard®, from AFM Corporation, becoming the first major insulating concrete form (ICF) block manufacturer in the industry to incorporate this technology into its product.
Perform Guard is the only code-recognized method that allows foam plastic insulation to be installed below grade in the heavily infested termite areas of the country.
As a result of complaints about termites infesting homes undetected by burrowing into and traveling under the foam used to insulate the foundation, the Southern Building Council in the USA voted in November of 1996 to ban the installation of foam plastic insulation below grade in the heavily infested termite areas of the U.S. This ban has had a devastating effect on the insulating concrete forms industry in these areas, and prevented homeowners from enjoying the significant benefits that an insulated foundation can provide
 
A number of solutions have been proposed, explored and tested. However, AFM’s Perform Guard, which is a borate solution added to the foam during the polystyrene bead expansion process, is currently the only method recognized by the code as a proven termite and carpenter ant–resistant solution.
 
 
American PolySteel is the only block-style ICF form molding manufacturer that is offering Perform Guard in its product. The product also provides additional protection for above-grade walls, which is where more and more PolySteel is being used in residential and commercial construction. Perform Guard is inorganic, non-toxic and registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for termite–resistant applications, providing an added barrier of safety and security for PolySteel structures. What that means is that the best building material you can use for the exterior walls of your next project just got better, providing your customers with the safest, strongest and most energy–efficient buildings available for years to come.