Press Releases
INTRODUCING A FLAT WALL FORM BY REWARD - iFORM
Released: February 01, 2001
INTRODUCING A FLAT WALL FORM BY REWARD: iFORM™!
Reward Wall Systems, Inc., Takes the Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) Industry To a New Level In The New Millennium OMAHA, NE, February 1, 2001 – True to its dynamic history, Reward Wall Systems, Inc., headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, announced today the introduction of a new flat wall forming system, iForm, the most innovative ICF to enter the market since Reward introduced its first waffle grid form nearly seven years ago. The iForm system will be available nationwide in May 2001.
Several of the new form’s features show why the i in iForm stands for innovation.
Designed for maximum ease of installation, iForm is completely reversible with no top or bottom, no male and female ends, and no left and right corners. The universal/reversible corner forms include a fastening surface that makes attaching exterior finishes easier.
iForm features recessed ties—an innovation pioneered by Reward in 1996 with its current waffle grid form, and which many ICF companies are now incorporating into their own designs. The iForm tie, which runs from the top to the bottom of each form, is designed with loose-fit, snap-in rebar chairs large enough to receive two overlapping rebars. The loose fit allows the builder to use rebar that is warped or bent without compromising the straightness of the wall. The snap-in feature eliminates the need for time-consuming and often difficult-to-use rebar ties. The ties within the iForm are located at six-inch intervals. This spacing eliminates bulging between ties and on block seams and allows cut pieces to be reused, thus reducing waste. The ties also create a wide fastening surface from floor to ceiling, and the design of the heavy-duty tie rods on eight-inch vertical centers allows the form to be cut in half horizontally. This open tie design also maximizes the free flow of concrete within the forms.
The iForm system fits together tightly because of the reversible tooth design on the top and bottom of each form. The edges of the teeth are beveled for easy assembly and the spaces between them reduce the need to clean out debris and ice before stacking.
Reward’s Chief Operating Officer, Henry E. Pfeiffer, who was instrumental in the design and development of the new form, is pleased with the results of the test projects built using iForm. "The iForm system has gotten great reviews from the builders who used it," he said. "We are extremely pleased that the reversible design has, as we expected, made iForm easy and quick to use with less waste."
He added, "Designers and developers have an increasing awareness and appreciation of the benefits of ICF construction, and we feel the time is right to introduce a form designed specifically for larger construction projects. iForm is a great example of Reward’s commitment to developing products and programs that fit the needs of the entire building industry."
Lynn Fangue and Chuck Lipari of EPS Building Systems in Broomfield, Colorado, agree. Among the first distributors in the country to use iForm in a construction project, Fangue and Lipari were particularly pleased with the ease with which the iForm system went together. "iForm represents a significant step forward in the development of ICF construction," said Lipari. "With this form, builders will get better results in less time with less effort and less waste, and that is good for the customer and builder alike."
"We build in an area with a lot of slopes and step-downs," said Barry Sickler of Advanced Wall Systems in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. "The fact that you can cut iForm in half horizontally, not only solves the problem of transitions, but since you can use both halves, it also eliminates waste. Being able to use the same corner form for either a left or right corner also eliminates waste," he added, "and the large, open center cavity made for a problem-free pour."
One of the largest and most well established ICF producers in the country, Reward Wall Systems, Inc. has a history of innovation and evolution that began in 1994 with the development of their first waffle grid form. In the years since, the company improved and modified that form into the leading waffle grid form used for residential construction. Reward will continue to market the waffle grid form as eForm™, so named because of the system’s construction efficiency, concrete efficiency and energy efficiency.
"We are very excited about the possibilities iForm opens up," said Edward L. Storm, President of Reward Wall Systems, Inc. "Our goal was to design a form that would deliver a straight wall with minimal bracing, easily accommodate windows, doors and other design features, and would be easy to use in any type of construction. I believe that with iForm, we have reached those goals in and exceptional way. With iForm we will open up markets never before tapped into by the ICF industry, and that will be good for everybody."
iForm consists of two sturdy expanded polystyrene (EPS) panels held together by eight heavy-duty plastic ties, forming a 48" by 16" hollow block. These blocks are stacked to form the exterior walls of a structure. The plastic ties are designed to ensure correct placement of the steel reinforcement bars that are secured vertically and horizontally inside the cavity. The cavity is then filled with concrete, and the result is a straight, solid, steel-reinforced concrete wall. The forms stay in place to provide a perfect curing environment for the concrete, which allows it to cure to strength at least 50% greater than the concrete formed with removable forms. iForm also provides outstanding insulation, producing energy cost savings from 50% to 80% compared to wood construction. Since the wall is continuous with no seams, it provides a solid barrier to drafts, noise and air pollution.
Located in Omaha, Nebraska, for the past 13 years, Reward Wall Systems, Inc. is the only national distributor of two complete and diversified lines of insulating concrete forms used in residential and commercial structures. Reward’s customers include general contractors, residential contractors, concrete contractors and construction supply distributors.