Press Releases
REWARD WALL SYSTEMS FIRST ICF TO ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL NONCOMBUSTIBLE CODE APPROVAL
Released: August 01, 2001
REWARD WALL SYSTEMS FIRST ICF TO ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL NONCOMBUSTIBLE CODE APPROVAL
August 2001, Omaha, Nebraska - National Evaluation Service, Inc. (NES) has found Reward insulating concrete forms (ICFs) in compliance with the Uniform Building Code, Standard Building Code, International Building Code and National Building Code for noncombustible construction. Noncombustible construction covers buildings of all types of construction and of any height-Types I through V.
Two primary elements are considered in noncombustible or fire-resistant construction-design and materials. In regard to the exterior walls, the design must allow for fire-resistant exterior wall assemblies to limit the spread of fire. The materials used for the exterior wall assembly on the primary structure typically must provide 1-3 hours of fire resistance, and interior finishes must be able to resist the spread of fire. Reward walls provide fire ratings of 3 and 4 hours.
According to National Evaluation Report (NER) 604, Reward forms, when used in conjunction with any one of six leading EIFS products, can be used for buildings of noncombustible construction of any height. To date, Reward is the only ICF company to earn such universal compliance with the national model building codes and the approval covers both Reward ICF products-- eForm™, Reward's waffle-grid form, and iForm™, their flat wall form, which went into production last May.
According to Edward L. Storm, President of Reward Wall Systems, Inc., this approval has opened up new markets for Reward in commercial construction.
"With this evaluation, we now are able build large, multi-story commercial buildings that were never possible before. As a matter of fact, Reward currently is being used for the walls of two of the largest ICF structures ever built-one in Florida and one in Oregon," he explained. "This compliance report allows Reward to compete head-to-head with traditional types of commercial construction, and we can offer the added benefits of storm safety, sound abatement, energy efficiency, durability and indoor air quality that those methods can't."
Director of Engineering and Technical Services, Kelvin Doerr, P.E., worked with six EIFS companies in order to obtain the compliance report-Dryvit Systems, Inc., Retro Tek, Senergy, Inc., Sonneborn, Sto Corporation, and W.R. Bonsal Company. Doerr had high praise for these EIFS companies, not only for their quality products, but also for their initiative and forward thinking.
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.