|
»
INVESTOR OPPORTUNITY >
PARADIGM
SHIFT >
EXAMPLES > ICF
 |
|
ICFs now have a 4% market penetration |
The Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) is a
concrete wall form manufactured from two faces of expanded
foam with a plastic or steel tie used to hold the
faces in position. They are a stay-in-place form that leaves
the foam in place to add value to the concrete wall.
The ICF is a
paradigm shift because it:
-
Stays-in-place and doesn't
require costly recycling;
-
Eliminates the insulation sub trade;
-
Replaces wood stud walls with concrete.
Awareness Period
The ICF was first patented in 1966 by a
Werner Gregori. For the first twenty five years, the product
had a very difficult time making inroads into the market. Many distributor/contractors believed
whole-heartedly in the product and its energy savings
features, but they were not able to effect a paradigm shift.
Many went bankrupt in their efforts to sell the technology.
Many became disenchanted with their inability to sell a
product that was "clearly superior" to the existing
technology.
However unsuccessful their marketing efforts
were, this period was essential in creating awareness in the minds of the contractor
(and homeowner) that it was possible to build with ICFs. The
seeds were planted which would allow the conversion to take
place.
Conversion Period
A paradigm shifting product requires a
conversion event to force contractors to try the new
technology. For ICFs, this was Gulf War in January 1991
which caused oil prices to escalate, and the 'green'
movement to become a predominant force in the market place.
As a result of these environmental
pressures, in 1994, a group of ICF manufacturers and the
Portland
Cement Association formed the
Insulated
Concrete Form Association (ICFA). This association enabled competing
manufacturers to work together toward common
technical and marketing goals. This association provided a
strong focal point for the conversion to proceed:
-
In 1996 the association began formulating a
prescriptive method for code approval of the ICF;
-
In 1998 the prescriptive method (EB118)
was approved under the International Residential Code,
allowing ICF installations without engineering approval;
-
In the early 2000s, the Association
began lobbying the National Association of Home Builders
(NAHB) to recognize and provide training in the
installation of ICFs;
-
In 2002 the association
focused on the use of ICFs for above grade
installations, a true paradigm shift from wood stud
walls;
-
In 2005, the NAHB will offer courses in
the installation of ICFs as part of their education
program, proof of the continuing paradigm shift.
In 1990, Eric Plane (now deceased), one of
the early ICF pioneers and a major player in the concrete
forming industry, predicted ICFs would obtain a 12% market
share. In 2004 ICFs achieving over 4% of
the total wall market in the USA and Canada, confirming
Mr. Plane's visionary abilities.
(Thanks to Tom Smerchanski of AMC Insulation
Corporation for his enlightened historical perspective on
the ICF paradigm shift.)
Click
here to see the fabric formwork paradigm shift.
|
