About Ballantine Building Solutions
Ballantine Building Solutions Ltd are Sole Distributors of Integraspec & Plumwall Bracing Systems for UK & Ireland We have 17 years plus experience as ICF Builders, suppliers and Installers using ICF and have worked on many successful ICF projects throughout the UK and Ireland
We love what we do and it shows. With our experience in the field, we know our industry like the back of our hands. There’s no challenge too big or too small and we dedicate our utmost energy to every project we take on.
With decades of experience and innovation in the insulating concrete formwork industry, IntegraSpec® continues its commitment to excellence by offering the most versatile ICF system to build exceptionally energy-efficient, sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly structures. The IntegraSpec® system consists of stay-in-place expanded polystyrene concrete form panels which are shipped to site flat in easy-to-handle bundles, installed in courses and spaced with various sized patented interlocking spacers. Spacers are designed for fast snap-in-place rebar for a choice of steel sizes and spacing and are easily cut to quickly form openings and provide specific heights. Most importantly, spacers provide mechanical interlock to eliminate form lift. After rapid wall set up and easy alignment, concrete is poured, resulting in a solid monolithic concrete wall structure, ready for exterior/interior finishes. INNOVATION AT YOUR SERVICE OUR DNA IntegraSpec® was created with the input of structural engineers, computer assisted design and more than 75 years of field experience in the residential/commercial concrete forms and general construction industry. IntegraSpec® is truly the toughest ICF in the industry today. The system was developed to address and eliminate the problems that most ICF systems encounter: blowouts, form unit flotation/lift, bulging, wall compression, slow pouring speed and wavy walls
NAVIGATION
What is IntegraSpec ICF?
How does it work?
What are the key benefits?
Where can it be used?
What about thermal performance?
What about U-values?
What about thermal bridging?
What about fire performance?
What about green issues?
What Is Integraspec Icf?
Insulating Concrete Formwork (ICF) is an innovative, sustainable, high performance building system. Quite simply, it allows fast construction of creative, flexible buildings with low running costs and a long life.
Contact us today to find out more!
Contact us today to discuss how IntegraSpec ICF can help with your next building project!
How does IntegraSpec ICF work?
On site, IntegraSpec expanded polystyrene panels are fixed together with webs made from high impact polystyrene plastic to create a formwork to which horizontal and vertical steel reinforcements can be easily added for extra strength. Once braced, the formwork is simply filled with concrete. The expanded polystyrene panels stay in place, resulting in a super-insulated monolithic solid concrete structure.
Check our our Youtube channel to see IntegraSpec ICF in action!
What are the key benefits of IntegraSpec ICF?
- It’s easy – experienced installers can achieve up to 4m2 per hour, with minimal mechanical equipment and power tools required
- It’s quick – the building can be watertight in less time, and supporting trades can get on site swiftly
- It’s robust – designed to withstand the pressures of wet concrete pours of up to 3m
- It’s designer-friendly – ideal for innovative or unusual design features, including curved walls and freeform shapes
- It’s flexible – variable size webs and our unique H clip allows total core size flexibility; we’ve already used it to create walls over 1m thick!
- It’s easy to clad – inserts are moulded into each panel to allow easy mechanical fixing of a wide range of exterior cladding, including stone, brick or rendering. Or choose our unique ‘exposed concrete face’ option
- It’s cheap to transport – save fuel with up to 1,000m2 of panel loaded in one truck
- It’s easy to store – our unique independent panel design reduces storage space compared to fixed block ICF
- It’s energy efficient – the great insulation properties of polystyrene and our unique cavity closers around windows and doors create a comfortable living environment all year round, keeping energy bills low
- It absorbs sound – the formwork is an efficient sound absorption system; great for acoustic performance and reducing noise from adjoining properties
- It’s made in the UK! – supporting British jobs, and ensuring the quickest possible turnaround time from initial order to delivery on site
Where can IntegraSpec ICF be used?
The flexibility of IntegraSpec ICF means it works well for a wide variety of different building projects. It has already been successfully used in the construction of apartments and houses, care homes, commercial buildings, hospitals, hotels, schools, stables, hot tubs, swimming pools and basements.
It’s no wonder IntegraSpec is already the first choice for high performance and sustainability with designers, installers and occupiers across the UK, Europe, America, Canada and Asia.
Contact us today to find out more!
Contact us today to discuss how IntegraSpec ICF can help with your next building project!
What’s the thermal performance of IntegraSpec ICF?
The thermal performance of any structure depends on two key measures – ‘thermal mass’ (the ability of the exterior envelope to store heat and release it over a 24-hour period) and ‘thermal storage’ (the ability of the building material to minimise temperature fluctuations and stabilise internal conditions). With IntegraSpec ICF, the thermal mass of the concrete combines with the expanded polystyrene insulation inside and out to help keep the structure warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Whatever the external temperature, the heat energy inside the building is continually conserved.
What are the U-values of IntegraSpec ICF?
In the standard configuration, the IntegraSpec ICF system can offer U-values down to 0.20w/m2k. By adding our unique expanded polystyrene inserts, U-values can be improved to around 0.10 w/m2k.
Download our brochure to find out more about our thermal performance
Does IntegraSpec ICF prevent thermal bridging?
Following independent tests for thermal bridging prevention, IntegraSpec has been verified as the best in the UK, with a lower thermal bridge loss than any other building system.
To be sent our Thermal Bridging certificates please contact us
What’s the fire performance of IntegraSpec ICF?
As concrete can’t be set on fire and doesn’t burn, the IntegraSpec ICF system is very safe, providing an excellent level of protection against fire. Depending on the thickness of the concrete core, it can provide up to 3 hours of fire protection.
How green is the IntegraSpec ICF system?
Every element of the IntegraSpec ICF system is geared towards energy efficiency, low waste and long life:
- All our products are either made from recycled material or can be recycled
- Our expanded polystyrene is free from CFCs or HCFCs
- Up to 1,000m2 of panels can be loaded onto one truck, saving on fuel costs and reducing the carbon footprint
- One standard panel size fits any wall, saving on storage space
- Buildings constructed using IntegraSpec ICF exceed the energy efficiency requirements for current building regulations