A-ONE Manual 210423.docx

A-ONE Insulated Forms

Installation Manual

Rockford, MN

www.aoneform.com www.diversifoam.com info@diversifoam.com

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Disclaimer Notice The information in the A-ONE Insulated Forms Installation Manual generally focuses on residential construction. Commercial construction, while similar, may have special requirements beyond the scope of this installation manual. Nothing in this installation manual should be construed as engineering advice for a particular project. The A-ONE Form is a stay in place formwork system for a steel reinforced or plain cast-in-place concrete wall. The cast-in-place, steel reinforced or plain concrete wall is the structural component. The prescriptive engineering information provided in this Installation Manual is generally applicable to residential or small commercial projects. It is the user’s responsibility to make sure this information meets any local building codes or applicable governing standards by consulting with local building code officials. If the user’s project varies from or does not meet the criteria listed in this Installation Manual, the user is responsible for retaining a local design professional to prepare proper documents to meet local building code standards or requirements. DiversiFoam Products does not provide project specific engineering or drawings. DiversiFoam Products reserves the right to make changes or corrections to the Installation Manual at any time without notice. The information contained in this Installation Manual is provided as is without warranty.

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Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................. 4

Footing Design ............................................................................................ 5

Laying First Course ..................................................................................... 5

V & H Wire Clips .......................................................................................... 5

Preventing Shrinkage Cracks ...................................................................... 6

Rebar Prep and Wall Reinforcement before Pouring Concrete .................... 6

Wall Height .................................................................................................. 7

Pouring the Concrete................................................................................... 7

Water-Resistant Coating and Drain Tiles ..................................................... 8

A-ONE Accessories .................................................................................... 9

A-ONE™ Form Technicians ........................................................................ 9

Tool and Material Checklist ....................................................................... 10

Illustrations

A-ONE™ Form Drawings: Pages 11-30 Guideline Drawings: Pages 31-42

Fastener Chart: Page 43

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A-ONE™ Form Installation Manual

Introduction A-ONE™ Form is the most energy and cost-efficient wall system available. Made of environmentally safe and durable expanded polystyrene, A-ONE™ Form is used with conventional reinforced concrete, to create a wall system that can be used from footing to rafter. Quick and convenient, the A-ONE™ Form wall has a continuous total R-Value for EPS insulation of 21+. Additional performance achieved with concrete mass and reduced air leakage. Construction costs are about the same as conventional construction. A-ONE™ Form creates a wall that is stronger than normal poured concrete walls, or typical wood frame construction. This manual is designed to be a reference guide for the contractor of residential, commercial or industrial properties of all sizes. IMPORTANT NOTE: A-ONE™ Form forms are lightweight. If left individually or bound in small groups, they may be subject to high winds and could be damaged. Care should be taken to make sure unattended forms are properly secured. This manual explains the correct installation methods for the A-ONE™ Form Super Insulated Concrete Building System. Basic to this building system is the lightweight A-ONE™ Form. It is manufactured using EPS (expanded polystyrene) molded with six integral plastic cross members. The ends of the cross members are located just below the surface of the block to prevent heat transfer and moisture consolidation during cold weather. The embedded heavy plastic studs also provide attachment points for the application of interior and exterior finishing materials. The studs are 2 ½” wide and 16” high, the same height as the block. When the A-ONE™ Forms are stacked together they create a smooth wall form into which rebar is inserted and concrete is placed to create a solid, super-insulated and super strong structure. A-ONE™ Forms have alignment tabs with protrusions every 4” to make alignment easy and to provide a complete insulated seal. The A-ONE™ Form system is appropriate for building walls below and above grade from footing to rafter. Waterproofing is recommended for the outside of below-grade walls before backfilling. Walls built with A-ONE™ Form are ready for finishing once the concrete is set. Some of the many benefits for contractor and crew when building with the A-ONE™ Form versus traditional frame or masonry include fast, easy construction by smaller crews using lightweight materials with minimal waste. No special equipment is required and no unusual building techniques are necessary. With A-ONE™ Form, concrete can be poured in below freezing temperatures. Methods described here are designed to be a reference guide to the contractor for residential, commercial and industrial projects of all sizes. Once understood, they can be adjusted to fit the construction requirements of any special design. For your convenience, this manual is divided into five sections. Each section is labeled accordingly for your quick reference. In the next section of this manual we will begin building with A-ONE™ Form. In case of differences

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between your actual site requirements and this manual, your local building code or engineering specifications always take precedence.

Footing Design Refer to A-ONE Footing Tables when designing footing layout. Once the footing design has been determined, the footing is formed in the conventional manner. The forms should provide for a

finished footing that conforms to local code requirements. Reinforcing bars should be placed in the footing as required by local code. During this process, a crewmember places rebar vertically into the wet footing as per code and engineering specifications. Depending on the depth of the footing, the bar will extend approximately 24” above the footing. Care must be taken at this time not to stub up rebar excessively high through window, door, or other openings which

would later cause unnecessary difficulties with construction or entry or exit of the building site.

Laying First Course It is important that the first course of A-ONE™ Form be installed properly. This will determine how subsequent levels will stack as the work progresses. With this in mind, we will now prepare the footing to receive the first course of block. A chalk line may be used to mark the location of the forms. Next, fabricate and place corner bracing. Proceed to cut and stack first course, always working from a corner to a window or door. Bracing and plumbing the corners can be done at this time, securing the corner bracing with kickers.

V & H Wire Clips Vertical and Horizontal wire clips are available to anchor the A-ONE forms together. The clips easily and securely snap onto the A-ONE form’s internal brackets while building the wall. Typical recommended usage would be two horizontal clips and one vertical clip per A-ONE form.

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Preventing Shrinkage Cracks Minimum recommended rebar is three horizontal members used on an 8’ wall – on the 1st row, 3rd row and top row. Local code may require additional rebar both horizontal and vertical. These additional rebar add structural strength and help prevent excessive shrinkage cracks. Additional rebar should be added directly in the center of horizontal beams as required by structural engineers and/or local codes as strength members. Place all door and window bucks at proper elevation.

Rebar Prep and Wall Reinforcement before Pouring Concrete #10 x 2 ½” screws are used as anchors to hold window bucks in place after pouring of walls. Vertical sleepers are used to protect the cut ends of the block around window and door bucks. When fabricating door and window bucks, the inside dimensions of the bucks must match the rough openings of the door and window assemblies. In addition to the internal framing, each buck should have attached 1x4 vertical sleepers using #10x2 ½ screws. This keeps the edges of the A-ONE™ Form from spreading during concrete placement. Also, locate #5 vertical rebar in the first core cavity on each side of the buck or as specified. Vertical 2x4 L bracing or adjustable metal wall bracing should be attached to the wall with #10 x 2 ½ screws. Bottom, middle and top of wall approximately 8’ apart and braced back accordingly. Vertical L bracing should be on the inside and outside of the wall. Use horizontal rebar above and below all window and door bucks of a sufficient size and grade to ensure proper loading capacity. Each pair of vertical intermediate braces is supported by a 2x4 kick brace placed perpendicular to the wall. The kick brace can be installed inside or outside the wall, depending on the conditions of the site. The bottoms of braces, including corner braces, can also be secured by nailing with a spacer to the footing rail. Make sure all 2x4 intermediate braces are plumb. Run a string line at the top of the wall to check the alignment of the wall. Check wall height with a transit to insure proper wall height. Mark the proper wall height with a string line and remove excess block. Verify specified wall dimensions. Adjust bracing if needed to straighten walls. Make sure all window and door bucks are braced securely.

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To create a T-wall intersection, cut an opening in the intersected wall that is the same as the inside or outside dimension of the intersecting wall block depending on bracket location. Lay the first course on the footing and stack the block in the described manner. Fabricate and place a T-brace or L-brace against the outside of the intersected wall, opposite the point of intersection. Brace each inside corner of the intersected wall.

For grade changes, continue the foundation wall past the building’s corner to the edge of the over-dig. Use the earthen wall as a bulkhead and continue to stack until a course meets the higher grade. 'For the builder’s convenience, all footing grade changes should be made in 16 inch increments; i.e., the height of an A-ONE™ Form. For wing-walls, use the same procedure as for T-walls at the intersection point. A wooden bulkhead will be required at the end of the wing wall.

Wall Height It is best to plan the wall height to be evenly divisible by 16 inches, the height of the A-ONE™ Form or 8” utilizing our half blocks and corners. If the wall height is not evenly divisible by 16, use a common construction tool (i.e., hand saw, circular saw, etc.) to cut the A-ONE™ Form to the correct height. Remember the top course of block receives a horizontal bar placed directly on the cross-member and tied to the vertical bars. Before concluding this phase, the crew must prepare the top of the wall to incorporate floor or roof systems.

Pouring the Concrete It is recommended that a minimum crew size of four be present when pouring the A-ONE™ Form walls. You will need two people to check consolidation of the concrete, one to place the

concrete and one to handle finishing off the top of the wall and handling any other duties. It is recommended that the minimum concrete used be 3,500 PSI although this should be determined by code and engineering specifications, if applicable. The concrete should be delivered at a six (6) inch slump using ¾-gravel as the aggregate by boom pump truck. Placing concrete can begin at any location along the wall. 4’ lifts are preferred. Care should be taken when filling cavities around window bucks, lintels and heavy concentrations of rebar to make sure the space is completely filled. The A-ONE™ Form system is designed so that all vertical cavities are filled completely and naturally with the inflow of the concrete. The use of a vibrator for consolidation is not recommended without proper training. If the wall is to continue upward, vertical rebar is extended above

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the top of the form, concrete placement should stop 6 inches below the top form instead of being leveled off. After the concrete has been placed, the walls are again checked to be sure they are plumb, straight, level and true. For subsequent lifts, additional rebar is wired to the exposed vertical rebar extending above the previously placed concrete. Then, A-ONE™ Forms are stacked, braced, reinforced and filled with concrete as before. No rebar will extend above the top-most course. Installation of electrical or plumbing components is fast and easy using the A-ONE™ Form System. Once the necessary openings are located and marked, they are cut out using any one of various methods. You may use a hot-wire knife, a small saw, a router or a drill with grasp-tight bit. Brick ties are installed by screwing them directly to the plastic studs. Angled walls and gables are made by cutting A-ONE™ Form to the angle or slope required. If the angle is too steep, a bulkhead is required. Secure the bulkhead to prevent lifting and cut openings every 4 feet up the slope to place concrete. Retain cutouts to reinstall as you fill with concrete. The A-ONE™ Form System is easily adapted to a curved wall design. When a wall abruptly ends, a bulkhead is required using 2 x 10’s or 2x12’s, depending on the size of the A-ONE™ Form.

Water-Resistant Coating and Drain Tiles All exterior basement walls should receive a water-resistant coating prior to backfilling and this includes A-ONE™ Form. Only coatings that are compatible with expanded polystyrene should be used. A drain tile must be installed at the bottom of each below-grade wall to drain water away from the footing. Protection board should be installed over the water-resistant coating prior to backfilling. Also, before backfilling A-ONE™ Form walls, concrete must be adequately cured and floor trusses installed. If you have any further questions about installation or are unsure about certain information contained herein, or would like to discuss applications not covered herein, please contact your A-ONE™ Form distributor.

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A-ONE Accessories

V & H Wire Clips Vertical & Horizontal Wire Clips are available to help anchor A-ONE forms to each other. They are shipped in cartons of 250 clips.

Insulation Insert Panels 1” and 2” insulation panels are available to increase the R-Value of A-ONE forms. The panels are designed to fit inside the A-ONE form as they are being assembled.

A-ONE™ Form Technicians A-ONE™ Form technicians are available as a training tool to work with you or your crew and ensure a quality-finished product. They are not intended as labor to complete your project and are not to be included in the count for minimum crew size requirements. It is important to schedule adequate labor for your project to avoid costly delays. To avoid these additional costs, complete all checklist items and prepare your site as thoroughly as possible prior to the arrival of the A-ONE™ Form technician. Note: most complicated layouts (i.e., numerous angles, extreme angles, radius walls, etc.) will require additional labor and architectural time.

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Tool and Material Checklist

(To be completed before arrival of A-1Form® Technicians)

TOOL LIST MATERIALS AND ACCESSORIES Rebar Bender/Cutter Spray Paint Framing Square #10 x 2 ½” Screws Sawzall/Bi-Metal Blade Bracing Material Standard Carpentry Hand Tools Scaffold Materials Shears Tie Wire Cordless Drill/Screw Gun Plenty of String Line Skill Saw/Carbide Blade Stakes Levels Spray Foam Insulation/Adhesive Side Cutters

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