R-WALL - Technical benefits for the Architect & Structural Engineers

R-WALL has been designed to revolutionise Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) market, delivering all the performance of ICF with the design and build versatility found in standard forms of construction. With just 4 components R-WALL can build anything! Any angle of corner, any degree of curve, any height or size of opening, anywhere in the building, including retaining walls, basements, internal walls, external walls, party walls, cantilevers and so on. Architects are free to design without the worry of coursing heights, cut lines and availability of lego type "blocks" characterised by "older" forms of ICF systems. R-WALL makes designing simple and unrestricted, the build process is forgiving, versatile and much more robust. The formwork utilises a much stronger (300 KPA which is approximately 3 times the strength of EPS based ICF systems) XPS based closed cell insulation.

These insulation coursings are bound and further strengthened by a recycled plastic R-Rail system, which provides fixing points for plasterboard and claddings. This "closed cell" insulation is vitally important to the overall thermal performance, resulting in narrower wall widths to achievable U-Values, and by preventing penetration of water or damp into the insulation, provides a continuous and uncompromised thermal performance in any conditions. In fact R-WALL is one of the highest performing ICF systems in the world, and one of the few that can satisfy building regulation in below ground conditions! R-WALL is able to achieve building regulations compliance (a 0.18 U-Value) with a 309mm wall width and below Passive standard (0.14 U-Value) with a 359mm wall width all with ZERO cold bridging!

The internal cavity of R-WALL is unobstructive and characterised by small R-Ties, designed to allow concrete to flow freely. This helps to ensure a full and complete concrete fill efficiency is achieved. The R-Ties are designed to incorporate steels quickly and easily for the installer providing correct levels of concrete cover;40/50mm as shown below.

R-WALL is structural engineer specified, but as standard R-WALL doesn't generally require steel, other than above openings. The R-Rails and R-Ties run horizontally joining coursings every 298mm vertically. The R-Ties move along the R-Rail to accommodate build structures such as starter bars or steels to any configuration. Our concrete cores options are 159mm, 212mm, 262mm, 313mm. The 159mm or 6" would be our most commonly used standard cavity, with the 212mm often seen for retaining elements below 2m, 212mm up to 10m retaining and 313mm anything more. We generally see structural engineers specify standard C35 concrete mix with a 10mm aggregate.

The R-Board (Insulation boards) come in the following thicknesses;

50mm
75mm
100mm
125mm
150mm

R-WALL has 2 skins on R-Boards or insulation, an insides and outer skin. Our standard most popular systems are the
Standard (75mm inside, 75mm outside = 0.18 U-Value) and the Supreme (100mm inside and 100mm outside = 0.14 U-Value). However, any combination of R-Board thickness can be used inside and outside. This has a wealth of advantages, for example more insulation externally makes use of Thermal mass of the concrete, which further enhances the thermal efficiency of the envelope. Variations in R-Board thickness can be used for cladding aesthetics such as traditional stone facings to render or timber claddings creating a flush type finish as shown below.

Just as the insulation can be varied as required anywhere in the build, so too can the core sizes. For Example, a retaining basement element might be in a 212mm core, once out of ground it can convert back to the standard 159mm core, saving space and concrete requirements. Concrete cores can be altered vertically or horizontally as required. More advantages of R-WALL over older modular ICF systems.

Any form of cladding can be attached to R-WALL, the options are endless. Thin coat Silicon renders adhere straight onto the insulation, and other claddings can be attached via battens secured to the R-Rails, or for heavier fixings, back to the concrete core. Plasterboard screws straight into the R-Rails, and electrics chase straight into the insulation.

R-WALL has zero cold bridging and a library of exceptional PSI values, combined with U-Values as low as 0.09 makes meeting current building regulations and any future reductions easy! To gain access to the R-WALL design library, U-Values of PSI values please click the button below;

To find out more advantages of the R-WALL formwork please click the button below;

Need more info? If you are an architects or a structural engineering practice, and would like more information or to see the product fist hand why not book on of our CPD's.