Choosing sustainable living has gained popularity in the last decade. Various celebrities and influences are using social media platforms to raise awareness about the cause. Sustainable building structures are indispensable for smart living.
There are plenty of ways to go green while building new structures. While you are designing custom homes, hiring structural engineers is essential for layouts. The experts are striving to incorporate greener technologies.
Pole barn and insulated concrete forms are two of the most popular environmentally friendly structures. The green methods outperform the durability, energy efficiency and long-term value of average stick-framed residential building structures.
Framing Of A Pole Structure
Poles are used to frame the building structure. 4-12” diameter poles are cemented in the ground at regular intervals. Concrete is used to reinforce the base. The floors and walls work independently in pole barn structures.
Benefits Of Pole Barn Structures
Low Cost
It is relatively inexpensive than other construction materials. As already mentioned the poles are placed at a distance from each other. Less material is used for construction so costs are cut down.
Easy Construction
The construction of a pole barn frame is quite easy. The poles are lightweight and installation is not complex. You will find a lot of experts in these frames.
Durability
Pole designs are more efficient in holding weights as compared to stick-framed buildings. The pole barn frames can be built on uneven terrains with better durability.
Freedom Of Choice
You can choose any shape and size when it comes to residential building structures. Whether you like a one-story building or double storied home is your preference, pole barn will not fail you.
Energy Efficient
Sustainable living is all about using minimum energy. The homes built with pole barn are much more energy-efficient than other construction materials.
What Are Insulated Concrete Forms?
An insulated concrete form is made from rigid foam blocks that are separated with rebar. The clocks are stacked together whereas the concrete is poured between the foam. ICF is perfect for creating a seamless and well-insulated wall.
Benefits Of Concrete
1. Environmental Friendly
Concrete has been used to build structures for ages. It is popular for its green qualities. It can be prepared from recycling slag, fly ash, silica fumes, and other concrete forms. Less energy is required to produce cement as compared to steel. Exact required amounts can be prepared so no amount goes to waste.
2. Strength
ICF is the most suitable building material for tornado and hurricane-prone areas. It can withstand winds up to 250mph. The concrete walls are nine times stronger than the stick-framed building structures.
The durability makes it appropriate for earthquake zones. The concrete buildings stay in the upright condition a much longer time than any other building material.
3. Variety In Designs
There are endless building possibilities with ICF. It can be used to build any kind of shape, style, and size of a home. It is perfect for custom home building.
Concrete is best suited to create curved surfaces such as domes. ICFs can be used to create a variety of building structures such as bungalows, colonial or ultra-modern.
4. Thermal Mass
Heat exchange over the concrete surfaces is very poor. The high inherent thermal mass allows keeping steady temperatures inside the homes.