Insulated concrete forms have been around for a long time. Imagine sheets of styrofoam on the outside and concrete and reinforcing steel on the inside. The advantage of this building system is that the forms remain in place, creating an insulating barrier on both the inside and the outside of the structure. At the same time, the concrete and steel create an incredibly strong wall, that when poured at once, becomes a monolithic feature.
Here in Aruba, I have not seen many ICF structures under construction. However, the other day I was in San Fuego where a number of new homes are under way. There I spotted a bunch of forms. Here’s what they look like when they are delivered un-assembled.
Just a stack of styrofoam. The next step is to use brackets to join two pieces. Take a look:
You can see how the cavity is formed in the photo above. At the same time, note that the forms have been “glued” to the footer and held in place with a wooden block. The rebar sticking up helps to connect the wall to the floor. Next, is a view of the portion of the assembled wall:
The vertical wooden braces help to support the forms when the concrete is poured. Significant pressures can develop as concrete is heavy. The story goes that this will be a wine cellar for the house above. I can’t wait to see the finished home. It should be impressive.
Bon dia from Aruba.
San Fuego is centrally located on the island. It’s also an elevated area. From the second story of homes here, you can see the Caribbean sea to the west. To the east, there is the Arikok National Park. The builder tells me there will be a covered pavilion at the end of the pool to offer some shade. In the foreground is the porch that surrounds the house.
This unit is actually quite sophisticated. It has a flat collector plate that captures the sun’s rays, transferring the heat to water piped through the collector area. Then the hot water is stored in an insulated tank you see at the top left of the unit. This way, even after the sun goes down, you have hot water on demand. Here in Aruba, where the sun is very strong, this unit can deliver enough hot water for a typical family of four. The best part is, after the initial investment of purchasing and installing it, there are no additional costs. This one is mounted at ground level for easy maintenance but they can also be mounted on top of the roof.
It’s tons of fun to check out this place on a regular basis because every time a ship calls at the port it’s possible Win Tung received another container of “stuff.” Upstairs is where you find the furniture, everything from living/dining room sets to complete office arrangements. Much of it is the high-lacquer style popular in Asian countries but they do have a variety of choices. Prices here are usually quite good but it always pays to shop around this island. Sometimes one item is much cheaper than the same item somewhere else.
Finally, check out the lion statue closely. You’ll see a small lion atop the foot of the big lion. Both are roaring and that’s sure to chase the evil spirits away. Right?
The Bent Page 
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