Visit World of Concrete For Resources for Your Next—Or First—ICF Project

Since graduating in 1969 from the University of London, with very little exception, I’ve been working with concrete in some capacity throughout my career. In my early career, which was contractor-based, I worked on bridge projects, culvert projects, water and sewage treatment projects, and mid- and high-rise concrete-framed projects.

Then, in January 1980, I arrived in Kuwait and worked for 18 months overseeing the construction of a turnkey, mid-rise, concrete-frame commercial building. My primary function there was to monitor quality control and to review all concrete element calculations. Following that, I spent time on a colossal water treatment plant 26 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq. My responsibilities on that project were to oversee and monitor both the design and the installation of concrete forming and shoring systems.

I really enjoyed working with concrete, so when I moved to the USA in 1986, I continued with my formwork and shoring pursuits, and ultimately formed Dave Gowers Engineering LLC in 1990. Being based in Southern California at that time, I was able to focus on forming and shoring assignments throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona. It was only after moving to Oregon in 1999 that I became interested in residential and commercial buildings.

Initially, I took on engineering assignments, which were mostly wood-frame construction. Having come from a European background, I was astonished when I first arrived in the U.S. to see so much wood-frame construction in both residential and commercial construction. In Europe and the U.K., buildings were at that time predominantly constructed with brick, masonry, or concrete. Wood-frame construction was, and still is, the predominant building system in the western United States, and especially so in California. Yet it has been proven over and over again to be an inappropriate building method, which has been tested to its limits and beyond as a result of every major earthquake.

Wood framing has many defects, many of which appear over and over again, such as splintered wood members and failed fastening and connector systems. Clearly, these structures, albeit designed to current code, had failed miserably in their performance to resist seismic forces.

Although I became proficient at structural engineering of wood-frame projects, I was certain there had to be a more robust building method that would be superior to woodframe construction. It was sometime around 2003 that I encountered ICF construction for the first time, and I was immediately hooked, as the saying goes. Not only did this construction method utilize concrete as its primary strength element, producing shear resistance close to 10 times that of single-shear wood-framing, but it simultaneously provided an incredible increase in the R-value of a wall assembly. At that time, the code requirement was R-13 for walls, and the calculated value for an ICF wall was typically around R-23. Taking into account the tremendous advantage of the concrete thermal mass, the performance R-value of a 6-inch core ICF wall was actually closer to R-50!

I attended World of Concrete in 2004, and have attended most shows since then. The expo takes place in Las Vegas, so for West Coast-based builders, it’s within easy reach. Back at the 2004 expo, I visited every ICF exhibitor that was on-site that year. There were around 10 booths of different manufacturers. I was well received by all. In talking with the exhibitors, it became evident that there were very few ICF experienced engineers available, so finding an engineering referral was challenging. I left several business cards at each booth, and within a very short period of time, started receiving ICF engineering enquiries.

I highly recommend World of Concrete as an ICF source of information. While the number and names of the exhibitors have changed over the years,
for those that are currently in the marketplace, WOC is a great place to see the products first-hand, and to talk to knowledgeable staff at the booths. You can discuss different structures that ICF can be used for, find out where products can be obtained from, and many other items of information essential to know about prior to embarking upon an ICF project.

In addition to checking out ICF systems themselves, WOC offers a showcase for ICF wall bracing systems, ICF accessories, ICF coatings, and synthetic rebar. For the past several years, Plumwall ICF Bracing Systems has had a booth at WOC. They are very informative, and in the past have offered a free shipping deal if you place your order at WOC. It’s been great to get to know the guys at Plumwall and to catch up with Chad Hiller, their national sales manager, each year.

For ICF accessories, you need to visit the Clearco booth and talk with Mark and Jared Symington. They offer a variety of ICF accessory items, including my favorite, the Burmon wood ledger bracket. They offer a range of Burmon products, including the extremely innovative buck brace, which eliminates horizontal buck bracing and allows unimpeded walkthrough at door openings. Clearco also offers a primer-less, peel-and-stick waterproof membrane, one that actually sticks on wet foam.

There are many exhibits at WOC offering coatings, some of which can be applied directly to the expanded polystyrene (EPS) of ICF. These coatings vary from elastomeric stuccos to those that can be applied to swimming pools. With more people considering ICF construction for their swimming pools, the waterproof coatings are highly sought after.

And finally, synthetic rebar is well represented at WOC. Two major brands that I am familiar with are Gator Bar and MST. Both have had their respective products evaluated by evaluation agencies, and have those results documented. With fiberglass rebar having twice the tensile strength and a quarter of the weight of steel rebar, there are some distinct advantages to using fiberglass rebar in ICF walls.

In conclusion, if you are contemplating an ICF project, a trip to WOC is very worthwhile. You’ll have hands-on contact with most, if not all, of the products you’ll need to familiarize yourself with. Being an informed client will save you both time and money as you plan your ICF project. World of Concrete occurs every year in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For 2026, the expo dates are January 20-22, that’s Tuesday through Friday.