A Comparative Analysis of Traditional Concrete Hollow Blocks (CHBs)

and SmartBlock Insulated Concrete Forms for Building Constructions

by

Jomari B. Galias

INTRODUCTION

The journey to the modern world has its humble beginnings long ago. Evolution of
infrastructures mirrored the evolution of humanity. We shed our nomadic past and crafted our
first home by our own designs. We built the world of wonders and of majestic infrastructures.
The construction industry has seen a timeline of changes; from buildings of dried clay bricks,
woods, and muds to buildings of cement blocks, tiles, metal, steel, and glass.

In every construction project, the materials are always and foremost the most important factor
of a good and sustainable build. Weighing the options – the pros and the cons, has always
been part of every construction project. Not only the cost is taken into consideration, but also
the time and the effort to be consumed in the building process. Any mistake could cause a
halt in the project or worse, a full overhaul. Thus, a comparative analysis of materials to be
used is particularly important.

In building constructions, blocks are one of the most essential inputs in the building process.
It is used not just for pillars, but also for bases, and walls. It basically dresses up the steels
and metal skeleton of the building to shield it from any intrusion of the outside environment.
Traditionally, engineers made use of concrete hollow blocks in constructing buildings. It is
the most common type of block used in every construction, even at present. The concrete
hollow blocks (CHBs) are made primarily of mixture of cement, aggregates such as sand and
gravel, water, and some additives. Although these are the most common material thus can
easily be sourced out and are always available in the market for a relatively good price, there
are accompanying disadvantages. It requires a lot of labor hours for its preparation and
reinforcement, especially the treatment of the cement mortar to dry and bond completely
before it is possible for another set of hollow blocks to be placed on top of the other also
requires a lot of time. In addition, it is also labor intensive as the work does not end on just
stacking hollow blocks one after another. Further grinding on the surface is needed to get rid
of excess cement due to overpouring and further. The surface also needs to be plastered to
smoothen the surface to get rid of bumps and unfiltered pebbles or gravels. These works do
not just add to the hours consumed but also to the cost of the construction.

To address these issues in relation to saving time spent in construction, reducing labor, and
lowering costs incurred, construction material manufactures have introduced cutting-edge and
innovative alternatives to the traditional CHBs. One recent innovation is the SmartBlock
Insulated Concrete Forms by ConForm Global, an American company. According to the
webpage1, SmartBlock Insulated Concrete Forms used green-building materials and are
made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), insulating, and stay-in-place formwork. SmartBlock
is not just a forming system for placing concrete, it also acts as the structural system for
above and below grade walls. Moreover, there is sound suppression because of its superior
stay-in-place insulation. It also acts as the substrate for exterior and interior finishing
materials. Its high-quality insulation of EPS foam established strength and safety of concrete
walls which yields a more safe, sounder, and stronger building. Further, SmartBlock does
not harm the environment. It does not utilize Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the production
process and materials are non-toxic and inert thus, no harmful chemicals are released in the
air. There is also relatively little use of lumber during construction and those used can still be
re-used on other parts of the job; lesser trees are cut down. These properties enable faster
construction process and produces a superior finished wall, a huge contrast to that of the
CHBs. By using SmartBlock, the construction project gets done relatively quicker than
when using the traditional counterpart thereby resulting to less waste and lower costs – in
materials and in manpower. It is not just a safe choice for the environment but also a smart
choice for engineers, construction workers, and homeowners.

Given the increasing demand for innovations in the construction industry and the need for a
faster, safer, and more efficient building construction, in this study, the material specification,
the manufacturing information, the efficiency, the durability, the cost, and other pertinent
properties of CHBs and SmartBlock Insulated Concrete Forms will be identified,
compared, and evaluated.

1
SmartBlock webpage: http://www.smartblock.com/
Specifically, the study will aim to find answers to the following questions:

1. How economical SmartBlock Insulated Concrete Forms are compared to CHBs?

a) Price per piece comparison

b) Total material and labor cost comparison per wall area

c) Total construction cost comparison per wall area

2. What are the advantages of SmartBlock Insulated Concrete Forms are compared to
CHBs?

a) Design properties

b) Cost

c) Efficiency

3. Will SmartBlock Insulated Concrete Forms be more efficient to work with

compared to CHBs?

a) Comparison of installation process

b) Comparison of time consumed for constructing a wall area