Insulated Concrete Form

Abstract

A concrete wall forming system including interconnected mold units that include a top surface containing a first portion bond beam form, a first top ledge, a first top lip seal portion, a second top ledge, and a second top lip seal portion; a bottom surface containing a second portion bond beam form, a first bottom ledge, a first bottom lip seal portion, a second bottom ledge, and a second bottom lip seal portion; and two or more column forms extending from the top depression to the bottom depression. The first top lip seal portion and first bottom lip seal portion and second top lip seal portion and second bottom lip seal portion are adapted to form a seal between two mold units such that the bond beam form portions are combined to form a bond beam form. The system can be used to form an insulated concrete wall.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A wall comprising:
 a wall form comprising foamed plastic and defining a plurality of vertical column forms and a plurality of horizontal beam forms; and   a concrete web comprising a plurality of vertical columns and a plurality of horizontal beams disposed within the wall form.   
     
     
         23 . The wall according to  claim 22 , wherein the wall form comprises a plurality of mold units each comprising a foamed plastic body, wherein the mold units are aligned to form the plurality of vertical column forms and the plurality of horizontal beam forms. 
     
     
         24 . The wall according to  claim 23 , wherein each mold unit comprises a top lip seal portion and a top ledge portion and a bottom lip seal portion and bottom ledge portion and adjacent first and second mold units are connected to one another by an interlocking engagement of the bottom lip seal portion and the bottom ledge of the first mold unit with the top lip seal portion and the top ledge of the second mold unit. 
     
     
         25 . The wall according to  claim 24 , wherein the bottom ledge portion includes bumps that align with indents in the top ledge portion to assist in aligning the mold units such that they form the plurality of vertical column forms and the plurality of horizontal beam forms. 
     
     
         26 . The wall according to  claim 24 , wherein a continuous seal is formed between adjacent first and second mold units by the interlocking engagement of the bottom lip seal portion and the bottom ledge of the first mold unit with the top lip seal portion and the top ledge of the second mold unit and the weight of the concrete web. 
     
     
         27 . The wall according to  claim 23 , wherein each mold unit comprises at least one partial horizontal beam form such that alignment of adjacent mold units form a complete horizontal beam form. 
     
     
         28 . The wall according to  claim 22 , wherein the vertical concrete columns and the horizontal concrete beams are perpendicular to one another and the vertical column forms and the horizontal beam forms are perpendicular to one another. 
     
     
         29 . The wall according to  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of vertical concrete columns and the plurality of concrete beams intersect to form a grid. 
     
     
         30 . The wall according to  claim 22 , wherein the vertical concrete columns, the vertical concrete beams, or both, further comprise a reinforcing structure. 
     
     
         31 . The wall according to  claim 30 , wherein the reinforcing structure is at least one of rebar, fiber reinforced polymer, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, glass fibers, metal, and fibers. 
     
     
         32 . The wall according to  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of vertical concrete columns are evenly spaced across a width of the wall and the plurality of horizontal concrete beams are evenly spaced across a height of the wall. 
     
     
         33 . The wall according to  claim 32 , wherein the vertical concrete columns and horizontal concrete beams intersect and areas between the intersecting vertical concrete columns and horizontal concrete beams comprise the foamed plastic of the wall form. 
     
     
         34 . The wall according to  claim 22 , wherein the vertical column forms and the horizontal beam forms are completely filled with the concrete web. 
     
     
         35 . The wall according to  claim 22 , wherein the foamed plastic is an expanded polymer matrix. 
     
     
         36 . A method of making a wall comprising:
 providing a wall form comprising foamed plastic and defining a plurality of vertical column forms and a plurality of horizontal beam forms;   filling the vertical column forms and the horizontal beam forms with concrete; and   curing the concrete to form a concrete web comprising a plurality of concrete columns and a plurality of concrete beams.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the wall form comprises a plurality of mold units each comprising a foamed plastic body and the method further comprises aligning the mold units to define the plurality of vertical column forms and the plurality of horizontal beam forms. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein each mold unit comprises a top lip seal portion and a bottom lip seal portion and the method further comprises connecting adjacent first and second mold units by interlocking the bottom lip seal portion of the first mold unit and the top lip seal portion of the second mold unit. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising placing rebar into the vertical column forms, the horizontal beam forms, or both, prior to filling the vertical column forms and the horizontal beam forms with concrete. 
     
     
         40 . A wall comprising a foamed plastic structure surrounding a concrete web, wherein the concrete web comprises vertical concrete columns and horizontal concrete beams.