Coated Concrete Form

Abstract

A concrete form system includes an outer form composed of a structural foam material and a protective skin material. The protective skin material is in contact with the structural foam material and may be chemically bonded such as by crosslinking with the structural foam material. Each of the structural foam material and protective skin material may include a polymeric material. The protective skin material forms an exposed outer surface of the outer form, obviating any need for additional protection from the elements or to be applied during the construction process. The outer form thermally insulates around the periphery of a poured concrete slab, and can be coupled with an inner form, each of the outer form and inner form being assembled in a predetermined relationship and sized so as to control the vertical elevation and thickness of a concrete slab and a foundation stem wall cast between the inner and outer forms. The concrete form system can be pre-assembled in accordance with appropriate dimensions in a workshop in preparation for pouring a concrete slab on a remote job site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A concrete form system comprising:
 an inner form including a first substantially rectangular body having a top peripheral edge and a bottom peripheral edge;   an outer form including a second substantially rectangular body having a top peripheral edge and a bottom peripheral edge;   a plurality of connecting webs coupling together the inner form and the outer form in spaced apart relation, and such that the first and second substantially rectangular bodies are oriented parallel to one another, for positioning the concrete form system upon a footer;   the outer form including a structural foam material forming an inner surface of the second substantially rectangular body, and the inner surface facing the inner form and being structured to contact concrete poured into a space between the inner form and the outer form; and   the outer form further including a protective skin material in contact with the structural foam material and forming an exposed outer surface of the outer form located opposite the inner surface.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second substantially rectangular body consists essentially of the structural foam material and the protective skin material. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second substantially rectangular body includes a one-piece body where the top and bottom peripheral edges are formed of the structural foam material. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the structural foam material includes a foamed polymeric material, and the protective skin material includes a continuous polymeric material adhered to the foamed polymeric material. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the continuous polymeric material is chemically bonded to the foamed polymeric material. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the continuous polymeric material includes a polyurethane, a polyurea, an epoxy, or a hybrid of these. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the foamed polymeric material includes a polyisocyanate, a polyurethane, or a polystyrene. 
     
     
         8 . A method of making a concrete form system comprising: producing a substantially rectangular body of an outer concrete form from a structural foam material, the substantially rectangular body having a plurality of peripheral edges extending about a first body side and a second body side; applying a protective skin material in a liquid form to the first body side, and such that upon curing the protective skin material is adhered to the structural foam material on the first body side; and packaging the substantially rectangular body for shipping with the protective skin material adhered to the structural foam material and located upon only the first body side. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein producing includes producing the substantially rectangular body in the form of a foamed polymeric material, and wherein applying further includes applying the protective skin material to the foamed polymeric material such that upon curing the protective skin material has the form of a continuous polymeric material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the applying includes applying the protective skin material prior to completion of curing of the foamed polymeric material forming the first body side. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein:
 the producing includes producing the substantially rectangular body from a polyurethane, a polyisocyanate, or a polystyrene; and 
 the applying includes applying a plural component spray that includes a polyurethane, a polyurea, an epoxy or a hybrid of these. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising coupling the substantially rectangular body with a second substantially rectangular body of an inner concrete form by way of a plurality of connecting webs such that the first and second substantially rectangular bodies are in a parallel arrangement defining a space therebetween. 
     
     
         13 . A method of constructing a foundation comprising:
 assembling a concrete form system such that an inner form and an outer form are supported in parallel spaced apart relation;   positioning the concrete form system upon a footing;   pouring uncured concrete into a space extending between the inner form and the outer form, such that upon curing the concrete forms a solid wall extending upwardly from the footing that traps therein a plurality of connecting webs coupling together the inner form and the outer form; and   orienting the outer form during the assembling and positioning such that an inner surface formed from a structural foam material of the outer form faces the space and is contacted by the poured concrete, and an opposite outer surface formed from a protective skin material of the outer form is exposed and faces outwardly of the foundation.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein pouring the uncured concrete includes pouring the concrete so as to form a horizontally extending slab that is continuous with the solid wall and the solid wall extends downwardly from the slab. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the assembling includes coupling together the inner form and the outer form prior to the positioning of the form system upon the footing. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the structural foam material includes a foamed polymeric material and the protective skin includes a continuous polymeric material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the continuous polymeric material is chemically bonded to the foamed polymeric material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the continuous polymeric material includes a polyurethane, a polyurea, or an epoxy, and the foamed polymeric material includes a polyisocyanate, a polyurethane, or a polystyrene.