New Technology For Greener Houses

"Both Arxx and Eco-Block use fireproof Styrofoam forms for concrete walls. Using the industrial equivalent of hollow-center Lego blocks, the walls can be snapped together, then filled with concrete. The Styrofoam forms remain in place after the concrete sets, as a dual-layer insulation material that is covered by interior and exterior wall coverings...The advantages, in addition to being fireproof, are that the forms offer better sound reduction and energy efficiency than traditional building methods; plus, laboratory studies show them to be virtually hurricane-proof. Approximately 50 manufacturers are making systems under the general category of insulated concrete forms in North America, and similar systems have been used in Europe for the last 15 or more years."