Bristol Public Safety ICF Building Combines New Home for Both Police Department and Fire Department
Energy Efficient Properties of ICF Construction Expected to Yield $20,000 per Year in Energy Savings, Reducing Operating Costs for Both Departments
General Contractor: Groen Construction, Inc., Rochester, New Hampshire
Architects: SMP Architecture, Concord, New Hampshire
Engineers: JSN Associates, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
The Bristol, New Hampshire Public Safety Building is an inspired combination of structural excellence and reasonable costs. The new building, constructed with Nudura® insulated concrete forms (ICF), serves as headquarters for both the police and fire departments
As the general contractor for the project, Groen Construction worked closely with the city of Bristol for a number of years prior to construction to develop a design that met the town’s needs well as their budget. Designed as an ICF project, the building was inspired by a similar building Groen had built for the city of Farmington, New Hampshire five years earlier.
When Bristol town leaders toured the Farmington Public Safety building, they knew that it was a close match to what they needed. Combining the operations of both the fire department and the police department would provide considerable savings for Bristol. A review of energy expenditures at the old, individual headquarters for each building, when compared to the projections of energy efficiency expected with ICF construction, revealed that Bristol could save an estimated $20,000 per year on energy costs. This is a result of the energy efficient properties of ICF, relocating to a new building built to stricter codes, and combining the facilities of both the police and fire departments.
According to Dave Groen, senior vice president and ICF division manager for Groen Construction, “The Bristol public safety building was modeled after a similar public safety building we built previously for the town of Farmington. We hired SMP Architecture to modify the design to meet Bristol’s specific needs.”
SMP made the modifications to facilitate the operation of both departments within a single structure. As the engineer of records, JSN Associates specified the use of three different thicknesses of Nudura® ICF forms: 12”, 8” and 6”.
Walls in Three Thicknesses Support Unique Needs
The majority of the building was constructed with 6” ICF walls. However, based on the topography of the site, the rear wall of the building was designed and built as a 12” ICF retaining wall that contained 12’ of backfill. The area around the large apparatus bays required 8” ICF walls to accommodate the necessary lintel rebar needed to span the openings.
The ICF phase of the construction process was self-performed by Groen, handling the footing pour, as well as the frost wall and above-grade ICF walls. The ICF phase of the project was completed in just under two months, after which a framing contractor was hired to complete the second floor deck framing and substantial roof framing.
What Made this Project Successful?
- Footings and ICF installation were self-performed by Groen, resulting in the need for fewer sub-contractors on the site.
- The structure of Nudura ICF forms, which incorporate EPS foam insulation, provide the energy-efficient properties necessary to meet the energy requirements of the building owners.
- The use of ICF on this project reduced the overall construction schedule from what it would have been on a conventional-built structure.
The 12-month project, which came in on budget, has been deemed a success by the leaders of both the police and fire departments.
