xLeratorT SOLVES TRADITIONAL ICF LEDGE FORM REINFORCEMENT PROBLEMS
(Press Release)

February 2003, Omaha, Nebraska-During the research and development process for their recently introduced ledge form, Reward Wall Systems, Inc. discovered that the commonly recommended way of reinforcing manufactured insulating concrete form (ICF) brick ledges and ledge forms fails to satisfy American Concrete Institute (ACI) guidelines. As a result of this discovery, Reward invented a whole new product for reinforcing its new ledge form, and significantly improved the way ledge forms should be reinforced from now on.

xLerator (pronounced ex - el´ - erator) is a patent pending galvanized welded wire reinforcement piece that simply drops into the pre-formed reinforcement slot in Reward's ledge form and provides maximum strength in every corbel, or concrete pocket, within the form.

Reward's engineering department, along with the professional engineering firm of Tadros Associates, LLC, found that the reinforcement in most of the ledge forms on the market today does not meet ACI 318 guidelines. "The current recommended ledge reinforcement consists of individual pieces of rebar that must be bent into stirrups on the job site or ordered pre-bent from the rebar manufacturer," explained Karen Bexten, a structural engineer with Tadros. "The ungalvanized rebar is subject to corrosion because it is placed close to the outside edge of the form, sits in a foam slot and is not completely encased in concrete. This allows water to reach the rebar and cause it to rust. As the rebar rusts, it expands, causes concrete to crack, and undermines the stability of the ledge." 

In most cases the current method of reinforcing ledge forms also calls for it to be placed at an angle, in every other corbel, which significantly reduces the strength of the ledge, and is not in accordance to ACI 318 guidelines. Stirrup reinforcement is both laborious and time consuming, because it consists of multiple pieces that have to be installed one at a time. And most stirrup reinforcement comes with little or no engineering support or detailed drawings, nor does the ICF manufacturer supply it.

By contrast, Reward's xLerator is galvanized, preventing corrosion. It automatically places the reinforcement properly in every corbel of the form providing maximum strength and meeting ACI 318 requirements. As a "drop and go" reinforcement system, xLerator significantly reduces labor time and cost, and in most cases, costs less than the combined labor and material price for bent-in-field or pre-bent rebar. It is shipped directly to the customer with the Reward ledge forms.

Instead of the time-consuming and costly process of cutting rebar into sections, bending it and installing several individual pieces in each form, xLerator allows the installer to pick up one piece, drop it into the form and go on. Reward provides complete engineering load tables, interior details for various floor types, and exterior details for various finishes. In other words, Reward provides a complete ledge reinforcement system that includes both the form and the rebar and takes the guesswork out of the engineering.

To learn more about Reward Wall Systems, go to www.rewardwalls.com.