Preview AIA Course 0704

NUDURA
ACADEMY
AIA / HSW Learning Unit Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)
Benefits and Advantages
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Course Objectives
To demonstrate the specific characteristics of
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) and clarify the
benefits of ICFs and ICF technology over
conventional construction materials for building
envelopes in all building types.
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Today’s Agenda
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What are insulated concrete
forms (ICFs)
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Codes and design capabilities
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Environmental benefits of ICFs
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Construction process
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Building types
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Case Studies
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What are ICF's?
ICFs are stay in place concrete forms
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Two panels of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation
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Both panels of EPS insulation are held together with engineered cross
ties or “webs” integrally molded into the foam to create a block or
“form unit”
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Reinforcement bars are placed horizontally and vertically in the ICF
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Concrete is placed and consolidated in the ICF
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The final product is an insulated reinforced concrete wall
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ICF Wall Types
Post & Beam
Concrete
Configuration
Waffle or Screen Grid
Flat Wall
90% of the ICF market is Flat Wall forms
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ICF Assembly Methods
Fully assembled –
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some units fold down for delivery
ICFs are Modular Block units
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ICF Assembly Methods
Site assembled forms
 Knockdown style
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ICF Materials
Expanded Polystyrene
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Type II, closed cell foam
High R Value per inch (R4)
Stable, durable for a long life
Low embodied energy
No CFC’s, HFC’s or formaldehyde
No off – gassing
Moisture resistant, non-absorbent
Inert - resistant to mold and rot
Contains a flame retardant
Smoke is non-toxic
Recyclable
EPS
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ICF Materials – Webs or Cross Ties
Typically - Polypropylene plastic
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Specifically designed per ICF manufacturer
Engineered to withstand liquid concrete pressure
Made with 100% recycled industrial plastic
Designed to accommodate reinforcement bars
Spacing in block typically at 6” or 8”
No thermal bridging
Moisture resistant
Do not degrade or rot
Designed with fastening strips for screw-on
attachment of finishes
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ICF Components
EPS insulation
panels on both sides
Webs with
notches for rebar
Interlock top and bottom –
typically reversible
Serrated face
for better
concrete
adhesion
Fastening
strips on the
webs, buried in
EPS panels
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ICF Block Configurations
90˚ Corner
Standard
Taper Top
45˚ Corner
T Block Short Leg ,
Long Leg
Extended
Brick Ledge
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ICF Specialty Blocks
One Sided -Standard
90˚ One-Side Corner
Height Adjustment
Blocks – 12” or 3”
Custom
Radius
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ICF - Variations per Manufacturer
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Form length – either 48” or 96”
Form heights vary – 12”, 16”, 18” or 24”
EPS thickness – 2 ½” to 2 ⅝”
Interlock design
Web design, web spacing (6”, 8” or 12”) and web
materials
Style of forms – flat wall, waffle grid or post and beam
Forms – pre-assembled or knock-down
Availability of concrete core thickness and block types
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Building Codes and ICF’s
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Building codes recognize ICFs as flat, monolithic, reinforced concrete
walls with EPS foam plastic
insulation on both sides of the
concrete core
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Building construction type will
determine the section of the IBC or
IRC code and/or engineering that
is applicable to ICF design for
Insulation
below grade and above grade
walls of any height.
*See ICF representative for additional code and testing information.
Insulation
Concrete
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ICF Codes and Standards
Concrete Design
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Concrete design for a flat wall ICF
is the same as for any reinforced
concrete wall
Typically 3000 psi with higher
slump
ICF engineering follows - ACI 318
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ICF Associations / Affiliations
12 Story ICF University Dormitory
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Technical Benefits of ICFs
ICF simplicity of design combines SIX building
envelop elements within ONE product :
1) Exterior Fastening Strips
2) Structurally Reinforced Concrete
3) Continuous Air Barrier (Concrete)
4) Continuous Exterior/ Interior Insulation
5) Interior Fastening Strips
6) Continuous Vapor Barrier (EPS)
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Environmental Benefits of ICFs
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Thermal Resistance
Fire Resistance
Sound Resistance
Safety and Security
Health & Indoor Air Quality
Sustainability
Construction Efficiency
Innovative Design
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Thermal Resistance
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ICFs are considered by the IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 as mass walls
with continuous insulation
Typical whole wall ICF assembly has an R value of R24 or U= 0.041
ICFs exceed the requirements for all climates zones for commercial
thermal envelopes above and below grade
ASHRAE Standard 90.1
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Energy Efficiency
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HVAC Size reduction
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Operational cost
savings
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Thermal Mass
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Air Infiltration
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Monolithic concrete walls provide a
continuous air barrier contributing
to the energy efficiency of the
building envelope
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ICF wall assemblies can lower the
building’s peak heating and cooling
loads by 57% and 16% respectively
resulted in major energy savings for
the life span of the building
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Superior Fire Resistance
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6 inch core, load bearing, ICF wall can be designed to
meet a 4 hour fire resistance rating when tested to ASTM
E-119
*See ICF representative for additional fire test results and documentation.
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ICF Fire Rated Wall Assemblies
Educational, Institutional
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Fire rated, load bearing exterior walls
Fire rated, load bearing, interior
demising and corridor walls
Hospitality, Residential
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Efficient Sound Attenuation
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6 inch ICF provides a
Sound Transmission Classification
of STC 50
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Walls can be easily adapted to
achieve increased ratings of
STC 71 or higher.
Movie Theatre
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Superior Disaster Resilence
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ICF reinforced concrete walls can
be designed to withstand wind
speeds of up to 250 mph for
tornado and hurricane regions
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ICFs have passed a wind blown
debris cannon test
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Earthquake Resilence
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Flat wall reinforced concrete has over six times the racking load
resistance as a conventionally framed walls
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Steel anchorage into the ICF concrete walls at the footings, floors
and roof provides – stiffness, strength and ductility
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Some ICF product lines provide EPS concrete forms for floor and
roof systems for a complete concrete building
Alaska and California are large markets for ICF construction
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Security - Blast Resistance
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50 lb. of TNT
6” ICF, #4@16”oc
Blast from 6’ Away
Structural Integrity Sustained
US Military Blast Testing on ICF Walls
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Superior Mold Resistance
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EPS foam or concrete will not
propagate mold or mildew
growth
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Passes all Fungi Resistance
Testing
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High reduction in air infiltration
provides better control of indoor
air quality for healthier
environment
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Sustainability - LEED Credit Advantages
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ICFs may improve building energy
efficiency by 25 to 50 %
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ICF wall system uses greater than
50% recycled materials by weight
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Durable long life materials
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Reduced construction waste
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Consult manufacturers for their
reports on possible points
attainment under LEED evaluations
Enermodal Engineering Building – LEED Platinum
3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
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Sustainability – Recyclability
Expanded polystyrene properties enable
it to be recycled
Polypropylene plastics webs are recyclable
Concrete and steel are recyclable
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Efficiency - Speed of Construction
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Overall construction time is
reduced through the speed of
assembling the ICF wall
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Fewer materials for building
envelop reduces the number
of sub trades
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Fewer weather constraints,
cold weather winter builds
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Faster close-ins to be weather
tight for interior trades
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Innovative Design
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Versatility in concrete core
thicknesses 4” to 12” +
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90 and 45 degree corners
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Brick Ledge forms
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T-Form Units
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Factory Cut Radius forms
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Specialty blocks
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Innovated Design
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ICF manufacturer’s product specific
.dwg AutoCad® details
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BIM - Revit wall templates
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CSI specification –
Section 03 11 19 Insulated Concrete Forming
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Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
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Standard engineering for flat wall ICFs
per ACI 318
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Building Applications
ICFs provide innovative design possibilities:
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Below grade walls
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Single story
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Multi-story high rise
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Tall Walls
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Load Bearing and Curtain Walls
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Retaining walls
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ICF Construction Process Overview
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Footings
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Stacking Forms
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Reinforcement
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Alignment / Bracing
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Openings
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Placing Concrete
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Connections
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Utilities
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Finishes
*See NUDURA training for construction process videos.
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Exterior Finish Flexibility
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A variety of different finishing
materials can directly applied to
the exterior of an ICF building
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Various Sidings (Cement,
Vinyl, Steel, Wood)
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Stucco (Acrylic, Hard Coat)
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Brick, Stone Veneers
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Simulated Brick or Stone
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Curtainwall
Air Barrier is not required on ICF walls
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Compatibility of ICF Walls
The result is a solid insulated reinforced concrete wall assembly with excellent
thermal resistance and sound transmission properties.
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ICF BUILDING
TYPES
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Residential
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Multi Residential
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Hospitality - Hotel / Motel
Hilton Garden Inn
Hampton Inn & Suites
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Institutional
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Schools, Colleges, Universities
Libraries, Gymnasiums, Pools
Dormitories
Community Centers
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Medical Facilities
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Hospitals
Clinics
Home for the Elderly
Veterinary Clinics
Research laboratories
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Buildings of Worship
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Commercial
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Retail small and big box stores
Offices, Banks, Warehouses
Theaters
Restaurants
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Industrial / Agricultural
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Produce and Food Storage
Animal Barns
Concrete Plants
Manufacturing Plants
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LEED Certified / Net Zero
Net Zero Award Winner
LEED Platinum Certified
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ICF References
www.cicfi.org
Council of ICF Industries
www.cement.org
www.concretethinker.com
www.epsindustry.org
www.icfmag.com
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This concludes The American Institute of Architects
Continuing Education Systems Program
On
Insulated Concrete Forms
Please Feel Free to Ask Questions
Presented by
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For more
information visit the
NUDURA Website:
www.NUDURA.com
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70,400 sqft Pediatric Clinic, Kentucky
Monthly Energy Savings of 71.8%
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Elementary School Kentucky
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First Net-Zero ICF School in the U.S
72,285 Sq. Ft., Two Story
Cost: $1.4 million
ICF - exterior walls, interior walls, fire
rated walls
ICF used for sound attenuation
between gym and classrooms
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Richardsville Elementary, with ICFs,
is designed to use only
18 kBtu/sq.ft. which is 75% less than
ASHRAE 90.1 Design Standard
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LEED Gold certification
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AgriScience Campus Kentucky
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3rd Net-Zero ICF School in Kentucky
70,000 Sq. Ft., One Story
Cost: $1.8 million
ICF - exterior walls, interior walls, fire
rated walls
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Campus, with ICFs, is designed to
use only 16 kBtu/sq.ft. which is 75%
less than ASHRAE 90.1 Design
Standard
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LEED Gold Certification
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Student Condominium
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Two - 9 story buildings
Building area - 208,067 sq.ft.
ICF Wall area 98,000 sq.ft.
Cost: $20 million
ICF - exterior walls, interior walls, fire
rated walls
Floor system – hollow core precast
ICF design allowed for major reduction in
energy usage
HVAC equipment downsized, savings
thousands of dollars
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ICF construction – one floor every 10
days on both towers
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LEED Platinum Certification
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THANK YOU
www.NUDURA.com
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