—— WHY PFI
A BLOCKOUT THAT
Column isolation pockets have been formed with temporary wood for nearly a century. Pocket Form Isolator replaces them with a leave-in-place HDPE form that sets flush with the finished floor and never comes out.
SPEC SHEET
PFI
Material
Recycled HDPE
Process
Structural-foam molded
Wall thickness
3/8"
Standard sizes
1,600+ shapes & sizes
Custom
Any straight-sided shape
Top of form
Flush with FFE
Caulked joints
Zip-strip Void-Cap compatible
01 / BENEFITS
FOUR REASONS CONTRACTORS SWITCH.
01 GUARANTEED QUALITY
3/8" wall, structural-foam molded from recycled HDPE
Top sets flush with finished floor elevation
Unaffected by weather
Won't bond to concrete, so the joint stays clean
02 COST SAVINGS
Stays in place: no stripping, no wreck-out, no disposal
No specialized carpentry
No expansion joint filler, grout line or fiberboard
No thickened slab edge, which saves concrete in deep pockets
03 SUSTAINABILITY
Made from over 50% recycled plastic
Recycled content can contribute to LEED credits
Replaces foam blockouts that are often removed with petrochemicals
04 FLEXIBILITY
Over 1,600 standard shapes and sizes
Custom shapes when the sides are straight
Drill or cut it for pipe, conduit, wiring and pull boxes
Works with zip-strip Void-Cap when caulking is specified
02 / SIDE BY SIDE
PFI VS. WOOD AND FOAM.
WOOD OR FOAM BLOCKOUT
POCKET FORM ISOLATOR
Stays in for the life of the slab
Clean, uniform, flush with finished floor
Built in. HDPE won't bond to concrete
Nothing to clear out
Arrives on pallets, parts marked. No specialized carpentry
AFTER THE POUR
Stripped, wrecked out or dissolved
SLAB EDGE
Can be left unsupported or chipped
ISOLATION JOINT
Needs fiberboard or a grout line
COLUMN GROUT BED
Debris from removal can fill the pocket
ON SITE
Built by carpenters, pocket by pocket
03 / INSTALLATION
HOW IT GOES IN.
1
SIZE IT
Plan dimensions, shape and depth. Depth is usually the top of the footing to finished floor elevation.
2
RECEIVE IT
Ships on pallets with marked parts and clear instructions.
3
ANCHOR IT
Usually to the footing. On pier jobs it can be staked on compacted fill. Perimeter forms often anchor to walls or temporary edge forms.
4
SET TO GRADE
Top of form flush with finished floor elevation. Add safety lids if the pocket will sit open before the columns go up.
5
POUR
Cast the slab around it. If the columns are already up, the slab and pocket infill can go in at the same time.
6
LEAVE IT
It stays in for the life of the structure as the isolation joint. No stripping, no cleanup.
04 / CHOOSING
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PFI.
Three things decide it.
PLAN DIMENSIONS
Set by the architectural or engineering requirements; the base plate's shape, size, rotation and location; the minimum concrete cover from base plate to blockout edge; and how the finished floor should look.
SQUARE &
RECTANGLE
SQ line
ROUND
Customized to the plan
RACETRACK
Rounded ends
PERIMETER 2Q /
3Q
At walls and slab edges
CUSTOM
Any straight-sided shape
NEED LIDS?
Sold separately, so you only pay for them when the job needs them.
SHAPE
Match it to the base plate and the plan. Odd situation? Start from the standard shapes, or we'll make a custom one.
DEPTH
Usually the top of the footing up to finished floor elevation. Columns on piers often leave some room to choose.