Case Study
Clearview Elementary School (Hanover, Penn.)
Sustainable Development
> Case Studies > Clearview Elementary
School Clearview School Scores
an A+ with Concrete
Insulating concrete forms build high-performance, sustainable
facility
At first glance, Clearview Elementary School in Hanover, Penn.,
might seem pretty typical. There are students, teachers, classrooms
and corridors. But this is no ordinary school. Built with concrete,
it’s designed to consume one-third less energy than a conventional
structure, providing substantial cost savings that can be redirected
for educational purposes. Open to students in January 2003, the
school is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold
certified.
Clearview Elementary was built with insulating concrete forms (ICFs).
Made from foam and stacked in the shape of the structure, ICFs are
filled with reinforced concrete to create a solid wall with excellent
thermal mass and structural strength. ICF structures offer energy
efficiency, durability and design flexibility at a competitive cost
with traditional construction techniques.
Beyond the structural system, the school is designed with features
that enhance the learning experience, incorporating daylight and
improved ventilation, as well as super-efficient ground source heat
pumps and radiant floor heating.
“We set out for Clearview to be a place where students thrive
and parents and taxpayers get the most for their money, both up
front and over the life of the building,” says John Boecker,
a LEED-accredited architect with L. Robert Kimball & Associates,
who acted as lead architect on the project. Boecker says ICFs were
“a powerful component for garnering these results.”
An innovative concrete mix design was crucial in achieving LEED
Gold certification, according to Scot Horst, project consultant
and principal of 7group. The concrete mixes incorporated a high
slag cement content, as much as 60 percent in the ICFs. Horst pushed
for creation of an Innovation Credit to assist in LEED certification,
paving the way for other project designers to earn points toward
certification for innovative use of slag cement in concrete mixes.
On the Clearview project, approximately 40 percent of the building
material was manufactured locally, and about 75 percent (by cost)
was manufactured with a high recycled content. These benefits, partnered
with the energy efficiency and durability of the concrete structure,
will save the school an estimated $34,000 annually on energy costs.
This is a tangible value no parent can argue with, says Dana Yealy,
Clearview PTO president: “It’s encouraging to know that
the money saved on utilities can go towards other important resources.”
Project Team:
Owner: Hanover, Pennsylvania School District
Architect and Engineer: L. Robert Kimball & Associates
Ready-Mixed Concrete Producer: Hanover Concrete
Insulating Concrete Form Supplier: Eco-Block
Green Consultant: 7group |
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