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Concrete Homes Newsletter
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Concrete Homes Newsletter > 2006 > November/December
November/December 2006
Concrete Posts Strong Market Gains
More and more homeowners are using cement-based products for their new homes,
as evidenced by the 2005 single-family housing market share numbers. Concrete
homes accounted for 17.9% of all new housing starts, a jump of 1.6% over
2004. “The 2005 housing market was very strong,” says Craig Schulz,
Market Research Director for the Portland Cement Association.
The numbers, compiled from NAHB Research Center’s Builder Practices
Survey and a number of industry tracking reports, show that masonry gained
almost 2% in 2005, while ICFs remained steady. Autoclaved aerated concrete
lost 0.1%. The “other” category, which groups removable forms,
precast and other concrete homebuilding systems, dropped 0.2%.
The market share for above-grade walls has shown an interesting pattern
over the last several years. Since 1999 there have been significant jumps
in odd-numbered years, while even-numbered years have posted only slight
increases.
Robert Sitter, Executive Director of the Florida Concrete and Products Association,
has seen considerable market share gains in the last 5 years. “Through
the 3rd quarter of 2005, we estimated 86% of all homes in the state were
built with concrete block. Five years prior, that number was only 56%,” he
says. Homes built with other products, such as ICFs or removable forms, were
estimated at 3–4%.
“2005 was the best year in our history,” Sitter adds. “We
had a lot of pent-up demand, due to a lot of bad weather and a cement shortage
in 2004. A lot of older, wood-frame homes were damaged in the four hurricanes
of 2004, and those homes were replaced with concrete homes.”
Sitter is looking toward another good year in 2006. “While the overall
market has contracted some, we’re getting more of what is being built.
And that’s true of both single family and multi-family,” Sitter
says. A lot of that progress is due to the $1.4 million radio and television
ad campaign for the website, concreteblockhomes.com. Website traffic has
doubled since the campaign started. Sitter concludes, “We wanted to
turn the volume up in this down market, and we think it’s working.”
Cement intensity per dwelling grew at a higher than expected rate. Over
19 metric tons of cement per unit was used in 2005, as compared to 18 metric
tons in 2004. Some of this increase can be attributed to larger homes. Craig
Schulz says, “The average size of a single-family house went from 2282
square feet to 2382 square feet, which is a little less than a 5% increase.
And, as a function of the increased home sizes, foundations grew.”
Larger homes aren’t the only reason cement usage was up. Metric ton
increases occurred in fiber-cement siding (+26,000), concrete roof tile (+123,000)
and fencing/retaining walls (+74,000). Market share for driveways remained
stable.
"Old" is New Again in Texas
A "new" old-fashioned neighborhood is coming to Belton, Texas.
The 10-home Village at Dawson Ranch will be located just off of Dunns Canyon
Road in Regatta Development's Dawson Ranch subdivision. It will be convenient
to the Belton School complex and public parks located just east of the property.
The Village sits on the crest of a hill affording a panoramic view of the
Central Texas countryside from within the private gated community.
The neighborhood is designed to have an old-fashioned feel with the
advantage of being super energy efficient. The homes vary in size from
1533 square feet, 1-bedroom, 2-bath homes with a study, to over 2200
square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths and a loft. Each home
will have a front and rear porch, a 2-car garage and a private, fenced
yard. The front yards, landscaping and common areas will be maintained
by a homeowner's association, thereby reducing maintenance for individual
owners.
These super strong, energy efficient homes will utilize a variety of
construction techniques to dramatically reduce homeowner energy costs
while qualifying for new energy tax credits and discounts on homeowner
insurance. Green-Block ICFs, Icynene spray foam insulation and vacuum
sealed windows and door systems combine to make nearly air tight, draft
free homes that can withstand wind loads of up to 200 miles per hour
and have energy costs in the $100 per month range. Owners at Dawson
Ranch will live in incredibly sturdy, attractive and well designed
homes that will reward them handsomely for many years to come.
Ultra-Durable, Energy-Efficient Precast Homes
Near New York City
Habitat for Humanity of Westchester County has broken ground on extraordinary
new housing units for four families at Purser Place in Yonkers, New York,
just north of New York City.
The four duplexes feature a next-generation CarbonCast prefabricated concrete
technology from AltusGroup, utilizing embedded carbon fiber grid reinforcement
that promises to deliver dramatic improvements in long-term performance and
value over conventional wood-framed housing.
“As we saw with our recently completed homes at Willow Street, this
construction method will allow us to more quickly place families into homes
that will last much longer than a wood-frame structure,” says Jim Killoran,
Director of Habitat for Humanity of Westchester County. “This could
revolutionize the way we build homes for Habitat for Humanity locally and
nationwide.”
The 1,800 square-foot, 2-story duplexes will have an appearance consistent
with other homes in the neighborhood, with numerous architectural features.
They are expected to be completed in 2007, with families moving in shortly
thereafter.
“We're thankful to the City of Yonkers for working with us to expedite
the approvals for this site and the new technology,” says Killoran.
The precast concrete will be manufactured in a nearby factory and delivered
to the jobsite, ready to erect. It has been used in several commercial installations
in the Metro New York City area. The Willow Street homes represent the first
completed residential structures to reap the technology's multiple benefits.
“Homeowners who want unmatched durability, reduced heating and cooling
costs coupled with low noise levels, and attractive looks can find
a solution in CarbonCast precast concrete” and AFM
foam insulation, says Harold Messenger, Vice President, Oldcastle Precast,
a member of AltusGroup. “This
technology could bring unprecedented speed and quality to residential
construction. We're thankful to Habitat for Humanity and the City of
Yonkers for giving
us the opportunity to prove that CarbonCast technology is a viable
and desirable technology for constructing homes.”
Attendees at an August 17 groundbreaking ceremony included officials from
the City of Yonkers and Habitat for Humanity, Harold Messenger and Tim Lussier
from Oldcastle Precast, among others. The day's agenda also a featured a
presentation at Iona College about the LEED Green Building Rating System®,
a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance,
sustainable buildings.
CFA Summer Meeting Wrap-Up
If you were to ask any CFA contractor at the summer meeting why they were
attending, the answer would almost always be: to network with their peers
and to build and “cement” relationships. This year’s meeting
at the Wisconsin Dells provided a host of activities and events for networking.
The evening events, as well as the breaks and free time, are all opportunities
for networking. The plan was for two thematic dinners situated in different
areas onsite. The weatherman had different plans, however, and both nights
we were forced indoors at the last moment. This always presents a nightmare
for planners but fortunately, if you give our members tables, a few chairs
and some drinks, they will find a way to network.
The meetings committee decided to try several new things this year. The
first was concurrent educational sessions. Following the lead of our successful
regional meetings, it was decided to give attendees an option when it came
to educational sessions. One track focused on management issues, while the
other dealt primarily with construction topics. Since many of our members
bring more than one person to the event, this doubles the opportunities to
take home valuable information and insights. We tapped the knowledge of our
members for some presentations but also had outside experts.
Management sessions included a few hot topics. The session on multicultural
workforces was particularly timely given the concern over immigration and
the fact that many of our contractors employ Latin American laborers. Reducing
worker compensation costs, retirement planning, maximizing the value of your
company and dealing with unionization were among the other topics presented.
Construction sessions covered reinforced footings without steel and thermal
stresses and their impact on cracks. There was also a session on the CFA
Technical PowerPoint show, which is available, along with the CFA Marketing
PowerPoint presentation, for local home builder groups, at trade shows and
other venues where educating the market is important.
Also different this year was expansion of the outdoor exhibition to include
demonstrations. Footings were cast using two different systems and two methods
of insulating walls were featured using different forming systems. New forms,
including sets to build cast-in-place columns were also highlights.
There will be some interesting twists the next time we have outdoor equipment,
as we are planning on producing an equipment “rodeo” with contests
featuring the pumps and boom trucks while we continue to feature other equipment.
This year’s venue was held at a family friendly location, appropriate
given the fact that a many of our members are family run businesses. Many
young people now running successful foundations companies were themselves
tearing around the exhibit hall and events just a few short years ago. Perhaps
some of the networking rubbed off on them.
Many of our members make this their summer vacation, but it doesn’t
take away from their quest for knowledge, for that little tidbit of
information they might pick up that could save them thousands of dollars
over the next
few years. While they might call this a vacation, they talk business
the entire time—even on the golf course. Meeting in informal circumstances
allows members, both associate and contractor, to get to know one another.
While price might be an important consideration when purchasing a piece
of equipment, it’s often the relationship with the vendor that makes
the deal.
In keeping with the family theme, the sand treasure hunt was a huge success
with kids young and old. This event, a regular at the summer meeting, was
put on by V&H.
This year’s summer meeting saw a record number of associates in attendance.
The previous high was 35 at our meeting in the Ozarks. Forty associates made
the trip this year, and two others who couldn’t make the trip contributed
financially to the event.Building relationships can also be the mantra
of many of the exhibitors. The exhibition at the CFA Summer Meeting isn’t as much about selling
as it is about getting to know your current and potential customers. While
exhibitors may get 1000 visitors at the World of Concrete, they don’t
get to really know their customers. The summer event gives vendors
a chance to have a conversation instead of a 15-second card swipe or a 5-minute
canned
sales pitch.
The summer meeting sets the trend for the association financially for the
coming year. Profits from the meeting help fund code activities, marketing
and public relations efforts and a host of other CFA benefits.
Thanks to CFA for this article.
ICFA Fall Meeting Recap
The Insulating Concrete Form Association recently wrapped up its final twice-a-year
meeting October 25, 2006, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as it moves to once-a-year
meetings in 2007. With over 300 individuals attending the show, it was one
of ICFA's largest meetings ever.
Many attending were impressed with the new format of the show, giving attendees
a greater chance to meet with product suppliers, as well as more education
seminars and technical sessions. Ike Carter of Integral Building Companies
said, "I was very impressed by the meeting, the opportunity to network
with members both new and old and the information provided by the ICFA. This
was my first meeting and it certainly will not be my last."
Joseph Lyman, executive director of the Insulating Concrete Form Association
believes expanding the education seminars and networking opportunities will
only help to increase attendance and provide extra value to those attending.
He says, "The addition of technical sessions and networking opportunities
has helped ICFA's meetings become the ‘Can't Miss’ event of the
year for the ICF industry." With one meeting a year he hopes to increase
attendance to roughly 500 people and booths exhibiting to 55–60. He
says, "We've worked hard over the past several years to build a show
people are proud of attending. Now is the time to do something that the entire
industry can participate in."
Kent Stumpe, ICFA's newly elected Chairman, adds, "The ICF industry
is filled with talented people and we look forward to having them
all participate in ICFA meetings as we move to holding them once
a year. I believe ICFA's unique mix of informative speakers, networking
opportunities and excellent locations is well suited to being the
premier event in the industry."
Some of the highlights include:
ICFA elected three new members to the Board of Directors, and re-elected
four current directors. New directors are Jeff Alexander, Greenblock Worldwide;
EJ Parks, Eco-Block, LLC; and Cameron Ware, Futurestone, LLC. Current members
re-elected were Patrick Murphy, American Polysteel, LLC; Joe Casassa, Huntsman
Expandable Polymers Company, LC; Jim Niehoff, Portland Cement Association;
and Dean Seibert, Wind-Lock Corporation.
Additionally, Joe Casassa was elected Vice-Chairman of the Board and Kent
Stumpe of BASF Wall Systems, Inc., assumed Chairmanship of the ICFA Board
of Directors.
The first annual ICFA Excellence Awards recognized the best ICF projects
throughout North America. Commercial buildings and homes that were completed
in 2005 and met the program's guidelines were eligible for awards. Each entry
was judged on its success in meeting requirements set forth in each category.
The winners include:
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ICFA Grand Commercial Award Winner Boulder County
Parks
Administration Building
Boulder, Colorado |
ICFA Grand Residential Award Winner The Cottages
at River Oaks
Paso Robles, California |
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ICFA Large Residential Award Winner Appleton
Residence
Vancouver, British Columbia |
ICFA Small Residential Award Winner Tranquility
Residence
Port St. Lucie, Florida |
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ICFA Large Commercial Award Winner
Star Cinema
IMAX Theaters
Fitchburg, Wisconsin |
ICFA Small Commercial Award Winner
Holy Cross
Catholic Church
Porterville, California |
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ICFA Sustainability Award Winner
Haida Residence
Victoria, British Columbia |
ICFA shipments increased 7 million square feet from 2004 to 2005. While
residential has slowed slightly, members are reporting gains in the light
commercial market. It is estimated that ICF shipments will surpass the 100
million square feet mark in 2006.
The next meeting will take place September 24–26, 2007 at the Hyatt
Regency in St. Louis, Missouri.
Thanks to the ICFA for this article.
ACI Joins Concrete Home Building Council
The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has joined the National Association
of Home Builders' (NAHB) Concrete Home Building Council (CHBC) as an association
member. The CHBC association membership increases to 11 national trade associations
that act as NAHB's resource for cement-based building systems and products.
In addition to national association memberships, manufacturers, contributing
industry partners, and consulting company categories are also available in
the CHBC. "I believe having a strong international organization like
ACI, with interests in all of the cement-based systems and products represented
by the CHBC membership, will strengthen our technical and education offerings
to NAHB's builder and associate membership," explained Michael H. Weber,
PCA's director of residential and CHBC's current president.
Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the
American Concrete Institute is advancing concrete knowledge by conducting
seminars, managing certification programs, and publishing technical
documents. ACI currently has 98 chapters and about 15,000 members spanning
108 countries.
In 2004, NAHB formed the CHBC, providing a cement-based building material
resource for their residential, multifamily, and light commercial construction
industries. The CHBC offers a variety of networking, technical, marketing,
and educational resources to companies in—or interested in—the
residential concrete construction industry.
Upcoming Events
- ICF Workforce Development Course
Tulare, CA, November 14, 2006 More
- Tile Roofing Institute's Fall Industry Forum
Orlando, FL, November 14-15, 2006 More
- US Green Building Conference's "Greenbuild"
Denver, CO, November 14-17, 2006 More
- "Greenovation: An Expo for the Home", National Building Museum
Washington, DC, November 18, 2006 More
- "Home & Building Construction to Weather Louisiana's Worst" seminars,
Baton Rouge, LA, December 6, 2006 Check
Calendar for details
- World of Concrete
Las Vegas, NV, January 23-26, 2007 More
- International Builders' Show
Orlando, FL, Feburary 7-10, 2007 More
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