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Concrete Home > Concrete Homes Newsletter > 2006 > March/April

March/April 2006

• The 2006 New American Home Has It All
• Concrete "Covers" the 2006 International Builders' Show
• We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You
• Residential Concrete Has “Mega” Impact on World of Concrete
• Red Cross to Host Wind Mitigation Seminar
• IRS Releases Final Form for Energy Tax Credit
• Minnesota Provides Unprecedented Access to Concrete Homes
• Cheng Bestows Concrete Countertop Awards
• Upcoming Events
• Tools of Our Trade
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The 2006 New American Home Has It All

The New American Home (TNAH), which debuted during last week’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando, provides a solid solution to rising energy costs—concrete building products. Unlike most Florida homes, the 9,506-square-foot TNAH boasts two-story-high insulated concrete masonry exterior walls. Normally, builders in Florida construct homes with a first-story masonry system and use standard wood framing for subsequent floors. The wall system used for TNAH effectively stops moisture penetration and allows the builder to construct a super-insulated house just by using a thicker insulation panel. The show home is expected to receive an Energy Star rating and use 61% less energy for heating and cooling than a typical Florida home.

Many of the home’s unique design features are also constructed with concrete. Three decorative fireplace mantels are precast concrete. The kitchen focal point, a decorative vent hood, is “cultured stone,” a concrete product. Tinted concrete pavers form the patio and retaining walls. The exterior of the home is finished with an acrylic texture with a portland cement base coat.

PCA and the Florida Concrete and Products Association played a major role in the official showcase house of the annual International Builders’ Show, coordinating product donations and providing technical expertise. PCA and FCPA join the National Council of the Housing Industry, a division of the National Association of Home Builders, in sponsoring TNAH.

For more information, please visit both the PCA newsroom and www.tnah.com.

Concrete "Covers" the 2006 International Builders' Show

PCA was very active at the 2006 International Builders’ Show (IBS), held in Orlando January 11–14. The PCA booth anchored the Concrete Pavilion and featured presentations on masonry, precast, removable forms, exteriors, insulated concrete forms and decorative concrete. In addition, PCA staff and representatives from the regional promotional groups were available to answer attendee questions regarding cement and concrete construction and to promote PCA as a resource to builders seeking information.

At 12,550 square feet, the 2006 PCA Concrete Pavilion was the largest to date. Thirty-five companies exhibited their wares and/or services. Some gave demonstrations in their respective booths, while others conducted contests or giveaways.

Several PCA staff members also offered educational seminars. On January 11, Michelle Wilson presented “Diagnosing What Went Wrong and Why: Concrete Troubleshooting” to more than 170 meeting attendees. The seminar addressed real-life problems caused by inadequacies in design, construction, and maintenance practices. Jamie Farny provided builders with information on portland cement plaster applications, benefits, and basic construction practices during a seminar on January 12 titled “A Hard System to Beat: Portland Cement Stucco.” On January 14, Mike Mota was part of the panel presentation “Mixed Use—The Commercial Side.” Mota presented concrete's advantages, focusing on the versatility of different types of concrete wall and floor systems to achieve economical mixed-use development.

Ed Sullivan, PCA chief economist, presented his 2006 residential cement outlook at a press conference on January 12. According to his report, cement consumption for 2005 single-family construction is expected to reach nearly 31 million metric tons—a new record and accounting for more than 26% of the total portland cement consumption.

A less favorable homebuilder market during the next two years is expected as mortgage rates rise and single-family starts decline. PCA projects single-family cement consumption will decline roughly 5% in 2006 and 7% in 2007. However, overall cement consumption for 2006 is expected to increase 3.7%, as declines in the residential sector are offset by an increase in commercial and public construction.

Media in attendance at the press conference included representatives from the Wall Street Journal, Architecture, Builder, and Professional Builder.

PCA staff is also well represented within the organization. Stephen Szoke was appointed as a liaison between NAHB's Concrete Home Building Council and its Construction, Codes, and Standards Committee. Michael Weber was elected by the membership of the National Council of the Housing Industry (NCHI) to serve as their Board Trustee. The New American Home, which serves as the official showcase house of the annual International Builders’ Show, is spearheaded by NCHI. The 2007 New American Home will be the fourth consecutive concrete home since PCA's initial concrete home partnership with NCHI in 1994

We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You

Every year, executive directors of the regional shipper groups and PCA member employees lend a hand at the PCA Builders’ Show booth. With their assistance, we’re able to handle inquiries from around the country. Many times, these contacts form into working relationships that can help the industry on a local, regional and national level. These volunteers are invaluable to us, and we’d like to extend a big “Thank You” to all those who helped this year.

Residential Concrete Has “Mega” Impact on World of Concrete

World of Concrete’s Mega Demos provide attendees with an opportunity to experience live, hands-on demonstrations showing new technology in concrete construction. You can see it, feel it, and talk with the presenters. This year’s Mega Demos, "At Home With Concrete," focused on something the venerable trade show had never offered before: systems for building concrete homes and residential concrete applications. The event provided a unique opportunity to see all the major concrete wall building systems demonstrated side by side.

With residential concrete construction grabbing more market share each year, the Mega Demos could not have been more opportune for interested attendees. Co-sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Concrete Home Building Council (CHBC), Residential Concrete magazine, and Concrete Construction magazine, the event highlighted several above-grade wall systems for concrete homes as well as slab-on-grade foundations using post-tensioning reinforcement and pervious pavement.

During two days of the show, more than 4,000 attendees gathered in the Mega Demos area outside the Las Vegas Convention Center to learn more about how the following technologies can enhance their portfolio. Participating companies included:

Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) Walls—Insulating Concrete Form Association (ICFA), American Polysteel, Degussa Admixtures, Eco-Block, Portland Cement Association (PCA), Quad-Lock, and Reward Wall Systems

Masonry Walls—Arizona Masonry Guild, the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA), and Superlite Block (an Oldcastle Company)

Pervious Pavement—National Ready Mix Association (NRMCA), Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Degussa Admixtures, and Bunyan Industries

Removable Form Walls—Concrete Foundations Association (CFA), Concrete Homes Council (CHC), Composite Technologies, Degussa Admixtures, Dow Chemical, Durand Forms, Master Paint, Schwing America, Scott Systems, and Wall-Ties and Form

Precast Walls—PCA and Precast Technologies of Nevada

Post-Tensioned Foundations—Evaluation and Certification Services, Suncoast Post-Tension, Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT), Precision Surelock, Western Forms, Ironworkers Local 416

Tilt-Up Walls—Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA), JD Construction, Scott Systems, Composite Technologies, Meadow Burke, Dayton Superior, and Degussa Admixtures

Thanks to the CHBC for this article.

Red Cross to Host Wind Mitigation Seminar

Both homeowners and the home building community are increasingly interested in stronger, more durable alternatives to traditional construction. This informative seminar titled “Raising the Bar for Construction Safety Standards: Mitigating Wind Damage” will discuss various techniques and materials to increase disaster resistance in new home construction. Representatives from FEMA, the insurance industry, the cement and concrete industries and other organizations will be on hand to discuss the recent trend towards stronger codes and higher construction standards in hazard areas.

The American Red Cross of Chicago will host the free seminar at the Rauner Center on Thursday, March 9th from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The complimentary lunch includes a presentation by Charles Vance, Fortified Program Manager for the Institute for Business & Home Safety. Attendees can earn professional development and continuing education hours.

For additional information or to register, please contact the Red Cross at (312) 729-6100.

The seminar is sponsored by the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, FEMA, Institute for Business & Home Safety, Portland Cement Association, Precast / Prestressed Concrete Institute, Simpson Strong-Tie, Dukane Precast, Inc. and Prestress Engineering Corp.

IRS Releases Final Form for Energy Tax Credit

The United States Internal Revenue Service recently released Form 8908 to assist contractors who qualify for energy efficient tax credits. Late last year, President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, giving a $2,000 tax credit (per house) to contractors who build a 50% more energy efficient home based on the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code plus supplements. This energy efficiency credit stipulates that 1/5 of the energy saved must come from improvements in the envelope system, which concrete homebuilding systems can provide. To download and view IRS Form 8908, please click here.

Additionally, the Residential Energy Services Network, the association representing energy raters nationwide, has released guidelines for qualifying for residential tax credits. Please click the following links to view RESNET procedures for certifying residential energy efficiency tax credits for new homes at http://www.natresnet.org/standards/tax_credits/default.htm and their nationwide list of certified raters at http://www.natresnet.org/directory/default.htm.

Minnesota Provides Unprecedented Access to Concrete Homes

A first-of-its-kind concrete open house is being planned to coincide with Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota. The event, slated for April 22-23, 2006 will highlight and promote insulated concrete form (ICF) construction across the state and will showcase existing homes as well as those under construction.

The Aggregate and Ready Mix Association of Minnesota is the sponsor and coordinator for the Statewide Concrete Homes Open House. The event will run Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Concrete homes featured will include:

• New homes
• Homes completed within the last few years
• Homes under construction
• Homes available for drive-by viewing
• Demonstrations at ready mix sites

For more information about the homes in the Statewide Open House, please visit www.chooseconcretehomes.com.

Cheng Bestows Concrete Countertop Awards

Cheng Concrete Exchange announced the winners of its second annual Members’ Circle of Distinction Design Challenge at the World of Concrete 2006 (WOC) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The industry's only concrete countertop design competition received 93 submissions, resulting in a total of seven Best category winners, two Merit Awards and eleven Honorable Mention recipients. The contest was only open to the approximately 250 members of Cheng Concrete Exchange, an online resource and directory providing building professionals, designers, homeowners and do-it-yourselfers with training, design ideas, business opportunities, and a full line of concrete countertop products.

"Fu-Tung really opened my eyes to just how expressive concrete can be in addition to its functionality. So to be recognized, [and] honored by him in this way, is both thrilling and humbling. Now all I've got to do is keep up the good work!” said Mack Perry of PerryWorks, a member and Circle of Distinction award recipient for Best of Show.

“I am so proud of the Concrete Exchange members who submitted their entries in the competition. They collectively raised the standard of sophistication and craftsmanship on what is being produced in this growing industry,” said Cheng. “Our members’ innovations will create a movement—not a trend—toward increasing the appreciation of good design and craftsmanship. Kudos to the winners and those who entered…the decisions were especially difficult to make this year!”

The reception for the design awards, held at Cheng Concrete Exchange’s WOC booth, was filled with anticipation. Members from all over North America were in attendance, and many Circle of Distinction award winners were on hand to personally accept their award from Cheng.

Entries are evaluated on exceptional design, technical skill, and overall aesthetic appeal. The design challenge does not require a fee, but does require membership in Cheng Concrete Exchange.

Award categories/winners included:

Best of Show
Mack Perry, PerryWorks, Chicago, IL

Best Kitchen Countertop
Christian Lincoln, Counter Culture Concrete, Willow, NY

Best Bathroom Countertop
Chris Becker, South St. Paul, MN

Best Integral Sink
Andrew Simon & James McGuire, Lokahi Stone, Honolulu, HI

Best Decorative Finish
Ian Wyndlow, Liquid Stone Studios, Ladysmith, BC, Canada

Best Functional Feature
Carol Miller, Sonoita Concrete Design, Sonoita, AZ

Best 3-Dimensional Application
Betsy Vork-Howell, Wabi Sabi Concrete, Excelsior, MN

Merit Award
Gregg McCallum, Impressive Concrete Surfaces, Charlevoix, MI
Guy Chomistek, Rafter C Precast Concrete, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Honorable Mention
Mike Moncrieff, New Edge Design, Lynden, WA (3)
Jeff Grzywinski, Form Concrete Design, Vail, CO (2)
Jack Cooper, Cooper’s Custom Surfaces, Cardiff by the Sea, CA
Preston Addison, Karma Dog Construction, Cloverdale, CA
Tyler Oosterhouse, Bay House Design, Traverse City, MI
Karen Smith, Countercast Designs, Surrey, BC, Canada
Dale Blayone, Concrete Cuisine, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Brian Brown, Soul Focus Stone, Mendocino, CA

Upcoming Events

NAHB’s Green Building Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque, NM, March 12–14. More

CHBC’s Insulating Concrete Forms Course at the Builders’ Association of the Twin Cities in Roseville, MN, March 15th. More

CHBC’s Insulating Concrete Forms Course at Mahoney State Park in Lincoln, NE, March 20th. More

PCA’s Professional Promoters Workshop at the Sheraton City Center in St. Louis, MO, April 10–12. More

CHBC’s Cast-in-Place Concrete Foundations Course at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indianapolis, IN, April 21st. More

ICFA’s Spring Meeting at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, VA, April 24–26. More

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