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March/April 2008

• International Builders' Show 2008: A Look Back
• PCA Thankful for Industry Volunteers
• Residential Concrete Names Five Concrete Home Building Industry Influencers
• PCA Hires New Residential Staffer
• PCA Launches Sustainable Leadership Awards
• CHBC's Concrete Technology Tour Races to Charlotte in 2008
• Upcoming Events
• Tools of Our Trade
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International Builders' Show 2008: A Look Back

Every year, PCA’s exposure at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) seems to grow a little more. The 2008 show certainly continued the trend.

For the past five years, The New American Home® (TNAH) has been certified through the ENERGY STAR® program. Each of these homes has featured concrete wall systems, one of the most energy-efficient building envelopes available.

This year’s home, which debuted at last month’s Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla., is no exception. It utilizes a relatively new concrete system and some of the most trusted concrete technology. The exterior structural walls were built with a combination of lightweight autoclaved aerated concrete blocks (AAC), and traditional poured-in-place concrete.

These concrete wall systems helped reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling by about 62% compared to a house of similar size in the same climate. That level far exceeds the ENERGY STAR requirement of being at least 15% more energy efficient than a typical home. ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, designed to save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

Concrete systems and products give the home other benefits as well. More than 500 cubic yards of poured concrete create a 6,725-square-foot house that is resistant to termites, fires, wind, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters. Together, concrete and other “green” building products make the 2008 New American Home the first home certified by the National Home Builders Association’s National Green Building Program.

Especially important for this home is concrete’s excellent soundproofing qualities; it’s located near the Orlando International Airport. In addition to providing comfort, concrete products contributed to the home’s beauty. The family room fireplace is built from concrete veneer bricks. The home is topped with concrete roof tiles and finished with a cement-based system.

For the 20th year, PCA organized and coordinated the Concrete Pavilion, an area for residential concrete products. Attendance was 92,000 according to NAHB, though many exhibitors felt it was even lower. Even though attendance was off from a total of 103,000 in 2007, many Pavilion Partners said the quality of attendees was higher. One Partner explained, “Instead of a company sending 4 or 5 people, the only person attending the show [this year] is the owner. And that person is here to evaluate products and make decisions.”

In 2008, 32 organizations joined PCA in the Concrete Pavilion, which grew to a record 13,630 square feet. By combining cement- and concrete-related exhibits in one area, the Pavilion helps raise concrete's profile at a show where it's easy to get lost among the high-end, flash-and-dash of consumer-oriented home product suppliers.

PCA's booth serves as a gateway to the Pavilion. This year’s exhibit featured a touch-screen demonstration of energy savings from concrete homes in any part of the country, a display demonstrating pervious concrete’s benefits for stormwater management and a concrete countertop provided by the Concrete Countertop Institute.

Though PCA left big impressions with The New American Home and the Concrete Pavilion, the personal appearances made by PCA staff may ultimately have the biggest impact.

Ed Sullivan, PCA chief economist, presented his long-range residential cement outlook at a press conference at the 2008 International Builders’ Show on February 13 in Orlando, Fla.

Sullivan does not expect residential construction to recover completely from the current slump until 2010, but he sees it as a cyclical situation. Sullivan predicts that population growth and the importance of “green” building will increase consumption steadily through 2030.

Media attending the press conference included representatives from the Wall Street Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Engineering News-Record, and Builder magazine. In addition, Sullivan appeared on WKMG-TV (CBS, Orlando) discussing the unique challenges of the Florida market.

PCA's Michelle Wilson and Donn Thompson presented technical seminars covering residential concrete. Wilson’s presentation, “Concrete Mix Design & Troubleshooting,” drew approximately 30 attendees, while Thompson’s audience for “Introduction to ICFs” totaled 60 people.

Darlene F. Williams, Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary, toured the Concrete Pavilion with Mike Collignon on February 14. Her office is responsible for PATH, the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing. They spent about 15-20 minutes discussing some of the cutting-edge technologies in today’s concrete home market.

On February 17, Mike Collignon made an appearance on the live radio program, At Home with Gary Sullivan. They discussed the benefits of concrete home construction, with an emphasis on insulating concrete forms (ICFs). The show airs in more than 120 markets, including Cleveland, Nashville, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Tampa. It also airs on XM satellite radio.

Finally, PCA sponsored a reception for the National Association of Real Estate Editors, a group that includes most of the media covering the show. More than 60 editors attended the reception.

PCA Thankful for Industry Volunteers

Every year, executive directors of the regional shipper groups, PCA member employees and state association 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 local, regional and national levels. These volunteers are invaluable to us, and we’d like to extend a big “Thank You” to all those who helped this year. We couldn’t have done it without you!

At its booth, PCA distributed a handout listing residential contacts for every state, province and region to approximately 100 show attendees.

Residential Concrete Names Five Concrete Home Building Industry Influencers

In a recent issue of Residential Concrete, writer Joe Nasvik bestowed honors on five people whose efforts have significantly improved residential consumer education and increased the use of concrete.

Brent Anderson: ICFs and Concrete Homes

For more than 30 years, Brent Anderson has helped shape the residential concrete market, having perhaps engineered the steel requirements for more concrete homes than anyone else. Anderson began his career in the earth shelter movement of the 1970s and 1980s. He draws on his experience in design, consulting engineering and structural concrete repair as a seminar leader for organizations such as ACI, WOC, CFA, ICFA, NCMA, and local, state and national building code official meetings. While currently serving as a consulting engineer through his company, Global Specialty Group, he also works hard to promote the idea that standards and codes should provide realistic requirements for walls to prevent overbuilding and wasting materials.

Kate Driscoll: National Marketing and Planning

Kate Driscoll is the senior program manager of the Concrete Home Building Council (CHBC) of the NAHB. Using marketing development and strategic planning, she has worked to develop the CHBC brand and promoted training programs encouraging builders to use all sorts of concrete systems in home building. Through her efforts, the following goals have been established for the CHBC in 2008:

• Increase council membership by 20%
• Add two new courses to the ten existing educational programs
• Offer a luncheon at the 2008 International Builder’s Show
• Support two booths at World of Concrete
• Offer educational programs at NAHB’s Green Building Conference in New Orleans
• Send a monthly newsletter to 400 people, sharing the benefits of concrete

Curt Fields: Disaster Safety

Curt Fields might be the only person who wishes a hurricane would hit Mississippi and the Carolinas, to prove that the elevated concrete homes he has built can withstand 250-mph winds and 150-mph debris impact. Starting out as a concrete foundations contractor, Fields began building with removable concrete forms six years ago. Fields believes in the soundness of a concrete home, and his company works to provide houses for any market. His concrete houses range in size from 1800 to 12,000 square feet.

Fields predicts the market for concrete home construction will expand. Insurance companies are dropping rates for fire- and storm-resistant homes in hurricane-ridden states. More people want the R-93 values of his homes in light of rising energy costs. Fields also thinks mortgage rates for concrete homes will begin to drop because of their longevity; his homes are built to last at least 300 years.

Martha VanGeem: Research for Sustainable Structures

Martha VanGeem is a principal engineer at CTLGroup in Skokie, Ill., where she has worked for more than 25 years. Focusing her research on the areas of thermal mass, thermal conductivity and moisture movement through materials, she has perhaps done more research on concrete performance in these areas than anyone else. VanGeem’s research benefits concrete home building systems as she helps reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool homes and manage the moisture vapor transmission in buildings. VanGeem is a professional engineer (IL), LEED Accredited Professional, and is active in ASHRAE, NAHB’s National Green Building Standard Resource Subcommittee, ASTM, ACI, and the Green Building Initiative’s Green Building Standards-Energy and Resources Subcommittee.

Dick Wehrli and Brian Bock: Building and Marketing Precast Concrete Homes

Dick Wehrli of Dukane Precast has been in the concrete industry for 50 years and has no plans to retire. Wehrli believes in a huge potential U.S. market for concrete housing, especially multi-unit housing, and he wants to be around to watch his state-of-the-art precast company grow and thrive. Dukane’s unique plant is designed around the carousel system and produces concrete and foam panels fitted with electrical and radiant floor heating tubes. Wehrli’s panels use 40% recycled materials and come out of the plant ready to paint – no drywall required.

Working with Dick to market Dukane’s “double wall” precast concrete single and multiple homes is Brian Bock, one of the best marketing people in the concrete industry. Bock has had the unique experience of marketing the benefits of concrete to both consumers and architects while working for PCA and ACI. Teaming with such local and national organizations, Bock gets mass media coverage and organizes presentations to get the word out to consumers, builders, architects and engineers.

Thanks to Residential Concrete magazine for this article.

PCA Hires New Residential Staffer

Lindsey Kuhn has joined the PCA Residential Department in the role of Promotion Coordinator. Lindsey will, among other duties, assist residential staff in managing PCA’s presence at trade shows, produce the electronic newsletter, revise the residential website, produce and revise publications and represent PCA at meetings and through presentations. Lindsey’s hiring brings the residential department back to full strength for the first time since August 2007.

Lindsey’s previous position was with Ozinga Ready Mix in Mokena, Ill., where she was involved in marketing, public relations and interdepartmental education for their decorative concrete division. Lindsey is a graduate of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Ill.

PCA Launches Sustainable Leadership Awards

At a press conference held on Tuesday, January 22, at the World of Concrete, PCA president and CEO Brian McCarthy announced an initiative to recognize public officials who take the lead in "green" building.

The annual Sustainable Leadership Awards will honor government leaders who advance sustainable development in their communities through the use of concrete and cement-based products.

"There are few, if any, construction materials that offer concrete's wide range of sustainable and environmental benefits," said McCarthy. "This award will recognize government officials who share our passion for green construction and recognize concrete’s unrivaled benefits in terms of energy efficiency, durability, and ability to be recycled."

Four categories will be recognized. The Leadership in Sustainability Policy Award honors public officials who advance policies that promote the concept of sustainable development by advocating for and promoting the use of concrete and cement-based products in their communities.

Additionally, three award categories honor specific projects in three areas: Homes and Residential Building, Non-Residential Building and Infrastructure. These Awards honor public officials who utilize cement or cement-based products to achieve sustainable benefits for projects in each of these categories.

For more information and to access the nomination form, please click here.

CHBC’s Concrete Technology Tour Races to Charlotte in 2008

Learn about the variety of ways you can use concrete to help your homes stand out from the crowd and help your business grow. The tour, open to builders, realtors, architects and developers, will take place June 1 –3, 2008, in Charlotte, N.C.

Understand the differences in production and building trends, develop a working knowledge of all types of cement-based materials, implement the current trends into your own business and network with industry professionals. This behind the scenes event features tours of cement-based manufacturing facilities and demonstrations with various building materials. You’ll also enjoy the numerous networking opportunities with industry professionals through our welcome reception, annual golf tournament, and banquet dinner.

For more information, please click here.

Thanks to the CHBC for this article.

Upcoming Events

• Better Buildings, Better Business Conference, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, March 6-7, 2008 More
  
• Intensive Precast Concrete Countertops and Sinks, Raleigh, North Carolina, March 10-14, 2008 More
  
• Midwest Builders' Show, Rosemont, Illinois, March 12-13, 2008 More
  
• Fox Blocks Installation Training Course, Omaha, Nebraska, March 14, 2008 More
  
• "Getting Started in the Field of Decorative Concrete" workshop, Temple, Georgia, March 18-21, 2008 More
  
• Decorative Concrete Expo, Scottsdale, Arizona, April 4-5, 2008 More
  
• Decorative Concrete Seminar & Demo, Shawnee, Kansas, April 10, 2008 More
  
• Intensive Precast Concrete Countertops and Sinks, Raleigh, North Carolina, April 14-18, 2008 More
  
• Tile Roofing Institute's Spring Forum, Dana Point, California, April 22-23, 2008 More

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