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Concrete Homes Newsletter
Concrete Home > Concrete
Homes Newsletter > 2010 > January/February
January/February 2010
Proven Performance of Concrete Home Building on Display at the 2010 International Builders' Show
The Portland Cement Association (PCA) presents, for the 22nd consecutive year, the Concrete Pavilion at the 2010 International Builders' Show (IBS). The Concrete Pavilion proudly offers a one-stop opportunity for visitors to learn more about innovative concrete homebuilding solutions offered by industry partners. Attendees can see how smart homebuilders stand out from their peers by choosing concrete to achieve profitable, high performance construction, while offering real value to their customers.
PCA’s Booth (N2431) will feature interactive exhibits showcasing concrete’s sustainable benefits. Builders can learn how concrete stays cooler than asphalt; how concrete roof tiles reduced air conditioning loads; how permeable and pervious concrete pavements drain stormwater; and how prefinished concrete masonry can simplify wall assembly. An easy-to-use computer kiosk will demonstrate the monthly energy savings of concrete systems compared to conventional frame.
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Thirteen additional exhibit spaces will feature a variety of concrete homebuilding products. These additional companies include: Acme Brick, Boral Brick, General Shale, Hambro, the Insulating Concrete Form Association, Logix, Lone Star Stone, Pavestone, Quikcrete, Thermomass, Versa-Lok, Wall-Ties & Forms, Western Forms. Over 5,000 square feet of displays and information on forming systems for walls, for floors, decorative concrete systems, pavers, masonry, and manufactured stone, will all be within easy access from the PCA booth. Builders can check out many quality products that can simplify coordination, improve energy efficiency and quality, save construction time and boost their bottom line.
Concrete Habitat for Humanity Home Earns Highest Sustainable Construction Honor
Salt River Materials Group and Phoenix-area contractors and suppliers partnered to demonstrate “green” building technologies in the first concrete Habitat for Humanity® home in central Arizona.
Completed a few weeks ago, the home is constructed with above-grade concrete walls, conditioned attic space, and energy-efficient windows and HVAC equipment. These elements combined to allow the home to reach the coveted “Net Zero” energy designation. Exceeding Energy Star® certification, the project also received LEED® for Homes Platinum status with a score of 114 that well exceeded the required 80 points for this prestigious honor.
The home's walls are constructed with a HercuWall™ system of EPS foam and reinforced concrete that provides an energy-efficient, thermal building envelope that earned a final HERS Index Score of -4. Depending on the family’s usage, they could actually put energy back out on the grid.
The house has a specially designed roof system of concrete roofing tiles with a solar reflectance index of 99 combined with a building integrated photovoltaic solar roof system. Additional concrete elements include a pervious concrete driveway, concrete countertops, and integral color concrete floors. Fly ash and recycled aggregate were used extensively throughout the project.
Selected from more than 200 entries, the home appeared
on the U.S. Green Building Council's "Contemporary Desert Living"
tour, which showcases sustainable homes that embrace the region's
culture.
Village of Burns Harbor named 1st Green Neighborhood
The Village of Burns Harbor in Northwest Indiana has earned the honors of 1st Green Neighborhood from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). By using sustainable concrete products, the development was able to achieve a 3-star certification from the NAHB Research Center.
Burns Harbor utilizes homes built with insulated
concrete forms (ICFs), as well as pervious concrete paving.
The first ICF home was begun in May of 2009. The home, in
progress, was featured in this year’s “Green Homes on
Parade” as an educational tool. Local contractors, press,
municipal officials, and the general public came to tour and learn
about the sustainable features of ICF homes. The project is
anticipated to receive the Gold Rating through the NAHB National
Green Building Program.
Pervious concrete is being integrated into the community to help control local stormwater runoff, preventing flooding local streams and Lake Michigan. A local environmental sustainability organization, Save the Dunes, is supporting the efforts of the Village of Burns Harbor.
Powerful Pavements for High-Tech Townhomes
A lot of thought went into designing and building Hyacinth Place, 11 affordable, eco-friendly, transit-oriented townhomes in Highland Park, Illinois. A small project with a large scope, these homes earned a LEED Gold rating through energy efficient design and fixtures, geothermal heating and cooling, and eco-friendly interior finishes for cabinets and flooring. Outside, 2 cement-based materials for exterior finishes contributed to the LEED rating through the use of traditional and cutting edge technology.
The vertical. Some wall surfaces are clad with fiber-cement siding. These finishes have a long history of use for residential exteriors, providing low maintenance with long term durability. Panels with a wood siding look, like those used at Hyacinth Place, have been a common profile. And some manufacturers of fiber-cement panels are introducing new finishes to expand design options for both residential and commercial applications. [See related story in The Finishing Touch].
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The horizontal. The courtyards at Hyacinth Place combine 2 technologies for cutting edge performance: permeable pavements made with pollution-reducing paving stones. The stones themselves incorporate photocatalytic cement. These cements contain catalysts that use sunlight to break down air pollution, converting it to non-toxic substances. While this is beneficial for the air, it also keeps the pavement cleaner. The result is a surface that is aesthetically more pleasing, does not need to be cleaned (reducing chemicals in the environment), and is lighter colored (cleaner) for increased reflectivity, thereby helping to mitigate heat island effect. Click here to learn more on the reflectivity of cement.
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In addition, these stones are laid as a permeable
pavement, which helps to reduce surface runoff and water pollution.
Water is allowed to percolate into the soil, recharging ground water,
and as it does so, pollutants are filtered out. Designers went one
step further and added some native plants for landscaping, resulting
in an attractive outdoor space that is ecologically friendly and
technologically advanced. More.
Green Alums Help St. Anne’s Belfield
School
St. Anne’s Belfield School in Charlottesville,
Virginia is benefitting from some of its alums who are now in the
construction industry. They are giving back to their alma mater
through their knowledge of building systems for safe, comfortable,
energy efficient, and overall “green” construction.
From insulating concrete forms (ICFs) to the pervious parking lot,
concrete is integral to the project.
Following the lead of several neighboring states like Kentucky,
West Virginia, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania, St. Anne’s is
the first school in Virginia to combine geothermal heating and cooling
with ICFs to achieve high energy efficiency. From its start in early
2009, the entire project will take about 18 months, including construction
of the geothermal system, a 4-story building, and a parking lot.
LEED Gold certification is being pursued, and concrete is contributing
in many ways. The heart of the project is the 105,000 square foot
ICF structure. ICF walls are helping to contribute to about 20 points
in the LEED rating system: the concrete mix has recycled content
and regional materials and the ICF block itself has 65% recycled
material in it. Concrete also helps contribute toward points for
indoor air quality, reduced noise, thermal comfort, low air infiltration,
safety (disaster resistance), and a green roof for some of the structure.
Another potential LEED point contributor is education: students
will be narrators in a video to teach occupants about geothermal
and ICF systems, the safety associated with concrete buildings,
and pervious concrete benefits.
Promotion of pervious concrete pavement by Virginia Ready Mixed
Concrete Association is starting to catch on. St. Anne’s parking
lot will be about 1 acre of pervious concrete with environmental
benefits such as recharging ground water and reducing heat island
effect.
St. Anne’s is a private school serving students from pre-kindergarten
through the 12th grades. Total enrollment is approximately 820 students.
Those involved with the project estimate that the payback for any
premiums associated with St. Anne’s will be at most 3 to 5
years as a result of superior energy efficiency.
Free Registration for World of Concrete!
Get Free Admission to World of Concrete 2010
Exhibits: February 2-5, 2010
Seminars: February 1-5, 2010
Once again, PCA offers free registration and a discount on seminars to the World of Concrete in Las Vegas, Nev. You can save as much as $65 on exhibit hall entry fees and $30 on each course you sign up for. Register now.
American Concrete Institute’s Residential Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary
ACI 332, the Residential Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, is open for public review until January 17. This standard covers the design and construction of cast-in-place concrete one- and two-family dwellings and multiple single-family dwellings (townhouses), and their accessory structures. Draft standards processed through ACI's ANSI-approved standardization procedures are made available to public review for a 45-day discussion period. (ANSI is the American National Standards Institute.)
Among the subjects covered are the design and construction requirements for plain and reinforced concrete footings, foundation walls, and slabs-on-ground, and requirements for concrete, reinforcement, forms, and other related materials.
Comments should be emailed to discussion@concrete.org or mailed to Jessie L. Bournay, Manager, Technical Documents, American Concrete Institute, 38800 Country Club Drive, Farmington Hills, MI 48331. After the originating committee responds, comments and responses will be posted for 90 days.
Since its beginning in 1904, ACI’s mission has been to develop, share, and disseminate the knowledge and information needed to utilize concrete to its fullest potential.
PCA to Exhibit at Icon Expo
Icon Expo is the leading global masonry products annual exhibition and convention. In 2010, it will take place in San Antonio on March 19 and 20. Events include:
- Educational programs
- Product demonstrations
- Networking opportunities and social events
- Global exhibitors with latest products, services, and technology
- Recognition of industry leaders
New this year is Green Scene, along with several pavilions:
- Product Trends Pavilion
- Demo Pavilion
- Networking Pavilion
PCA will again attend the show in support of concrete, concrete masonry, and related products, residing at Booth 569 in the exhibit area. To access the full schedule of events, including exhibitor, educational sessions, and hotel information, please Click Here.
The Finishing Touch
Concrete and other cement-based materials have long been used decoratively. Since these materials are so durable and versatile, new products and techniques are introduced frequently.
In this new column on decorative concrete, we highlight products for residential and commercial uses, though appearance here does not necessarily imply PCA endorsement. Where proprietary materials or systems are described, there may be more than one manufacturer, and readers are encouraged to do their own research to locate other similar products.
On a final note, it’s become nearly impossible to say anything about any building materials without talking about sustainability. Where we can help you understand how these products fit with LEED or other rating systems, we’ll include that as well. Welcome to The Finishing Touch!
New Panelized Finishes for Commercial and Multi-Family Applications
Last year, James Hardie® Commercial introduced two panel products: Hardie Reveal Panel and Artisan® Matrix™ Panel. The look of these siding products is different: they provide upscale architectural results that commercial building owners often seek, like smooth surfaces and flat-wall expressed seams. Initial focus is geared toward multi-family developers, property managers, and builders in major metro areas.
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Products like fiber-cement panel, plank, shingle, trim and soffit bring a range of features and benefits to light commercial architecture, including expanded design flexibility, a wide variety of color combinations, visual appeal, and easy installation, all based on decades of overseas experience serving commercial, multifamily, and institutional customers.
While architects and builders have used Hardie siding products on commercial projects for years, some new support services are designed specifically for commercial and multi-family architects and builders—dedicated, on-site installation specialists, detailed installation instructions, and CAD details and specifications.
Of course these products offer the same durability, low-maintenance, and non-combustibility aspects of traditional fiber-cement panels. Characteristics that may contribute toward points in LEED and other green building programs are durability, raw materials sourced within 500 miles of plants, and products that contain recycled content.
Artisan Matrix Panel is available only in California, Washington and Oregon, while Hardie Reveal Panel is available nationally. For more information about James Hardie Commercial support services and products, visit www.jameshardiecommercial.com.
About James Hardie:
James Hardie Building Products (NYSE: JHX) has been manufacturing cement-based building products for more than 100 years. It introduced fiber-cement products to the U.S. in the early 1990s as a durable, low-maintenance alternative to wood and vinyl.
Ask The Expert
Q: Can pervious concrete pavement replace
traditional storm water collection systems?
A: In larger scale applications,
the rainwater diversion, collection, and temporary storage capabilities
of pervious concrete pavements can often supplement, or even eliminate,
traditional means of stormwater management. Many subdivisions have
been successfully designed with pervious concrete streets in place
of long lengths of drainage piping and land grabbing detention ponds,
reducing environmental impacts.
As an example, the city of Shoreview, Minn. was faced with the need
to replace deteriorating asphalt streets within a subdivision bordering
Lake Owasso. There were signs that stormwater runoff from existing
pavement was contaminating the lake water, so city officials investigated
three options to better manage and treat stormwater.
One option involved repaving with asphalt, and installing
catch basins and underground piping leading to a treatment tank,
which would remove contaminants prior to allowing discharge into
the lake. A second option, also with asphalt paving, would require
catch basins connected to perforated piping to allow the runoff
to infiltrate into the surrounding sandy soils. Although this was
the least expensive option, providing adequate 10-year storm storage
capacity would require more land area than was available.
The third option, which the city selected, was pervious
concrete with a rock storage layer. At only a 10% premium compared
to traditional methods with asphalt, stormwater could freely drain
through the pavement layer to be temporarily stored in the underlying
gravel. The existing sandy soils were ideal for infiltration, and
all discharge to the lake was eliminated. As an added benefit, site
excavation was reduced, lessening potential damage to the root structure
of many well established shade trees in the neighborhood.
For more information on pervious concrete pavements,
search “pervious concrete” on the PCA website, www.cement.org.
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association site, www.nrmca.org
can also provide more information on this long lasting, cost effective,
and more environmentally responsible stormwater management technique.
Share your own Concrete Homes technical questions by forwarding them in an email to: concretehomes@cement.org. We will respond by email and may even publish your question in our next Concrete Homes Newsletter.
Upcoming Events
Tools of our Trade
Pervious Concrete: Hydrological Design and Resources
A timely update to the useful reference tool on pervious concrete. Filled with technical and promotional resources materials addressing specifying, proportioning, production, and placement of pervious concrete. The CD also contains an analysis tool on hydrological design. The hydrological analysis program is intended solely to illustrate the behavior of pervious concrete systems in relatively simple situations.
For more information, click here.
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