SALEM, Ore. – As part of its ongoing commitment to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of cement and concrete to sustainable building solutions, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) honored Dennis Kilfoil, executive director, Marion County Housing Authority (MCHA), with a 2008 PCA Sustainable Leadership Award. Mr. Kilfoil was presented with the award at a joint meeting of the Association of Washington Housing Authorities (AWHA) and Oregon Housing Authorities (OHA). The PCA Sustainable Leadership Awards honor innovative public officials who utilize cement or cement based products to achieve sustainable benefits.

PCA recognized winners in eight cities across the nation who have enacted policies or completed projects that promote sustainable development through the use of concrete and other cement-based products.

PCA recognized Mr. Kilfoil for his use of insulating concrete forms (ICFs) in the construction of Hazelwood Estates a 32-unit senior residential community. ICFs are lightweight forms or molds for concrete made with high-density polystyrene insulation. These large, hollow blocks are shipped to the construction site where they are stacked together to form walls and then filled with reinforcing steel bar and concrete. The end-result is a high-performance wall that is structurally sound and is ready to accept final exterior and interior finishing.

During a time when most affordable senior housing and assisted care facilities meet only minimum building code requirements in order to control costs, the MCHA considered long-term, operation and maintenance costs, and consequently selected building materials that were the most sustainable.

Although Woodburn, where Hazelwood Estates are located, is surrounded by acres and acres of farmland in a moderate climate, energy efficiency is still a major consideration. Because of the mass of concrete, the passage of heat or cool air moving through the walls is slowed. This means the temperatures within the walls of Hazelwood Estates will stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than traditional construction.

 “We don’t have the extreme heat like Texas or extreme cold like in New England,” said Kilfoil. “But the increasing cost of fuel is driving up energy prices and keeping utility costs low is critical for affordable housing projects like Hazelwood Estates.”

An unexpected benefit of ICF was realized in insurance costs. Kilfoil was surprised to find that ICF construction’s fire-resistant properties would save MCHA even more money. Compared to MCHA’s similar-sized properties, insurance for Hazelwood Estates was down significantly.

Tony McCauley, Lehigh Cement, and a member of PCA's residential committee, presented the Award to Mr. Kilfoil.

“MCHA not only considered the immediate benefits but they also considered the future, the likely long-term holding, operation and maintenance costs when planning Hazelwood Estates,” said McCauley, “MCHA builds projects meant to last 50 to 60 years and will own them in perpetuity. Consequently, ICF walls plus 50-year-rated fiber-cement siding will decrease MCHA’s maintenance costs over the long-term. Both products provide unrivaled durability—a hallmark of true sustainability.”

“Too many building projects focus on ‘cosmetic’ sustainability,” said John Arroyo, executive director of the Northwest Cement Promotion Group. “Projects like Hazelwood Estates are looking at building performance over the long-term and that’s what sustainable construction is all about.” Mr. Arroyo nominated Mr. Kilfoil.

To learn more about the Award and sustainable development benefits made possible by concrete, visit http://www.cement.org/newsroom/SLA_2008_Awards.asp.

About PCA
The Portland Cement Association, based in Skokie, Ill., represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs. Additional information is available at PCA’s Web site, www.cement.org.