ASHRAE Increases Minimum Required Roof and Wall Insulation Levels

Atlanta — For the first time in more than 19 years, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) announced an increase to the minimum required prescriptive R-value (resistance to heat flow) for roof and wall insulation levels in Standard 90.1 — the national model energy code for commercial buildings. The above-deck roof insulation requirements will increase by 33 percent from R-15 to R-20 in every climate zone in the U.S. Similar increases were approved for walls.

“ASHRAE is to be commended for establishing a new benchmark for building energy efficiency,” said Jared Blum, President of PIMA. “According to the Department of Energy commercial buildings and homes account for 40 percent of the energy consumed in the United States. The increased values establish a new national standard minimum against which all codes can be compared and pave the way for buildings with improved efficiency and decreased carbon footprint.”

The increased roof and wall insulation values apply to all commercial and high-rise residential buildings covered by Standard 90.1. These changes now become a part of the newest edition of the Standard — 90.1-2007. Visit www.ASHRAE.org for more information.

Sustainable Total Wall System

Midland, Mich. — Dow Building Solutions is introducing a new total wall system for commercial steel stud wall assemblies. Dow’s total wall system provides an all-in-one continuous insulation value, air-barrier protection and a flashing system. The company reports that as a result, the total wall system offers ease of design and installation because there are fewer products and they all work in tandem, therefore reducing the construction time needed to install the system — which is both cost and labor saving. The total wall system includes, THERMAX Exterior Insulated Sheathing, STYROFOAM Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) for walls, and WEATHERMATE Flashings.

Visit www.dowbuildingsolutions.com/architect

Environmental Benefits of Wall and Roof Panels Give Builders Greener Options

Glenview, Ill. — Insulated Metal Panels (IMP) lead in energy conservation, recyclables, and sustainability, according to the Metal Construction Association (MCA), an organization dedicated to expanding the use of metal in construction.

According to Scott Kriner, Technical Director for the Metal Construction Association, “Today’s architects and building designers continue to look for ways to reduce the carbon footprint of new commercial structures. The use of IMPs for the building envelope will make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to lower energy consumption, less solid waste stream, and efficient water usage.”

Proponents for IMPs cite the following benefits: the panels reduce jobsite waste, can be used for the entirety of an exterior wall or roof system, and they can be used for multi-component solutions. Additionally, they are reportedly effective in any climate, have high recyclable content, contribute to better HVAC performance, and may contribute to which Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits.

Visit www.metalconstruction.org for more information.

Three Major Trends Pushing Green Building to the Forefront of Industry

Raleigh, N.C. — According to FMI’s 2008 U.S. Construction Overview, construction industry stakeholders are increasingly recognizing green building capabilities as being a necessary part of a firm’s best practices and no longer a niche sector.

Three major trends are pushing green building to the forefront of the construction industry’s consciousness: 1) an unprecedented level of government initiatives; 2) heightened residential demand for green construction; and 3) improvements in sustainable materials.

“Green building will continue to grow. It is not a question of whether your firm should invest in understanding the green sustainable trend and how to produce sustainable projects, it’s how much should you invest and how fast,” said Rick Dutmer, consulting group manager for FMI. “Developing a strategy now to assess the capabilities of your firm, and create actions to take advantage of the sustainable opportunities is fundamental.”

Visit www.fminet.com for more information.

Impact Resistance in a Water-Resistive Barrier

Old Hickory, Tenn. — Typar StormWrap, combines the advantages of Typar HouseWrap with fiber-reinforcement for excellent impact resistance in a water-resistive barrier that also provides water holdout and tear strength, making it the ideal solution for extreme weather conditions, the company reports. Typar StormWrap is designed to stop the penetration of wind-borne objects, high wind pressure cycles and wind loading conditions. It is also designed for high-wind and extreme weather areas, meets the Miami-Dade and Florida Building Codes, and is backed by a 10-year limited warranty. Visit www.typar.com/stormwrap for more information.

New Energy Efficient, Impact Resistant Storefront

Monett, Mo. — EFCO’s Series 526 Thermal Impact Storefront is designed to accommodate 1-5/16-inch insulating glass units for enhanced U values, and incorporates the use of a polyurethane thermal barrier that enhances the frame’s CRF values, the company reports. Dry-glazed interior and exterior gaskets eliminates the usage of any structural silicone sealants, and provides enhanced thermal performance by ensuring a high-quality weather seal. Series 526 also utilizes screw-spline frame construction for decreased shop fabrication labor, allowing ladders to be built prior to installation, reducing field labor cost. In addition, the Series 526 meets large- and small-missile impact standards and can be used with a variety of EFCO entrance packages. Visit www.efcocorp.com for more information.

Georgia Theater Constructed with ICF Technology

Eatonville, Georgia — The new Spotlight Theater located near Eatonville, Georgia is a 30,000-square-foot, eight screen movie theater designed and constructed with Commercial Block insulated concrete forms (ICFs) and installed by National Wall Systems, Inc. ICF’s are insulated forms of poured concrete walls that stay in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly. The forms are made of high-density foam insulation and are pre-formed to be interlocking. They are connected with 24-gage metal connectors spaced at 8 inches on center. The left-in-place forms not only provide continuous insulation but a sound barrier, which makes a comfortable and quiet experience for moviegoers. Dave Hanson of National Wall Systems, said the project was completed in eight weeks, and took a crew of 11 installers, which laid a total of 13,000 ICF blocks. The exterior walls were 44 feet high and the interior walls varied from 36 to 39 feet. Visit www.nationalwall.com for more information.

Six New Glass Colors added to Low-Emissivity Line of Glass Products

Auburn Hills, Mich. — Guardian has added six new glass colors to its line of low-emissivity SunGuard Advanced Architectural Glass products. SunGuard AG 50 and SunGuard Royal Blue 40 are each available on three different float glass substrates for a variety of appearance options along with energy savings that meet or exceed local and regional energy codes, and help projects earn LEED points, the company reports. SunGuard AG 50 is now available in light silver, silver gray and green. SunGuard Royal Blue 40 is now available in royal blue, blue gray and aquamarine.
Visit www.sunguardglass.com for more information

Self-priming Waterproofing Membrane

Garden Grove, Calif. — ELASTO-MAT D&G is a self-priming, VOC-compliant, waterproofing membrane that can be applied to green or damp concrete just a few days old, the company reports. This single-component, rapid moisture-curing, fluid-applied, modified polyurethane is commonly used between slabs on plaza decks, parking decks, roof terraces, podiums, and reflecting pools. It is also used for waterproofing foundation walls, landscaped areas, planter boxes, tunnels, etc. EMD&G is designed for use on concrete, wood, metal, and other masonry surfaces and is available in three viscosities: SL (Self-Leveling) grade, V (Vertical) grade, and T (Trowel) grade. Grades SL and T are solvent free. Visit www.pacpoly.com for more information.

Energy Reducing SIPs

Fife, Wash. — Premier Building Systems’ Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) consist of a layer of expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS) sandwiched between two layers of oriented strand board (OSB), Premier’s SIPs feature a 55 percent higher whole-wall efficiency than traditional two-by-six, R-19 construction. The OSB used in Premier’s SIPs is made from fast growing species that are specifically harvested for OSB production. The rapidly renewable OSB creates a durable product that is manufactured with minimal impact on the environment. When manufacturing the OSB, virtually the entire tree is used to limit waste. Premier offers its products with FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified OSB upon request. Both the OSB and EPS used in the production of Premier’s SIP panels contain recycled content and are 100 percent recyclable, the company reports. Visit www.pbssips.com for more information.

Sidebar: Below Water Table Waterproofing with High-Performance Concrete

Seattle — The University of Washington Medicine Phase II project consists of two five-story laboratory buildings and one five-story office building. The buildings sit on top of three stories of underground parking as well as an area housing services for the project. To meet the project’s parking requirements, the lowest parking level had to be constructed eight feet below the existing water table. The project team considered a number of waterproofing options (including membranes and other integral waterproofing technologies) with the goal of providing the owner a long-term, cost-effective solution. In the end, Hycrete Admixture was selected for foundation walls, temporary roof, structural slab, elevator pits, fire suppression, and water tank.

According to the company, using Hycrete Admixture saved money and time. Eliminating the membrane waterproofing operation can reduce the overall construction schedule — especially if the waterproofing activity is on a critical path, providing overhead savings and early occupancy benefits to clients. On this project, other time saving benefits included obviating weather delays that often impact membrane application. Also, the use of Hycrete Admixture in a temporary roof to protect the mechanical and electrical rooms meant that the sensitive research equipment could be installed right away, without having to wait for membranes to be installed.
Visit www.hycrete.com for more information.


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