Concrete Technologies Tour: Turning Gray Matter Into Green
 When you hear the word “concrete,” what comes to mind first ― a long winding driveway or an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly building material?
While driveways surface first in most people’s minds, the 2005 Concrete Technologies Tour, “Building With Concrete: The Basics and Beyond,” in Kansas City, Mo., from June 26-28 will explore just how green concrete can be. The intensive technology tour’s aim is to teach builders more in two days than they could learn in months of reading manuals and Web sites and consulting with colleagues. Long-Lasting, More Energy-Efficient The life spans of concrete building products are frequently double or even triple those of other common building materials. In a time of rising utility costs, building concrete homes using insulating concrete forms (ICFs) saves energy and money. According to a residential technology brief from the Portland Cement Association, “Houses built with ICF exterior walls require an estimated 44% less energy to heat and 32% less energy to cool than comparable frame houses.” A scheduled stop on the technology tour will look at a subdivision that has been constructed of insulated concrete. Participants at this stop will learn how ICF construction is implemented from start to finish. From Aggregate to Earth-Friendly Aggregate quarries can be easily reclaimed for commercial or residential use, and the tour includes a very large example of a reclaimed quarry — the largest subtropolis in the world, Hunt Martin Materials. This 270-million-year-old limestone deposit is now home to an underground commercial office building. What’s in Store on the Tour Ron Jones, the owner of Sierra Custom Builders in Placitas, N.M., one of the most influential green builders in the country, will give the keynote address. Overall, the tour will provide: - A broad view of the regional differences in concrete production and building trends
- A working knowledge of all types of cement-based materials
- An understanding of how to implement the most up-to-date industry trends into attendee’s businesses
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