| DALLAS, TX -- Over the past twelve years American Limestone Company has perfected pre-engineered standardized limestone architectural elements, and a patented and patent-pending anchor system, a combination the company calls the ALC Solution. Standardization of stone elements allows for mass production and eliminates the need for shop tickets. Many items are kept in stock. Designed and engineered architectural elements in the Classical, Gothic, Romanesque and Modern traditions can be downloaded from the ALC Solution manual on the company website www.americanlimestone.com and incorporated directly into the architect’s plans. Working drawings and revisions thereof are unnecessary. The mounting process, in turn, is simple, consisting of three basic steps. First, continuous or individual anchors are screwed into a building’s sheathing. Second, panels or architectural elements fabricated with grooves cut into the top and bottom are slid onto the anchors. Finally, the joints are mortared or sealed with silicone. The anchor system, engineered by Curtain Wall Design and Consulting, Inc., enables panels 1” thick to be used (up to 1/4 the thickness of panels used in conventional veneer), as the metal components distribute the entire live load of the stone onto the building’s structure rather than onto the base of the wall. No brick or stone ledge is required. The lack of cumulative weight gain on the lower panels makes the ALC Solution suitable for use on multistory buildings, with wind-load specifications and earthquake considerations integrated into the engineering of the system (contact American Limestone Company for specifics). The spacing of the anchor system also creates an air space between the stone elements and the sheathing. The savings incurred in time, money and space with use of the ALC Solution are considerable. Material and freight costs are significantly lessened by the thinness of the panels used in the Solution, and may amount to savings of 25-40%. Moreover, installers have reported increases in production capacity of over 50% compared to conventional limestone installation. For example, a typical 16” x 32” x 1” ALC Solution panel (equivalent to 25 brick) replaces a conventional 16” x 32” x 4” block. One man can easily install a 44-pound ALC panel while two or more men are required to install the 176-pound conventional block. These savings frequently make the ALC Solution competitive with alternative materials such as pre-cast stone and brick. A technological innovation of this magnitude catapults limestone from being an inaccessible, premium material to one that is cost-effective and easy to employ, without compromising its beauty or integrity. Ultimately, the ALC Solution benefits the client as well as everyone involved in the design, construction and finishing of a building, increasing the latter’s competitive edge from the quote to completion stages. It presents an opportunity for masons to increase their competitiveness in the industry as well as for carpenters and framers to diversify their competencies. Architects, contractors, home builders, remodellers, and interior designers may now specify the ALC Solution confident that neither budgetary nor esthetic considerations need be compromised. As architect Ken Schaumberg has stated, “Many clients want something other than brick, but most aren’t aware of limestone as an option. It’s a timeless product, and American Limestone has made it more affordable and practical.” Full information on the ALC Solution as well as other American Limestone Company products can be obtained on the newly redesigned website at http://www.americanlimestone.com. Photos of past projects and of the installation process are included. | 
