ToolBase E-News volume 134
In This Issue:
DEMO HOME DESIGNED FOR HOMEOWNER PEACE OF MIND:
The 2006 NextGen Demonstration Home, sponsored by PATH (the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing), will be on display at the 2006 International Builders' Show (IBS) in Orlando, Fla. from January 11 to 14. This year's demonstration home, dubbed the "Peace of Mind Home," will include such features as OVE framing; optimized HVAC; trim-able open web floor truss; a tankless water heater; PEX piping; and other durable and innovative technologies. For more information, visit the NextGen website.
CONCRETE CANVAS PROTOTYPE TO PROVIDE SHELTER:
Students at London's Royal College of Art recently put a new twist on an old construction material to create a temporary shelter for displaced persons that is durable and affordable. According to a news brief in Discovery News (Tracy Staedter, August 16, 2005) the "Concrete Canvas" prototype uses an inflatable plastic liner covered with a cement-impregnated fabric.
FOAM HOME SAID TO BE HIGHLY ENERGY EFFICIENT:
According to an article in the East Valley Tribune (Joe Kullman, August 20, 2005), a 3,300-square-foot, Scottsdale, Ariz. home uses a construction method that could provide an affordable alternative to conventional methods. The material/method inventor, Nasser Saebi, asserts that the home, which uses a lightweight polystyrene foam bound to a glass fiber-reinforced concrete, will be heated or cooled with half the energy of a home built with conventional materials. Additionally, if the construction method is applied on a large scale, Saebi says the initial costs will be less than those for homes built with conventional materials. The foam home is one of many structures in Scottsdale that feature advances in environmental design and energy conservation, including solar power, hydrogen power, straw bales, and insulated concrete blocks. For more information, read the article.
NEW GREEN BUILDING REPORT TOUTS COST EFFECTIVENESS:
Air Quality Sciences, an indoor air quality firm, recently released the new report "If You Build It Green, They Will Come" (August 24, 2005). According to the company, the report provides convincing evidence that initial costs of green building are significantly lower than previously reported. Rather than the 10 to 25 percent increase for first costs traditionally associated with green building, the report claims green building costs may be only up to 3 percent higher than traditional practices, with additional savings if green building techniques are incorporated early in the design process. The report is available free of charge from the Aerias-AQS IAQ Resource Center website, under Premium Content (registration required). For more information on the report, read the press release.
NEEDED SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH OUTLINED IN NEW REPORT:
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released a report that describes the basic research needed to achieve significant progress in bringing solar energy to the marketplace. According to a DOE press release (August 12, 2005), the research agenda, developed during a workshop earlier this year attended by 200 scientists, could lead to "smart materials" that transfer captured solar energy with no energy loss; self-repairing solar conversion systems; more efficient solar cells created using nanotechnologies; new materials for high-capacity, slow-release thermal storage; and more. Download the Basic Research Needs for Solar Energy Utilization report for more information on the findings.
BAD EMISSIONS UP IN SMOKE:
According to a recent press release (August 11, 2005), California home builder Empire Homes has a new initiative that will reduce smoke emissions from and increase fuel efficiency of its grading equipment by 10 to 15 percent. In order to minimize the environmental impact of its construction equipment, the company installed an emission-reducing technology that injects platinum into the combustion chamber of the grading equipment's engine to burn fuel more efficiently while minimizing black smoke emissions. According to the release, the upgrade is relatively inexpensive and easy to install, and the return on investment can be realized in the first five months of use. The builder will use the new technology at its Seneca Springs construction site in Beaumont, Calif. To learn more, read the release.
FLAME-RETARDENT BUILDING MATERIALS GET CODE EVALUATION REPORT:
According to a recent press release (August 29, 2005), International Barrier Technology Inc. has announced that a new evaluation services report will allow the company to market its fire-resistant building materials across the United States. PyrotiteTM is a non-combustible, non-toxic, inorganic material designed to prevent ignition and the spread of flames. The compound releases water when exposed to the heat of fire, absorbing the heat and cooling it down. PyrotiteTM has been used as a coating on materials like plywood and OSB to create a fire-resistant wood sheathing called Blazeguard®.
Following the long-anticipated International Code Congress Evaluation Services Report (ICC-ESR) for the product, Barrier can now make immediate use of the report to market the product throughout the Unites States and other parts of the world where the newly adopted International Building Code (IBC) is used to dictate building specifications. For more information on the products, visit the company's website or read the release.
