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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared that May is Building Safety Month.

Building Safety Month is a public awareness campaign offered each year during May to help individuals, families, and businesses understand what it takes to create and sustain safe and sustainable structures. The campaign reinforces the need for adoption of modern, model building codes, a strong and efficient system of code enforcement and a well-trained, professional workforce to maintain the system.

The campaign is presented by the International Code Council.

More at icc-foundation.org

Safe and Sustainable? Or Cheap?

Public awareness couldn’t come at a better time. The trend in the United States, notably since the 1970s, has been toward least initial cost to builders and developers, which translates into the design and construction of buildings to the minimum levels permissible by code. That is, the cheapest buildings allowed by law.

Each year in the United States, natural disasters cause more than $35 billion in direct property loss. As a result, local, regional and national levels efforts are underway to ensure that community buildings, especially newer structures, provide the needed integrity and resilience to ensure societal and economic continuity after a disaster.  

There are many strategies and approaches available for resilient construction. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has identified the need for robustness, resourcefulness, and recovery as the key elements of resilience.

To integrate resilience as a key component of truly sustainable buildings, PCA compiled provisions to modify applicable codes and standards. PCA offers modifications to the 2009 International Building Code and the National Green Building Standard – 2008 that combine functional resistance (enhanced robustness, durability, and disaster resistance) with energy conservation, water conservation, material resource considerations, indoor air quality and site development.

Visit www.cement.org/codes/ for a free copy of the code provisions and other information.

At PCA’s Spring Meeting last month in Chicago, Joah Bussert, a project manager for Greensburg GreenTown, was on hand to describe the rebuilding efforts of Greensburg, Kansas, and Joplin, Missouri.

Greensburg is a sparsely populated town in south central Kansas. On May 4, 2007, an EF5 tornado destroyed 95% of the community:  961 homes, 110 businesses, and all municipal infrastructure.

Just days after the storm, the community came together and decided to rebuild sustainably, striving to become a model green town for the future.

Greensburg GreenTown, a grassroots community-based organization, has worked side-by-side with city and county officials, business owners, and local residents to incorporate sustainable principles into their rebuilding process. They chose sustainable approaches that included building systems, material, solar, wind/air, water, and vegetation.

Today, about half the community has been rebuilt. One such structure, the Silo Eco-Home, anchors the effort and offers a symbol of both resilient construction practices and the town’s legacy.

On May 5th, 2007, the day after the tornado, Greensburg residents looked north and saw the grain elevator standing tall. Even though the tornado had flattened nearly everything else in town, the elevator remained unscathed. To honor the durability of this structure, GreenTown built the Silo Eco-Home using the same method and materials typically used to construct a traditional grain elevator or silo. Six-inch thick concrete walls can withstand the high winds of a tornado while a myriad of green features in the home showcase techniques for sustainable living. The home functions as a bed & breakfast, GreenTown’s administrative office, and Greensburg’s Green Visitors Center.

To date, insulating concrete forms or ICFs have been a major part of the reconstruction, used for about 18 of the buildings. ICF buildings include the community center, bank, shopping center, business incubator, city hall, scout cabin, and convenience store/gas station. Almost all of the Main Street buildings are ICFs. The convenience store was a test case for ICF use in small, rural communities.

Education is an important aspect of the program. GreenTown organized housing fairs with architects, product demonstrations, workshops, and public speaking engagements.

GreenTown hopes to repeat its success in Joplin, which  lost 6 square miles when hit by its tornado, or about 6 times the amount as Greensburg. GreenTown Joplin is the second GreenTown affiliate to open, replicating the work done in Greensburg. They are just at the beginning stages of building a demo house, Monarch Eco-Home, with donations from PCA member company Monarch Cement supporting this work.

Two websites for more information: www.greensburggreentown.org and www.greentownjoplin.org      

May 22 marks the one year anniversary of the devastating F5 tornado that cleared a one mile wide by 14 mile long path of destruction through Joplin, Missouri.

Older wood-frame homes were destroyed in the storm, leaving many fixed income elderly residents homeless. A local faith based organization, Convoy of Hope, is partnering with PCA member Monarch Cement and TF Forming Systems, an insulating concrete form (ICF) manufacturer, to build at least 18 energy efficient and disaster resistant concrete homes.

The new resilient and sustainable homes will provide safety, security, and comfort for the residents. “One of the home owners was on a level pay of $200 a month for her gas bill, and was paying another $50 a month for electric. She wouldn’t turn the heat on unless it was so cold she couldn’t stand it,” explains George Van Hoesen, General Contractor and energy expert. “She couldn’t afford to eat, pay for insurance and pay her utility bill.”

With insulated exterior concrete walls, her total utility bill will be under $75 per month, allowing her to afford everything needed to live comfortably. Van Hoesen has built energy-efficient wood frame homes for many years. He estimates the use of panelized ICFs, with fewer seams and less need for air sealing will reduce construction time by two to three weeks per home. 

The homes are being built to exceed the resilient requirements of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety’s FORTIFED for Safer Living program. Doug, a resident honored for his heroic efforts in digging neighbors out from under piles of wood and debris, is thrilled to be moving into a strong, durable concrete home.

While many of his neighbors are considering installing safe rooms, Doug says “I don’t need a safe room. I have a safe house.”

The first of the homes is due to be complete and ready for occupancy at the end of the month.

Driven by stronger-than-expected job growth, PCA chief economist Ed Sullivan expects the beginnings of a recovery in the construction industry to materialize this year.

The forecast includes marginal improvements to nonresidential construction, an upward revision to housing starts, and an aggressive cement intensity gain, which is the amount of cement used per real dollar of construction activity.

Cement intensity gains, explains Sullivan, can be a harbinger of renewed activity and construction spending.

“Cement usage is greatest at the early stages of construction with foundation work. The retreat of building starts during the recession had a huge impact on consumption and intensity,” said Sullivan. “A construction start rebound in 2012 coupled with concrete’s competitive price compared to other building materials translates to increases.”

PCA expects a modest 3.7 percent increase in 2012, followed by a 7.6 percent jump in 2013 and a 14.1 percent increase in 2014.

With successive years of economic and employment growth, the structural issues facing the construction industry will diminish, Sullivan said. For example, foreclosures’ adverse impact will fade, and return on investment for nonresidential investments will improve. Partially because of these improvements, state deficits will eventually be replaced by surpluses. 

PCA forecasts all sectors of construction to be positive during 2014-2015, which typically results in large gains in cement consumption.

From the use of oil-absorbent materials from the 2010 BP oil spill as an alternative fuel to restoring habitat for a native loon population, cement plants are combining innovation with technology to make the industry more energy efficient and better stewards of land and resources.

The showcase for these acheivements is the Portland Cement Association’s Annual Energy and Environment Awards. This year’s awards were presented at PCA’s Spring Meeting last week in Chicago.

“Making a quality product is not enough,” said Brian McCarthy, PCA president and CEO. “These and other cement companies take extra steps to ensure their communities are excellent places to work, live and learn.”

Six categories recognized plants throughout the United States (listed by category, company and plant location):

• Overall Environmental Excellence: CEMEX, Louisville, Ky.
• Outreach: Titan America LLC/Roanoke Cement Company, Troutville, Va.
• Environmental Performance: Holcim (US) Inc., Theodore, Ala.
• Land Stewardship: St. Marys Cement Inc. (U.S.)/VCNA, Charlevoix, Mich.
• Innovation: CEMEX, Louisville, Ky.
• Energy Efficiency: CEMEX, Louisville, Ky.

Visit PCA’s newsroom for more information on the winning plants.

What most fire officials and firefighters already know–and what common sense should tell us–is finally getting some recognition by code officials and the building community:

The structure of a building determines how well it will perform in a fire.

Cheers to Waterloo Fire and Rescue and the Canadian concrete block industry for getting the word out.

An article on Structural Engineer magazine’s website tells the tale of two fires in Ontario: A fatal retirement home fire in Orillia and a fire in Waterloo College Hall.

The performance of the buildings caused the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA) to question Ontario’s building codes and whether or not they are doing enough to protect citizens. According to the Structural Engineer report:

“It’s worth noting that in the construction of Waterloo College Hall, concrete block had been used not only in the separating walls between each two-bedroom unit but also in the shared bedroom walls within the units themselves.

“According to Waterloo Fire Rescue, the block walls–in addition to the concrete slab flooring–were a critical factor in the containment of a fire that, while tragic, could have been even worse.

“Waterloo College Hall is perhaps a good example of the ‘balanced design’ approach to fire safety in building construction. It’s an approach that relies on four complementary fire-safety systems: 

• a detection system to warn occupants of a fire
• an automatic suppression system
• education and training
• a containment system (concrete block) to limit the extent of fire, smoke and structural failure”

Detection and suppression–fire alarms, smoke detectors, and sprinkler systems–are well-established and effective means of fire protection.

But containment with noncombustible concrete walls and floors seems to be losing ground. In fact, it gets traded away to pay for detection and suppression.

The trend in the United States, notably since the 1970s, has been toward least initial cost to builders and developers, which translates into the design and construction of buildings to the minimum levels permissible by code. That is, the cheapest buildings allowed by law.

As fire detection and suppression systems add to the initial cost, builders and developers are likely to seek savings elsewhere.

And one target is fire containment with noncombustible building materials.

By containing a fire, you minimize its damage and essentially buy more time until it can be extinguished.

Concludes the article: “Concrete masonry can’t prevent fire, but it is the best way we have to contain and maintain its structural integrity, to help increase our chances of survival.”

Three years in the making, the International Code Council released its 2012 International Green Construction Code on March 28. ICC claims it will make buildings:  ”more efficient, reduce waste, and have a positive impact on health, safety and community welfare.The IgCC will increase the energy-efficiency of structures, while providing direction and oversight of green design and construction.”

Will it do all that? Sort of, say PCA’s building code experts. The real problem is what the code doesn’t do.

While it does a good job of incorporating sustainability features from initiatives such a the US Green Building Council’s LEED system, it fails to incorporate provisions for enhanced resilience.

And that’s where the model code and other green initiatives fall short. Because without a resilient structure, all those high-efficiency lighting, appliances, and plumbing fixtures could end up in a landfill.

The failure to address disaster resistence and other elements of resilience could more than offset any gains from greater energy efficiency and water conservation. Another concern is that the green code could actually erode resilience.

Sheer survival has a huge environmental impact. The ability of a building to stand the tests of time, changing uses, and natural disasters saves resources and energy squandered in demolition and rebuilding.

The new building code could actually make ”green” buildings less resilient than conventional buildings. The trend in the United States, notably since the 1970s, has been toward least initial cost to builders and developers, which translates into the design and construction of buildings to the minimum levels permissible by code. That is, the cheapest buildings allowed by law.

As the mandated green or sustainability features add to the initial cost, builders and developers are likely to seek savings elsewhere.  One very likely scenario is to tradeoff designs and practices that provide enhanced resilience to pay for the green features.

The gains in energy and water conservation could very well be more than offset by the amount of long-term maintenance, repair, replacement of less resilient and more disposal construction.

Ready to be StormStruck?

Even Disney sees the need to re-tell the three little pigs story on resilience.

“StormStruck: The Tale of Two Homes®” is a new interactive exhibit at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida.

Check it out at http://www.stormstruck.com/

Stormstruck allows guests of all ages to experience a virtual storm, and then team up to build a home that can withstand severe weather. It’s designed to help visitors learn risks from natural disasters, understand property protection and safety options, and take action today to protect families and homes.

Other discovery-oriented activities include playing disaster safety games, creating storm kits, and taking interactive quizzes on natural disasters local to your zip code.

For those seeking to buck the trend of disposable construction and embrace more durable, sustainable buildings, the attraction brings home in dramatic fashion the fact that it’s no longer economically, politically, nor socially acceptable to design buildings and homes that can’t withstand natural disasters.

The standard for construction in the United States has become building for the least cost. That means the cheapest building that can legally be built within a building code jurisdiction. This trend jeopardizes community stability and sustainability, especially in the wake of disasters.

StormStruck is presented by FLASH, the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, and sponsored by Renaissance Re Holdings, Simpson Strong Tie, and State Farm.

FLASH is the country’s leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. The group offers a lot of resources and videos on disaster-resistant construction and related safety issues.

Check them out at http://www.flash.org/

Each year in the United States, natural disasters cause more than $35 billion in direct property loss. As a result, local, regional and national levels efforts are underway to ensure that community buildings, especially newer structures, provide the needed integrity and resilience to ensure societal and economic continuity after a disaster.  PCA is presenting a free webinar to present appropriate building code modifications and strategies to build strong, environmentally friendly homes and buildings.

Register for this free webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/374308938.

“Cost increases may cause another round of asphalt-price escalation overruns for many state transportation departments this year, which may cut their paving outlays for the season.”

So concludes a report in the March 26, 2012, issue of Engineering News-Record titled “Higher Oil Prices Push Asphalt Up 11.2% from a Year Ago.”

Citing Bureau of Labor Statistics’ producer price index, the article notes that rising crude oil prices have pushed asphalt paving mixtures up 1.5% in January and another 2.3% in February. The PPI for asphalt now stands at 11.2% above February of last year.

According to a recent PCA report, 41 states with asphalt-price escalation clauses resulted in overruns totaled about $70 million last year.

Even though initial cost comparisons now favor concrete over asphalt, escalator clauses unfairly limit competition by allowing asphalt paving contractors to raise their construction price based on a fluctuation in asphalt costs which, typically, are directly related to the price of oil. These price adjustments occur after the contractor has won the bid. As a result, states, and ultimately taxpayers, take on the risk of increasing asphalt prices and the resulting higher maintenance costs of asphalt roads.

The PCA  report, “The New Paving Realities: The Impact of Asphalt Cost Escalator Clauses on State Finances,” points out that many state departments of transportation (DOTs) have not changed their bidding policies to reflect structural changes that have taken place in the paving material market.

PCA calculates that in 2003 asphalt enjoyed a $225,000 or 39 percent cost advantage over concrete for one mile of two-lane roads. Since then, both oil prices and asphalt prices have increased by more than 200 percent. Concrete prices during the same period increased a relatively modest 37 percent.

Download the complete report as a PDF

Resilience is fast taking its place alongside energy and resource effiiciency as a key tenet of green construction.

And rightly so. Sheer survival has a huge environmental impact. The ability of a building to stand the tests of time, changing uses, and natural disasters saves resources and energy squandered in demolition and rebuilding.

Less obvious is the role of resilience in sustainable communities–how durable buildings and other infrastructure enable a community to keep on functioning in the aftermath of a disaster such as a tornado, hurricane, or flood.

The inter-dependence of sustainable communities with resilient construction will be examined during “Resilience for Sustainable Communities,” a free webinar offered by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) on April 10, 2012, 2:30-4 p.m (CDT).  The session highlights the ways robust buildings provide support to as well as enhance the sustainability of communities.

Designing for resilience is not just about the survival of essential facilities such as hospitals and fire stations. These types of facilities are already built to higher standards than offices and homes. The need for resilient building extends throughout the community. Essential facilities such as hospitals can only function with people and infrastructure intact, which means housing, transportation infrastructure, access to food and water, and more.

At the core of this issue is our decades-long trend toward disposable construction. The standard for construction in the United States has become building for the least cost. That means the cheapest building that can legally be built within a building code jurisdiction. This trend jeoparrdizes community stability and sustainability, especially in the wake of disasters.

Resilience doesn’t mean that everything has to be built like a fortress. The PCA webinar will present appropriate building code modifications and strategies to build strong, environmentally friendly homes and buildings that are endorsed by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.

Register for this free webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/374308938.