ICF Student Residence Hall Part III
March 11th, 2010 | From the Field, Marketing, Project Showcase
Wrapping up this project highlight I wanted to give some special credit to the guys who actually put this thing together. As Reward is just the insulating concrete forms, some one has to know how to stack ICFs, align ICFs, and pour concrete as well…oh yeah and DESIGN using ICFs.
ICF Construction and Design Team
Owner: Pegasus Group/Carleton College
Architect: LHB
General Contractor: J.E. Dunn Construction
ICF Installer: Northland Concrete and Masonry
ICF Distributor: Cemstone
Some Cool ICF Pictures
The picture above shows a sunny, however frigid day in Minnesota. If you have been up there in the winter months you know it can get pretty serious. But with the dorms needing to be ready for fall semester they worked through the winter in sub freezing temperatures. Many days hit below zero, but luckily ICFs allow for concrete placement and curing with sub freezing temperatures.
This picture below is a meat thermometer(highly sophisticated measurement) stuck in an ICF and the concrete after placement. It shows what the curing temperature is of the concrete…100 degrees. The outside air temperature was under 20 degrees.
Finished Insulating Concrete Form School
Please enjoy the pictures of this awarding winning school.
As the year goes on and hopefully this projects racks up a couple more awards and we’ll post some updates on the continual energy use and any more ambitions from that campus.
Reward on PBS Series Hometime
March 9th, 2010 | From the Field, Marketing
Hometime Television Series and ICFs
Once in awhile an opportunity comes up where we can get our product on TV. It worked out at the end of the year in 2009 to partner with Hometime on PBS, as they planned to build the foundation of a beautiful home out of ICFs just outside of Minneapolis. The show also teamed up with Cemstone, and their pretty blue trucks, in Minnesota for the concrete placement.
Below is the show broken into 5 parts, for ease of downloading. If you would like to request a full version to use for your home shows involving Reward please contact us and we will see what we can do.
I got rid of the embedded players, so to view videos they will download and start when you click a link. Files sizes range from 5mb to 10mb, so please be patient.
ICFs on Hometime Part 1
ICFs on Hometime Part 2
ICFs on Hometime Part 3
ICFs on Hometime Part 4
ICFs on Hometime Part 5
Architect & Designers ICF Toolkit
March 2nd, 2010 | Marketing
ICF Marketing Support
Thought I take a post to announce a newly created brochure that is now available. This brochure, has been created to show our company history, major product lines, highlight benefits of ICFs, showcase a few projects and most importantly declares our pledge as the industry’s best in customer support- from conception of the ICF project until the walls are completed.
Too often we sell ourselves short on our service and support, however with current tough times and the better times ahead, its the innovation and service that will define our industry. Reward has a corporate office with sales and product delivery support, regional sales managers, marketing personnel, technical specialists (remember Darryl U?) and an engineer on staff- all which are corporately employed.
See here our new Toolkit for Designers and Architects to help communicate the benefits of Reward and insulating concrete forms.
Click to launch the full edition in a new window
tieKey: ICF Masonry Anchor
February 25th, 2010 | Lets Get Technical!, Product Announcement
Since we are talking about Carleton College from the last couple posts, I have to bring up the tieKey masonry anchor as that project used over 20,000 of them for the brick veneer.
Reward Wall Systems tieKey is the only patent-pending ICF masonry anchor in the market. It is an easy to install, cast-in-place, adjustable masonry tie anchor embedded into the concrete wall formed by the ICF. This product is designed to provide the strength and security required when installing brick or stone veneer finishes, and providing a strong resistance to negative and positive lateral loads.
Reward’s tieKey® is part one of a two-part system: Reward’s ICF masonry anchor and any standard wire tie(not provided). The masonry anchor is inserted through the ICF as the wall is constructed. The wire tie is installed by the mason contractor as the masonry facing is constructed. The tieKey® has been tested for tension and compression strength by an independent laboratory to verify its capacity to resist lateral loads. This innovative product is available in two materials, either hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel.
Engineering Requirements
Ultimately the tieKey anchor must meet the design requirements for the project specific design loads and the building code requirements for spacing. The tieKey anchor is designed to resist the negative and positive lateral loads imposed by seismic and wind.
The tieKey anchor has been tested for strength by an independent laboratory — Structural Research Laboratory at the University of Nebraska — Lincoln’s Pieter Kiewit Institute. Testing has shown more than adequate strength to resist high seismic and wind lateral loads.
Building codes dictate a maximum horizontal and vertical spacing along with a maximum area of wall that a tieKey anchor must be located. To meet building code requirements and to work well with all Reward ICF product lines, we recommend placing the tieKey anchor every 16 inches vertically in the center of each course of ICF, and centered between the two plastic tie rods and every 24 inches on center horizontally.
This product is one of the ancillary items Reward provides to customers, to ensure a successfully built ICF building enclosure.
ICF Student Residence Hall 2
February 23rd, 2010 | Marketing, Project Showcase
Last week we started highlighting the award-winning Carleton College, one of the top ICF construction projects of 2009. We were happy to be the ICF of choice for this project, as the school is nationally know for their sustainable practices. Here are a few quick facts of the Carleton College.
ICF Project Statistics
- Location: Northfield, Minn.
- Type: MultiFamily—Two Student Residence Halls
- Size: 91,536 sq. ft. (floor) 52,150 + 39,376
- ICF Use: 63,840 sq. ft. (walls)
- Height: 4 stories plus gables
- Cost: $26 million (budgeted)
Live Energy Use Data
One of the unique features of the project is that there are energy use monitors installed in the Residence Halls. This allows the school to track energy use per building, per floor, and for each individual dorm rooms as well. They can identify energy hogs, and maybe advise heavy energy offenders how to cut energy use as well. This is a huge advantage when educating responsible behaviors to students and getting them thinking about the cost of energy.
Along with energy use monitors, they also have the ability to track the energy creation through photo-voltaics and steam generation as well. Those systems were put in place to help heat the water and to offset energy use. Carleton understood the importance of securing the building envelope so it made sense to add P/V systems.
Energy creation is good…and seems to be the only thing to get the government’s attention…but won’t be a feasible source (cost wise) if buildings don’t start limiting their energy consumption. ICFs can limit a building’s energy use! See their live energy use data.
Beyond the Insulating Concrete Form
Carleton College has identified over 36 distinct green attributes to these buildings, other than the use of ICFs and fly ash in the concrete. From reflective roof tiles, to using local vegetation for landscaping, this college is on the leading edge of sustainability.
As you can see there are wonderful things going on in the ICF world up in Minnesota. Next week we’ll go over the star contributors to this project and show some great cold weather concreting pictures.
Engineered ICF Ledge Reinforcement: xLerator
February 18th, 2010 | Lets Get Technical!, Product Announcement
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xLerator® Drop-n-Go Reinforcement
Ledge form reinforcement is made easy with the Reward xLerator engineered reinforcement system. Available exclusively from Reward Wall Systems, xLerator® is the only patented engineered ICF ledge reinforcement system to meet ACI 318 guidelines and reduce labor significantly.
No more wasting time and money bending rebar in ledge corbels for reinforcement.
The same one-piece xLerator is used to reinforce the ledge form for the support of masonry veneer as well as floor loads. It is available for both the 11″ and 13″ ledge forms and the 11” taper top as well.
Using the xLerator
Place the xLerator into the foam slot of the ledge form with the 90-degree bend side resting on the plastic ties in the wall cavity. Center the xLerator in each of the corbels. The adjacent xLerators merely need to be butted up to each other—no tying or lapping is required.
Remember the xLerator is…
• Drop and Go: Fully engineered ledge system allows you to easily place the ledge form, drop in the xLerator® reinforcement piece and fill with concrete
• ACI 318 Compliant: Only xLerator® meets ACI 318 guidelines
• Weather Resistant: Galvanized to protect from corrosion for lasting durability
• Fully Engineered: Comes complete with full engineering details for multiple applications
• Maximum Strength: Reinforcement in every corbel, along with horizontal placement, for maximum strength
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Most ICF companies have a ledge.
NO ONE else has the xLerator.
ICF Student Residence Hall
February 16th, 2010 | From the Field, Marketing, Project Showcase
Carleton College Student Residence Halls
This was one of our favorite projects for 2009. There were so many features to these buildings and Carleton College truly showed their commitment to a sustainable campus. In the next few posts I will attempt to give our due diligence to this project, show you different construction phases and the finished project as well. Carleton College Residence Halls also won an ICF Builder Award, which was announced at World of Concrete 2010.
Building Energy Modeling Analysis
A building energy modeling analysis (from The Weidt Group) was completed during design, and it was determined that total energy consumption would decrease a minimum of 28% compared to a standard baseline building performance. Carleton did not install ANY A/C as well due to the tight thermal envelope created by ICFs. I asked Maureen Ness, AIA, LEED AP, CDT, with LHB to explain how the modeling worked:
“It basically shows that by spending $54,941 more than a typical building on specific energy-saving strategies, the annual energy savings will be $29,476. There are a lot of factors in the modeling and one of them that we’ve seen on non-air conditioned housing projects is that you don’t really get credit for not air-conditioning, even though that is a lot of savings over a conventional building.”
The total payback, of the additional costs, of making these ICF Dormitories energy efficient is 1.5 years!
(Do you want an energy analysis done on your current home being designed? We are offering a free energy analysis to show you the dramatic savings you can get with ICFs.)
Sustainable features of Carleton College
Overall, Carleton College has identified over 36 distinct aspects to these building that are considered sustainable features. From low flush toilets that will save 30% on water, to copper tiles on southern facing roofs to deflect heat gain, LED lighting, as well as natural foliage planted around campus that is sturdy and weather resistant. All of these features are contributing to their LEED Gold certification.
Next week, we will show you all the live energy data from the school as well as some more highlights of this project. In the meantime check out the rest of our highlighted ICF projects or our ICF gallery section on rewardwalls.com.
Unmatched Corner Performance
February 11th, 2010 | Lets Get Technical!, Product Announcement
Exclusive ICF Technology
Reward’s corner bracket comes complete with the 11″, 13″, and 17″ 90-degree corner iForm®. It offers unmatched support and innovative design features, bringing ICF corner performance to a whole new level. Reward is the only ICF producer to offer this unique type of full height, double-H bridging corner bracket form. This patent-pending design improves ICF corner performance in two key ways:
1) Provides maximum stability to corner walls during installation
2) Gives the most corner attachment flexibility in the ICF industry
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Unsurpassed Performance
There’s no comparison between Reward’s corner tie form and other ICF corner reinforcement products. The product’s full-height, double-H design allows a structure’s corner walls to withstand the pressure placed on them during concrete pours. The support it provides virtually eliminates the possibility of blowouts.
Unmatched Corner Attachment Flexibility
The corner form with the new bracket offers corner attachment flexibility superior to any ICF competitor. The product provides additional furring for the attachment of external and internal finishes, giving more corner attachment options and making ICF corner blocks more user-friendly.
• Full-height – Bracket embedded in form is stacked to give the best support for corner walls.
• Double-H bridging – Allows block to be cut in half, leaving a portion of the unique double-H design in each piece.
• User-friendly corners – Form features additional furring for the attachment of interior and exterior finishes.
• Maximum Strength – Bracket design provides superior support during concrete pours, eliminating blowouts.
Attaching to the Corner
The most vulnerable point of attaching finishes, is the corner. Finishers strive to get the most solid, and smooth attachment along the edge. With the tie spacing in our corner you can secure a corner at numerous points with ease.
Dimensions for Corner Attachments
This corner bracket provides a 1 ¼” wide continuous fastening strip right in the apex of the corner. There is another 1 ¼” wide continuous furring strip that is centered 6 inches from the corner’s apex. Additionally there is a 1 ¼” wide fastening strip running perpendicular to these two vertical strips. This horizontal strip will be staggered vertically and located approximately every 6 to 8 inches.
All of the fastening strips are recessed ½” beneath the face of the EPS foam face. Therefore the 11″ iForm will have continuous vertical fastening located 1 inch, 6 inches and 12 inches from the corner, the 13″ iForm will have a fastening strip located 1 inch, 6 inches and 14 inches from the corner and the 17 iForm will have a fastening strip located 1 inch, 6 inches, and 18 inches.
World Of Concrete 2010 Recap
February 8th, 2010 | Marketing
ICFs at World of Concrete
Wow! What a show. We were hesitant going into such a large show, coming off the heels of the “Great Recession” that we’re still hearing about and feeling the effects of. Last year the attendance was down significantly, so this year we were hoping to just see a maintenance of the attendance. I’m not sure what overall traffic was, but as far as our booth and our leads, it was an INCREDIBLE turnout.
Seems the contacts we are meeting are serious, and everyone we speak to is familiar with our product and our brand. There were many ICF companies there, which is a great thing, as you could not walk through the North hall without noticing the presence of ICFs. People are grasping that this is no longer an “alternative” way to build. ICFs are the IDEAL way to build. We spoke to new folks whom we have never met, from all corners of the U.S. (and many internationally as well), and overall they are looking at ICFs as the way to build!
So with a 41% increase in solid booth leads from last year, we are feeling good chugging through 2010 and hopefully this type of momentum will be upheld, through sales and growth.
Reward Wall Systems Booth Display
We were finally at a venue to showcase our new NoricF4 custom metal ICF frames, as well as display our new vendor- Cosella-Dorken MS-Clear Waterproofing. The booth this year was easily navigable and customers were able to see the story of Reward and what we had to offer.
See all the ICF fun you missed out on!
Well the beauty of it all is you don’t have to be at the trade show to meet us and learn about Reward. Give us a call and we’ll be more than happy to send you info, such as CAD Details, BIM objects, or engineering specs- or just talk shop with you.
What are your thoughts on the show?
After talking with many people, the interest level really perked up on a few patented ancillary items and our corner bracket we have, so for our next posts we will start talking about the strongest corner ICF on the market (with our Double H bridging corner bracket), touch on the xLerator drop and go reinforcement, and our exclusive tieKey masonry anchor.
4 Days ’til World of Concrete- Booth N1953
January 28th, 2010 | Marketing
Only a few days until World of Concrete
Hello! I know you guys were excited for some more project showcases and pictures, however I’m running around today getting ready for World of Concrete. On Monday I fly out and start setting up our booth, which can be a very taxing day. Seems like you are at the mercy of the trade show guys that are doing the large rigging and laying the floor down (I was told to bring some $5’s and things can get done a lot quicker). So the day is a bit slow going. I’d rather get there and get ‘er done and hit some quarter slots for a couple hours before the Bossman comes- who knows he may join me then.
I hope many of you will be able to make it and we look forward to seeing our customers and some potential new customers at our mid week reception! The response has been amazing, so thanks to all who have RSVP’d.
From the Show Floor: WOC
If you can’t make it to WOC this year, come back next week as I will try to post some pictures of the show, to give you an idea of the size and scope (similar to what i did for Greenbuild). Plus, I’ll try to post a few G rated photos of our customer event, we have a very close knit group and some of our customers sure seem to love the flash of a camera so hopefully I can at least get 1.
ICF Builder Award Winner
We were told Carleton College Dorms in Northfield, Minnesota won an ICF Builder award, however they are holding out until next week to let us know if it won First or Second place. Obviously, in my opinion, there isn’t a single better project out there, not just because of its size and scope of ICFs but with all of the features of the entire building. After this awards season, I’ll go more in-depth on the project. I promise you’ll be impressed.
One more thing: Insulating Concrete Forms on TV??
By the way we are being featured on Hometime on PBS starting end of February on a 13 episode series! Check out the prelim teaser of this ICF Concrete Home and the schedules for broadcast. We’ll have DVDs to share shortly!