Issue 27

October 2009  

"The Devil Is In The Details"

Quad-Lock has always recognized that an essential feature of any great product is providing the means for customers to apply that product to their own particular needs. In our ongoing tradition of support to our customers, we have updated and expanded our library of construction details found on our website. There are nearly 150 details posted for Quad-Lock ICF walls, Quad-Deck and R-ETRO which replace all of the existing details and expand the scope of the library significantly.

User-friendly Formats: Available in both .pdf and .dwg (AutoCAD 2000, 2004, and 2008) formats, these details assist design professionals and builders in bringing specific details of their Quad-Lock, Quad-Deck and R-ETRO projects into clear focus for building officials, sub-contractors and installation crews.

While these details are generic in nature, design professionals can download AutoCAD files at no charge and customize them to their own specifications. For example, an engineer can add the size and frequency of rebar placement that results from his or her project-specific calculations. Architects can add specifications for building performance, like R-value and building orientation to specific details. This feature will make the conversion to ICF construction easier than ever, particularly when a plan has already been drawn with other materials, like masonry or stud construction.

A new labeling schema speeds up the customization of individual drawings and makes the whole library easier to translate into different languages as Quad-Lock continues to grow around the world. This first update includes only imperial measurements, with a metric version following by year end.

Registration: Quad-Lock finds it necessary to institute, for the first time, a registration system for those wishing to download these files. There is a delicate balance between the need to make information widely available, and protecting one's own efforts. Some competitors copied our older details and manuals so closely that they appeared on their website in exactly the same order and with the same numbering scheme, changing only the shape of the ties pictured in the wall. This speaks volumes to their creative ability and general understanding of construction, to say nothing of ethical values. We know that our loyal customers will understand this and be unconcerned with having to identify themselves as users of our library.

• Our partners can login using their existing Extranet username in the 'Email' field and the Extranet password.
• Customers who have contacted us before can get a new password by resetting it with their email address.
• All others will have to fill in a registration form.

As usual in construction, special details are often required and can be generated on a case-by-case basis. In these instances, contact the Training and Technical Services Department to discuss your needs.

Douglas Bennion

Training and Technical Services Department

Perfect Storm

Almost everyone agrees that ICF construction is one of the most exciting and cost effective building envelope systems to be introduced since kiln fired bricks were produced in Mesopotamia in 2,500 BC. The good news is we are still using bricks - the bad news is that this just proves how hard it is to introduce change. If it's not broke, don't fix it! Right?  Well, now it's broke...

The very objections that commercial and residential developers voice over marginally higher first costs versus the vastly superior lower life-cycle cost burden (in carbon and dollars) delivered by ICFs - not to mention "quality of life" benefits - are mute at the institutional level. These institutional buildings; schools, universities, state, federal and military, always cost more per square foot than commercial and residential space. The difference between the two groups is that the institutional group will own and operate their buildings virtually indefinitely while the residential/commercial group plan to resell their buildings in under 10 years (on average).

The challenge is to convince the stakeholders in building design, construction, maintenance and operations to accept a totally new concept that radically changes accepted building practice that have evolved over hundreds of years, dominated by frame, steel and block/brick construction.

Why squander taxpayer dollars by designing buildings with outdated, energy inefficient, "traditional" materials that will cost millions of dollars to heat and cool for the 50 to 75 years we expect our institutions to last? Try to imagine what the price of oil will be in 25 years, never mind 50!  ICF construction (and retrofit systems to insulate existing buildings) could lower not only the operating costs of our institutional buildings over many decades but also allow for smaller up-front cost expenditures on heating and cooling systems as well as a much faster build-out timeline.
 
Funding for institutional construction is at an all time high. The price of energy is trending upward - probably forever - and disposable buildings born on the American prairie and sanctified at Levittown as part of the
American myths are being trumped by sustainable building systems. Now that we have found Mesopotamia again (sic), maybe we can learn something about timeless masonry construction.

Steven Carroll, Innovative Building Solutions
Stevensville, Maryland

Some Interesting Stats...

"In June of 2008 Congressman Ben Chandler, (D-KY) introduced to the House of Representatives, H.R. 3021 titled 21st Century Green High Performing School Facilities Act, which is now attached to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This Bill appropriates $14 billion dollars to improve the health, safety, learning environment and energy efficiency of America's aging K-12 public schools. Chandler estimates the bill would create some 2 million jobs. The Obama Stimulus Bill actually contains $41 billion allocated to the improvement of America's schools. Even though many states still have not yet mandated a green school program, some state education boards have taken upon themselves to become proactive in developing green school initiatives. The Kentucky Department of Education for example, has been leading the nation in the past year in green school construction even though there is no state requirement. There are no less than twelve schools in that state, either completed or in the planning stages, utilizing ICF construction.

Randy Wilkerson, ICF Builder Magazine

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, there are currently about 1,000 schools across the USA that have earned or registered for LEED Certification. These schools are located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As of September, there are 9 states and the District of Columbia that require some level of green school construction (Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio and Washington)." USGBC

Proven Energy Efficiencies

As part of our on-going development of materials to assist in the sale of Quad-Lock, we want to create a library of statistics about structures built with Quad-Lock Insulating Concrete Forms. You can help us by submitting your energy bills, along with the bills from a comparable house in your neighborhood for us to add to our library. When you do this Quad-Lock will pay your highest month's energy bill for your troubles.

Contact us for more information.

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Best regards,
Quad-Lock Building Systems