PATH - A Public Private Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology
Seeing the Future in the Past
Builders give a glimpse of what's to come
By Scott T. Shepherd
PATH Partners for Professional Builder
If you limit yourself to the headlines, 2006 was a bad year for builders. New home sales lagged, construction costs soared, and homes sat vacant for months.
But for builders that have adopted new technologies, the market is looking bright.
In the past year, the PATH has met many builders who have increased their business by using factory-built systems or manufactured components to improve the building envelope. These technologies speed construction, reduce costs, offer superior marketing appeal, and help with code compliance. For the homeowner, they improve comfort, efficiency, and durability
There are are lot of success stories in PATH's Tech Practices. Here are just a few of those stories:
Panelized Components
[IMAGE: At Vermont Built, Paul Truax put some crew members get to work on other tasks, such as completing bridging and installing housewrap, even while other panels on the home are still being put into place. Once the structure is complete, the entire crew can fo]After years of traditional stick-building, Paul Truax, owner of
Vermont Built in Chester, Vermont, switched to panelized components to improve the quality of his framing.
Panelized systems take many forms, from structural components, like roof trusses, to all-in-one panels that include framing, insulation and sheathing. These systems significantly speed wall and roof construction.
"Once the customer signs off on the final print, the house can usually be delivered to the site in two to three weeks," Truax says.
Steel Framing
Jason Greene, owner of
Greene Building and Construction in Northport, Alabama, started in stick-built construction in 1995. Soon after, he met a homebuilder using steel framing techniques normally seen in commercial construction. Impressed by the quality and speed, Greene adopted steel framing when he started his own home construction business in 1997.
"The strength of steel allows you to build designs with much larger open spaces and larger spans," Greene says. "Throw in the fire resistance, the reduced waste, and how easy it goes up, and you end up with a home that is far superior to wood."
Construction is also speedy, although Greene notes that steel framing takes additional planning and preparation.
"If you've done a good job in the office, you should have everything you need in the field," Greene says. "If you don't, then your guys will be standing around the site, scratching their heads, trying to figure it out."
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
[IMAGE: Edwards Design Group, a design/build firm in Arizona, specializes in using AACs to build custom homes due to the materials versatility and ability to produce environmentally friendly homes at affordable prices.] Doug Edwards of
Edwards Design Group, a design/build firm in Scottsdale, Arizona, has been building with autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) since 1999.
A precast, manufactured building block, AAC goes up as easily and is as strong as a standard concrete masonry unit structure, but much lighter, which can save construction time. AAC is also more energy efficient.
"It has so many construction advantages and easily meets hurricane and building codes," says Edwards.
Available in a variety of forms, from wall and roof panels to blocks and lintels, AAC can be sawed, drilled, nailed and milled, making it highly adaptable to a variety of architectural styles. And it can easily be engineered to meet structural load requirements.
"It's strong, light, insulating, fireproof, termite- and mold-resistant, and has excellent design flexibility," Edwards says. "It releases no toxins or gases, even when exposed to fire. And it's nearly soundproof."
Precast Concrete
Brian Bock of
Mustang Construction in Naperville, Illinois, builds with precast concrete wall and floor panels for commercial and residential projects. Strength and speed drew him to the technology.
Panels are installed quickly with the use of a crane and then immediately backfilled after waterproofing takes place. Precast panel construction also generates less waste than conventionally framed homes.
"This newer methodology increases the speed of construction, which has made us more competitive on single-family and multifamily projects," Bock says. "Once the building shell is assembled in place, crews can install the windows, and then be protected from the elements in a very short period of time while they work on framing the interior walls."
These are excerpts from the article in the December 2006 Professional Builder magazine. Check out the full article at HouszingZone.com in January.
Content updated on 12/22/2006
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