Concrete Home Building Council - 02/18/2005 (Plain Text Version)

CHBC Chairman
Michael Weber

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In this issue:
2005 Concrete Technologies Tour
The New American Home 2005 - a Hit at IBS
Breaking Ground for The New American Home 2006
Leed Certified ICF Home
CHBC Steering Committee Member Nominated for National Award
Voluntary Green Building Guidelines Aimed at Mainstream Housing
Help Tsunami Victims Rebuild Their Homes
Get GM Discount Pricing on More Than 80 GM Vehicles
Concrete Briefs . . .

2005 Concrete Technologies Tour

Changing your home building practice after years of “conventional” building can be a daunting thought. In the past, novice residential concrete builders learned by observation, case studies, or far-away classes. A new annual event sponsored by NAHB’s Concrete Home Building Council will introduce you to the basics of residential and light commercial concrete.

During the 2005 Concrete Technologies Tour, “Building With Concrete: The Basics and Beyond,” attendees will see first-hand how cement is made and mixed with aggregate, water, and sand to become concrete, from which builders generate homes. From June 26-28 in Kansas City, Mo., interested builders can learn in two days more than they could in months from consulting manuals, web sites, and colleagues.

The Concrete Technology Tour kicks off Sunday, June 26, with a morning golf tournament and an evening “Introduction to Concrete” reception. Monday, June 27, begins two days of touring so attendees see first-hand concrete formation and the construction processes for home building.

Monday’s tour stops include Hunt Martin Materials LLC, home of the world’s largest subtropolis, created through the mining of a 270-million year old limestone deposit. Other stops include Lafarge’s Cement Manufacturing Plant and Concrete Materials Company’s ready-mix facility, where builders will actually have a chance to experience hands-on stamping and staining of concrete. Monday will end with a tour of Miller Material Company, an Oldcastle Company, specializing in architectural block, pavers and segmental retaining walls.

Tuesday’s events begin with a focus on Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). Tour stops include trips to Contour Products, an ICF manufacturer and a visit to an ICF residential and light commerical project, giving attendees a view of the ICF construction process from start to finish. Tuesday’s other tour stops include a Wall-Ties & Forms Manufacturing Plant and a tour of Western Form’s subdivision using removable forms. The tour concludes on Tuesday night with a reception in a private home that is all cast-in-place concrete constructed with removable forms. Its’ 6,000 square feet of living space showcases some of the architectural and lifestyle advantages achieved with concrete.

For the hundreds and thousands of builders, developers, and architects that are interested in residential concrete construction but do not know where to begin, the Concrete Technologies Tour is ideal. The event’s mix of first-hand experience, networking, and take home materials provides even the most novice attendee with enough information to go “above-grade.”

To learn more about NAHB’s Concrete Technologies Tour, visit www.nahb.org/concretetour or contact the Concrete Home Building Council at (800) 368-5242 x8362.

2005 TOUR SPONSORS