Concrete Home Building Council - 06/20/2005 (Plain Text Version)

CHBC Chairman
Michael Weber

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In this issue:
Come One! Come All!
More Economic Benefits for Energy Efficient Concrete Homes
Mercedes Homes — the Cadillac of Concrete Home Builders
U.S. Developers Set Their Sights on Mexico
Award Winning Masonry Home
All Paths Lead to the Mountains: Design Excellence From Intrawest
First CHBC Education Course Draws A Packed House
Save More With BuilderBooks.com Rewards
Concrete Briefs . . .

Concrete Briefs . . .

Nebraska University Builds Precast Concrete House
A team working with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has created a housing system featuring three key precast concrete components. The housing units feature a patented type of precast concrete insulated sandwich wall panel, precast concrete floor joists and a precast concrete roof beam.

"The NU Concrete House has the potential to be the residence of the future," says Maher Tadros, the Charles Vrankek distinguished professor in the school's civil engineering department. Tadros worked in conjunction with Omaha-based Enterprise Precast Concrete and general contractor TFF Inc., to design the duplex housing facility. Both homes in the duplex have been sold.
Thanks to PCI for this story.

NAHB 3rd International Housing Conference of the Americas
Mark your calendars! Don't miss the 3rd International Housing Conference of the Americas, November 3-5, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mexico City. Attend the conference to gain valuable insight into the market and make critical housing industry connections in Mexico. The conference features an education program addressing key housing topics in Mexico including how to enter the housing market, Property Tours of high-end housing, Table-top Exhibits, and numerous networking opportunities.

Added Bonus: The first 100 registrants to the 3rd International Housing Conference in Mexico receive a complimentary full registration to the 2006 International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla., January 11-14.

Learn more about this exceptional conference series by clicking on: 3rd International Housing Conference of the Americas; Tel. 800-368-5242 ex 8417 or e-mail: international@nahb.com.
See you in Mexico!

PCA Has a New Tech Brief
The Portland Cement Association recently published a tech brief, Concrete Homes Technology Brief — Concrete Roof Tiles, to inform the building industry and consumers of the value in having concrete roofs.

Concrete roof tiles most often last the lifetime of a house, typically carrying a limited lifetime, non-pro-rated, transferable warranty. They are Class A fire rated and resistant to damage from hail and high winds. Concrete roof tiles have grown more competitive in price, due in part to the rising costs of petroleum-based products such as asphalt shingles. Concrete roof tiles are available in many styles and color options, visit The Tile Roofing Institute to find out more. Visit the PCA Bookstore to get your free downloaded copy today.

Environmental Awards Recognize Industry Standouts
On Monday at the Spring Meeting, PCA presented the annual Cement Industry Environment Awards to cement plants in six categories. This year's winning plants are:

Environmental Performance: St. Lawrence Cement, Mississauga, Ont.
Land Stewardship: CEMEX, Fairborn, Ohio
Outreach: Lafarge North America, Inc,. Tulsa, Okla.
Innovation: CEMEX, Knoxville, Tenn.
Energy Efficiency: California Portland Cement, Colton, Calif.
Overall Environmental Excellence: St. Lawrence Cement, Mississauga, Ont.

PCA and Cement Americas magazine presented the first Cement Industry Environmental Awards in 2002. The judges represent independent groups such as PCA, Cement Americas, the Cement Association of Canada, World Resources Institute, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Wildlife Fund.

Concrete Homes Gaining Popularity Says WSJ
Each Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal includes a real estate column called “Money’s Worth” featuring three homes for sale across the U.S. with a unique unifying feature or characteristic. The May 4 edition presented three concrete homes noting that homebuyers looking for more energy-efficient and disaster-resistant homes are turning to concrete.
http://www.wsj.com/ (subscription required).