ToolBase E-News - 09/28/2007 (Plain Text Version)

Mold Safe Model Home Now Open

The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) opened the Mold Safe Model Home (MSMH) on September 14, 2007.
According to a news release (08/23/07), the first-of-its-kind, 3,000 square-foot home in Chesterfield, N.H., is a showcase for industry professionals and consumers who are interested in preventing mold growth in their homes. The MSMH was designed and constructed with a new mold prevention protocol that uses mold-resistant building products along with a thorough inspection process that begins with the design process and continues throughout the construction cycle and into the occupancy stage. The MSMH is sponsored by PATH Manufacturing Partners CertainTeed, Georgia-Pacific, Typar/Fiberweb, Wastewater Alternatives, and Whirlpool. The home was built by PATH Builder Partner Courtlan Construction. To learn more about the MSMH, read the release.

Benefits of a Whole-House Perspective

Systems engineering, a practice that focuses individual tasks in a complex engineering process on the goal of creating a product that performs effectively as a whole, is nothing new to the automobile industry. But, according to a recent article in HGTVPro.com (Stacy Hunt, 08/11/07), it is rarely applied to the construction of homes, which can lead to building failures. For example, efficient heating and cooling equipment coupled with poorly designed and unsealed ductwork will result in an HVAC system that is ineffective and potentially unhealthy for occupants. Systems engineering for home design assumes an end performance goal. Each system is deconstructed to meet the specific criteria of that goal then put back together, optimized to work well with all the other systems in the home. To learn more about systems engineering in homebuilding, read the article. [return to top]

It’s a House…It’s a Boat…It’s Amphibious Homes

A recent posting on Inhabitat (08/29/07) explores “Amphibious Houses”—homes built on solid ground but designed to float on flood water. The homes, designed by Dutch developers DuraVermeer and WaterStudio, use lightweight wood and hollow concrete bases to provide buoyancy. The structures rest on the ground but are not anchored to it; instead they use 15-foot-long mooring posts with sliding rings that allow it to float upwards during floods. All electrical cables, water, and sewage are run through flexible pipes inside the mooring piles. Read the post to learn more and to view images of the innovative homes. [return to top]

Survey Shows Industry Pros Overestimate Cost of Green Construction

According to a recent survey by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), key players in the real estate and construction industries overestimate the costs of green construction, which creates a barrier to more energy efficiency in the building sector. The global survey, with a 1,400-person sample size, found that industry respondents estimate the cost of building green at 17 percent above conventional construction costs—that is more than triple the true cost difference of 5 percent, according to a release by the WBCSD. The survey also found that respondents underestimate greenhouse gas emissions by buildings and that only a fraction had participated directly in a green building project. The survey is part of the WBCSD’s Energy Efficiency in Buildings project, a three-year initiative to assess environmental impacts of buildings and means to achieve zero net energy use for residential and commercial buildings. To learn more about the survey findings, read the release or download the WBCSD report. [return to top]

Building Green for Less

A team of faculty, students, and community organizations in Wisconsin plans to develop a new concept in construction—green housing that doesn’t require as much upfront expense. According to a recent release from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (08/02/07), the team will coordinate with several of Wisconsin’s Native American communities to create affordable and energy-efficient housing on tribal lands by making green technologies work for more affordable applications. The project will train people in green building and development techniques that are usually expensive due to a shortage of trained practitioners and installers. One example is light straw clay, a mixture of straw and clay that can be molded to create highly-efficient and environmentally-friendly walls. Other techniques include planning to incorporate natural land topography, sun position, and water movement. To learn more, read the release.
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Cold Climate Housing Research Center Touts Broad-Based Energy Strategy

According to a recent article in the Fairbanks (AK) Daily News Miner (Stefan Milkowski, 08/18/07), Alaska’s Cold Climate Housing Research Center recently announced plans for its Hybrid Micro Energy Project, which aims to demonstrate the possibility and practicality of using renewable energy for power and heat in homes across the state. The program will explore multiple sources of renewable energy in order to produce electricity and heat year-round, including solar panels that will produce energy during summer, when sunshine is ample; solar thermal units that capture heat even in sub-zero temperatures; a waste-wood burning program; and wind energy. To learn more about the program, read the article. [return to top]

University Researchers Create Debris-Resistant Building Material

According to a UPI wire story posted on the Science Daily website, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researchers are developing a new building material that can help buildings withstand flying debris that can pierce and destroy homes during hurricanes. The material, which uses two layers of strong, fiber-like plastic sandwiching five inches of Styrofoam, is designed to absorb the impact of storm debris flying at speeds up to 130 miles an hour. Initial tests showed that the front sheet of the material was damaged and the Styrofoam cracked, but the side exposed to the home’s resident remained intact, indicating a safe structure. To learn more, read the article. [return to top]

NOWRA Hosts 17th Annual Technical Education Conference & Expo April 7-10

The National Onsite Water Recycling Association (NOWRA) will hold its 2008 Annual Technical Education Conference and Exposition April 7-10 in Memphis, Tenn. The Conference, which will be held at the Memphis Cook Convention Center and Exposition Hall, will provide education in onsite wastewater practices and sessions that will cover the most up-to-date research results and information on federal and state regulations and policy changes. Exhibitors will demonstrate the latest technologies in onsite wastewater treatment. To learn more, visit the NOWRA website or download the Conference notice. [return to top]