November/December 2018 News

BluBloc has been approved by the International Code Council (ICC) as a building material.

BluBloc is an insulated concrete block (ICB)—sometimes called a “gray block” or “composite ICF”—made from approximately 85% recycled EPS foam mixed with portland cement and other proprietary agents.

The code approval means BluBloc is an approved building product in most areas of the United States, and that building inspectors and code officials can feel confident that the product meets the claimed specifications.

Mike Miner, president of the Portland, Oregon-based company, says, “This will allow everyone working with our block a much easier process with planning departments and building inspectors. Getting our International Code Council approval will provide more opportunities for the industry to utilize our block for all types of projects.”

The ICC-ES evaluation report provides third-party verification that the product meets the following codes: International Residential Code, International Building Code, and International Energy Conservation Code. The comprehensive report is available at iccsafe.org by search for report ESL-1119.

Amvic Inc., the Toronto-based manufacturer of ICFs and other EPS building materials, has redesigned and update their online presence.

The move is one of several that is driven by a new partnership with Tandm Digital Agency, a full service marketing agency also based in Toronto.

“We are dedicated to bringing better, more efficient and sustainable building solutions,” says Patrick McMahon, Amvic’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We are now equipped with the digital tools, optimized for mobile consumption, to bring wider awareness to this better way to build. We are very proud of our website and the work that Tandm has done to provide our customers with the most seamless user experience.”

The new Amvic marketing strategy includes a persona-driven website, search engine marketing, and leveraging the power of social media and content to educate, inform, and train industry professionals.

The newly launched website is designed to be appealing, enjoyable and fun. Information, products and resources are featured in a way that allow users to self-select content based on their needs and level of expertise. This is particularly important in an industry that often times has complex technical content that can sometimes exclude homeowners and the do-it-yourselfers. Now, users of all backgrounds can learn, explore, and choose the best solution for the required application.

The new website will also feature a variety of content pieces—blogs, white papers, product brochures, etc.— allowing users to learn and research information around their projects and potential products to be used. Additionally, users can browse through a gallery of projects and case studies across residential, commercial and agriculture applications.

For the past two years, the National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA) has been promoting ICFs as part of their Build with Strength campaign aimed at increasing concrete construction in the mid-rise sector.

As part of that effort, NRMCA is hosting a series of developer-centered roundtables across the country. “This is all about attracting developers and building owners to the value of ICFs,” says Andy Lennox, chairman of the ICF Manufacturers Association, which is collaborating with NRMCA to organize the events. “We are also promoting the events to architects, but the primary audience is the developer.”

Each two-day event will include tours of commercial ICF projects, both under construction and completed. The keynote speaker will be an experienced developer who has used ICF in the past and is willing to talk about his experience.

Lennox says, “Historically, this has been difficult, as developers usually don’t want to share costs with other developers, but the NRMCA is really working to change that.”

The goal is that the experienced ICF developer will spark the interest of other attendees, who can then be referred to Build With Strength’s design assistance program, which offers up to $10,000 of design assistance to reconfigure their plans to ICF.

The first event, held in Milwaukee on October 17-18, included a tour of Walker’s Landing, an ICF apartment building. Speakers were Ryan Bedford, the developer; Mark Ginsberg, a well-known ICF architect, and Kevin Bush, the contractor.

The next event is slated for Dallas in mid-November. Guests will stay at an ICF hotel (Springhill Suites, featured in the November 2017 issue of this magazine), tour two ICF schools, Kerr Middle School and Nola Dunn Elementary (featured in the March 2014 issue), and the all-ICF Trinity United Methodist Church (see the Nov. 2015 issue). Speakers include Cameron Ware, a well-known ICF expert based in the area; three architects, the hotel developer, and an architect of ICF schools.

The third roundtable will be held in Gilbert, Arizona in early February, where attendees can learn about energy efficient ICF hotels, schools and churches in the Phoenix region. It will include tours of two ICF hotels, one completed and one under construction, as well as an ICF school.

For more information on attending any of these developer roundtables, or to inquire about hosting one in your area, please contact Andy Lennox at ICFMA.

Earlier this spring, Dow Building Solutions announced that all of their Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) foam
plants in the United States have transitioned to Polymeric Flame
Retardant Technology, an alternative
to HBCD.

The U.S. is the last major market to transition. Japan made the switch in 2014, followed by Europe in 2015, Canada in 2016 and United States in 2017.
This phased conversion process ensured product availability met regional
market demands.

Polymeric Flame Retardant Technology was invented by Dow as replacement to hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a common flame retardant with a less favorable environmental profile. HBCD is still used in EPS products, including ICF.

For more than a year, BuildBlock Building Systems has offered an in-depth ICF training course online. The video-based course begins with a comprehensive “Basic ICF Installer Training Course” that takes each participant through the entire ICF construction process. This first module is about eight hours of instruction.

Since that time, new modules have been added. The latest, released this summer, is “Pouring an ICF Project.” Segments cover concrete mix design, testing for slump, developing a plan for pour day, the importance of pouring in lifts, teamwork, and how to ensure success in problematic areas such as corners, lintels, and Ts.

“I’ve always known we are in the education business, not just the manufacturing business,” says Mike Garrett, president of BuildBlock. “This training site builds on the installation video series we have been releasing for the past year and takes it to the next level.”

To access any course, users simply create a user profile, register for the course and take it at their own pace.

This spring, the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) elected a new slate of officers during its annual convention. The new chairman is Rodney Grogan of MCC Materials, Inc, Ridgeland, Mississippi. Elected vice chairman was William Sandbrook of U.S. Concrete, Inc., Euless, Texas, and the secretary/treasurer is John Carew, Carew Concrete & Supply Co., Appleton, Wisconsin. Carew is a long-time proponent of ICFs, using a vertical system to build his personal residence a few years ago.

Each of the three new officers has begun serving a one-year term which concludes at NRMCA’s 2019 convention, to be held March 5–7 at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Fla.