Element land planning . engineering . architecture . beyond

Economy, Efficiency, Ease and the Environment.

The methodologies of residential construction have not changed in the last 50 years.  A typical single family home – whether new construction, an addition, or a remodel – starts with a bunch of wood being dropped off to the site.  Sure, there have been plans drawn, a Permit has been granted, and there has been some amount of take-off done, but a truck pulls up, drops off dimensional lumber and the framers have a go at it.  The construction industry is starting to change – in this week’s installment (the seventh in a series) addresses the next portion of the NAHB’s Model Green Guidelines – but also is worthwhile information whether you use this program or not.

The change lies in how walls are built.  Most people, especially builders, understand the efficiency and economy of using factory built trusses and factory built floor systems for construction.  Not only does the builder save time and potentially money, the trusses are stronger and more efficient than conventional framing.  All of these concepts can also be applied to walls – panelized wall systems.

Beginning with the ideas of panelized wall construction, there are several varieties.  Most truss companies are now set up in order to provide wall panels in the same way that floor systems and roof systems are delivered.  Using the electronic plans from the Architect/Designer and Builder, the truss company designs segments of the wall that will work for shipping to the site, produces a plan for the factory to fabricate and then, in a controlled environment, the wall sections are built.  These wall sections are built with rough openings for windows and doors and are labeled ready to assemble in the field.  When delivered, the Builder will have a framing crew that can put the walls together with ease.  The end result is less waste and quick assembly with straighter walls that have a higher quality control aspect to them.  The environmental win lies in less waste because of the factory control and less possibility of trapping wet/damp lumber in a wall that is going to be covered up.

That is a conventional framing system.  But there are new ideas that are gaining ground in the world of panelization (yes, an alternate world…).   One of the most popular on the sustainable side of the table is Structural Insulated Panels (SIP’s).  This technology utilizes panels made from a thick layer of foam (polystyrene or polyurethane) sandwiched between two layers of Oriented Strand Board (OSB), plywood or fiber-cement.  The benefit is increased insulation and more importantly a huge savings of dimensional lumber – there are not studs in the traditional sense – the wall itself is the structure.  The additional benefit is that you don’t have to find a stud to hang a picture – the whole wall will support art, shelves and more.  OSB itself is a product made from “scraps” of wood from various types of trees and they use most of the pieces of the tree.  The resins must be kept in check so as not to use formaldehyde but even when used it is well under the amount allowed by the EPA.  The next step in sustainability up from these SIP’s is to use Agricultural by-products instead of polystyrene or polyurethane.  The use of Compressed Agricultural Fiber panels substitutes wheat and rice by-products treated with Borates to form a dense insulated panel that has a natural pesticide built into it.  This type of thinking accomplishes two sustainable goals.  It uses waste from two industries – lumber production and agriculture. The second goal that is accomplished is keeping the production and products close to the site.  This is an industry that could be placed in almost any area – certainly the Delmarva Peninsula with its prolific Pine plantations and Agri-business, we are uniquely suited to embrace and expand this industry.

The future of environmentally sustainable and healthy construction lies in the use of materials and like-minded technologies discussed above.  We feel that this is not just applicable to those that are “green” focused – it makes sense – common and dollar sense.  By focusing on these efficiencies, the product is produced faster and more economically, the field labor does not have to be as skilled and the build is tighter with less supervision required.  The end result of this paradigm shift allows local businesses to expand or be created to meet these needs and the overall win for the triple bottom line are local jobs and with local jobs and local businesses more of the money stays within the local economy.  Creating community, jobs, and a better product is attainable – and sustainable.