Structural Steel:
Commonly used for interior partitioning of commercial buildings, light-gauge steel framing is increasingly being used in residential construction. Compared to solid wood, steel studs are lightweight, dimensionally stable, resistant to insect damage, and of consistent quality.
Cold-rolled steel framing typically contains 20-25% recycled material (10-15% post-consumer content), though some manufacturers have in excess of 90% recycled content. Steel studs are also recyclable at the end of the building’s useful life.
Steel is both the most energy-intensive framing material, on a pound-for-pound basis, and the most recyclable. Overall, the steel industry’s recycling rate is over 60%. Heavy-gauge structural steel framing members, from almost all sources, commonly have greater than 90% recycled content. High-recycled-content steel results in lower impact associated with mining waste and pollution.
Insulated Concrete Form:
Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) is an expanded polystyrene and steel form for the construction of concrete walls that provide superior strength, durability, and energy efficiency over other methods of construction. Its core design creates a solid reinforced concrete wall of uniform thickness, and the stay-in-place expanded polystyrene insulation provides a stable foundation and integrated steel studs for the secure attachment of wall coverings.
The standard PSi4000 ICF is a full 24″ tall by 48″ long and is held together with eight unique steel cross ties made of 11-gauge galvanized welded wire, reinforced on both ends with a 1-1/2″ wide by 21″ tall galvanized steel stud welded to the wire. The resulting combination delivers superior strength and fire resistance for the secure attachment of wall coverings. The studs are recessed 1/2″ below the surface of the form and are identified by vertical lines that run the full height of the form on each side of the studs, which are spaced every 6 inches on center. In the completed wall system, each steel attachment stud is rigidly anchored to the concrete by the galvanized welded steel wire.
Foam Block:
Share in the residential and light commercial building market because they’re quick to assemble and provide excellent energy performance. The insulating core of SIPs is most commonly made from expanded polystyrene (EPS)- not to be confused with extruded polystyrene, which is not ozone safe – though in some cases polyurethane foam, or even compressed straw or mineral wool, is used. SIPs are manufactured in a range of thicknesses providing different R-values-Living Comfort.
- Saving / Increased Home Value
- Structural Strength and Safety
- Construction Advantages
- Environmentally Responsible