Architectural Products, 5/1/05
Contractor Follows LEED To Efficiency
Architectural Products, 5/1/05
Contractor Follows LEED To Efficiency
Challenge: Create an energy-efficient office and warehouse building for a construction company in Wisconsin so it uses sufficient sustainable-design concepts that the project can be certified by the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Criteria: The project for The Boldt Co.’s Wisconsin River Valley office in Stevens Point, Wis., needed to project an attractive image while achieving its sustainable design goals. This included creating a facade that could combine a variety of materials while providing a highly energy-efficient design. Boldt Technical Services designed the facility, while Oscar J. Boldt Construction served as general contractor.
Influences: “Our clients want their buildings to be environmentally friendly and are requesting designers and contractors have a thorough understanding of sustainability and knowledge of the alternatives available that reduce negative impacts on the environment,” says Tom Boldt, CEO.
Solution: The building’s facade features brick, glass and architectural recast concrete panels, which clad the 12,000-square-foot warehouse section of the building. The sandwich insulated panels feature an interior 8-inch wythe of concrete, four inches of insulation and an exterior 2-inch panel joined to ensure the insulation remains in place while providing both interior and exterior finishes. The panels’ interior wythe support the bar-joist roof, eliminating the need for a supporting framework for the panels, which significantly reduced material needs. The precast panels, produced by The Spancrete Group in Waukesha, Wis. Helped the building achieve its LEED certification through attributes beyond its high insulating value and thermal mass. The panels were manufactured close to the facility, cutting the energy needed to transport the material to the site. Precast panels also can incorporate recycled materials, including previously used concrete. And admixtures such as fly ash can be used to replace a portion of the high-energy cement needed to create concrete. The use of precise panels reduces the material needed in production because precise mix designs and tighter tolerances are provided. Contact www.spancrete.com.