Korwall Industries, Inc.

Date ant Time:  July 30, 2011  8:00am

Tour Guide:  Stan Dimmick, President

                      Korwall Industries, Inc.

Korwall Industries, Inc. is a small business engaged in the manufacture of structural insulated sandwich panels.  The company was started in 1962 by Stan Dimmick.  Stan mentioned the problems they initially had with inspectors accepting his panel system since they were accustomed to wood stud construction and these panels had no interior structural wood studs.  All codes now accept these panels as an alternate building system.

The panels are constructed of One (1) pound density expanded polystyrene sandwiched between two layers of wafer board (oriented strand board) skins.  The expanded polystyrene has an R-Factor of 4 per inch giving these panels excellent insulating properties.

typical panels

Homes manufactured with this system can have various roof configurations including hip, gable, gambrel and mansard.  This construction system makes for a very tight building having been tested to a negative air pressure of only ½ air change per hour.  This compares with conventional home construction at 4 air changes per hour.  This results in added energy efficiency.  Stan recommends using a good quality insulated window in the building envelope.

The panels are manufactured in dimensions of 8 ft x 24 ft.  The thicknesses are nominal dimensions as per conventional construction such that a 4 inch panel is really 3.5 inches.  Stan estimates that the panels are 4x stronger than conventional wall studs.  In the construction of a building, each panel has its own drawing also showing location of electrical outlets and any necessary penetrations.  The joining of the panels are done with one panel having a male wood spline and the adjoining panel having an indentation.

Following are photos showing the procedure for making the panels.  You have 45 minutes from the time you lay the catalyst to putting the panels in the press under pressure in order to adhere the skins to the expanded polystyrene.

rolles for applying adhesive to the panels

skins are bonded to the polystyrene under pressure

The structural and insulating properties of these panels make them suited for exterior walls and roof construction.  An 8 inch panel used for roof construction can clear span 16 feet with a 27 lb per square foot loading.  They are not used for second story floor construction as there is no necessary for an insulating panel inside a conditioned space.  Also, ground floor construction is more cost effective using a concrete slab on grade.  If panels are used for floor construction they need to be overlaid to prevent puncture.  6 inch panels have been used in the Gulf Coast and are able to withstand 120 mph wind loads.  The panels come with a lifetime guarantee. (not including damage from floods or abuse)

typical construction using sandwich panels

connection of roof to wall system

At the present time the wafer boards can be recycled but the expanded polystyrene is used for filler material for packing.

Following is the web page for Korwall Industries:

www.korwall.com

Green Phoenix Farms - Aquaponics

Date and Time:  July 26, 2011  7:30pm

Presenter:  Adam Cohen

                  Green Phoenix Farms

Adam received his B.S. in Marine Biology and his B.S. in Marine Fisheries.  He has been in business for about a year and recently received his business license 6 weeks ago. 

Adam gave us a comparison between Hydroponics and Aquaculture.  With Hydroponics, you can produce great yields, control every factor and grow plants without soil but the nutrient solutions tend to be very expensive as they can be used for only 2 or 3 weeks and then they need to be drained from the system or they become toxic to the plants.  Aquaponics is the bridge between hydroponics and aquaculture.  It is a naturally balanced system in an artificial environment.  Water circulates from the fish pond, gets detoxified by the plants and then goes back to the fish pond.  The waste from the fish is converted to fertilizer that feeds the plants.  Following is a short video on hydroponic lettuce production.

Adam’s inspiration for becoming involved in Aquaponics came from Will Allen of ‘Growing Power’ located in Milwaukee which is a community based urban farm that grows food for local groceries and restaurants.  Will has been in operation for 24 years and currently has 60 full time staff.  He also teaches people to be self sufficient through Aquaponics.  Following is a short video of his operation:

Another source of information on Aquaponics can be obtained from Travis Hughey: Barrelponics.  Travis uses 55 gallon drums for his system.  Adam patterned his 750 gallon prototype system from Travis’ design and also uses 55 gallon drums that have been cut in half.  He has 60 square feet of growbed space and raises approximately 100 pounds of Tilapia fish.  He wants to develop a version of his system for developing countries.

Adam's backyard 750 gallon system

There are three types of Aquaculture systems currently in use:

• Ebb and Flow:  water level goes up and down
• If you aerate the water you don’t need to change the water level and the plants do better.
• Continuous Flood:  tank is on bottom
• Raft Style:  similar to traditional hydroponic system with tank at end

Raft Style system

Plants grow bigger, faster and stronger in Aquaponics.  They have not found a plant that will not grow with Aquaponics.  Pineapples have been grown.  Even a papaya tree was grown that produced large papayas.  You are only limited by the seeds that you can obtain.  1 pound of fish will need 4 gallons of water and a 1 gallon fishtank will fertilize a 2 gallon growbed.

In DFW there is the DFW Aquaponics group that meets once a month.

Following is a link to their web page:

http://www.meetup.com/dfwaquaponics/

Whiz-Q Stone - Water Harvesting

Date ant Time:  July 26, 2011  6:30pm

Presenter:  Matt Reed

                  Whiz-Q Stone

Matt made a strong case for rainwater harvesting.  1 inch of rain on 1 acre generates 27,000 gallons of water.  Unfortunately, harvesting is not economically feasible in DFW due to the low cost and availability of water.  However, it is feasible in locations such as El Paso and areas where digging wells is not feasible due to the quality of water in the water table.  The current draught conditions have also caused some farmers to look at providing their livestock with water from water harvesting.  In Austin you will see many rainwater harvesting systems in suburban residences.

Matt demonstrating the Design Calculator

More and more we are seeing that there is a limited supply of fresh water and in many cases demand is outpacing supply.  Water conservation is becoming a key in many municipalities such as Tucson where water rights have been curtailed and where rainwater harvesting is necessary.  Rainwater harvesting can be used for:

• Landscape irrigation for your lawn and flower beds
• Topping off swimming pools and hot tubs
• Toilet and laundry water supply (where allowed by code)
• Washing your car, patio or deck.

Water storage tanks are available in metal, plastic and concrete.  Matt showed us the ‘Aquablox’ Tank Storage Module which is a lightweight structural catchment system which can create almost any shape and size reservoir.  It is also a structural box that can withstand car loading up to 38 psi.  It is manufactured from 85% recycled Polypropylene and is unaffected by molds, algae, soil-bourne chemicals and bacteria.  The system can be used along with a permeable patio paver.  Installation instructions for this system can be found at:  http://www.rainxchange.com/downloads/aquablox-water-matrix-manual.pdf

the Aquablox Tank Storage Module

Aquablox 1,500 Gallon System

Aquablox System Installation

Storm water runoff is the #1 cause of coastal pollution.  Aging infrastructure in many cities cannot handle large storm surges; therefore, managing storm water becomes a high priority.  In Chicago, mitigation of storm water runoff has become a high priority due to the fact that Chicago does not have separate storm and sewage drain piping.  One piping system serves both which can cause overflow at sewage treatment plants and has resulted in release of sewage into rivers and Lake Michigan.  As a result of this the EPA has fined the City.  There are now strict storm water retention and harvesting requirements there.  Chicago has installed 9 Million square feet of permeable pavers in the last 5 years to control runoff.

Matt also demonstrated a Design Calculator which gives you the projected rainfall in your area by month and then calculates your rainwater storage requirements based on your water use.  This is available at:  http://www.rainxchange.com/calculator.php

Following is a link to their web page:

http://www.rainxchange.com/

Enviroglas

Date and Time:  July 23, 2011 at 12 Noon

Presenters:  Tim Whaley – Founder

                   Esteban Diaz - Operations

                   Enviroglas

‘Enviroglas’ considers themselves a ‘boutique product’.  Their product is recycled ground glass embedded in a quick hardening pigmented polymer based epoxy resin.  Much of this glass comes from the City of Plano which has a glass crushing machine.  Utilizing this 100 % post-consumer glass keeps the material out of landfills.

The installation procedure for Enviroglas is similar to working with terrazzo and workmen are able to use the same type of tools.  The epoxy resin has no volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) so workmen don’t have to use respirators.  They also use‘sand’ made of crushed glass which is combined with the resin.  The ground glass is categorized by color, size, weight and shape.  The mixture is troweled in and polished in a two-step process.  First with wet polishing and then finalized by dry polishing.  The final polishing brings out the color of the glass.  The material is also easy to repair on site.

This material is being used for floors (Enviroplank), countertops (Enviroslab), ceiling panels as well as interior wall panels. It is not recommended for outdoor use as UV rays will degrade the epoxy resin.  Another product they have is called ‘Enviroscape’ which is using recycled glass as a landscaping material.  Commercial installations are their best customers and DFW International Airport as well as Dallas Love Field are using their flooring product.

Following is a link to their website:

http://enviroglasproducts.com/index.asp

Urban Reserve

Date and Time:  July 23, 2011 at 10:00am

Presenter:  Diane Cheatham

                  Urban Reserve

This is a development of single family homes designed by recognized architects.  The development plan uses a concept of ‘ribbons of landscape’ as a unifying force.  There are areas set aside as green areas.  Lot square footage range from 5,000 to 14,000 square feet.  The least expensive lot is $125,000.  The minimum square footage of a home is 1,200 square feet with a maximum being 8,000 square feet.  

view showing one of the water retention ponds

The development includes front yard setbacks of only 10 feet and streets use rollover curbs.  There are two retention ponds in the development to catch runoff.  Rain gardens are also used to filter out heavy metals from rainwater.  Their homeowner’s association guidelines, which can be found online, include a list of plants that are drought tolerant and native to the area.  LEED certification is a requirement for any home constructed in this development.  There have been 16 homes built so far.

Diane is a proponent of using a geothermal system as being the most cost effective for heating and air conditioning with a relatively short payback.  Water conserving fixtures is also one of her recommendations as is composting to minimize trash going to the landfill.  The question of having a ‘community garden’ came up, but this would require re-zoning one of the lots for commercial use which is presently not an option.

Following is a link to the web page:

http://urbanreserve.net/

Living Earth

Date and Time:  July 23, 2011 at 8:00am

Presenter:  Paul Tomaso

                 Living Earth

Living Earth is the largest provider of mulch, compost and other landscaping materials in Texas with 19 locations.  It also recycles green material.  The company began operations in 1985 out of Houston.  Its clients include homeowners, nurseries and landscaping contractors.  Their products include mulches, compost, blended soils, stone, gravel and river rock.  They are the largest recycler of tree limbs, brush, leaves and grass clippings in Texas.

Their operations also include the grinding up of wood pallets.  This product is used as fuel for high temperature boilers but is not used for mulch.  Utilizing this fuel is supposedly cheaper than using natural gas.

wood pallets that will be ground up for fuel

The use of mulch is very advantageous in a climate such as we have in northeast Texas.  At a temperature of about 140 degrees F, plant root systems shut down.  A 3 inch layer of mulch helps bring down the soil temperature in the hot summer months.  It also helps to retain moisture.  In the winter, it serves as an insulating layer helping to retain warmth in the soil. 

The company also has 3 manufacturing plants in Texas for the bagging of organic soils.  Albertson’s and Kroger markets sell the bagged product.  Living Earth’s operation is a seasonal business with most demand occurring during the spring months.

Following is the link to their web page:

http://www.livingearth.net/

Axiom Sustainable Consulting

Date and Time:  July 19, 2011 at 7:00pm

Presenter:  Michael Kawecki

                  Axiom Sustainable Consulting

Michael gave us an interesting presentation on the US Green Building Council and LEED.

 

 The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is a coalition of the country’s foremost leaders from across the building industry, promoting buildings that are:

• Environmentally responsible.
• Economically profitable.
• Healthy places to live and work.

Who is the USGBC?

 Members include building owners and end-users, real estate developers, facility managers, architects, designers, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, product and building system manufacturers, government agencies and non-profits.

What is LEED?  (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

• A nationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
• A voluntary, consensus based rating system.
• Promotes a whole building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health.

 LEED was created to:

• Facilitate positive results for the environment, occupant health and financial return.
• Define green by providing a standard for measurement.
• Prevent greenwashing.
• Promote a whole building, integrated design processes.

 What does USGBC certify?

• Does not certify, endorse or promote products, services or companies.
• Does not track, list or report data related to products and their environmental qualities.
• It is up to project teams to determine which products are most appropriate for credit achievement and program requirements
• Buildings are certified, individuals are accredited.

To get a perspective on the magnitude of upgrades and new sustainable construction that will be required:

• Buildings are the largest contributor to global warming
• Consume 40% of total US energy consumption for building operations
• Consume 8% of total US energy for building construction
• Building operations account for 43% of total annual US greenhouse gas emissions
• 150 billion square feet will be remodeled in next 30 years
• 150 billion square feet will be constructed in next 25-30 years
• ¾ of building stock will be remodeled/rebuilt in next 30 years

 Following is a link to Axiom Consulting and the ‘Green Associate Candidate Handbook’ which is a free publication that can be downloaded.

http://www.axiomsustainable.com/

http://www.gbci.org/main-nav/professional-credentials/resources/candidate-handbooks.aspx