Connect with experts at this interactive booth to address your concrete production, soil, waterproofing and flooring challenges.

CHRYSO & GCP will showcase its portfolio of solutions for the entire concrete construction journey at World of Concrete 2024. In addition, GCP Specialty Building Materials will feature its waterproofing and soil conditioning systems. Visit Booth #S11827 for live admixture demonstrations, hands on displays of high-performance innovations, and the unveiling of a new mobile solution.

“As World of Concrete celebrates 50 years, we are proud to present our 100 years of proven concrete solutions,” said CHRYSO & GCP Sustainability Program Manager Lisa Barnard. “We have developed an interactive booth to immerse attendees in our sustainability journey of high-performance solutions. Experience our admixture solutions alongside our soil conditioning, waterproofing, leak sealing and engineered slab systems, all in one exhibit. We invite visitors to stop by to sip an espresso, and share their current concrete challenges with us, so that we can partner together to deliver the ideal solutions, to achieve both business and sustainable objectives.” 

All proudly part of the SAINT-GOBAIN family, CHRYSO & GCP, (SAINT-GOBAIN Construction Chemicals) and GCP Specialty Building Materials, provide customers with compatible, comprehensive one-stop system solutions for the bottom to the top of a structure. CHRYSO & GCP provide a vast depth of technical knowledge, decades of R&D expertise, alongside a portfolio of concrete admixtures and cement additives designed to help customers achieve carbon reduction through the efficient and cost-effective use of materials. GCP has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. They have been known for creating product categories and award-winning solutions, including proven waterproofing and fireproofing systems for concrete. Together, they are combining performance and CO2 reduction to revolutionize the way the construction industry builds.

Solutions Showcased at World of Concrete 2024:

• Clinker reduction for cement production 
• Cement reduction & replacement in concrete production 
• Solutions to optimize local resources, reduce supply costs and decrease carbon footprint, fostering a circular economy 
• Solutions for enhanced concrete durability: mitigate cracking, soil stabilization, waterproofing, and engineered slab systems
• In-transit concrete management system
• Proprietary mobile phone app specifically used by CHRYSO & GCP team members, allowing them to pre-quantify the CO2 impact of various customer mix designs

Visit booth #S11827 to explore the latest advancements in sustainable concrete solutions. The industry leaders invite you to kick-back in their hospitality lounge, while witnessing how their inventive solutions reduce the CO2 footprint of cement and concrete, enhance durability, and contribute to the circular economy. Follow the CHRYSO and GCP LinkedIn channels for daily schedules of demonstrations.

About Saint-Gobain Businesses
Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals offers cement additives, concrete admixtures and the VERIFI® in-transit concrete management system through the combined solutions of CHRYSO and GCP. The integration of the two companies creates a vast depth of R&D expertise and technical know-how, alongside recent technologies for sustainable construction that help reduce energy consumption, lower the carbon footprint of cements and concrete and foster the circular economy. Leveraging its global manufacturing presence, Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals serves its customers through local sites in over 40 countries, employing over 2,700 people.

GCP Specialty Building Materials is a leading global provider of high-performance specialty building materials. The company’s product portfolio includes proven waterproofing systems, fireproofing, air & vapor barriers and more to strengthen and protect buildings long-term. GCP partners with contractors, architects, and engineers to achieve performance and sustainability goals. The company has a legacy of first to market and award-winning solutions that have been used to build some of the world’s most renowned structures. GCP is focused on continuous improvement for its customers, end-users, and the environment. For more information, visit GCP's website at www.gcpat.com.

By Lisa Barnard, LEED AP, WELL AP, GCP.

The durability of concrete has made it ubiquitous in the building industry. See how we can improve its sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint.

Concrete is a mixture of cement, water and aggregates and includes admixtures. The production of cement contributes an estimated 85-90 percent of concrete’s carbon footprint. 

CO₂ is produced during a chemical reaction that takes place when cement is being manufactured. In addition, the high-heat kilns used to produce cement run on fossil fuels, which results in more CO₂ emissions. 

The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has aligned leaders in the industry to commit to producing carbon neutral concrete by 2050 and has created a 2050 Net Zero Roadmap. Many manufacturers have made public commitments to significantly reduce net CO₂ emissions. 

In addition, building owners are understandably demanding a significant reduction in embodied carbon in their structures. That is, the overall energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a building, from the mining and processing of natural resources to manufacturing, transport and product delivery. For example, when Arizona State University set out to build a high performance research facility to house its School of Sustainability, it required a 40 percent reduction in the cement content in the concrete.  

Improving the sustainability of cement and concrete 

What if you could actually reduce the amount of carbon in concrete throughout the product lifecycle? This means taking into account every stage of the concrete development process, from the design of the infrastructure, to the materials that go into making concrete, the delivery of the concrete and the service life of the resulting concrete structure.  

There are tremendous opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete throughout its lifecycle by:

Lowering the amount of cement needed in concrete 

The less cement needed in the concrete mix, the more CO₂ is reduced. Cement reductions can be achieved in two ways: 

• Using concrete admixtures called water reducers that allow you to achieve higher strength concrete with less cement in the mix 
• Using concrete admixtures called strength enhancers that allow for the use of more raw materials that are alternatives to cement, while preserving concrete strength 

For example, CHRYSO & GCP’s EnviroMix® SE is an inventive strength enhancer offering for concrete that reduces the cement factor by approximately 10%, in addition to the water reducer, while maintaining premium concrete quality and performance. Water reducers are a powerful solution to reduce cement factor, but they can reach limits. EnviroMix® SE is a powerful solution to further reduce cement, cost and carbon by increasing the strength of concrete. This next generation admixture solution combines high performance and carbon footprint reduction, to accelerate the pace of low carbon transition in the construction industry.

Reducing rejected concrete loads through the automation of slump management 

The consistency of concrete can fall out of specification during the delivery process for many reasons, causing it to be rejected when it arrives at the job site. This inefficiency costs concrete producers money and creates waste.

When the concrete is on the job site, the contractor will often add extra water to make the concrete more workable. However, this can weaken the concrete.  

The VERIFI® in-transit concrete management system is the first ever technology to address these inefficiencies in the concrete delivery process by actively managing concrete from batch plant to job site.  

The automated system encompasses in-truck sensors, injection hoses and data intelligence. It collects real-time data about the concrete properties as the concrete batch travels to the job site, and automatically adds exactly the right amount of water and admixture, as needed and if necessary, to keep and deliver the concrete as it was specified. This results in higher quality concrete being delivered to the job site, with far fewer rejected concrete loads, less water and admixtures consumed, and less fuel and time wasted driving back and forth with replacement batches of concrete.  

Extending the life of concrete structures 

An important factor in understanding embodied carbon is determining the service life of the concrete structure itself. Obviously, improving the durability of concrete has a sizable impact on how long the structure will last, and thereby an impact on the structure’s carbon footprint. There are several solutions to concrete that can increase the service life of structures: 

• Air entraining agents create small air bubbles in concrete, which provides pressure relief when water in the concrete expands during freezing. This helps prevent cracking. 
• Corrosion inhibiting admixtures create a chemical barrier that protects steel reinforcement within concrete. 
• Macro-fibers are lightweight synthetic materials that are dispersed into the concrete mix to improve impact resistance, durability and longterm crack control properties.

Enabling concrete and cement producers to reduce their carbon footprint and extend the life of their projects makes an exponential difference around the world. New technologies for sustainable construction play a critical role in helping to reduce energy consumption, lower the carbon footprint of cements and concrete and foster the circular economy. In the pursuit to be carbon neutral by 2050 in the concrete industry, solutions must not only reduce carbon throughout the lifecycle of concrete, but also reduce costs and deliver performance.  

By GCP.

GCP solves fireproofing challenges for Boston’s historic air-rights project.

Cities are building up instead of out, presenting new challenges for today’s construction. One example is Boston’s historic Parcel 12 development. The project is building on air-rights over the Massachusetts Turnpike, covering the surrounding streets and utilities. An air-rights project hasn’t been built in Boston since the Copley Place mall in 1984.  

The development is 450,000 square feet of commercial space, featuring two high-rise steel towers with a central plaza and retail space in between. The Parcel 12 centerpiece is the deck, consisting of 520 tons of steel across eight Turnpike lanes and the commuter rail. 

The $700-million project will knit together Boston’s Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods as well as connect the South End and the City of Cambridge. Parcel 12 is designed to address nearby public infrastructure needs, while also providing safe connections around one of the busiest transportation corridors in the city. Construction is scheduled to last through 2023.Cities are building up instead of out, presenting new challenges for today’s construction.  

As Parcel 12 is building on air-rights over one of the busiest stretches of highway in New England, construction is extremely complicated. It requires closing one highway lane in each direction in the area of construction as the steel beams and concrete slabs are erected to form a deck over the Turnpike. 

Rolling roadblocks on the Turnpike provided construction crews with a 15-minute window to place each beam into position and bolt it into place. These pockets of limited time presented a challenge for fireproofing of the steel beams and concrete slabs. When having to adhere to traffic closure schedules, traditional onsite application of fireproofing could have taken much longer to complete and would have presented a problem for the building owners and other stakeholders. 

The solution 

The high profile Parcel 12 project selected GCP’s innovative construction solution and product to accelerate the fireproofing of the deck’s steel beams and concrete planks. A growing building technique, GCP has adopted the use of off-site construction to fireproof today’s complex construction projects. 

Off-site application of fireproofing for commercial construction introduces some challenges, and has not been the standard method of construction in the Boston market. It is not a simple process, as there are risks when transporting these enormous beams and slabs hundreds of miles with a freshly applied layer of fireproofing on them. GCP conducted extensive testing, and a mock-up beam was sprayed and transported down to Boston to ensure their durable MONOKOTE® fireproofing product can be applied off-site and withstand transporting on major highways and rural New England roads. 

GCP worked closely with the project’s General Contractor, fire protection engineers and application teams throughout the entire process, from years of pre-construction planning, to site visits, to final installation. GCP’s MONOKOTE® Fireproofing was installed onto the steel beams in Canada and on the concrete planks in Vermont. The fireproofed members were then delivered to Boston and were carefully inspected by a team of engineers. The beams and slabs passed all inspections with no need for repairs. They were then erected over the Turnpike, and inspected again, with limited disruption of the flow of traffic into and out of the city. The fireproofing was completed in only six months; a traditional application methodology would have taken much longer and extended the construction schedule. Rather than being part of a problem GCP offered a solution.  

“Ambitious projects bring significant engineering challenges, and Parcel 12 is as ambitious as they come,” said Eric Montplaisir, P.E., principal fire protection engineer. “Engineering the fireproofing system for the air-rights portion of the project required consideration of the environment, hazards and also application restrictions. We were able to address the various challenges through the use of Monokote Z-156T along with innovative application techniques to minimize the traffic impacts to the residents of the city.” 

This efficient building technique is new in Boston and not common for the United States. Off-site construction provides significant time and cost savings as well as waste reduction, buffering of supply chain delays, among other benefits. The use of off-site construction by GCP to fireproof the Parcel 12 project addressed the critical challenge of the air-rights project over the Turnpike, limiting traffic disruption while completing the fireproofing part of the project on schedule. 

With over 70 years of proven performance in the field, GCP is applying their MONOKOTE® fireproofing to new construction innovations. Now Boston’s massive Parcel 12 project will be protected with the highest grade of performance like other prominent projects, such as New York City's Freedom Tower.  

By GCP. 

GCP and CertainTeed deliver comprehensive residential portfolio to provide more versatile solutions for builders  

Discover the perfect synergy between GCP and CertainTeed's residential portfolio as PJ Antonik, Host of Heart of Oak TV and owner and CEO of Oak Development & Design, showcases their transformative integration during a walkthrough of their booth at the International Builders’ Show 2023.  

Experience the comprehensive system that combines the strengths of CertainTeed and GCP's building products, resulting in superior performance, enhanced protection and exceptional value. With a diverse range of tailor-made solutions for various environments, builders gain access to the best options to meet their specific application needs. Embrace the future of construction innovation with GCP and CertainTeed. Check out some of the products that are enhancing home renovation projects on a daily basis: 

For example, GCP's VYCOR® enV-S™ self-adhered weather resistive barrier that does not require mechanical fasteners to secure in place, utilizes the latest in residential building science to create an air-tight, yet “breathable” home and achieves the highest product performance available. VYCOR® enV-S™ also resists damage due to jobsite conditions and wind. For roofing protection, GCP's GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® pairs with CertainTeed's latest roofing products to form one water-tight solution. 

From the walls, to the roof, together GCP and CertainTeed are committed to translate cutting-edge science into solutions for their customers. 

Original article source: GCP

By GCP Applied Technologies.

Students build smarter and safer homes for Habitat for Humanity.

It is no secret that the construction industry, like many industries, is facing challenges such as labor shortages, rising material costs and the need for faster project delivery. The modular construction system has been gaining acceptance as it presents a viable solution to address these challenges by optimizing labor resources, reducing on-site construction time and improving project predictability. 

The educators at Weitz Construction Academy at Seminole Ridge High School in Loxahatchee, Florida have been practicing modular construction long before it became popular. The construction team at the Academy has been teaching and emphasizing the important role modular construction will play in the industry for years. Not only do they believe that modular construction will continue to grow with the advancement of technology and improved industry practices, the offsite construction system solves challenges for the Academy’s Habitat for Humanity home projects. 

In May of 2023, they completed their tenth modular house for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County. The houses built by the Academy’s students provide weather protected homes for hardworking families in Palm Beach County. The Habitat houses are 1,200 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths and come with a set of challenges for the staff and students to solve.

The story of Habitat House #10

The 1,200 square foot house is a labor of love, built by 170 construction students. The house was carefully built in modular sections by the students in the school’s workshop.

As the students built the house they consider many challenges and work together to uncover the solutions. One challenge is that the siding is installed on the modular house at the jobsite. Thus, the house is exposed to highway speed winds without the protection of siding when it is transported from the school’s workshop to the Habitat jobsite.

Another challenge that the student team focused on is the changing and dynamic weather in Florida. Tropical storms and hurricane seasons have intensified in recent years. The uncertainty of Mother Nature often causes construction weather delays, and most importantly — completed houses need to withstand the worst weather, no matter their size. 

One of the Academy's supporters, GCP, assists the students to help solve these challenges. For over eight years, the leading global provider of building materials has partnered with the Academy to provide needed products and educate their students. GCP’s residential building materials play a critical role in the modular construction process as well as the long term durability of the home against Florida’s extreme weather conditions.

The donation of GCP’s GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® HT self-adhered roofing underlayment was easily applied in the workshop, providing premium performance for the modular house’s roofing system, as it seals to itself at overlaps, seals to the roof deck and seals around the fasteners used to attach the shingles. All of these features help prevent water from leaking into a home, even in Florida’s rainy and windy climate. 

In addition, GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® HT was the only roof covering on the modular roof sections until they were delivered to the jobsite. The premier self-adhered roofing kept the modules dry while they sat outside of the workshop for months.

GCP also donated their VYCOR® Pro flashing and VYCOR®enV-S™, a self-adhered weather barrier that seals to the substrate. As the siding on the modular house had to be installed at the jobsite, the house needed to be transported from the school’s workshop to the Habitat jobsite without the protection of siding, exposing the house to highway speed winds.  VYCOR® enV-S™ resists damage due to jobsite conditions and wind. It also provides a longer term building envelope protector to keep the finished interiors dry until the Habitat team can install the siding at the jobsite.

"My observations of GCP's products are that the VYCOR® enV-S™ weather resistive barrier and the VYCOR® Pro flashing are miracle products, even when installed by novice high school students,” said Co-Founder of the Weitz Construction Academy & Architect David Porter. “The GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® HT roofing underlayment is slip resistant and remains firmly in place during transport of the modular home. In addition, VYCOR® enV-S™ passes our highway wind test each time. The truck drivers put the weather barrier to the test by hitting the highway at 70 mph during the trip. We call it our ‘category 1 hurricane test’ and the weather barrier survived nicely, without a hint of peeling away.”

Once House #10 was delivered to the jobsite, the modules were carefully placed on its foundation, shingles and other finishing touches were then installed. The modular construction process provided multiple benefits:

The elimination of weather delays 

By conducting the majority of the home construction inside the school’s workshop, they did not have to work around Mother Nature’s schedule.  

Safer construction

The indoor construction environment reduced the risks of accidents and related liabilities for the students.

A better build

According to the Modular Home Builders Association, modular houses have proven to be more resilient than on-site built construction. The reason for their strength is each module is engineered to independently withstand the stresses of transportation and the module-to-module combination of the units provides a rigid system. Building offsite also provides improved quality management. As a result, the use of the modular construction process and premium building products have provided a safe and stable place for these new homeowners.  

Porter, the architect for all ten of the Weitz Construction Academy houses, added: “The design of the house modules and dried in roof sections all had to be structurally independent and stronger than if they had been built stick-by-stick on the foundation at the jobsite. In modular construction completed modules are raised 60 feet into the air by a crane to load onto tractor-trailers and then off loaded at the jobsite to place them on the foundation walls and center support piers. The process is more like designing a water-tight boat that gets lifted with harnesses than a traditional house.”

The spectacular site of House #10’s modules being delivered to the home’s site and hoisted up into the air to be placed on the foundation attracted the community and local TV news. Not only does the program place a spotlight on the student’s hard work and construction collaboration, it shines a light on community collaboration.

“I love our partnership with the Weitz Construction Academy as it assists the community as well as contributes to the training of the next generation in construction,” said GCP Senior Manager of Residential Product Management Brian Chang. “This is exactly what building product manufacturers should do.”

The modular construction market is projected to continue expanding as more developers, contractors and clients recognize the benefits it offers in terms of time, cost, quality and sustainability. After the experience of building at least four modular houses, the graduates of Weitz Construction Academy will be well prepared to support its growth, thanks to their forward-thinking teachers.

By Cayden Wemple.  

GCP Applied Technologies has partnered with the Weitz Construction Academy at a Florida high school to create an opportunity for high schoolers to learn construction skills. 

For five years strong, GCP Applied Technologies has worked with the Weitz Construction Academy at Seminole Ridge High School in Loxahatchee, Florida to advance the skills of students who want to earn experience in the construction field. In 2019 and 2020, using products GCP donated, the Weitz Construction Academy students were tasked with building two new homes for Habitat for Humanity. These homes were 1,206 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths. 

Challenges 

Transportation, scheduling and creating a classroom environment on-site incurred time and expenses, but it was also crucial to ensure student safety at the build site. Tasks had to be finished at each job site, leaving exposed sections vulnerable during transportation. In addition to all of this, Florida's changing weather, with intensified tropical storms and hurricanes, caused delays and emphasized the need for houses that withstand severe weather conditions. 

To tackle these obstacles, the Weitz Construction Academy adopted modular construction methods for the project. Students built modular sections in their workshop, then transported them to jobsites for final assembly. By using this method, the students avoided weather delays as well as the dangers of the jobsite itself. To protect their work during transportation, they utilized GCP Applied Technologies' self-adhered weather barrier products. 

Solutions 

GCP's VYCOR® enV-S™ weather barrier addressed the transportation challenge in modular construction. Without siding, the homes had to endure highway speed winds during transport from the workshop to the Habitat job sites. The fully adhered VYCOR® enV-S™ weather barrier sealed to the substrate, resisting damage and passed the highway wind test. 

The donation of GCP's GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® self-adhered roofing underlayment also played a vital role. Applied in the workshop, it served as temporary roof covering, ensuring premium weather barrier protection for the modular houses' roofing systems. It sealed to itself, the roof deck, and around fasteners, preventing water leakage even in Florida's rainy and windy climate.

By GCP.

GCP is educating the next generation with hands on experience.

For eight years, GCP has partnered with the Weitz Construction Academy at Seminole Ridge High School in Loxahatchee, Florida to provide needed products and educate their students.

The Weitz Construction Academy is open to all Palm Beach County students. It is a certified National Career Academy Coalition program designed for those seeking a career in the construction industry immediately upon graduation, and for students desiring to obtain a post-secondary degree in construction related fields. Throughout their four years in the Academy, students are taught the construction skills necessary to pass their chosen trades certification examinations. They also receive significant OSHA construction safety training; obtaining first their 10-hour OSHA Certification Card, then 30-hour OSHA Certification Card, and finally Level 70 Advanced OSHA construction training provided by the Southeast USA OSHA training center at the University of South Florida. The students receive valuable training through actual jobsite work experience where they plan, develop and produce real-world construction projects.

For the academic 2022-2023 school year, GCP once again donated their premium residential products — roofing underlayment and weather barriers — to the Weitz Construction Academy for their students to build their tenth house for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Palm Beach County. The Habitat houses are 1,200 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths. The houses are built in modular sections by students in the school’s workshop, then transported via truck to the Habitat jobsite to be assembled for their future homeowners.

The challenge

Weather in Florida isn't what it used to be. Tropical storms and hurricane seasons have intensified in recent years. Houses need to be able to withstand the worst, no matter their size. 

Another challenge is that the siding is installed on the modular house at the jobsite. Thus, the house is exposed to highway speed winds without the protection of siding when it is transported from the school’s workshop to the Habitat jobsite.

The solution

GCP donated their GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® HT self-adhered roofing underlayment to provide premium performance for the modular house’s roofing system, as it seals to itself at overlaps, seals to the roof deck and seals around the fasteners used to attach the shingles creating a full-bonded adhesion. All these features help prevent water from leaking into a home. GCP also donated their VYCOR® Pro flashing and VYCOR® enV-S™ self-adhered weather resistive barrier that does not require mechanical fasteners to secure in place. This house wrap solution utilizes the latest in residential building science to create an air-tight, yet “breathable” home and achieves the highest product performance available. VYCOR® enV-S™ also resists damage due to jobsite conditions and wind.

GCP’s residential building materials played a critical role in the modular construction process as well as the long term durability of the home against Florida’s extreme weather conditions.

"My observations of GCP's products are that the VYCOR® enV-S™ weather resistive barrier and the VYCOR® Pro flashing are miracle products, even when installed by novice high school students,” said Co-Founder of the Weitz Construction Academy & Architect David Porter. “The GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® HT roofing underlayment is slip resistant and remains firmly in place during transport of the modular home. In addition, VYCOR® enV-S™ passes our highway wind test each time. The truck drivers put the weather barrier to the test by hitting the highway at 70 mph during the trip. We call it our ‘category 1 hurricane test’ and the weather barrier survived nicely, without a hint of peeling away.”

The spectacular sight of House #10’s modules being delivered to the home’s site and hoisted up into the air to be placed on the foundation attracted the community and local TV news. Not only does the program place a spotlight on the student’s hard work and construction collaboration, it shines a light on community collaboration.

“I love our partnership with the Weitz Construction Academy as it assists the community as well as contributes to the training of the next generation in construction,” said GCP Senior Manager of Residential Product Management Brian Chang. “This is exactly what building product manufacturers should do.”

The houses built by the Weitz Construction Academy students provide weather protected homes for hardworking families in Palm Beach County. In exchange, the students have been given the opportunity to learn important career skills, training the next generation of construction professionals. 

By Connected World. 

Eco-friendly buildings are a hot topic in construction. Join Connected World’s Living Lab as they make their attempt to build a sustainable home.  

A version of this article was first written and published by Connected World. 

At first glance, this house might look ordinary, but take a moment to really examine it. On closer inspection, this house is one of the first steps toward a cleaner, sustainable future. Leading this journey is tech expert Peggy Smedley and her husband David. Their goal: to build a home that is sustainable, durable and a model for effective homebuilding practices.  

From the Ground Up: Project Sustainability Living Lab home leverages the best building materials and innovative solutions. Case in point: VYCOR® enV-S™ from GCP (a Saint-Gobain company), which is self-adhering weather resistive barrier that provides an advanced alternative to house wraps. This is a highly durable membrane that directly adheres to the sheathing, avoiding the tears and costly reworks commonly associated with traditional house wraps. 

The benefits here are clear. The wall is protected from water damage and the jobsite looks neat, sealed, and attractive even during construction. What’s more, it offers an air-tight, breathable home that is able to achieve high performance. The goal is to help the Living Lab ultimately build a more energy-efficient and better house. It does not require taping of seams or other special joint treatments along the OSB (oriented-strand board) panels. The result is an energy efficient, comfortable, and as airtight as possible house coupled with all the proper ventilation properties along the building process. 

It is important to keep in mind that while it does not require mechanical fasteners for its installation, the membrane does form a water and air-tight seal around the fasteners used to install siding and exterior sheathing materials, thus avoiding the numerous leak points typical for traditional house wraps. 

At the end of the day, this membrane helps ensure peace of mind both during and after installation, ultimately reducing costly callbacks and helping provide labor savings. 

Building on this, VYCOR® Pro high performance self-adhered flashing membrane provides premium protection against water and air infiltration in all critical non-roof detail areas. 

This is just the beginning of the innovative solutions being leveraged on the Living Lab project. Companies are invited to participate in this Living Lab home. All participation and collaboration from suppliers will help determine the success of this construction project. 

The Living Lab demonstrates and educates how we can create a sustainable, clean, and green future for all homes and future communities. Stay tuned. More is set to come as this project continues to unfold. 

Original article source: Connected World

By GCP. 

GCP examines solutions for mitigating risk, ensuring regulatory compliance and protecting the health of building occupants for a sustainable future. 

The pressure to build on suboptimal land is growing as the availability of optimal buildable land begins to decline. With less than preferable lot offerings ahead, like brownfields, the need to look for creative ways to support building structures against nature and moisture at the base is crucial.  

To address these challenges GCP released the following examination to show the benefits of using waterproofing and gas membrane between the ground and structures in the future.  

Dual threats: water and methane  

Water intrusion is a perennial concern due to its impact on the long-term structural integrity of concrete foundations and walls, and of the building itself. Concrete is vulnerable to groundwater and chemical contaminants in the soil. These can leach into the pores and cracks of the concrete and degrade its integrity, causing spalling and corroding the reinforcing steel. Moisture migrating into the building can also degrade structural elements over time and lead to mold and other hazards to occupants’ health.  

In addition, there is growing concern regarding the intrusion of methane and other gases and chemicals, such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), from the soil. Methane, a hydrocarbon (CH4), is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) and can have serious health implications for building occupants. In some jurisdictions, this concern is driving regulations requiring proactive mitigation. In the U.S., California is leading the trend with methane mitigation standards issued by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). To comply with these standards, any methane barrier must have Los Angeles Research Report (LARR) approval, certifying that it meets testing requirements defined by the city.  

Essential barrier requirements  

Meeting these challenges demands a pre-applied or post-applied membrane that meets a host of functional and performance requirements. It must be:  

• Continuous, preventing any gaps that could allow water or gas intrusion  
• Fully bonded with the concrete, preventing voids that could allow water or gas migration between the barrier and the substrate  
• Durable, with the ability to stand up to the elements for the life of the structure  
• Easy to install, ensuring correct application with typical installer skills and equipment  
• Proven, with a track record of performance under real-world conditions  
• Backed by a company recognized for technical innovation and product support excellence  

GCP has two proven solutions that meet these requirements for both pre-applied and post-applied applications: PREPRUFE® 300R Plus and BITUTHENE® 8000.  

Pre-applied barrier: PREPRUFE® 300R Plus  

PREPRUFE® 300R Plus is a composite sheet membrane composed of a thick high-density polyethylene (HDPE) film, pressure-sensitive adhesive, and weather-resistant protective coating. As a pre-applied membrane, it is installed directly against the formwork or other soil retaining system before the reinforcement is placed. Concrete is then poured directly onto the membrane, forming a permanent, continuous bond with the PREPRUFE® 300R Plus membrane. The membrane’s waterproofing system does not require water activation, confining pressure, or chemical hydration to bond with the concrete.  

Once installed on the formwork, the PREPRUFE® 300R Plus membrane can be trafficked immediately, allowing placement of reinforcement using standard concrete spacers. The installed membrane is unaffected by typical jobsite conditions, including wet or freeze/thaw conditions.   

Post-applied barrier: BITUTHENE® 8000  

BITUTHENE® 8000 is a self-adhesive, cold-applied sheet membrane for above- and below-ground applications. It can be used either horizontally or vertically. BITUTHENE® 8000 features a thick, HDPE composite carrier film. BITUTHENE® technology has been proven in more than 50 years of use in the field across countless projects, under a wide range of conditions.  

Performance advantages of HDPE and HDPE composites at the right thickness  

Key to the long-term performance of PREPRUFE® 300R Plus and BITUTHENE® 8000 is the optimal thickness of their HDPE and HDPE composite carrier film material, respectively. This thermoplastic polymer has distinct performance characteristics that make it ideal for use as a waterproofing and gas barrier membrane.    

HDPE is an inert material that resists degradation over time. Some waterproofing membranes are made of materials that have higher levels of degradation due to their polymer structures. These include linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), EPDM (ethylene propylene diene polymer) and CSPE (chlorosulphonated polyethylene). LLPDE, PVC and EPDM are at particular risk of oxidation, while CSPE suffers from dehydrochlorination. HDPE has greater resistance to oxidation, hydrolysis and stress than these other materials, making it an ideal choice for use as a geomembrane.  

Independent scientific testing1 has shown that HDPE offers longer life than other commonly used membrane materials in both unexposed and exposed applications 

Figure 1: Total lifetime prediction of HDPE (non-exposed) at various field temperatures. Stage “B” is induction time; Stage “C” is the time for 50% change in mechanical properties. 

Figure 2: Exposed lifetime prediction results of selected geomembranes to date (2011). 

Ease of application  

Proper installation is crucial to ensure the long-term performance of a water or gas membrane. Complex or unclear processes increase the chances of installation errors that can lead to leaks. PREPRUFE® 300R and BITUTHENE® 8000 are thoughtfully designed for ease of installation.  

PREPRUFE® 300 features a kick-out roll for simple installation against concrete forms. ZipLap™ selvedge seams allow for an adhesive-to-adhesive bond at membrane sheet overlaps to create a continuous membrane, without the need for heat, power or specialized equipment. The membrane can be installed to permanent formwork, allowing maximum use of confined sites. Detailing watertight penetrations is easy with BITUTHENE® liquid membrane.  

BITUTHENE® 8000 is easy to apply by simply peeling back the protective release paper and applying to the properly prepared concrete surface. Surfaces (except those below ground-bearing slabs) should be primed with a single coat of the specified primer. Installation can be performed over a wide temperature window — from -5°C to +35°C (a hot climate variant is rated to 55°C) — and is tolerant of damp surface, helping avoid delays. The exposed surface is reflective, reducing solar heat absorption by more than 20% while the membrane is exposed, preventing degradation due to UV rays. Printed lines help ensure the correct overlap (minimum 50mm) and provide a continuous membrane when well rolled using a lap roller with firm pressure. Detailing can be performed using cut sections of BITUTHENE® 8000 or BITUTHENE® liquid membrane.  

Summary  

GCP helps building engineers, architects and contractors meet the challenges of today’s construction site realities with advanced solutions for above- and below-grade waterproofing and methane barriers. PREPRUFE® 300R Plus and BITUTHENE® 8000 offer two compelling solutions for mitigating risk, ensuring regulatory compliance and protecting the health of building occupants, today and into the future. 

Original article source: GCP

At the recent International Roofing Expo (IRE), CertainTeed unveiled a number of new roofing products as well as their new brand identity.

Today at the 2023 International Roofing Expo (IRE), CertainTeed®, a leading North American manufacturer of light and sustainable interior and exterior building solutions, showcases its rebranding and latest roofing innovations designed with sustainability and performance in mind – all brought to life in a reimagined booth experience to showcase how the brand supports and educates roofing professionals on its products for the residential and commercial market. 

“2023 has quickly proven to be a monumental year for CertainTeed – from our rebranding to new launches in the solar space, along with major sustainability advancements to drive the change that our industry and planet need,” said Ebeth Pitman, CertainTeed Director of Marketing Communications. “We’re excited to celebrate it all with our partners and customers at IRE.” 

A new brand identity 

CertainTeed’s rebranding, recently revealed at the 2023 International Builders’ Show, emphasizes the company’s leadership in comprehensive, systems-based building products and the solutions made possible through its expansive offering for the residential and commercial market. “As a leader at the forefront of the building sector, we recognized an opportunity to evolve how our customers specify our products,” said CertainTeed CEO Mark Rayfield. “We’re taking ‘one-stop shop’ to the next level by serving as a preferred source for cohesive systems and complementary products that not only help builders grow their reputation, but make it easier than ever to deliver on what matters most: performance, sustainability and longevity.” In the spirit of its commitment to comprehensive roofing solutions, CertainTeed is excited to integrate roofing solutions from GCP Applied Technologies into its booth experience, following its 2022 acquisition of the specialty building materials leader. 

New product introductions 

To supplement the roofing solutions throughout the booth, CertainTeed will also spotlight its latest product introductions – from integrated solar solutions guaranteed to slash time on the jobsite, to those with industry-leading performance and sustainability. 

Solstice shingle 

Making its debut at IRE, the Solstice Shingle features high efficiency solar shingles which seamlessly integrate with any asphalt shingle for a crisp look that accentuates the appeal of any home. Solstice Shingle produces about as much energy as conventional, rack-mounted solar, offering clean energy without the bulky look. View press release here. 

Landmark Solaris® AR expansion 

February 2023 marked the expansion of the cool roof version of CertainTeed’s popular Landmark shingle, now available in all regions of the U.S. and Canada in two rich, authentic colors: Graphite and Weathered Wood. Solaris, an industry-first technology developed by CertainTeed, features a special granule surface blend that partially reflects solar energy, making your roof cooler than standard roofing shingles. It’s ecologically smart, beautifully durable and architecturally ideal for homes in sunny climates or locations where solar heat is a challenge. Solaris AR comes equipped with StreakFighter technology – copper-infused surface granules that possess natural anti-algae properties to help roofs maintain their beauty and original color. View press release here. 

Landmark® ClimateFlex® expansion 

Also announced last month: CertainTeed’s expanded availability of its durable, all-weather performance shingle, which boasts an industry-leading Class 4 rating for hail damage protection, and is now offered in the North Central, East Central and Lake Central regions, as well as parts of Canada. This meets the growing demand for all-weathered roofs as extreme weather conditions continue to rise. View press release here. 

Landmark® PRO color expansion 

Three striking new hues for Landmark PRO – Max Def Coastal Blue, Max Def Espresso, Max Def Red Oak – will make their IRE debut. This collection delivers peace-of-mind on projects that call for a premier aesthetic at an affordable price – all backed by an industry-leading, lifetime-limited warranty, and certified to meet the industry’s toughest third-party (UL) manufacturing quality standards. 

Arctic Edge Flintlastic® SA Cold Lap Tape 

Arctic Edge is a revolutionary, use-as-needed, auxiliary tape engineered to significantly boost Flintlastic SA adhesion in temperatures as low as 35°F. Use the same trusted Flintlastic SA membranes all year long, adding Arctic Edge in critical waterproofing details when needed. Cold morning? Don’t let it slow down your crew. Kick off your project with Arctic Edge and stop tape use as soon as ambient temperatures reach 50°F (10°C). 

CERTAplank Single 7” Reinforced Siding 

CERTAplank combines the durability and strength of vinyl with the authentic appearance of real-wood siding. Lighter and easier to handle than wood, fiber cement or wood composites, CERTAplank features an extra-thick panel and reinforced foam backer that provides the rigidity you'd expect from a hardboard cladding. 

Products not to miss – Acquisitions and more standout roofing solutions 

SMARTCOAT 365 

Since its launch in 2021, SMARTCOAT 365 has been a game changer for commercial roofing contractors – a single-source solution for everything from underwater, emergency leak repair to 20-year warranted flashing details on most roofing substrates, all year long. SMARTCOAT 365 is fiber-fortified, UV-stable silicone mastic. In addition to its extreme versatility, contractors can pop and go with 365’s no mix formulation. When you need a repair that’s not a patch, SMARTCOAT 365. 

Luxury Residential Roofing Shingles 

Also on display at IRE will be CertainTeed’s luxury residential shingle lines including Grand Manor, Belmont, Presidential Shake, Presidential TL and Carriage House. Each provides a unique design to boost the curb appeal of any home. 

GCP Products 

Following the 2022 acquisition of GCP, GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® and VYCOR® enV-S™ will be integrated into the CertainTeed IRE booth for the first time. GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® self-adhered roofing underlayment is a premier membrane composed of two waterproofing materials. VYCOR® enV-S™ represents the next generation of weather resistive barriers and is designed to provide superior weather protection – and improved energy performance. 

About CertainTeed 

Through innovative and sustainable building solutions made possible through its comprehensive offering of interior and exterior products, CertainTeed, founded in 1904 and headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, is at the forefront of industry advancements that are making the world a better home. With building science as its foundation, CertainTeed is transforming how the industry builds – making it easier than ever to create high-performance, energy-efficient solutions for where we live, work and play. 

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest and oldest building products companies, CertainTeed has more than 6,900 employees and more than 60 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. The group had total sales of approximately $5.6 billion in 2021. www.certainteed.com.