Insulated Next Generation Concrete Masonry – Better & Faster For Less Money

Architects, mechanical engineers, and some building officials frequently misinterpret one critical sentence that first appeared in the 2003 IECC; thus, they incorrectly conclude that energy code compliance mandates continuous insulation (“ci”) and fail to grasp the concept of continuous thermal mass. COMCheck is used by most architects in most states to demonstrate energy code compliance for most commercial building designs.  Building designs too often fail to pass COMCheck because architects fail to override the software’s very conservative embedded default values.  Two changes to ASTM C90, adopted in 2011 and 2014 respectively, enable concrete block producers to offer “Next Generation” CMU that can be installed faster using less steel rebar while providing for more energy efficient masonry buildings.  This course 1) corrects the critical misinterpretation, 2) facilitates more easily passing COMCheck, and 3) introduces design professionals to the benefits of “Next Generation” concrete masonry.

Learning Units:  1.0 hour H/S/W LU Credit

Presenter:  Kevin Cavanaugh, Midwest Representative, cfiFOAM, Inc.

While earning his BSME at the University of Maryland, Kevin interned at the National Institute of Standards & Technology where he first became involved with the concrete masonry industry.  After graduation, Kevin accepted a position as the National Concrete Masonry Association’s (NCMA) Energy Engineer before launching his 30-year career in technical sales, marketing, and product development of lightweight aggregate, concrete masonry, and associated products and systems.  Kevin’s industry-wide activities include serving on, or chairing, ACI and NCMA technical and marketing committees and serving on the Governor’s Legislative Advisory Council in Wisconsin.  With his wife and three children, Kevin resides in Mequon, Wisconsin.