ATAS Offers Educational Course

Newsweek Names Armstrong One of America’s Most Trusted

ACI Foundation’s Annual Request for Concrete Research Proposals Now Open

Spackle by Dave Coverly

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Rockfon Supports Health, Product Transparency, Education, Training

Knauf Recycling Program Collects 15,000 Pounds of Glass for Insulation

Simpson Strong-Tie Announces Scholarship Winners

Construction Input Costs Declined from June to July, Reports AGC

Rockfon Supports Health, Product Transparency, Education, Training

Rockfon North America, part of the ROCKWOOL Group, has signed the mindful Materials Manufacturer Commitment that pledges to support climate health, human health, ecosystem health, social health and equity within a circular economy.

The commitment provides an industrywide platform for manufacturers to clearly communicate transparency and optimize information for their building products. Rockfon’s acoustic stone wool ceiling systems have been listed in the mindful Materials Library since 2018. This centralized resource helps with product selection, specification, proposals and material ingredient disclosure documentation and certifications.

“The heightened focus on sustainability, health and well-being, and the quality of the indoor environment, specifically acoustics and indoor air quality, marries well with the strengths of stone wool and our ceiling tiles and panels,” said John Medio, president of Rockfon North America. “With this heightened focus comes the need for transparency.”

“Rockfon continues investing in product transparency and aims to keep driving and sharing product information, certifications and key declarations, such as UL Environment’s GreenGuard Gold, with a focus is on the health and well-being of a building’s occupants,” added Diana Hart, CSI, IIDA, the manufacturer’s architectural sales and business development manager.

Notable programs driving demand for material transparency and product ingredient reporting include the Living Building Challenge, the WELL Building Standard and the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED v4/v4.1 rating systems. Responding to this need, Rockfon’s breadth of documentation helps building teams evaluate and meet the evolving sustainable and wellness-focused design selection criteria for educational and health care facilities, government and public buildings, commercial offices and other interior projects.

Rockfon’s comprehensive material and product transparency documentation includes Environmental Product Declarations, Health Product Declarations and the International Living Future Institute’s Declare Label 2.0 – Living Building Challenge Red List Approved. Rockfon’s stone wool ceiling tiles and panels also meet and achieve UL Environment’s GreenGuard Gold certification for low-emitting materials in both schools and offices, and are further supported with a 30-year warranty.

“Our aim, as always, being to meet our stakeholder where they are,” Medio emphasized. “We also have continued to invest in strengthening our digital outreach and communication, working hard to deliver nationwide online presentations, CEUs, webinars and key roundtable discussions. These have been successfully supplemented and supported with regional activities, including distributor and contractor training.

“We will continue to elevate the important role high-performance ceilings have in achieving indoor air quality and optimized acoustics to create healthy, comfortable and productive spaces,” Medio concluded.

Knauf Recycling Program Collects 15,000 Pounds of Glass for Insulation

Knauf Insulation Inc., the official glass recycling partner of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, celebrated an exciting weekend culminating with Scott Dixon winning his 53rd career Indy Car race. Dixon’s win through the streets of Nashville, Tennessee, was not the only thing to celebrate. After a month-long glass recycling initiative, the insulation manufacturer collected more than 15,000 pounds of glass from nine of the most well-known downtown Nashville establishments, such as Honky Tonk Central and Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, in addition to the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix race campus at Nissan Stadium. Rather than winding up in a landfill, these bottles will be recycled into a raw material used in the manufacturing of energy-efficient building insulation.

“We viewed this partnership with the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix as an opportunity to introduce race fans to Knauf Insulation while bringing awareness to the importance of glass recycling,” said Nathan Walker, senior vice president of Customer Experience. “It was a bonus to see Turn 2 decked out in Knauf blue. We believe this partnership will lay the foundation for larger initiatives with the city of Nashville and we plan to enroll more U.S. cities in the future.”

Knauf estimates the continuation of an expanded glass recycling program with the city of Nashville will divert 75,000 tons of glass from landfills to a Knauf facility annually. The recycled glass will then be converted into enough fiberglass insulation to provide thermal and acoustical comfort in more than 177,000 homes.

Given the company requires more than 500 million pounds of recycled glass annually to support operations, Knauf is deeply invested in improving glass recycling rates across North America. In addition to diverting 50 tons of glass from landfills every hour, the use of this type of recyclable has additional environmental benefits, including lowering the amount of energy necessary for manufacturing and decreasing the usage of mined minerals.

“It was fantastic to partner with a global brand who is a leader in the manufacturing of sustainable building materials,” said Matt Crews, Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Founder and CEO. “Knauf takes their values and places them into action. We know our hometown of Nashville appreciates this impactful program, which will keep glass bottles out of our landfills and transform them into environmentally friendly building products.”

“We are very excited that Knauf and Big Machine Music City Grand Prix partnered with our bars on Broadway to recycle glass bottles,” said Jeanna Puskar, general manager of Honky Tonk Central. “Not only did we provide great entertainment for our guests, but we take pride in knowing we helped make the planet a better place, one bottle at a time.”

Simpson Strong-Tie Announces Scholarship Winners

Simpson Strong-Tie, the leader in engineered structural connectors and building solutions, announced the recipients of its Student Scholarship, part of the company’s Strong-Tie Undergraduate Fellowship program, for the 2022-2023 academic year. The 100 scholarship recipients are undergraduates in their junior and senior years, majoring in architecture, civil/structural engineering or construction management across the country.

The Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarship supports higher education and promotes the design and building of safer structures by assisting university students in meeting their tuition costs.

As part of the Strong-Tie Undergraduate Fellowship, these future industry leaders are provided the opportunity to discover more about Simpson Strong-Tie and its products in a weeklong, all-expenses-paid visit to the company’s headquarters and facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Facilities visited include the state-of-the-art Tyrell Gilb Research Laboratory in Stockton and a working job site. The week also affords plenty of opportunity for the awardees to learn from and network with industry professionals and the Simpson Strong-Tie executive and senior leadership teams.

“We’re proud to support the next generation of construction industry leaders through our annual scholarship program,” said CEO Karen Colonias. “We hope to contribute to the success of these students as they prepare for their future careers and achievements in our industry.”

The Simpson Strong-Tie Student Scholarship is administered by Scholarship America, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals.

Construction Input Costs Declined from June to July, Reports AGC

The price of materials and services used in nonresidential construction fell 1.3 percent last month, while contractors’ bid prices rose 5.4 percent, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials noted that, despite the monthly decline, materials prices remain high and the availability of certain key materials is erratic.

“Contractors welcome any relief they can get in the cost of most construction materials,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. “But it is still too hard to acquire most materials and prices remain quite elevated for many key products.”

The producer price index for inputs to nonresidential construction--the prices charged by goods producers and service providers, such as distributors and transportation firms—slipped 1.3 percent from June to July, but remained 14.6 percent above its July 2021 level. However, there was not an across-the-board decline in prices, as the index for new nonresidential building construction—a measure of what contractors calculate they would charge to erect five types of nonresidential buildings—continued to climb, increasing 5.4 percent from June to July and 23.9 percent over 12 months.

There were one-month increases in July in the index for paving mixtures and blocks, 2.7 percent; concrete products, 2.2 percent; plastic construction products, 1 percent; and gypsum building materials, 0.3 percent. The price index for diesel fuel fell 16.3 percent in July but remained 71.3 percent above its July 2021 level. The index for asphalt and tar roofing and siding products fell 0.4 percent in July but increased 18.8 percent over 12 months. Steel mill products fell 3.7 percent in price last month and increased 6.4 percent year-over-year. The index for lumber and plywood decreased 0.5 percent in July and fell 7.7 percent over 12 months. Copper and brass mill shapes fell 9.7 percent for the month and 7.9 percent over the past year.

Association officials urged public leaders to continue focusing on measures to ease supply chain challenges and to help lower the cost of key construction materials. They noted that having the Biden administration remove remaining tariffs on key materials would help lower prices. And they added that supply chains for many materials remain challenged amid shipping delays and manufacturing backlogs.

“We are not out of the woods yet when it comes to high materials prices and supply chain problems,” Sandherr said. “Unless public officials can put in place measures to arrest materials’ price inflation and unjam supply chains, contractors will continue to be squeezed by high prices.”

ATAS Offers Educational Course

ATAS International has added a new educational course titled “Insulated Metal Panels – Creating the Perfect All-In-One Barrier Back Up Wall System.” Using IMPs as a barrier back up wall system incorporates water, air, thermal and vapor control as an all-in-one wall, over which other components can be attached, such as decorative metal panels and other exterior building finish materials. Energy performance of a building is optimized with the use of IMPs, and their use can contribute toward sustainable building goals.

The learning objectives for this new course include:

• Recognize the key elements of the perfect wall and understand how the primary control layers enhance a building’s sustainable design.
• Identify the different types of wall assemblies and understand the energy efficiency of each.
• Review the different components and performance of an insulated metal panel barrier back up wall system and recognize how they contribute to green building and energy savings.
• Identify the key benefits, including thermal performance, of an insulated metal panel barrier back up wall system.
• Distinguish green building/LEED contributors of an insulated metal panel barrier back up wall system.
• This new course is not only approved by the American Institute of Architect’s Continuing Education System for 1 learning unit in health, safety and welfare, but is also approved by the Green Business Certification, Inc. for 1 GBCI continuing education hour, and by the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants’ Continuing Education System for 1 IIBEC continuing education hour.

ATAS now offers 11 different courses which can be given in a firm’s office or other location, in-person as well as virtually. All 11 courses are approved for 1 LU/HSW by the AIA. Ten of the 11 courses are approved for 1 IIBEC CEH, and four courses are approved for 1 GBCI CE hour. To learn more about all the courses offered, and to schedule one, you can visit atas.com/aiaandgbciapprovedseminars.

Three online courses are available. “Testing and Specifying Metal Roofs in High Wind Areas” can be found in BNP Media’s Continuing Education Center at https://continuingeducation.bnpmedia.com/courses/atas-international/testing-and-specifying-metal-roofs-in-high-wind-areas. “Using Technologically Advanced Metal Building Products in LEED, Net Zero and Passive Buildings” and “Designing with Metal Wall Panels” are hosted in Hanley Wood University and can both be found at hanleywooduniversity.com/search/atas/.

“In addition to introducing a new course, we recently updated all 10 of our existing courses to ensure that the content is accurate and current,” stated Sales Support Manager Lee Ann Slattery. “Although we love to provide education in-person, we realize that sometimes a virtual seminar is preferred, and that is certainly an option. As well, with the three online courses, we’re trying to make it as convenient as possible to learn about metal in design and construction. Along with the courses, we can offer two in-person plant tours for continuing education credits: one of a facility which manufactures building envelope components from metal (located in Allentown, Pa., and Mesa, Ariz.) and the other of a metal coil coating facility (located in Morrisville, Pa.).”

Newsweek Names Armstrong One of America’s Most Trusted

Armstrong World Industries has been named one of Newsweek’s Most Trusted Companies in America in 2022. Armstrong is the only ceilings and walls company to make the list.

“As one of the oldest manufacturers in the country, we’ve built our reputation on innovation, quality and trust, and it’s great to see that validated by our customers, employees and investors,” said Vic Grizzle, Armstrong’s President and CEO. “Receiving this recognition is a testament to our company culture and our employees’ commitment to providing our customers with the safest, highest performing and most sustainable ceiling and wall solutions available today.”

Newsweek’s first annual list of America’s Most Trusted Companies was identified through an independent survey of approximately 50,000 U.S. residents, who rated publicly traded companies in the U.S. with revenues over $500 million. According to Newsweek and its survey partner Statista, survey participants were asked for their opinions about whether “individual companies treated their customers fairly, treated their employees fairly and would be good long-term investments.”

ACI Foundation’s Annual Request for Concrete Research Proposals Now Open

The ACI Foundation’s Concrete Research Council seeks to advance the concrete industry through the funding of concrete research projects that further the knowledge and sustainability of concrete materials, construction and structures. The annual request for proposals is open now through Dec. 1, 2022.

Proposal and funding parameters include:

• Topics are encouraged from all areas of concrete research.
• Up to $50,000 may be approved per project for direct costs.
• The ACI Foundation limits research organization indirect costs to 15 percent.
• An ACI Technical Committee must endorse the research concept and participate in an advisory role to the principal investigator.
• An individual researcher can serve as the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on only one submitted proposal.
• Industry partnering and project cost sharing are strongly encouraged.
• All proposals must be submitted before the Dec. 1, 2022, deadline.

Principal investigators shall follow the requirements in the published RFP Application Guide, including the requirement to contact ACI Technical Committee Chairs by September.

Selection of awarded projects will occur during the spring ACI Concrete Convention and notifications to principal investigators will occur in the following weeks.