Architectural Products Update

 
Recycled-Content Brick and CMU

Pozzotive Plus™ Concrete Brick and Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) from Kingston Block & Masonry Supply, LLC are manufactured with up to 30 percent post-consumer recycled glass pozzolan as a substitute for Portland cement, and with about 50 percent post-consumer recycled masonry aggregate. The glass component, Pozzotive®, is a high-performance white supplementary cementitious material from Empire Resource Recovery, LLC, composed of extremely fine amorphous silicate powder. It saves about one ton of carbon dioxide emissions for every ton of cement replaced, and produces stronger masonry with greater moisture and chemical resistance than conventional brick and CMUs. Pozzotive Plus products are available in nine standard colors, with either ground face or suede finish. Can contribute to LEED credits for recycled content, regional materials, and construction waste management.

kingstonblock.com

 
Wireless Lighting Control Device

Part of the energy management platform from Convia®/ A Herman Miller Company, the two-button, wireless Convia Wand lets users create associations between lights, switches, and sensors with the touch of a button. Any light or zone of lights can be programmed to respond to any switch, sensor, or scene controller on the Convia system. The result is on-demand virtual wiring of a building's entire lighting system, or virtual rewiring of a reconfigured space. Eliminates need for hard-wiring between lights and switches. The wand contains an infrared transmitter and an aligned laser that provides a visual guide for selecting sensors and actuators.

convia.com

 
Bamboo Floating Floors

Teragren™ introduces the Portfolio collection of strand bamboo floating floors. Engineered with proprietary Xcora™ technology, the bamboo fibers are fused with an adhesive under extreme pressure to form homogeneous, high-density panels. The seven-coat finish includes a wear layer of abrasion-resistant aluminum oxide, plus two scratch-resistant polyurethane topcoats. Its finish is water-based and solvent-free. Wide planks and a fold-down, self-locking system make installation easy. The flooring averages 154 percent harder than red oak, making it appropriate for high-traffic installations. Ten new colors are available (pictured: Paris Black). Eligible for two LEED credits, for Rapidly Renewable Materials and Low-Emitting Materials — Flooring Systems.

teragren.com

 
Drywall Panel with Phase-Change Material

The ThermalCORE™ Panel from National Gypsum features Micronal® PCM, a phase-change material from BASF Corporation. The wall panel's mold-resistant gypsum core integrates microscopic acrylic capsules containing high-purity paraffin wax. The wax melts at 73° Fahrenheit (23° Celsius), absorbing and storing thermal energy, and releases heat when it solidifies, helping to moderate indoor air temperature and reduce energy consumption. The panel handles and installs like regular drywall; it requires a skim coat and will accept decoration similar to standard gypsum board. Faced with fiberglass mat. Field trials are in progress.

thermalcore.info

 
Photovoltaic Pavement

Onyx Solar and Butech, a subsidiary of Porcelanosa Group, are developing a photovoltaic (PV) pavement expected to be on the market by late 2010. The product will consist of safety glass with integrated PV over an elevated ceramic base, producing a completely walkable surface. The pavement can be included in a project as a substitute for more traditional materials without compromising design or aesthetics. Works in all weather, including low light and cloudy conditions. Frameless and appealing in high-visibility applications.

onyxsolar.com