3D concrete printing on full display at International Builders’ Show

Black Buffalo 3D, a global provider of construction-scale printers and proprietary structural concrete ink, demonstrated the capabilities of its 40-ft. Nexcon model at February’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando. The device occupied much of a 60- x 80-ft. Orange County Convention Center outdoor booth, placing a low-slump, fine aggregate mix layer by layer to yield load-bearing wall assemblies.  “The premier…

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EPA clarifies federal vs. state jurisdiction in definitive waters rule

Sources: Environmental Protection Agency; National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

With the backdrop of the 2020 NAHB International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works R.D. James announced the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. A clear definition for “waters of the United States,” it lays to rest one of the most contentious EPA actions—a 2015 Clean Water Act reinterpretation expanding federal authority over bodies of water minuscule and massive—attempted under the Obama administration.  

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Genest Concrete’s Comfort Block warmly received at NAHB show

Sources: CP staff; National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C.; Genest Concrete, Sanford, Me.

An insulated concrete masonry wall system, with block placed on adhesive or thin set mortar, was among Best of IBS Awards/Most Innovative Building Products category finalists spotlighted during the NAHB’s International Builders’ Show. Developed by Maine building and hardscape unit producer Genest Concrete, Comfort Block is offered in two- and four-piece versions, CB-8 and CB-16, for 8- or 16-in. thick walls.

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The cult of cheap construction

Portland Cement Association Chief Economist Ed Sullivan reported at the 2015 International Builders’ Show last month that housing starts will increase 20 percent this year—to 1.2 million units, up from roughly 950,000 units in 2014. The multifamily sector should see a 12 percent jump from last year’s levels, good for 400,000 unit starts. Apartment and condominium building will exhibit continued strength over the next five years, he added, as demographic trends reshape entry and exit patterns of the single-family unit market.

 
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Precast foundation user takes top NAHB “Green Site” honor

Sources: Superior Walls of America, New Holland, Pa.; CP staff

Convening in Las Vegas for the International Builders’ Show, the National Association of Home Builders presented its “Project of the Year Award for Green Site Development–Single-family Detached” to Clarence, N.Y.-based Natale Builders for Rivera Greens, a local subdivision whose 35 units bear on Superior Walls Xi precast foundations.

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