Due to the significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions that come with the production of Portland cement, Ecohome has long promoted alternatives to concrete whenever possible to help reduce climate change causing emissions.A simple example of that would be our preference tochoosing a slab on grade instead of a basement foundationas they have much less concrete and allow for more sustainable materials to be used in above grade wall assemblies.
There are however, cases where full-home ICF (insulated concrete forms) blocks do make sense even to us. Two such cases for using ICF would be areas prone to tornados like Oklahoma or Kansas, as well as those at high risk of wildfires, as seen recently in California. If choosing to build with concrete, we do suggest seeking outreduced carbon concreteall the same.
Habitat for Humanity - building with ICF in CA
Alexandria, VA —Build with Strength is partnering with Habitat for Humanity International to fortify decent, affordable and sustainable housing across the U.S.Build With Strength is donating concrete for the construction of Habitat homes and will work directly with local Habitat organizations to support home builds across 16 locations.
Backed by the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), Build with Strength is a coalition of architects, builders, engineers, emergency services personnel, policymakers and others committed to solving challenging housing issues. Build with Strength is partnering with Habitat to help further address those issues on a large scale.
“We have a responsibility as an industry to have a positive societal impact. Our partnership with Habitat represents a commitment to that responsibility in communities across the country,”NRMCA主席麦克·菲利普斯说道。“NRMCA成员为在所有这些市场供应混凝土并支持这一倡议感到自豪。但是，帮助更多家庭拥有负担得起的和有弹性的住房意味着更多。我们希望扩大这种伙伴关系，这样我们就能继续支持仁人家园的愿景，让每个人都有一个体面的地方居住。”
Rebuilding in an area flattened by wildfires
Butte County, the first project under the partnership, is set to break ground in April and includes the construction of three homes in Paradise, Calif．该国这一地区近年来面临着严重的野火挑战。使用混凝土建造房屋将为该地区的家庭提供更耐用的住房。
“The town of Paradise was 90 percent destroyed by wildfires. Residents have had their lives turned upside down,”said Nicole Bateman, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Butte County.“We are grateful for our partners in the concrete industry for stepping in to help with the rebuilding process. Their generous donation will not only provide affordable housing but also resilient homes that can withstand the elements that come with wildfire prone areas.”
“We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with Build with Strength,”said Julie Laird Davis, vice president of corporate and cause marketing partnerships at Habitat for Humanity International.“One of the most important pillars of our organization is building stronger communities. Build with Strength holds similar values and will be an integral part in ensuring that more families have access to safe, durable, and affordable homes.”
Other associations also helping
Other industry groups involved in the collaboration and contributing to the projects include the Insulating Concrete Forms Manufacturing Association (ICFMA) and the American Concrete Pumpers Association (ACPA).
“We are extremely proud to be a part of the partnership with Habitat for Humanity. It gives us a great opportunity to set an example for how we should be building resilient communities across the country,”ICFMA董事会主席Mike Kennaw说。“ICF construction can help hardworking families by providing safe and strong homes, and we are really grateful to be a part of that.”
“Habitat for Humanity is an incredible partner for these projects. It’s an amazing feeling to know that the industry will help to provide affordable homes that are comfortable and safe for those living in them,”said Christi Collins, Executive Director of ACPA.“混凝土可以为房主提供极大的安心。”
About National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
NRMCA is celebrating 90 years of representing the producers of ready mixed concreteand the companies that provide materials, equipment, and support to the industry. It conducts education, training, promotion, research, engineering, safety, environmental, technological, lobbying and regulatory programs. To learn more,visit the NRMCA here．
About Build with Strength
Build with Strength is a coalition of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Associationand works with communities, lawmakers, and industry employees to advocate for safer, sustainable
建筑材料。To learn more,visit Build with Strength here．
About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home.
栖息地的房主与志愿者一起帮助建造自己的房子，并支付可负担的抵押贷款。通过财政支持、志愿服务或为保障住房发声，每个人都可以帮助家庭获得他们所需要的力量、稳定和自立，为自己创造更好的生活。通过庇护，我们赋予力量。To learn more,visit Habitat for Humanity here．
About Insulating Concrete Forms Manufacturing Association
The Insulating Concrete Forms Manufacturers Association (ICFMA) is the North American nonprofit trade association for the Insulated Concrete Form industry and was founded in 2014 by a dedicated group of manufacturers with the interest of improving the quality and acceptance of Insulated Concrete Form construction. To learn more,visit the ICFMA here．
About American Concrete Pumpers Association
The American Concrete Pumping Association was founded in 1974 with the objectives to promote concrete pumping as the choice method of placing concrete, and to encourage and educate the concrete pumping industry on safe concrete pumping procedures. The ACPA Operator Certification Program is the only industry-recognized certification program for testing concrete pumping practices.
Members of ACPA include owners of concrete pumps, manufacturers of concrete pumps, and distributors of concrete pumps and accessories.
Ecohome and Habitat for Humanity
One of the best ways to afford positive change in the construction industry is to send the next generation of builders out into the field with the desire and necessary knowledge to build something better.奥姆斯敦的新前沿学校董事会(NFSB)正是在生态之家的帮助下做到了这一点。
“我们的房子”项目是一个雄心勃勃的项目，它完全采用了LEED绿色建筑评级体系(三名教师已经获得了LEED认证)，他们给学生提供了一个参与注册LEED住宅建筑项目的机会。拥有项目经验对于获得LEED证书是至关重要的，但这种机会并不总是那么容易找到，所以这是NFSB学生想通过获得绿色建筑证书在他们的职业生涯中脱颖而出的另一个优势。
Along with training teachers and students to become LEED certified, Ecohome had the pleasure of being part of the design team from the beginning, and seeing the level of participation and interest among the students has been motivating and rewarding.
"The 'Our House' project has served an invaluable purpose in the life of the Carpentry Program at our Centre. Students knew that working on the project is not a right, but a privilege - a way to learn new and exciting strategies, techniques and processes.”LEED ap认证教师约翰·霍奇斯说。Seemore about this and other Habitat for Humanity projects Ecohome have helped with here．我们也期待在未来的帮助!
Now you know more about ICF construction, learn howlow-carbon concretecan helpreduce the carbon footprint of eco homes and promote sustainable construction．..Find more pagesaboutsustainable and resilient green building techniques here:
Find more about green home constructionin the EcoHomeGreen Building Guide pages |
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