Press ReleasesFABCON LAUNCHES NEW-TECHNOLOGY PRECAST CONCRETE WALL PANELFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- April 25, 2002 Switch from hollow core to foam core increases energy efficiency and design options without adding cost. A new manufacturing technology from Fabcon Inc. solves the challenges of adding insulating foam to precast concrete wall panels, significantly increasing what architects, engineers and building owners can expect when it comes to energy efficiency and design flexibility. VersaCore? brand panels from the 30-year precast producer improve heating and cooling efficiency up to 30 percent and remove limitations on specifying door and window openings. The production breakthrough enables Fabcon to provide higher-performing product without increasing cost. Traditionally, hollow-core panels have provided the benefit of reduced shipping costs, while solid panels enabled the ability to cast-in window and door openings. VersaCore is the first precast product to combine both advantages. Fabcon is manufacturing the new wall panels in its Ohio, Minnesota, Indiana and Pennsylvania plants for construction projects throughout the Midwest and Eastern regions. "Bringing this level of value to customers ? without adding cost ? is especially exciting in a market that has seen relatively few innovations over the years," said Mike Le Jeune, president, CEO, Fabcon. "Previous attempts to change a panel's underlying technology have not succeeded because manufacturers have been unable to stabilize lightweight materials, such as foam, within a layer of wet concrete. Our new, patented manufacturing process remedies this issue." In Fabcon's previous manufacturing process, pea gravel occupies a panel's interior. After the concrete cures, the panels are tilted up and emptied of gravel, which leaves a hollow core. The VersaCore process puts insulating Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam billets directly into the wet concrete, eliminating the cost of the gravel and equipment to remove it. VersaCore panels with foam billets actually weigh less than hollow-core panels. Under the old process, some pea gravel inevitably remained and added to panel weight, which was reflected in shipping costs. Energy Efficiency. Commercial heating and cooling costs typically represent approximately 32 percent of a building's total operating budget. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that nearly half of all energy loss is due to poor insulation. A material's insulating ability is usually represented as an R-value. Higher R-values deliver lower energy costs. The high-density cell structure of foam gives VersaCore panels one of the highest R-value ratings available in a concrete panel. The foam increases the R-value of a Fabcon 12-inch insulated panel from 12.78 to 16.4. Likewise, the Fabcon non-insulated 8-inch panel R-value improves from 2.20 to 6.0. This compares to industry averages of 10 and 2.34, respectively. Construction Savings. In addition to reducing long-term operating expenses, high R-values help lower construction costs. For example, R-values help determine the size of heating and cooling systems. Using high R-value wall systems helps reduce the demand on heating and cooling systems, and consequently allows the use of smaller, less expensive equipment. The VersaCore technology will also appeal to architects and owners who tried to increase hollow-core R-values by adding liquid foam at the construction site. "Customers sometimes specify 8-inch hollow-core panels and hire a local contractor to fill the cores with foam on the job site," said Tom Kuckhahn, Fabcon Director of Engineering. "An 8-inch VersaCore panel provides significantly greater R-value and eliminates the extra contractor costs and time." Design Flexibility. Realizing the benefits of an insulated hollow-core panel previously meant not having cast-in door and window options. Contractors added the expense of cutting openings ? at several hundred dollars each ? on the job site. "The extrusion equipment required in the previous manufacturing process prevented us from casting in objects larger than small reinforcement plates," Kuckhahn said. "VersaCore panels allow us to create window and door openings of any size and accommodate structural design requests like pocketed connections. This saves time in the construction process, helps control costs and provides architects and engineers with a whole new range of options and tools." Company Background For Further Information Return to Press Releases |
