EPIC® HDO

Arclin’s workhorse just gets better

jobsiteAt Arclin we’re always looking for ways to make great products even better, to find new applications for proven chemistries, to put our expertise and knowledge to work in new markets.

But sometimes it’s important to pause and acknowledge those products with consistent, proven performance — like our workhorse EPIC® HDO’s used in 2252 & 2253 HDO panel construction.

Arclin has a strong family of concrete forming overlays, each with its own advantage in various applications. But the HDO overlay, says Mike Bunn, Technical Sales Manager — Plywood, is the product “you can use anywhere, anytime. And especially where you want a better finish.”

Bunn explains, “HDO consistently outperforms one of its primary competitive products — non-overlaid BB-OES — in the field. HDO gives many more pours and yields a much better finish on concrete than plywood, so it’s great for commercial, institutional and multifamily projects. Because of its extended life and quality of finish, HDO remains a great value.”

EPIC® HDO:

Extends panel life by up to 10 times that of non-overlaid BB-OES panels

Resists high-alkaline concrete better than BB-OES plyform

Available with FSC chain of custody certification

May contribute to LEED MR Credits 2.1 and 2.2 for waste reduction and MR Credits 3.1 and 3.2 for material reuse

Carries Arclin’s E-Gen® designation

Not just for the basement anymore:

mixinconcrete

Concrete finds host of new applications

Concrete has been around a long time. In Rome’s spectacular Colosseum, ancient Greek temples and fully waterproofed aqueducts now 2,600 years old, concrete was the building material of choice.

Today, we still rely heavily on concrete for everything from massive infrastructure projects, such as highways and bridges, to traditional parking garages and home basements. But now concrete is finding its footing in a variety of new and creative uses.

One of the most popular and fastest-growing applications for concrete is flooring. Architects and builders of retail stores, restaurants, offices and even some homes are drawn to concrete’s surprising flexibility. It can be acid-stained, painted, inlaid, stamped and treated in other ways to create unique and striking floors. Even the more complicated designs and treatments can cost the same or slightly less than marble, granite or slate. And concrete offers a longer, and virtually maintenance-free, life than other flooring options. It’s also very energy-efficient and ideal for use with floor-laid radiant heating systems.

Concrete has also become a popular option for counters, whether in a home or restaurant kitchen or in other retail and commercial outlets. Like the flooring, concrete counters can be customized with paints, stains, patterns and inlays to produce a distinctive look at a reasonable cost—and they last long and wear well.

With the introduction of overlays, concrete has also shown its adaptability to decorative vertical surfaces. High-quality overlays, such as Arclin’s 2252 and 2253 High Density Overlay (HDO) can produce a sleek, architectural finish on concrete that is as attractive as it is strong. Builders and architects are using concrete overlays to create beautiful contemporary surfaces inside and out.

A Concrete Future

Construction Boom Bodes Well for the Industrymix2

Even a quick glance at projections for construction growth and concrete use tells the tale: all signs are pointing up.

From infrastructure projects to commercial buildings, multi-family high rise to single family detached homes, virtually all sectors of the building industry expect to see continued growth in the high single or even double digits this year, and in the near future. The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Consensus Construction Forecast projects that overall construction spending will grow by 9% in 2015.

We’ll take a look in future issues of ConformInform at what the future holds for all these sectors. Here, we’re going to focus on what is possibly the hottest market of all — multifamily housing.

Spotlight: High Growth Anticipated in Apartments Market

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that approximately one in three new housing units being built is rental apartments — the highest level in 40 years. As of May 2014, buildings with five or more units comprised 35% of all residential housing under construction, according to Forbes.

And just as fast as those units go up, they’re being filled — largely by millennials who want to live in conveniently located, vibrant communities where jobs, shopping, restaurants, public transportation and gathering places are just steps away.

The result is a boom in the rejuvenation of city centers and the creation of whole new districts populated by high-rise residential and commercial buildings — construction that requires concrete.

The Portland Cement Association (PCA) expects cement consumption to increase by almost 10% in 2015. And while much of that growth is fueled by commercial construction, the use of precast and on-site concrete construction is also seeing growth in the residential sector.

But in addition to the traditional uses of concrete in high-rise residential buildings—such as parking garages and building exteriors—new uses are on the rise, from decorative floors to interior fixtures.

2015 Projections 
Total U.S. construction starts for 2015 will rise 9% to $612 billion a larger gain than the 5% increase to $564 billion estimated for 2014.
Commercial building will increase 15%
Institutional building will advance 9%
Single-family housing will rise 15% in dollars, corresponding to an 11% increase in units to 700,000 (Dodge)
Multifamily housing will increase 9% in dollars and 7% in units to 405,000 (Dodge basis)
Public works construction will improve 5%, a partial rebound following the 9% decline estimated for 2014

 

Market Segment Consensus Growth Forecasts

Commercial, Industrial20142015
Hotels13.1%9.2%
Retail
10.5%11.5%
Office Buildings9.2%10.8%
Industrial Facilities
7.8%8.7%

 

Institutional20142015
Amusement, Recreation 9.9%
7.5%
Healthcare Facilities 5.2%
7.8%
Education2.8%5.8%
Public Safety -0.2%3.1%
Religious -1.7%1.3%

 

Source: AIA