NRMCA launched its new Build with Strength initiative last week by hosting a roundtable discussion titled Building with Strength for a Sustainable Future during the International Concrete Sustainability Conference in Washington, DC, in front of an audience of 300 people. The roundtable featured a panel of experts from the design, construction and safety communities, including Eric Coleman, development coordinator of EYC Companies; Randy Kirchain, principal research scientist at MIT; Jon Narva, director of external relations for the National Association of State Fire Marshals and Chris Drew, director of sustainability at Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill. Lionel Lemay of NRMCA moderated the panel discussion aimed at understanding how these construction industry leaders are using concrete for building construction.

 

"Architects must consider the full life-cycle costs of buildings during development," said MIT's Kirchain. "Thinking long-term – beyond the initial phase where we look at construction and materials – is critically important."

 

"In many instances, especially during construction, wood frame buildings are more susceptible and vulnerable to fire damage than similar concrete structures" said Narva of the fire marshals' association. "Because of this, first responders approach fires in these structures differently than they would a less vulnerable concrete structure."

 

"The nature of concrete in construction offers advantages beyond strength and durability," said Coleman of EYC Companies. "Concrete’s composition and mass means heat moves more slowly through the material, keeping buildings warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.  This energy efficiency translates directly into cost-savings over the long-term."