Archive for February, 2009
Is Concrete More Energy Efficient?
How Can Brick, Stone, Block or Concrete Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
One way to make your home more energy efficient is to pay closer attention to the building materials used in it’s construction or remodel and to the house design and layout itself.
In Australia, bricks have long been recognized as the most commonly chosen building materials. In fact, nearly 90% of the houses built in Australia are constructed using bricks and blocks. Because of the governments campaign to decrease energy consumption in all its forms, there are new building regulations put in place that require the newly constructed houses and businesses to be more energy efficient. I don’t remember what that new percentage is, but with that in mind… even in other parts of the world, there are a few things you need to know in order to come up with an informed and educated choice in your building materials.
I want you to think for a moment about the amount of energy that’s usually consumed in your home. Most people are really surprised to find out that the largest part of the home’s energy is used up in cooling and heating the inside spaces. Cooking and lighting, even when you put them together, comprise only a few percent of the total energy use in the whole house. That’s why we tell you that anything you can do which will help lessen the cooling and heating bills of your home will always be a good investment, ALWAYS!
The question then becomes, do you think it is possible to cut down on your cooling and heating energy consumption within the new or remodeled home while keeping within a comfortable thermal comfort inside?
This is where passive solar home design comes into play.
Passive solar home and business design takes a better look at the energy coming from the sun ane how to use it to improve the home’s cooling and heating in a totally natural way. There are actually four (4) major principles in passive design that are easily understood and used to your advantage.
These are…
View the whole article at: http://buildingsolarnews.com
World of Concrete Shotcrete Expertise
Hello Guncrete and/or Shotcrete friend,
The World of Concrete (WOC) 2009 wrapped up and closed its doors today in Las Vegas, NV>
Leo Waddell provides Shotcrete/Guncrete/gunite wet and dry mix expertise and training at the Reed booth at the Feb 2009 World of Concrete in Las Vegas, NV
Here’s one of the photos taken of Leo Waddell (in black) giving out some of his more than 40 years of experience in both wet and dry mix shotcrete. As you can see, there was a line at times waiting just to talk to him.
Reed had Leo again in their booth, just like the past 3 years, to give expert training, tips and advise about everything shotcrete.
Leo, as an unaffiliated expert, certified by the ASA and ACI brings experience to the WOC that you can’t find anywhere else.
If you would like to hire Leo to work at your convention or would like him to train your shotcrete/gunite crews and/or certify your nozzlemen, just let us know. A single day with Leo can easily increase your production 40% or more and will make your team one of the most knowledgable groups out there.
Leo is the only trainer evaluator certified by the ASA/ACI that is available to travel worldwide on a very flexible schedule.
We’ll have Leo’s view of the WOC posted in the next couple of days, so stay tuned for everything you need to know about Shotcrete, Guncrete, Gunite and concrete in general.
Shotcrete Training and Certification
Leo is a well-respected member of the American Shotcrete Association (ASA) and is active in the nozzleman certification program as an ASA Certified Shotcrete Trainer for both Wet and Dry mix processes.
In addition to his duties with ASA, Leo is active in the American Concrete Institute’s (ACI) 506 Shotcrete Committee and is an ASI Certified Shotcrete Nozzleman Examinar for both Wet and Dry Mix processes.
Leo has used his vast experience to provide Shotcrete Consulting, Training and Certification worldwide. Most recently serving as the primary consultant for the Roker Point Harbour, Bahama’s harbor wall project.
World of Concrete Solar Building Ideas…
Hi shotcrete/gunite fans,
My oldest son, Wes Waddell, joined me at the world of concrete this year to get some ideas on how to apply specialized concrete techniques in his new passive solar home design.
He just posed a couple of the ideas he got on his Building with Solar News BLOG at: http://www.buildingsolarnews.info/ website. I thought that you would maybe get a few ideas of your own from what he learned.
I’ll be working on getting more of my shotcrete and gunite unique job photos posted while you’re gone.
Leo
www.ShotcreteTraining.info
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