Summer 2012 News

Broadview Technologies Inc. has acquired Carlstadt, N.J.-based Hycrete, Inc.

Hycrete manufactures water-proofing admixtures that extend the life of concrete by protecting it from damage caused by rain, freeze-thaw cycling, rebar rusting and salt. “The waterproofing provided by Hycrete mitigates the effects of time, yielding better looking concrete that lasts more than twice as long.” says Philip Rhodes, Broadview’s president.

Broadview manufactures the world’s largest variety of anhydrides for curing epoxy resins, as well as a wide range of non-halogen fire retardants and specialty plasticizers.

Broadview believes that Hycrete’s products will be a strong addition to its diverse product line. “Hycrete takes the biggest flaw of concrete, which is poor outdoor weatherability, and fixes it,” says Jason Tuerack, vice president of Broadview.

Founded in 2003, Hycrete Technologies Inc. manufactures an array of waterproofing admixtures. Their flagship product seals the internal capillaries responsible for water penetration into concrete. In addition to reducing water absorption and dissolved salts infiltration, Hycrete admixtures are designed to form a protective coating around steel reinforcement that enhances corrosion protection, even in cracked concrete.

The Polyurea Development Association (PDA) recently recognized Rhino Linings for their innovative use of polyurea coatings in a dam restoration project.

Rhino Linings Corporation, a leading manufacturer and distributor of spray-on protective linings and coatings, was awarded the PDA first ever People’s Choice Award for the “Best Use of a Polyurea Product on any Substrate” at the 2012 PDA Conference in Orlando, Florida.

The McLeod Dam Restoration Project in Trenton, Ontario, Canada involved lining a shallow trench with fabric, and spraying with Rhino Lining’s polyurea for superior flood protection. It was honored as the most creative, unique and best use of polyurea product.

“Rhino Linings Corporation takes pride in developing protective coatings products that time and again dominate the spray-on lining market,” said Pierre Gagnon, president and CEO of Rhino Linings Corporation. “It’s a great honor to have been selected by such a prestigious association.”

RCI elected its 2012-2013 Board of Directors at the annual meeting of members during the their tradeshow in Dallas in mid-March.

Members of the board include:

• President: Arthur P. “Chip” Ward III,  AP Ward Consulting Inc., Kennesaw, GA
• Executive Vice President & CEO: James R. Birdsong, RCI, Raleigh, NC
• First Vice President: Thomas M. Gernetzke, RRC, Facility Engineering Inc., Madison, WI
• Second Vice President: Sidney I. Hankins III, Roof Design and Consulting Services Inc., Knoxville, TN
• Secretary/Treasurer: Jean-Guy Levaque, Inc., Milton, Ontario, Canada
• Immediate Past President: Richard L. Cook, Jr., ADC Engineering Inc., Hanahan, SC

Contact information for these individuals, as well as the regional directors that also sit on the board can be accessed online at http://www.rci-online.org.

The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) has updated the Modified Bitumen Design Guide, a guidebook for building owners and roofing professionals working with asphaltic roofing systems. The new book is available to the public and can be purchased at http://www.asphaltroofing.org.

The book is broken into sections addressing the major issues with modified bitumen roofing systems, including substrates, components, construction techniques and innovative uses.  It includes considerations for latest trends in roofing that call for the roof to provide more than waterproofing, including solar, garden and recreational surfaces.

Topics covered in the guide include deck materials and treatment, roof insulation, membrane installation techniques and choosing the appropriate surfacing materials.

“ARMA serves as an industry resource, and creating detailed, instructive literature like the Modified Bitumen Design Guide adds to our depth of expertise,” said Reed Hitchcock, ARMA’s executive vice president. “Every building owner, architect, engineer, contractor, roof consultant and specifier should have a copy of the guide on their bookshelf.”

LiveRoof, LLC, which markets modular green roof systems, has announced the addition of new distributors in Georgia and Utah.

James Greenhouses, headquartered in Athens, Ga., is a new licensed regional grower and distributor for the LiveRoof® Hybrid Green Roof System in Georgia.

“The Georgia Commercial Energy Code recognizes the cooling effect of green roofs,” explains Dave MacKenzie, horticulturalist and president, LiveRoof, LLC. “Official recognition of the insulation value of green roofs—combined with their proven benefits for stormwater management and extending the service life of waterproof membranes—is increasing the demand for green roofs in Georgia.”

High Mountain Nursery, head-quartered in Draper, Utah, will grow and distribute the LiveRoof Hybrid Green Roof System to projects throughout Utah and Nevada.  Formerly named Lone Peak Conservation Nursery, the company specializes in growing native and adapted trees, shrubs, grasses and wetland plants for habitat restoration, conservation and enhancement.

“Plants can only thrive in environments for which they are suitable,” said MacKenzie. “To reach the highest level of green roof performance, the plants have to be right for the particular conditions of each installation. That is why LiveRoof maintains a network of licensed regional growers.”

So far LiveRoof has partnered with a network of more than 20 licensed regional growers across the U.S. and Canada. To apply regional horticulture expertise, knowledge of local plant biology, and understanding of specific microclimates to ensure green roof projects meet the owners expectations.

Other recent additions to LiveRoof’s network of licensed regional growers include: Pépinière Premier Plant, Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, Canada; Joss Growers, Inc., Georgetown Texas; and Rocky Mountain Green Roofs, Inc., Denver, Colo.

Is there a difference between a black surface roof and a white one?  According to a recent study, the answer is more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

The research, conducted during the summer of 2011 and published online at Environmental Research Letters in March, found that retrofitting a black roof surface to white reduced peak rooftop temperature in New York City by 43 degrees Fahrenheit, on average. The study was the first long-term effort in New York to test how specific white roof materials held up and performed over several years.

Widespread installation of white roofs, through the NYC CoolRoofs program, could reduce city temperatures while cutting down on energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, said Stuart Gaffin, a research scientist at Columbia University. The options tested in the study included two synthetic membranes requiring professional installation and a white-paint coating that is being promoted by the city’s white roof initiative.

The reflectivity and emissivity of the professionally installed white membrane coverings held up remarkably well after four years in use, the study found, while the painted surfaces were degraded after two years.

The Roof Coatings Manufacturers Association (RCMA), in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), will host the International Roof Coatings Conference on July 16-19, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland at the InterContinental Harbor Court Hotel.

This is the premiere roof surfaces and maintenance conference for those in the roof coating, building envelope, green building, cool roofing, research, or architectural communities.

The International Roof Coatings Conference will feature keynote speakers Marc LaFrance, technology development manager at the U.S. Department of Energy, and Art Rosenfeld, distinguished scientist emeritus at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

LaFrance began his career with the Department of Energy in 1993 where he worked on the Codes and Standards program and the ENERGY STAR program. In his current position within DOE’s Office of Building Technology, he oversees the development of the next generation of technologies for use in low-energy buildings.

Rosenfeld has served as senior advisor for energy efficiency in the U.S. Department of Energy during the Clinton Administration and subsequently served ten years as a Commissioner at the California Energy Commission. In 2006 he received the Enrico Fermi Award from President George W. Bush and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu for his contributions to energy efficiency. He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2010.

The list of presentation topics include: 

• Accelerated Aging of Roofing Materials
• Analysis of TPO Roofing Membranes
• Methods to Improve Adhesion of Waterborne Elastomeric Roof Coatings
• Coatings Forensics
• Cool Roofs Cause Condensation – Fact or Fiction
• Elastomeric Roof Coatings Performance, Durability and Life Cycle
• Water-based PVDF Coatings for Cool White Roof Applications

For more information on the International Roof Coatings Conference, including a complete schedule of events, registration, and hotel accommodations, please visit www.roofcoatings.org or contact RCMA at (202) 591-2452.