Low-E insulated windows with thermally-broken storefront frame;. ⢠Exterior doors that utilize a thermally-broken door
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BAUTEX SYSTEMS CASE STUDY
Design and Construction of an Energy-Efficient Office Building PROJECT TEAM
Ironsight
Owner Ironsight PSMT, LLC
PROJECT NAME:
Ironsight PSMT
LOCATION:
San Marcos, Texas
BUILDING TYPE:
Office and Manufacturing
Architect Link Architecture
BUILDING SF:
3,882
COMPLETED:
2014
General Contractor DCA Construction, LLP
OBJECTIVE: Design and construct an office
building to improve performance compared to traditionally constructed office buildings
Tenant Bautex Systems, LLC
MEP Engineers Johnson Engineering & M. R. Busby, P.E., LLC Structural Engineer Cardno Haynes-Whaley Civil Engineer Espey Consultants, Inc.
THE OPPORTUNITY Bautex Systems, LLC manufactures a composite insulating concrete form (ICF) wall system that enhances energy efficiency and reduces the environmental impact of constructing and operating commercial and residential buildings. In 2013, Bautex started working with real estate developer Ironsight PSMT to design and construct an office building in San Marcos, Texas, that would serve as Bautex headquarters. The goal for the project was to design a roughly 3,900 square foot office building that would significantly reduce energy consumption and improve indoor environmental quality, in contrast to office buildings in the region built using traditional construction materials.
Interior Design Link Architecture HVAC Commissioning Positive Energy
KEY DESIGN FEATURES Continuous Insulation and Mass Wall System The Bautex Wall System is based on the Bautex Block — a lightweight building block made from individual beads of expanded polystyrene (EPS) mixed with a proprietary cementitious material. Bautex Blocks are stacked to form a wall, then filled with steel-reinforced concrete to create a strong, insulated and energy efficient building shell. The R-14 continuous insulation provided by the Bautex Wall System exceeded building code requirements and completely eliminated thermal bridging through the exterior walls. This significantly reduced the amount of thermal energy passing through the walls in the hot-humid climate of Central Texas. In addition, the thermal mass or heat capacity of the concrete walls also significantly contributed to the reduction of heat load on the interior of the building. In addition to the afternoon shade provided by an existing building on the west side of the Bautex headquarters, energy efficiency was enhanced by the application of a full-width stone veneer on the south-facing side of the building.
“The building’s cost for lighting, heating and cooling is 59 percent lower than the energy consumption of the typical office building in this region of the country. The energy savings are projected to exceed $27,000 over 10 years.” — Oliver Lee, Manager, Ironsight PSMT, LLC
Integrated Building Envelope Design Other components of the building envelope included:
RESULTS
• Low-E insulated windows with thermally-broken storefront frame;
Ironsight PSMT succeeded in designing and constructing a high-performing office building at a competitive market cost. Energy consumption has proven to be significantly lower than other buildings in the region, and indoor comfort is outstanding.
• Exterior doors that utilize a thermally-broken doorframe and Low-E insulated glass; • Standing seam metal roof with a high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) of 63; • Ten-inch thick, R-38, open-cell spray foam insulation under roof deck; and • Bautex Air and Moisture Barrier, sprayed onto all exterior wall surfaces.
Efficient HVAC and Lighting Systems Efficient mechanical and lighting systems were installed to control building energy consumption. All interior lighting fixtures are LED and large, highefficiency windows on the north and east sides of the building provide significant natural light. The heating and cooling system is divided into separate zones using Lennox variable speed systems with humidity control. Thermal efficiency in the construction means that the HVAC units generally operate at a lower speed, accelerating to a higher speed only for limited periods of time during the afternoon on especially hot days.
Air-Tightness — The building is “impressively airtight” with an air infiltration score of 2.2 air changes per hour (ACH50). Indoor Environmental Quality — Occupants benefit from even temperatures and an extremely quiet working environment, even though it is located near an interstate highway. Significant Savings — Monitoring data shows the building is averaging less than $125 a month (1,250 kWh/month) on average in heating and cooling costs. These savings, combined with the low cost to operate LED lighting, results in electrical bills below $200 a month on average (2,000 kWh/month).
CONCLUSION Bautex will continue to monitor building performance in the years to come. Plant manager, Chris Leonard, who leads R&D, also collects the building performance data. “We’re extremely proud of this product and the performance of this building,” he says. “Our office is proof that the Bautex Wall System is ideal for any office, commercial or government building project that can be constructed quickly and cost-effectively while providing decades of extreme energy efficiency – and the reduced costs that come with that efficiency.”
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855.922.8839
[email protected] bautexsystems.com
