Masonry Magazine February 2014 Page. 16
>>> CASE STUDY BRICK AND BLOCK
By D on Eberly and Laura Drotleff I Images courtesy of Big River Industries
Lightweight Block, Heavyweight Benefits
At the Maryland Science Center, 24-inch-long lightweight concrete masonry units paid for themselves by saving masons half the labor.
S
ix constructed block warehouses at the Maryland
Science Center in Baltimore are a testament to on�time and on-budget delivery. Built by St. John Properties, the buildings provided the center with a distinct advantage, both in the way they were constructed and the resources used �time, labor and materials.
The project called for six new warehouse buildings to be con�structed on a section of the property about 300 yards from existing buildings. The warehouses were to be rented out for storage to a high-profile tenant with a strict timeline. The buildings had to go up quickly to fill the demand.
Knowing that constructing such a large project in an expedited situation would come with its share of budget concerns, the contrac�tor for St. Johns Properties turned to Ernest Maler Inc., a local block, masonry and hardscaping supply company, for a solution. As a man�ufacturer of nonnal weight masonry units, Ernest Maier already had been working with Big River Industries Inc., a producer of expanded clay lightweight aggregate. Brendan Quinn, owner/president and CEO of Ernest Maier, knew that lightweight masonry block would fill the need for a fast turnaround in construction, while staying within the project's budget.
The units contain Big River Industries' expanded clay lightweight aggregate, called Riverlite, which makes them lighter and, ultimately, reduces labor and time in construction.
~Lightweight block increases productivity even at the same labor pace," says Quinn, "and workers are typically more efficient, because the lighter block is less work intensive.
GET IN, GET OUT As a result, the contractor used E-lite 24-inch-long lightweight concrete masonry units, supplied from Ernest Maier, in place of the standard weight 16-inch gray units. In doing so, he reduced con�struction time and labor specific to this part of the project by 50 per�cent. In all, 6,600 24-inch-long lightweight units were used for the straight walls and corridors of each of the four 75,000-square-foot buildings at the Maryland Science Center. The mason also used sev�eral 12-inch lightweight units and a variety of nonnal weight material for other applications within the job. Using lightweight block worked within the building's budget, the mason found, and he benefited from using this alternative in several ways. In addition to getting paid by the square foot, he also made money for completing the job faster. His crew was better off for using lighter weight units and avoiding common injuries associated with heavier block. According to Jeff Speck, VP of sales and marketing with Big River Industries Inc., these are the key benefits of using lightweight mason�ry units, especially in large jobs like warahouse construction. "The lightweight factor helps contractors complete projects soon�er, so they can generate revenue from the projects earlier, which is better for the property owners as well,H says Speck. "In construction, we all know time is money, and if property owners can reduce the number of days it takes to construct a building, it helps them project when it can be rented and begin earning revenue. H
WHAT MAKES LIGHTWEIGHT UNITS LIGHTER? The E-Lite units used for the buildings contaln 60 percent Rivertite, 28 percent natural aggregates, and the rest is cement and water. The finest gradation of the expanded clay lightweight aggregate (LWA) qual�ifies as a reclaimed material, which is a benefit for contractors applying for L.eadefship in Energy and Enwonmental Design (1.EED) credits. Together with its sister companies, Parker Block in Delaware and Skyline Brick in Virginia, the Maryland-based Ernest Maier produces millions of units annually, ranging from standard weight to extra light A good portion of its products contain expanded clay LWA, produced at Big River lndustries's Southeastern facilities. The quality of the expanded clay LWA results from a carefully controlled manufacturing process. "In a rotary kiln, selectively mined clay is fired in excess of 2,0ClO degrees Fahrenheit," says Speck. "The day expands, cools and is then processed to specified grading." The result is a high-quality, lightweight aggregate that is inert, durable, tough, stable, highly insulative and free-draining to meet stringent structural specifications. Familiarizing with the process by studying Big River lndustries's Q-Lite units, Ernest Maier developed its E-Lite block to provide cus�tomers like St. John Properties with a unique approach to time, labcM" and cost savings. "The lightweight units have better thermal properties, saving property owners rTIOfley on heating and cooling,n Speck says. "Addi�tionally, they have superior fire resistance, providing more structural stability, which is an improvement over regular weight material; and, they're safer to handle.H
PRODUCTIVITY IS CRITICAL Despite all the benefits using lightweight block offers, most con�struction projects are ruled by the budget and the bottom line, according to Quinn. "Even though it makes complete sense to use a lighter weight option, it is tough to persuade some architects and contractors to do it because of the upfront price tag,n Quinn says. "But, the savings is realized in the end. H In masonry construction, the cost of labor has evolved, with legal labor in the $12 to $13 per hour range, and up. Inflation rates can cause contractors to refraln from spending more for materials. "But, with labor costing at least 50 percent of many masonry unit projects, the 50 percent labor savings that is attainable by using 24-inch-long lightweight units more than pays for the addi�
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14 MASONRY � February 2014 � www.masoncontractors.org The Voice of the Masonry Industry