Masonry Magazine August 1996 Page. 28
Insulation Helps High School Weather the Storm
Concentrating on third-period English class would be pretty tough if you knew you'd soon have to face a 30° F temperature and -10° F wind chill factor to get to your fourth-period chemistry class. And trekking from class to class several times a day during Ohio's long winters leaves something to be desired.
This was the fate of more than 2,000 Kettering Fairmont High School students until the Dayton, Ohio, school district decided to connect the high school's seven buildings and prepare for the addition of a freshman class of more than 500 students.
Designed in the 1950s by a California architect, Kettering Fairmont High School was fashioned in an open-campus format, spacing buildings and the school's sporting facilities over 60 acres. While the campus format works in warm climates, it's not practical for frigid Midwest winters.
"The open-campus format is not economical for today's operations," said Dr. Paul C. Wotherspoon, director of Business Services for Kettering Fairmont School District. "The new campus design eliminates these problems and is much more operationally efficient."
For the new design, the architectural firm of John Tuetschle Associates Inc., a Dayton architectural firm specializing in schools and public facilities, constructed six connecting corridors to join the school's seven buildings. The use of windows maintains an outdoor feel as most classrooms face a courtyard in the center of the campus.
The $12.2 million addition, paid for primarily by voter-approved funding, consists of 37 new classrooms, an expanded cafeteria, physical education facility and library. The existing buildings and new addition also are used after school hours for adult classes, community forums, meetings and a variety of other activities.
Cavity Walls: A Wet Environment
To keep students warm during cold, Ohio months, an extruded polystyrene was chosen to insulate the masonry cavity walls. Extruded polystyrene is considered best, due to low water absorption. Cavity walls, commonly referred to as "rain-screen" walls, are designed to accommodate moisture rather than prevent it. After making its way through the exterior brick, water is directed back outside through a drainage system of flashings and weep holes. Condensation from inside the wall adds to the already wet environment.
In this wet environment, water resistance is a critical factor when choosing an insulation. KMCO of Miamisburg, Ohio was the masonry contractor for the project. In business for 15 years and under the current direction of Richard Matthews, past president of The Mason Contractors Association of America, KMCO is one of the largest masonry contracting firms in the area.
When school opened in fall 1995, the first incoming class of freshmen at Kettering and the students who lived through the winters before-welcomed the new corridors. These corridors have kept them warm during one of Ohio's coldest and snowiest winters in years.
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28 MASONRY-JULY/AUGUST, 1996