Located in the southwest corner of McHenry County, Illinois, the Riley Consolidated School District campus is home to approximately 300 K-8 students. Originally built in the 1940s with a 1950 addition, updates to the school have been few and far between. By spring of 2022, it was time for an update to this vintage structure.
SPATIAL ADVANTAGE
Usha Sundaram, AIA, with U.S. Architects P.C., explains some of the challenges encountered during the planning stages of the school addition: “The site was very tight with existing buildings on the north and west, a septic field on the east, and a septic tank on the south.”
Sundaram had discovered Echelon’s InsulTech Masonry System while attending an AIA conference in 2017 and chose it as the primary building material for the school extension.
“With only 72,000 square feet to work within, we needed the wall to be as thin as possible,” notes Sundaram. “We ruled out precast concrete since it would not be cost effective for this size building, and the interior walls would have had to be furred out for running wiring and piping, reducing the usable area. Traditional cavity walls measure 19 inches versus InsulTech’s 14-inch walls—we saved 5 inches and 150 square feet of usable area in a space where every inch counts.”
TIME & LABOR ADVANTAGE
InsulTech’s all-in-one, pre-assembled structural masonry units provided the flexibility needed for this project. The system was engineered with five components—structural CMU (concrete masonry unit), Neopor GPS insulation, air barrier, moisture-management drainage channels, and non-structural veneer face—in a single, preassembled 14.25-inch unit.
Along with its space-saving properties, the InsulTech system’s design improved efficiency on the job site. The pre-assembled blocks eliminated the multiple passes that would have been necessary to construct standard cavity walls.
“Budget was a big consideration,” says Sundaram, “and we saved costs on installation time by using InsulTech. We were able to get the modern look by using full height block at the addition, and then broke up the pattern by adding some center-scored blocks and accent color in the middle without incurring additional expenses.”
CODE COMPLIANCE & ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGE
Although the budget was too tight for LEED certifications, Sundaram relies on masonry for lifecycle and sustainable benefits. “The future of our kids depends on green practices that use masonry and other materials,” she says.
To meet the current International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and save on the school’s energy costs, the project required a top-performing thermal insulation material. InsulTech’s patented design utilizes BASF Neopor GPS-molded inserts, resulting in an assembled unit with an effective R-Value of 16.0 at 75° F, meeting IECC requirements in Zones 1-7.
Sundaram and her team needed to qualify for the ComEd energy rebate for the school and achieved the needed R-Value of 16.0 based on the 2021 ICC code. For soundproofing and noise control, they used acoustical wall panels, suspended acoustic panel luminaire, acoustical roof deck, and the exterior InsulTech masonry system.
InsulTech’s internal stainless-steel metal anchors molded into GPS inserts ensured a strong connection to the structural wall, providing wind-load resistance and fire safety. This was a bonus feature for the school since the cafeteria will double as a tornado shelter.
TRAINING ADVANTAGE
Chris Janic of Burroak Masonry (BMI), a Leland, Illinois-based mason contractor, worked with Echelon’s Len Browning to get up to speed on the new material.
“As promised, the Oldcastle team members were on-site to provide training for our block layers,” says Janic. “After a sample panel was built, we had Usha come out for review. She had a few questions answered by the team, and the next day we started building up the walls. The job went very well for our company, and we are very proud of the final product.”
Sundaram says, “Burroak Masonry did a terrific job, and it worked beautifully. With the pre-assembled, factory-finished units and careful 3D design with nominal masonry dimensions, they didn’t have to cut any block, saving on labor and installation time. We used 5,956 square feet of basic InsulTech blocks with Harvard Brick finish veneers—a good natural product with an excellent lifecycle. Using CADBLOX-generated shop drawings helped us order the precise number of blocks needed, leading to minimum or zero waste.”
With both the structural block and exterior veneer available in both standard finishes and Harvard Brick, Sundaram selected a finish that would complement the existing exterior.
“With plenty of Harvard Brick color choices, we were able to complement the existing building color scheme,” she says.
Sundaram notes the product works even for a smaller scoped project. “The bids came in within the budget,” she says. “The original bid was $2.22M and the final with change orders was $2.28M.” Sundaram noted that $415,000 of the total budget was for masonry.
The school welcomed students back in the fall of 2023, and the reaction to the new addition was overwhelmingly positive.
“We chose the InsulTech system to save time and money, gain additional square footage, and conserve energy, and we did not spend extra to make it look great. It all worked beautifully, and I would undoubtedly use the InsulTech Masonry System for other projects.”
About the Author:
John Cicciarelli is director of masonry for Oldcastle APG/Echelon Masonry. He can be reached at John.Cicciarelli@oldcastle.com. For more, visit www.echelonmasonry.com.
Modern Contractor Solutions, March 2024
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