Part 1 of 3. BREAKING BrickNews. NewBrick™ a smart option.
The purpose of this column is to trot out some different brick products as a resource for construction professionals. Denver is booming and people have many cladding options. The brick traditionalists rightfully boast that fired clay masonry units yield high density and low absorption. This conveys into a time tested handheld building material that is durable and beautiful. The problem is Denver's growth has significantly sent shockwaves and cost spikes within the elusive labor market. Masons are in short supply so the cost of installation is approaching $35 dollars per square foot. Clay fired brick units do contribute thermal lag to the wall system & structure making the building warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer but brick itself has relatively low R value. Today we want to introduce a building material that has the dimensions and appearance of brick. It is predicted that many traditionalists may not embrace NewBrick™ but there were also many naysayers that scoffed at manufactured stone veneer. Then MSV did a great job of demonstrating that being lighter brought stone installation speed from 40 SF per day up to 200 SF per day! One underlying challenge facing Denver construction projects is the disconnect between the design communities preference towards masonry and the economic reality. The Denver architect is extremely spoiled being surrounded by incredible brick plants. Acme Brick, General Shale, Summit Brick, Endicott and Interstate are all astounding manufacturers that roll out the red carpet with entertainment packages, lunch and learns, samples, and excessive construction mock walls built at great cost & expense to the environment. There are hundreds of multi family, mixed use, hotel, commercial, residential & retail projects that do not require clay fired units but still deserve durability and insulation performance so let's check out what NewBrick™ has going in its' favor. My first impression of NewBrick™ is that the dimensions and brick aesthetics / curb appeal are in demand. Moreover, the performance challenges are satisfied. BELOW IS HOW I WOULD POSITION NewBrick™ followed by how NewBrick™ promotes themselves (similar talk track) Here is how I would approach the OAC (Owner, Architect, Contractor) Greetings Holland Group. I see that your construction docs are calling out for clay fired modular brick on the the Aurora Apartments near Fitzsimons. Please consider a much less expensive option. Modular brick costs the project up to 25% more for these 5 reasons. 1.) Due to the unnecessary weight of the walls yielded by outdated 3.625" x 2.25" x 7.625" heavy units you need to pour a much thicker , deeper and significantly more expensive foundation. 2.) Due to this same unnecessary extra weight ( of units themselves plus expensive steel in wall from ties, anchors, brick ledge) our installation speed is generally 5 times faster and much less expensive 3.) A typical cavity wall system is outdated. Why build two walls when you need just one? 4.) Why would you design a building that requires using masons which are too rare thus undermining the principles of supply and demand? 5.) Be thinner not fatter ! ...Since you are in the business of selling billable square footage you need to choose the wall system that doesn't rob you of precious square footage which is precisely how you will calculate your monthly lease terms (on the same building footprint) NewBrick™does not require the structural support like traditional full bed brick masonry. Once you eliminate special design and engineering you keep costs down ...WAY DOWN.
Dryvit Brochure Key Facts: NewBrick™ is a lightweight insulated brick product that is coated with a specially formulated finish. It retains clay brick’s classic size and appearance, but vastly improves on clay brick’s many performance shortcomings. Compared to traditional clay brick, NewBrick is: EXCEPTIONALLY LIGHT • at 2.45 lbs./sqft, NewBrick is 12 times lighter than 4 in. face brick, which is approximately 29 lbs./sqft . • Less expensive freight to the job and easy to stage on the job. • Easier and safer to work with, especially on multi-story construction, FAR MORE. ENERGY EFFICIENT • Peak energy ef ficiency attained when applied over an Outsulation system. • When used with an Outsulation system, meets IECC and Title 24 for the use of continuous insulation (CI) • The Oak Ridge National Laboratory says Dryvit’s Outsulation system is 84% more energy ef ficient than the next best tested cladding. • Substantially less embodied energy than kiln fired brick. LESS COSTLY • Installation over an Outsulation system is more affordable than traditional clay brick with equivalent and air/water-resistive barrier. • Requires less structural support than clay brick with CI, which reduces the amount of steel, concrete and engineering for the project. • Less costly to transport. • Installs faster than clay face brick or thin brick. • Easier to repair than clay brick. QUALITY ASSURANCE • Can be installed by one contractor • 10-year warranty when installed over an Outsulation system • Engineered drainage plane removes incidental moisture • meets NFPA 285 multi-story re test • Patent-pending alignment guide insures straighter lines with increased speed of installation KINDER TO THE ENVIRONMENT • Much less energy to manufacture & Less energy to transport. • NewBrick has a much higher R-value than face or thin brick. • can contribute to LEED credits Dryvit Systems Inc. CONTACT Brooks Allen | brooks.allen@dryvit.com T - 303-518-4515
Jon Little is the publisher of BEST OF COLORADO. He has 17 years of architectural sales experience. He helped develop campus standards for Denver University, Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado Colorado Springs and for CU Boulder he developed a 9 color brick blend to match the Tuscan themed natural sandstone specified by the legendary collegiate gothic architect 1933 Charles Z. Klauder. Little worked with the OAC to save $30 per SF over 190,000 Square feet , a savings of over 5.7 million dollars for the Caruthers Biotechnology Project. CU Biotechnology is a LEED Platinum project and earned the Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute Gold Medal. His work at Einfeldt Decentralization Center earned a Gold Medal from Denver Historical for matching the DU neighborhood color schemes and matching the original water station at Buchtel and University, Denver CO.
