WestCon Tribune

May 2006

2006 Directory Now Available
The Westcon 2006 Directory is printed and has been mailed out to members.

Do you have a mailing list or anyone you work with in the industry that you know would like a copy of the book?
If so, I would be happy to mail them one! You can email names and addresses, or you can fax or phone in any requests and I shall be glad to mail them out.
Innovative Ideas
In Wood Protection
Spark Industry Reinvention

BluWood, developed by Charles Morando’s WoodSmart Solutions, Inc., is the product of a factory-applied, two product treatment now called the Perfect Barrier System, First, the infusion film encapsulates wood substrates, forming a water-repellant, vapor-permeable barrier, which allows vapor to escape while keeping damaging, costly moisture out. The next step of this proprietary technology is the DOT Wood Preservative, a proven fungicide and insecticide that provides protection from rot, fungi and insects - making the wood virtually uninhabitable.

Also central to the product’s effectiveness is its ability to protect wood components from the moment they leave the treatment facility, and remain protected throughout the construction process - a time when traditional wood treatments are particularly vulnerable to exposure caused by construction delays, weather and other factors. BluWood also carries a lifetime warranty, which is transferable through sales to successive owners for the first 30 years of it’s life span.

“This really is unlike anything that’s been done before,” says Morando. “Termites, fungus and mold have always been expensive enemies for contractors - and we’ve virtually eliminated that expense. Moisture is the key to microbial growth and without it, insects and termites and even mold, can’t take hold or even survive. The result is a better conditioned piece of wood with overall less splitting, curling and warping for the life of a home.”

To ensure the highest quality product, WoodSmart’s licensed treatment facilities employ the company’s mandatory rigorous inspection process that measures the efficacy of the application, with additional independent, third-party testing from laboratories at some of the nation’s leading forestry universities.

BluWood is available through most major building supply stores in the company’s service area. Currently, there are plants in the Southeast, Texas and Mid-Atlantic region. Morando says demand for the product has grown exponentially in the last three years, more than 100 percent annually by conservative estimates, and expansion to the West Coast and nationally by the end of 2006 is well underway. More licensed treatment centers are in the planning stages to be built around the country, and will provide convenient regional supply and support to the local distributors.

“I have no doubt our success and size of the potential market will also bring us some competition down the road, but this is a highly proprietary product that took one of the country’s top team of chemists three years to develop. We’re focusing on building BluWood as the most recognized brand name in comprehensive wood protection.”

Lenders, investors and development companies readily recognize and respond to the value of increased protection. Morando claims his product has the most comprehensive protection for lumber available. “We’re the only factory-applied product that will prevent mold growth on the deposited infusion film. Traditional pressure-treated lumber focuses on protecting rot fungi and insects...but it’s not intended to protect against mold.”

Industry reports indicate growing concerns about the corrosive property of newer pressure-treated wood products like ACQ, which was widely adopted when CCA was taken off the market. In most cases, it requires contractors to use triple-dipped, galvanized nails, or stainless steel nails, screws and truss plates.

Morando predicts the product will revolutionize the way builders and architects see, and work with, wood structures.

JAPANESE ANTI-EARTHQUAKE
BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
Almost 21% of earthquakes over a six magnatude have hit the Japanese islands. Not surprisingly, Japan has developed some of the most advanced technologies to minimze earthquake damage. All new buildings erected have to meet stringent earthquake-resistance codes. Nearly 75% of all buildings in Japan were constructed after rules initiated in 1981. Serious damage from the 1995 Kobe earthquake was almost exclusively limited to pre-1981 buildings.

House building companies boast of sophisticated systems of earthquake resistance. One leading builder, Sekisui House has included earthquake resistant technology in all of its homes since the company’s founding in 1960 - typically a steel-framed skeleton attached with hundreds of bolts to a thick concrete base. Sekisui House has never had a building collapse in an earthquake.

With standard technology the house will remain standing, but cannot guarantee the safety of furniture or people inside. However, in a mock test, new earthquake-absorbing technology reduced the amount of force transmitted to the interior from a 7.0 force to a mere tremor.
The earthquake absorbing technology employs an intricate system of tennis-ball-sized molybdenum alloy bearings and oil-dampers. The dampers soak-up the initial brute force ot the quake using pistons that move in and out of the oil-filled tubes (much like over-sized automotive shock-absorbers). Simultaneously, a plate and bearing platform allows the entire test house to move independently of the ground.

In another experiment, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Association (JEITA), have equipped houses with internet connected speakers to warn residents of impending quakes. The warning system uses real-time information from the Japan Metrological Agency which picks up on the timey tremors that precede major quakes. At best the warning could be as long as 16 seconds - enough time to turn off the gas and move to a safe area of the house.
This system is already in 400 homes with a projection of 1000. Experimental upgrades on the system will in time automatically turn off the gas, open the living room blinds, while unlocking the front door and opening it thirty centimeters.

Mission
The purpose of this organization is to promote the highest standards of professionalism and to protect the general welfare of the construction consultant, to improve the practice of the professional construction consultant and to offer expertise and knowledge to the construction industry.

IDEAS? If you would like to give a presentation to Westcon, or have ideas or topics you would like discussed, please notify Fred Field, Program Director at (415) 485–5882. All suggestions are welcome!

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