Construction's Crystal Ball: PATH's Top 10 Technologies

Click here to visit the PATH website. By Chuck Ross Predicting the future is a tricky business, but that didn't stop researchers at the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) from forecasting the fortunes of 10 new building technologies at the 2007 International Builders Show in February. This year's list includes: Mold-resistant gypsum. Two words — Hurricane Katrina — underline just how important this technology could be to homeowners. Manufacturers are using different approaches to reduce the moisture that helps mold grow — from less-absorbent gypsum cores to chemically treating or eliminating the boards' paper sheathing. Solar water heating. Builders today are taking a second look at this technology, which heats water by circulating it through rooftop tubing, born during the energy crisis of the 1970s. "There are whole developments now putting it in," said PATH spokesman Glen Salas, P.E. The systems can pay for themselves in five to six years when available tax credits are taken into account, he said. Recycled concrete substitutes and aggregates. Using old concrete to make new concrete means less material in landfills. It also lowers energy costs and reduces environmental damage from mining and producing new materials. "There's lots of waste," Sala said of current used-concrete disposal processes. "The point is to get it used and get it out of the landfill." Combined heat and power. Also known as "cogen" systems, these formerly commercial-level designs are actually small fuel-fired generators capable of trapping the exhausted waste heat for use in home heating systems. This equipment is just beginning to hit distributors' shelves, Salas said, and is most practical in colder climates, such as the Northeast United States. Horizontal axis washer/dryer. It's two appliances in one. Throw your dirty clothes in, turn the washer/dryer on, and your laundry comes out dry and ready for folding. Popular in Europe, the space- and energy-saving units are just now hitting U.S. stores. Consumers here may have to adjust some laundry habits, though, because available models are smaller than typical washers, and a full cleaning cycle can run longer than 2 hours. Hydrophilic impact-resistant windows. Translation: stronger windows that wash themselves with every rainstorm. New impact-resistant composite laminates are creating windows strong enough to withstand high winds and flying debris. They may break, but the pieces will stay in place. Add a layer of invisible silicon dioxide, and rainwater washes off in sheets, carrying away dirt without leaving behind water spots. Super-sized vertical ICFs. Insulating concrete forms are now available in monolithic sizes, which, PATH researchers say, are sturdier and require less bracing than conventional ICF products. And, they add, builders are enjoying success with the new offerings. "They're really satisfied with the way [these ICFs] speed up construction," Salas said. Induction cooktops. The latest high-end cooking technology is also among the most energy-efficient. Ceramic-glass induction cooktops don't actually heat up themselves; instead, they create a magnetic field that causes compatible (i.e., iron- or steel-based) cookware to heat up. Heating up — and cooling down — are nearly instantaneous. The units operate at 90 percent efficiency, compared with 65 percent ratings for traditional models. GPS for land development. It won't be directing you to the nearest burger joint, but this new technology will help improve grading operations and eliminate staking needs by directing your equipment's excavation efforts using satellite-based guidance. The technology is still expensive, "but for a big developer, it makes sense," Salas said, because of the productivity increases it enables. Permeable pavers and pavement. These new products, manufactured from a range of materials, provide a twofold benefit. Because water passes through them, permeable products can reduce the need for stormwater treatment. And that water, naturally filtered by the soil through which it passes, flows back into underground aquifers, helping to replenish water supplies. For more on these products, check www.pathnet.org.