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Forecast Trends Building System Magazine

Could a new precast system house the world?

Bill Loftus originally set out to design and build a neighborhood focused on its families' needs. What he came up with instead is a systems building solution he hopes will provide an environmentally sensible way to meet worldwide housing needs for years to come.

It all started when Loftus, who spent 19 years as a builder and contractor in Boston, envisioned a planned community in Clearwater, FL. "Some friends and I wanted to create a neighborhood that revolved around our children's needs, instead of a neighborhood designed around our cars' need," says Loftus, 41.

But an obstacle remained---the cost of traditional housing.

After six years of effort, Loftus invented a precast component system of building that combines up to 85% recycled materials, concrete, steel floor and roof trusses to create structures that are 60% less expensive than traditional building techniques. The company is now marketing two-bedroom and three-bedroom shell homes that retail for $16,800 and $29,900, respectively.

Lego-like

"Everyone who works here is a stockholder. We ardently believe this system can really make an impact in world housing. The shell uses no wood products in construction, and the technology allows a family to solve their own housing problems through their own efforts and hard work."

At the heart of the system are the precast blocks used to create the walls. Comparable in concept to children's building blocks, the blocks stack on top of each other and interlock. The blocks are created in molds from a blend of concrete and recycled materials that forms a lightweight insulating wall. Easily lifted and stacked, they require no mortar or special skills to assemble. Walls are further reinforced with rebar and concrete poured through channels in the blocks.

"We wanted these homes to be able to be built by a family, using simple tools---no power tools," Loftus says. Indeed, a company demonstration video of the system shows children creating a structure in less than a day.

The wall block system includes other advantages. The exterior face of the structure is pre-finished with a colored concrete to look like brick, stone, or wood, it requires no maintenance, it has an insulation factor up to R20, and drywall or other interior material can be mounted easily using drywall nails or screws.

Horizontal and vertical pathways for all the plumbing and electrical are built into the wall blocks at the factory. This eliminates the need for drilling and cutting at the building site. Additionally, these paths provide a "map" of where to install wiring. This eliminates potential mistakes and increases installation efficiency.

When the blocks are stacked to build the walls, they also form rectangular "ducts" for the heating and cooling systems. This eliminates the labor and material cost normally connected to installing ductwork.

Engineers have agreed that EBP's system meets or exceeds Florida's load and wind requirements, as required by building codes.

EBP is marketing its new technology worldwide through franchise agreements. The company is bringing two plants on line this year to create the component molds, which can create up to 5,000 homes. Buyers have already ordered 30 homes for this year. But Loftus considers that a mere drop. He expects sales to top thousands in the next few years.

"We've gotten calls from as far away as Argentina, Europe and Africa, just on word of mouth. People are extremely interested in this."

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