Blog

Yes, it’s that time of year again….when a certain chill fills the air, making your teeth chatter and your cheeks burn as you hurry home from the office. Maybe the chilly weather fills your head with thoughts of ski slopes or holiday traditions…or maybe it starts you dreaming of warm, sandy beaches far away from the cold.

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Ever hear that dry crackle or feel the effect of static electricity as you remove your coat or sweater in the middle of winter? Maybe have dry itchy skin, cracked lips, or even nose bleeds? Why is it that we associate these things with cold weather like we associate holidays and fruitcake? In one word, humidity.

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With any new construction technology, there are always early adopters, but only one can claim the designation of “first.”  With the construction of The Spark, American Family Insurance and the project’s design and construction teams can claim being the first in Wisconsin to incorporate concrete-to-concrete structural thermal breaks within a building assembly. … read more

Schöck North America is pleased to introduce its newest Regional Sales Manager, Carlos Garcia. Carlos currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife and two children, and will be serving the Pacific Northwest region for Schöck.

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Incorporating structural thermal breaks (STBs) into your high rise with the greatest efficiency requires clear, thorough communication and coordination between all team members — architect, engineer, supplier, contractor/installer — from the onset of the project. Otherwise, incomplete information can add unnecessary time and expense, potentially delaying the project.

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This may be a bit Engi-nerdish, but as an engineer, one thing I appreciate is good data communicated in a clear, concise way. If you want to understand the problem of thermal bridging at balconies and exposed slab edges and how design choices impact building performance and cost, then I recommend taking a look at this series of reports by RDH, a consulting firm specializing in building science.

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Schöck USA Inc is pleased to introduce its newest Regional Sales Manager, Nate Lambrecht. Nate currently resides in northern Illinois with his wife and two children, and will be serving Chicago and the Midwest region for Schöck. His professional background, as well as his proactive demeanor, makes him a valuable asset to the team. … read more

The architect’s goal is to create a beautiful building that functions well over the life of the structure and is within the developer’s budget. Our experience has been that when architects realize there is a good solution for the thermal bridging problems on the building envelope, they want to use it. However, one question that often comes up when discussing the benefits and value added by using Isokorb structural thermal breaks is: Can Isokorb® be used at balconies with post-tensioned (PT) slabs?

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It’s hard to pinpoint an innovation or advancement in today’s world that isn’t due to improved technology. Building design is no exception. With its continual evolution, the limits and tolerances that we design and construct with, previously deemed “unachievable”, are now continually surpassed with each new building design – shaping it differently, building it taller, cantilevering it further, or designing it thinner.

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The 2016 New York City Energy Conservation code went into effect on October 3^rd and is based on the ASHRAE IES 90.1-2013/IECC 2015 code already adopted by Illinois, Maryland, Texas, Alabama, Washington, Vermont and New Jersey.

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In June 2016, Schöck welcomed its New York City and Mid Atlantic Regional Sales Manager, Brent Chancellor, to the team. Brent currently resides in Jersey City, New Jersey but is an Oklahoma boy at heart having grown up in a suburb of Oklahoma City riding the range and roping tornadoes for fun.

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Let’s play a word association game – what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see or hear “structural thermal break?”

There are two common responses to this question: … read more

When our team sat down together to discuss the Lunch & Learn process for Schöck in North America, one word dominated our conversation: efficiency.  We believe in creating greater efficiency wherever possible; it’s been the guiding principle in our business since our founder, Eberhard Schöck, designed the first thermal break more than 50 years ago. So naturally, when we started fleshing out our process, making it as efficient and effortless as possible was our number one priority.

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In April 2016, Schock welcomed its first Northeast Regional Sales Manager, Christopher Ford, to its team. A New Jersey native and a Stevens Institute of Technology alum, Chris’ experience studying, living, and working in the Tri-State area makes him both an expert on the region and an exciting addition to the North American team.

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Recently with energy codes getting tougher and tougher, everyone is looking to come up with energy efficient ways to meet these codes. ASHRAE and IECC codes have been recommending continuous exterior insulation for a number of years and in the most recent versions have now made it a requirement. … read more

Patrick M.B Chan has a passion for finding solutions to reducing the environmental footprints of buildings as an effective means of tackling global warming.

After graduating with a Civil Engineering degree (B.A.Sc.) from the University of British Columbia, his primary focus and expertise has been exploring innovative ways to make building envelopes more thermally efficient in order to reduce the overall energy usage from these structures.  … read more

Hello! My name is Mike DeVries (the last part of my name rhymes with ‘breeze’…like the breeze coming off the Great Lakes). I joined the North American Schöck family in January of this year as the Midwest Regional Sales Manager. I live in Northwest Indiana, about thirty minutes outside of Chicago, and grew up on the South side of Chicago ­– a South side Cubs fan in a White Sox world! … read more

October marked the completion of the Tower at PNC Plaza.

Congratulation to the teams involved, on an incredible design and construction accomplishment in Pittsburgh.

This tower stands as an example before other tall buildings on innovation in design and collaborations of design teams. … read more

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) will complete in 2016, occupying the last available space on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

The museum was presented with a common problem found in commercial building design; “How to connect rooftop equipment while avoiding thermal bridging and rooftop moisture issues.”

Construction at this site was similar to the Kimbell Art Museum and Contemporary Art Center in that they are especially sensitive to the concerns of air quality and humidity control due to the collections and various objects that are protected within.  … read more

Millennium Tower Boston is setting the bar high, creating a new level in standards for multi-use residential projects in Boston.
The luxury residential tower is rising 60-stories at 1 Franklin Street . Schӧck was on-site to provide guidance with installing Isokorb® structural thermal breaks in terrace slabs for each penthouse unit. … read more

A new project in Chicago is breaking ground and Schӧck is pleased to be part of it.

The six-story, 79-unit building on the North-West corner of Cicero and George in Chicago, Illinois is part of the Hispanic Housing Development Corporation. The residential building is for seniors age 55 and over whose income meets the needs for affordable housing. The project will utilize Schӧck Isokorb type CM structural thermal breaks in the concrete slab connections of 16 balconies.

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Sainte-Germaine-Cousin is a project for the community. Located in Quebec, the church of Ste-Germaine-Cousin has come a long way, overcoming an asbestos closure in 2005.

Today, the revitalized church building stands central with a new addition, a curvy, s- shaped structure, of affordable housing with 126 affordable (PAPA type) units and intermediate housing for seniors.

Asbestos within Ste-Germaine Cousin Church presented a considerable financial challenge. After the closure of the church building, it was 7 years later in which construction began with asbestos removal and groundwork for the new addition. However, perseverance has proven successful, providing an exceptional building of great heritage value.

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Schock Isokorb® structural thermal break’s primary function is improving energy efficiency, yet equally important to building performance is building safety. As the Vancouver construction market continues to strive for new heights in building performance, Schock Isokorb® thermal break installations increase.

A recent installation of structural thermal breaks in Surrey at 3 Civic Plaza  initiated an evaluation of the Division 3 Part B of BC Building Code 2012  by fire code experts GHL Consultants LTD.

The results of the report  by GHL Consultants confirm that Schock Isokorb® structural thermal breaks will meet the BC building code requirements. … read more

Building envelope thermal performance is greatly affected by thermal bridging, or localized areas of increased heat flow through walls and roofs. Mitigating the impact of thermal bridging is not only necessary to reduce energy consumption but is also an important consideration for minimizing the risk of condensation on cold surfaces and for maintaining occupant comfort.

As part of new Building Envelope Thermal Bridging (BETB) Guide, various construction details have been analyzed to evaluate traditional thermal bridges and various solutions provided by Schöck Isokorb. Please find the report here.

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Our latest project installing in Canada is leading Surrey’s transformation from an agricultural and bedroom community into a city with an urban core.

It is as shocking as it is impressive, say urban planners from across North America-via Vancouver & BC business news, people, data & events | Business in Vancouver.  … read more