Growing out of a class of oil-soluble rust inhibitors for motor oil and lubricants invented in the 1950s by Michael Rhodes, Hycrete is a waterborne surfactant (soap-like material) that reacts with calcium and similar elements in concrete to form a water-insoluble metallic salt with properties of a fatty acid. Hycrete provides waterproofing both by filling the pores in concrete and, because it is hydrophobic, by repelling water. Hycrete provides additional corrosion protection, the company claims, because its bipolar hydrocarbon chain chemically bonds with steel to form a protective layer on the rebar.

Hycrete has achieved Cradle to Cradle™ (C2C) certification from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC (MBDC) as a “biological nutrient.” To achieve this certification, Hycrete must be safe to return to soil (see

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Vol. 8, No. 10). Making it work, however, has been a real challenge. Finally, after at least $15 million in federally supported research and development, a product will soon be ready for prime time.

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Vol. 13, No. 7) and then discontinued in 2005 (see

To perform effectively with only a pint-sized flush, the EcoVantage urinal, although it appears fairly conventional, is completely redesigned. “It was absolutely necessary to attack this design as a system solution,” Zurn’s Sean Martin told

EBN. “We had to concurrently design an accurate valve and urinal. The urinal has been designed to optimize distribution of the mere 16 ounces of water, providing a sanitary rinse and complete water exchange,” he said. Martin noted that the urinal meets the same ASME A112.19.2 and CSA-B45-02 performance criteria required in the U.S. and Canada, respectively, for 1.0 gpf urinals. The urinal is listed with the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), where it was tested. It uses hands-free sensor technology, powered by four AA batteries good for 200,000 flushes, according to Martin. An in-line, cleanable water filter protects the valve. Offering 85% savings over 1.0 gpf urinals, Zurn’s model could conserve more than 30,000 gallons of water yearly in a typical application.

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Vol. 12, No. 7). One of several layers in a typical wall assembly, housewrap (like DuPont’s Tyvek®, for example) is intended to mitigate these and other problems.

Another option is available from SunDanzer™ in El Paso, Texas. SunDanzer offers small, DC-powered, highly insulated refrigerators and freezers that are custom-manufactured for SunDanzer by Electrolux at a factory in Hungary. Four models—all chest-style—are available.

All SunDanzer freezers and refrigerators have 4.3" (11 cm) of polyurethane insulation, an aluminum interior, and a galvanized steel exterior. The brushless, thermostatically controlled DC compressor runs on either 12 or 24 volts and operates with ozone-safe HFC-134a refrigerant. In most climates, a single 75-watt photovoltaic module will generate enough power to run a freezer.

Teak is attractive as a flooring material in part because of its dimensional stability. Interior design consultant Anita Spofford, of Tampa, Florida, used the product throughout her own beach house. “I selected the teak because, in a coastal application, you have to be concerned about the wood expanding and contracting,” Spofford explained. The only other wood floors that would have been stable enough are layered, engineered wood products, but Spofford wanted a solid wood product for its long-term value. With the flooring now installed, Spofford said she is totally satisfied with the product and the service and is hoping to use it on future projects.

Unique American Teak offers solid wood flooring in 2 1⁄4” strips, 3 1⁄4” planks, and 4 3⁄4” planks (57 mm, 83 mm, and 120 mm). The prefinished flooring is 5⁄8” (16 mm) thick, and ranges in length from 12” (300 mm) to 48” (1200 mm). It sells for about $5/ft2 ($17/m2). In addition to the flooring, Sjolund expects to begin importing teak dimensional lumber for outdoor uses soon. “Some plantations that were planted in the 1980s are starting to be harvested now,” Sjolund told

As it has with Varia, 3form does not dictate, or even propose, much by way of specific uses for 100 Percent—preferring to leave the creativity up to the designers. One obvious choice is restroom partitions, where it would compete with other recycled-plastic materials in the market. Other suggestions include worksurfaces and interior or exterior trim. “It’s our toughest material from an impact standpoint,” noted John Wilham, 3form’s chief technology officer, suggesting that it is appropriate for high-abuse applications such as schools.

Because 100 Percent is so new, it has yet to be installed on an actual project. While the specification sheet on 100 Percent indicates that it is not appropriate for outdoor installations for lack of ultraviolet (UV) protection, that is changing. “We are adding UV stabilizers on the next production round,” Wilham told

According to Reconnx, the Nail Kicker is similar in size, weight, and air requirements to a standard, mid-sized nail gun. The new version is more reliable than the previous version, said Kane. “We really got the engineering down, and wear and tear is far less,” she said, though cautioning that, as with all air tools, regular maintenance, including oiling, is critical to durability. Erich Kruger of ReNew Building Materials & Salvage of Brattleboro, Vermont, agreed, and noted the importance of proper hearing and eye protection and a dedicated work area for denailing. Kruger said that while the removal of nails from dimensional lumber can require multiple “hits” from the Nail Kicker and is sometimes a two-step process with a pry bar, the tool is particularly effective with plywood and tongue-and-groove flooring. “Nails fly right out,” he told

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Most CHP systems provide from a few tens of kilowatts to a few tens of megawatts of electricity. Technologies range from natural-gas-fired combustion turbines to reciprocating engines and microturbines (see

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