For 30 years, the environmental movement and the green building emphasis that grew out of it have focused on the role of manufacturing in emitting waste byproducts to the air, water and land. As interest in green buildings has grown, so has the interest in the potential for environmental impacts across every phase of a building product or system’s lifecycle. Today, the goal for many architects is optimizing the resource utilization needs of buildings for … Keep Reading »

The lower thermal conductivity of CPVC and other plastic piping materials compared to steel and copper often leads specifiers to wonder whether the material alone is sufficiently insulating for pipe in commercial plumbing and hydronic heating applications. Corzan CPVC’s thermal conductivity is 1/300th that of steel, so this is a reasonable question, especially given pipe insulation’s materials and labor cost. The reality is that it depends on the application. How a bare pipe loses heat … Keep Reading »

In all areas of a building project, specifiers, engineers, and contractors need to pay attention to compatibility — how will one material react to another. For example, new types of treated wood containing copper will cause some types of metal fasteners to corrode. Some siding materials can’t be installed against concrete because of moisture absorption. And the list continues. The same is true for piping systems. With metal piping, contact between dissimilar metals can cause … Keep Reading »