Contact: Karen Miller
VantEdge Corp.
828-883-8362, ext. 303
e-mail: karenm@vant-edge.com

( PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, and other federal, state and local government officials were briefed recently on advances in sustainable building technologies at the Pittsburgh offices of ACCELERATED Building Technologies, LLC. ABT is a unit of SYNTHEON Inc., a building science company specializing in high-efficiency construction systems, advanced materials and component fabrication.

The April 13 meeting allowed representatives of ABT and other SYNTHEON companies to update the governor and other members of the delegation on advanced sustainable building technologies that have already been proven in real-world applications.

ABT briefed the delegation on the many successful installations of its accel-E™ Steel Thermal Efficient Panels (S.T.E.P.) wall system, an innovative construction technique that fuses cold-formed steel framing members and expandable polystyrene (EPS) insulation into lightweight composite panels. By combining framing, insulation and sheathing into a single system, the S.T.E.P. design provides superior energy efficiency while greatly reducing air infiltration.

In addition, S.T.E.P. panels can reduce the labor costs associated with wall construction by up to 50 percent over conventional framing, and 88 percent over concrete block construction, while also dramatically reducing jobsite waste. As a result of these and other factors, the S.T.E.P. wall system can contribute points to as many as four LEED® categories.

Both Gov. Rendell and Rep. Murphy expressed interest in how the accel-E™ panels can meet the changing needs of the construction marketplace while also addressing long-term sustainability issues, according to Andy Claypole, ABT president.

As a follow-up to the meeting, Gov. Rendell has arranged for ABT executives to visit the state capitol in Harrisburg to meet with representatives from the Pennsylvania Builders Association, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Community and Economic Development.

"We're very pleased that we had this opportunity to present this technology to our state and local officials," said Claypole, adding: "We believe the benefits this wall system can offer our region – and the country – in terms of employment, greater efficiency in construction, and the environment could be significant".

Also attending the April 13 meeting were representatives from Astorino, a Pittsburgh-based architecture, engineering, interior design and construction services firm, and Orbital Engineering, a leading provider of engineering and design services in many industries. The two companies have worked closely with ABT to develop applications in which green building technologies such as the accel-E™ S.T.E.P. system can be used.

ACCELERATED Building Technologies, LLC, was formed by two leading building materials manufacturers, combining the talent, resources and knowledge of Dietrich Metal Framing and a NOVA Chemicals affiliate, SYNTHEON Inc. ACCELERATED Building Technologies draws on NOVA Chemicals' extensive experience in expandable polystyrene (EPS) technology, and the cold-formed steel framing expertise of Dietrich Metal Framing, a Worthington Industries Company. For more information, contact Andy Claypole, president, or Jeff Peskowitz, director of marketing, at 412-490-5037; or visit the company's Web site at www.accbt.com.

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