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

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(IMPERIAL, Pa.) - When Thomas Sturges decided to move his growing company into new offices, it wasn't his goal to change the way commercial buildings are designed and constructed. His main interest was in building a solid, energy efficient headquarters that would serve his company, Pennsylvania Drilling Company, for many years to come.

As it turns out, however, Pennsylvania Drilling Company's new headquarters promises to serve as a model for future commercial buildings, thanks to an innovative new wall panel system, that is faster and simpler to build with, while also offering better energy efficiency.

“This is something I think more people will be using,” predicted Sturges, the company's president. “We're very, very pleased.”

Sturges first considered the new accel-E™ Steel Thermal Efficient Panel (S.T.E.P.) wall system on the recommendation of his building contractor, Anthony Rosenberger of Exterior Systems Industries. Sturges had contracted with the company to construct a new 3,400-square-foot office building on a property that formerly housed a retail lumber company.

“We had originally contracted for a split-block exterior using conventional construction techniques, but Tony said he had something else we might be interested in,” Sturges recalled. “We saw we could do the accel-E™ STEP wall system for about the same price, with a lot less waste material, a lot more insulation value, and a simpler construction process.”

Developed by ACCELERATED™ Building Technologies, the accel-E™ STEP wall system replaces traditional framing, insulation and sheathing components with strong, energy-efficient insulating panels. The panels are formed using a proprietary production technology, which fuses the steel framing components and expandable polystyrene (EPS) together to create lightweight, strong, easy-to-use panels.

The accel-E™ STEP system combines the strength and performance of cold-formed steel framing with the superior insulation properties of expandable polystyrene. As impressive as those benefits are, however, Surges said it was a visit to a traditional construction site that convinced him to use the accel-E™ panels on his company's new headquarters.

“We saw how they were using the chip board, and the insulation and the wall studs, and by comparison with the accel-E™ panels it just looked flimsy,” said Sturges.

But the most compelling advantage was the energy efficiency that is made possible by the new wall system, which features 8-inch thick accel-E™ wall panels, finished with a brick exterior.

“With the cost of energy going up — and that's not going to change — we just felt we should put up the most energy efficient building we could,” said Sturges.
The accel-E™ STEP system was a first step that ultimately resulted in the new company headquarters becoming a model of energy efficiency, using eight geothermal wells, a geothermal heat exchanger, and a combination of forced-air heating and cooling with radiant tube heating in the floor.

“We won't know for sure how that works until we go through a winter, but so far it is working out very well,” Sturges said, recalling one hot summer day, after the building shell was finished but before the cooling system was installed.

“Even then, you could tell when you walked into the building it was so much cooler, just because of the insulation value,” he said. “It was really amazing.”

An added benefit of the accel-E™ STEP wall system is the much quieter work environment. The new offices are located near buildings in which the company carries out heavy contracting work, but Sturges says, “When they fire up a drill outside we can just barely hear it. It's very nice.”

In addition to superior insulation properties, accel-E™ wall panels also are simpler to install than traditional wall systems, which shortens the construction cycle and reduces the size of construction crews. And, since the panels are designed specifically to each project's specifications, on-site waste and disposal costs are also cut dramatically.

In the end, all the various advantages of the accel-E™ STEP wall system contribute to greater owner satisfaction, as Sturges is quick to point out.

“This is an extremely comfortable, very quiet building,” he concluded. “It's just great.”

Accel-E™ panels are fabricated in a variety of thicknesses, ranging from 5½ to 8 inches, depending on individual project requirements. Panels can be any height up to 48 feet. Window and door openings are precut for quick on-site installation. The open cavity on the panel's interior offers generous space for electrical and plumbing components. The materials used in the panels are fire resistant, and also resist mold, mildew, termites and other insects.

ACCELERATED Building Technologies, LLC, was formed by two leading building materials manufacturers, combining the talent, resources and knowledge of Dietrich Metal Framing and NOVA Chemicals. The company 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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