Jan 31 2013
Eco Building Products, Inc., announced today the Company's E Build & Truss division has just come online with the manufacturing of a Class-A one hour fire rated, open web floor truss assembly. With the Eco Red Shield compliance to Simpson Strong-Tie recommendations for treated lumber protection for non-corrosive on Simpson nail-plates, this new product represents a paradigm shift away from light-gauge truss and I-Joist construction currently plagued with fire related problems.
ECOB's new Truss manufacturing facility is now producing seven and a half linear miles of Eco Red Shield coated fire rated floor and roof trusses for the Hampton Inn currently under construction in San Diego. The difference between ECOB and industry competitors, currently manufacturing floor truss assemblies, is that ECOB is planning to distribute our fire rated trusses to residential homes currently being constructed using combustible light-gauge truss and I-Joist construction materials.
"I do believe that the product developed by ECOB is revolutionary and is going to be a preventive measure in the future of building construction. I have witnessed the Eco Red Shield products in action and I have to say it is pretty amazing stuff. The ability of this product to prevent and delay ignition is impressive. The Class "A" fire rated material produced by Eco Red Shield actually helps extinguish the fire as it is trying to be ignited. I witnessed this in a truss burn at our training facility. We tested one roof truss that was treated with the Eco Red Shield product, and this truss would not ignite or sustain combustion. While the other roof truss that was not treated ignited quickly and burned in a small amount of time. I can only imagine good outcomes when they use this product on open web floor trusses. Today's modern materials decrease the time and increase the time temperature curve firefighters have to get in to stop a fire from progressing. Eco Red Shield coatings aid in decreasing the amount of fire involved, decrease the time temperature curve and give firefighters more time. I think this product will revolutionize fire safety in building products, and achieve ultimate goal of ensuring the safety and protection of homeowners and first responders," stated Battalion Chief of Training, Joe Ward – Oceanside Fire Department.
ECOB's professional relationships with the Fire Community on both Coasts, have informed us that "minutes matter." With the fire hazards associated with I-Joist and other light-gauge construction, first responders entering residential structures exposed to sustained fire conditions are more susceptible to structural collapse and subsequent first responder injury, or even death. As the U.S. Fire Marshall's Office and Fire Professionals across the country continue to seek reduced exposure to fire related hazards associated with light-gauge roof truss and I-Joist construction; the Fire Community from coast to coast has begun to embrace Eco Red Shield and support the Company's move to raise the Industry standard in the design and construction of safer homes.
Fire Dangers May Be Hidden Beneath Your Feet At Home
"My vision is to bring the first cost-effective, Class-A one hour fire rated, light-gauge roof and floor-truss assemblies to the residential construction market from multiple ECOB coating facilities across the United States," says Steve Conboy , President & CEO, Eco Building Products, Inc. "At ECOB, we are always trying to find solutions to problems creating true defensive building practices. We're seeing more and more houses now being built with solid laminated veneer lumber (LVL) floors, because I-Joists do not meet the new fire code requirements in crawl spaces and basements. The problem with LVL floors is they are triple the price of an I-Joist floor leaving the builders with the only option to build with solid sawn lumber, add fire sprinklers or comply with section 501.3 of the International Residential Code. Additionally, LVL's and I-Joist floor assemblies are cut and bored-through during construction to allow access for mechanical, plumbing and electrical components; all of which contribute to structural instability of the newly constructed home," added Conboy.
Source: http://www.ecob.net/