PLUMBING | IDEAL CHOICE |
Habitat forHumanity goes green
Copper fire sprinkler systems installed in Habitat for Humanity homes
property just north of downtown, the construction team wanted to build homes that were not only energy efficient but also
W
hen Habitat for Humanity St. Louis (HFHSL) identified available
services and labor were donated by local companies and contractors. The electrical union, IBEW Local 1, installed the electrical service and the members of Sprinkler Fitters Local 268 in St. Louis donated and installed the copper material for the sprinkler systems. “Two materials are
approved for this type of construction, copper and steel,” said Stan Shiner, president of Fire Protection Systems, the company that installed the sprinkler systems. “We elected to go with copper, because it’s easier to work with.
You can cut and fit copper Copper doesn’t burn, support combustion or emit toxic fumes when subjected
to fire,making it the ideal choice for sprinkler systems.
safe for new tenants. The nonprofit agency was able to
accomplish both by using sustainable materials and installing eco-friendly products such as tankless water heaters, geo exchange heating and cooling systems, structural insulated panels, white TPO roofs, low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and copper fire sprinkler systems. With model building codes now
requiring new single- and two-family dwellings to be outfitted with sprinkler systems, Habitat chose to go with copper systems for all of its new homes, including the six that are still left to be completed in early spring 2011. Seventeen single-family homes
have already been built, and families have moved in. These are 1,200- square-foot homes that consist of three or four bedrooms and one and a half baths. They were designed to complement the current architecture in the neighborhood, and all are pending LEED Platinum certification. “We’re really proud of these
homes,” said Kyle Hunsberger, the director of construction for Habitat for Humanity St. Louis. “They’re really well built for the population we serve.” A majority of the materials,
on the job. You can do this with steel pipe too, but you’re threading it, and the accuracy of steel pipe is harder to achieve when hitting walls above.” While some plastic materials are
approved for use in residential fire sprinkler systems, they can’t be used in exposed locations such as basements, crawlspaces, attics and garages without being protected behind a fire rated barrier, an additional construction cost. Since copper doesn’t burn, doesn’t support combustion and doesn’t emit potentially toxic fumes when subjected to fire, it is the safe, smart choice. In addition to
being lightweight, durable and able to withstand extreme temperatures, copper also offers a slimmer profile, which is easier to conceal within the building and easier to install. Also, discharge water from copper systems is typically free of rust or sediment. Copper systems also offer
economic advantages, including lower maintenance costs and long- term performance. Copper’s high recycled content and limitless recyclability support green construction practices as well. “It’s a proven system,” said
Hunsberger, referring to the copper.
“When installed properly, it’s going to perform for the life of the project.” Once this set of homes is complete,
Habitat will continue to build in 2011, in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood, as well as in two other neighborhoods.;
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Members of Sprinkler Fitters Local 268 in St. Louis donated and installed the copper material for the sprinkler systems.
Lightweight and durable, copper has a slimmer profile so it is easier to conceal within the building and easier to install.
Ron Bolte photos
phc february 2011
www.phcnews.com
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