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42 Th u rsd a y, Fe b ru a ry 6 , 2 0 1 4 A RESPONSIBLE CORPORATE CITIZEN: GENERAL SHALE General Shale's Commitment to the Environment, Sustainability Efforts Remains Strong Brick is one of the world's oldest green building materials, having been made and used in one form or another for 10,000 years. With a life cycle of more than 100 years, brick outperforms other exterior building materials in both energy efficiency and its ability to withstand severe weather conditions, as well as natural disasters. General Shale, headquartered in Johnson City, Tenn., has been a leading manufacturer of brick for more than 85 years. Throughout its lifespan, the North American subsidiary of Wienerberger AG has been committed to upholding its commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability by creating a culture of responsible corporate citizenship in all aspects of its operations. A cornerstone of General Shale's success has been its ongoing commitment to reclamation. Each year, General Shale invests thousands of dollars to ensure that reclaimed areas at its manufacturing sites look as good as or better than they did prior to the reclamation process. For example, after material was removed from the company's former Somerset, Va., site, most of the reclaimed land was converted into a 95-acre area that has been made suitable for hay production or pastureland. Three permanent ponds covering 10 acres, in addition to a 13-acre wetland, were created and now serve as a wildlife habitat with a thriving population of deer, ducks, geese, bluegill, smallmouth bass and catfish. The company's dedication to corporate social responsibility is also evidenced via its expansive recycling pro- TRAVEL THE SILK ROAD WITH THE MOHAWK GROUP By Lauri Watnee, LEED AP, CSI, Director, Segment Specialist, Mohawk Group There is something very personal about developing product for senior living communities. Whether you are young or old, there is a very real possibility that you will consider a senior living community for yourself or a loved one, looking for the place that will bring both quality of life and quality of care, and that perspective makes us all the more conscious of the impact our products make on people's lives. Today's seniors represent the most highly educated and sophisticated generation in history. Their expectation of what retirement should look like reflects their life experience and sets the bench- mark for the design of senior living communities and the amenities they desire. Senior living residences encompass several distinct levels of care, including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing care and dementia care. In much the same way increasingly specialized care is required at each progressing level of care facility, the interior design and products used within become more specialized and purposefully chosen. This holds true in flooring products where the comfort, safety and wellbeing of the residents can be grossly affected by an incorrect choice. Carpet continues to be the product of choice for senior living facilities and offer a lower risk of injury over GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR NEW THERMAL CAMERA FROM THE INFRARED TRAINING CENTER You'll see a lot of interesting images appear even the first time you fire up a FLIR thermal imaging camera. It'll be simple to operate, and you'll be eager to start scanning your job site. But what do thermal images really tell you? To intelligently and confidently interpret them when showing your customers, it will pay off big-time to invest in some basic training, starting with an ITC Level I Course. They're held regularly, both at the Infrared Training Center's Boston area campus and at regional locations. The returnon-investment is huge when it comes to enhancing your credibility and building more business. ITC Level I Infrared Thermography Certification This is the gold-standard qualification within the thermography industry, and exceeds the requirements of international infrared certification standards. Designed for new infrared camera users, the Level I Training Course shows students how thermography is used for a variety of applications. The course includes comprehensive hands-on training and extensive IR application labs. Students who complete the course requirements will receive a Level I Infrared Thermography Certification. Level I Certified Building Investigations This four day certification course is intended to give the student the depth of knowledge necessary to perform IR investigations of single or multifamily dwellings to identify envelope, moisture, electrical and mechanical issues. The class covers IR camera operation, basic report generation, the fundamentals of IR C o n stru c tio n Ma rke tp la c e gram, which requires the routine recycling of paper, newspapers, cardboard, magazines, telephone books, junk mail, bottles, cans, plastic strapping, used motor oil, food boxes and other materials. "At General Shale, we have adopted green practices that pay dividends in the form of natural resource conservation, pollution control and waste removal cost reduction," said General Shale CEO Dick Green. "We are particularly proud of our award-winning reclamation efforts and the recycling programs that have been implemented at each of our 54 locations nationwide." General Shale's dedication to sustainability is also visible throughout the company's expansive product line, which now includes Endurance RS4™ Structural Brick. Oversized for safer, stronger, more sustainable and energyefficient construction, Endurance RS4 Brick ("RS4" stands for "Real Strong, Real Safe, Real Sustainable, Real Smart) hard surface flooring, excellent acoustic performance, ease of maintenance, and the ability to provide a moisture barrier when needed. Density of construction and pile height are key considerations in assisted living communities. Many elderly residents shuffle their feet as they walk and require level and firm surfaces to accommodate walkers, wheelchairs and other mobility assistance equipment. Denser loop and non-sculpted construction carpets are preferred. Through good design we can address the needs of the residents with varied levels of mobility, visual acuity, self-sufficiency, and care requirements. Silk Road represents the very best of the intelligence we gained from the owners and interior designers we met with during product development. We understood that the design must incorporate the warm, welcoming feel of residential and hospitality design with science and heat transfer principles as well as inspection techniques, standards and application examples. A residential IR investigation survey can help identify thermal anomalies that indicate missing insulation and insulation defects due to damage, moisture and improper installation. The IR survey can also provide indication of moisture or wetness as well as air infiltration and exfiltration. The course covers the caveats and environmental conditions necessary for a successful energy audit IR survey, as well as pitfalls to avoid Certification The learning objectives, contact hours and written exam of ITC's Level I courses are based on the recommendations outlined by ANSI/ASNT CP-105 and CP-189 of the American Society for Non-Destructive Testing. This course also meets the requirements of a Level I course toward Certification under the RESNET IR Interim Guidelines Method 1. can be installed with minimal labor and overall cost adjustments. In addition, combined when with continuous insulation, the product is the ideal solution for complying with the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code, which contains stringent requirements for insulation in new buildings in the U.S. in order to improve energy efficiency. "General Shale's growth and success reflect our continuing commitment to environmental stewardship by providing enduring, sustainable, quality products and supporting them with outstanding service," Green said. "We look forward to continuing these efforts for many generations to come." For more information, visit www.general shale.com, call 800-414-4661, email dawn.henning@generalshale.com or stop by booth #S1618 at the International Builders' Show. commercial functionality and ease of maintenance. We brought fresh colorways that reflect current trends, but recognized that new patterns and colors must relate to the existing color palettes when a space is being updated and must traverse from traditional to transitional styles, with style. It was important to know that as residents moved to spaces with increasing levels of care, colors tended to brighten, yet pattern scale became smaller. In public spaces, multiple coordinated patterns in varying scale and colors are used to define a space, create functional areas, and transition patients and visitors from one area of the facility to the next. Pattern preference leans toward abstract organic patterns and nothing geometric, graphic, or too linear. For more information, www.mohawkgroup.com. visit IR Home Inspection Training The Infrared Training Center also offers a twoday course designed for practicing thermographers and home inspectors who want focused infrared training on applications pertaining to conditions and challenges of structures. This course discusses applications related to home inspection standards of practices and their potential impact on the structure's and the occupants' health, safety and comfort. Students learn to perform an infrared survey to identify moisture intrusion, insulation defects, air leakage, structural defects and HVAC issues. These problems, if not discovered and corrected, can compromise a dwelling's efficiency, comfort, health and overall safety. Learn how to perform infrared building surveys, document IR survey results, prepare reports and convey the results of the survey. Get full details on courses, training locations, class schedules, prices and special offers by contacting the ITC today at 1-866872-4647 or info_us@infraredtraining.com.