GigaCrete refers to a family of cementitious building products that consist of a proprietary non-silica mineral-based binder and filler materials that may include coal ash, non-silica-based sands, agricultural waste, and/or post-industrial recycled materials. The filler varies with application and availability. GigaCrete products do not contain silica-based sands or Portland cement, the binder used in traditional concrete.
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History
GigaCrete was conceived in the early 21st century by British-born architect and industrial designer Andrew C. Dennis whose impetus was to create cementitious green building materials that are strong and lightweight. Mr. Dennis is founder and chairman of the company.
Green building material
GigaCrete PlasterMax, a LEED qualified interior wall coating, was listed as a green building material by Architectural Record and selected by BUILDERNews magazine as a Best Products 2007 Winner.
The Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) certified GigaCrete PlasterMax as a Low-Emitting Listed Product. "The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification ProgramSM. As an ANSI Authorized Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments, and buildings."
In 2007, Popular Mechanics magazine awarded a Best in Green Design to panels made with GigaCrete hydraulic cement and waste materials.
On February 14, 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) challenged the homebuilding trade to construct 220,000 "high-performance" homes by 2012 that score 70 or lower on the EnergySmart Home Scale. To qualify as high-performance, a home must use 30%-or-less energy than a typical new home built per the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code. In early 2009, Next Gen 09 LLC, in partnership with the DOE Builders Challenge program, built a high-performance 5,200-square-foot (480 m2) demonstration home outside Las Vegas, Nevada. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that GigaCrete PlasterMax was used as the interior-wall finish of that high-performance Las Vegas home.
Plastermax on ICF
GigaCrete Plastermax is a fire-resistance rated interior wall coating for insulating concrete forms (ICF), thereby providing a green alternative to gypsum drywall on ICF. When sprayed or troweled onto the polystyrene foam facade of stacked ICF blocks, Plastermax forms an abuse-resistant surface.