MERIDEN — Workers from Maynard Road Corp. used a new technique Monday for pouring two foundations that could significantly reduce energy costs.
The foundations at the $2.2 million Hanover Place project were made with insulating concrete forms instead of a typical wood frame. The nine-unit veterans housing project on Hanover Street will use geothermal technology and solar panels to provide even more energy savings.
“It’s quicker and easier,” said Drew Pallotto, construction manager for Maynard Road Corp. “It also allows us to not work inside a crawl space.”
The construction method, known as ICF, is a system of formwork for concrete – usually made with polystyrene insulation – that stays in place as the frame for walls, floors, and roofs.
The forms are interlocking modular units that are dry-stacked and filled with concrete. The units lock together somewhat like Lego bricks and create a framework. ICF construction has become commonplace for both low-rise commercial and high performance residential construction, said Craig Ryan, of ICF Suppy Co. in West Hartford.
“You have a solid structure,” Ryan said. “ICF buildings were 50 percent more costly than traditional construction, now it’s down to where it’s comparable.”
The technology is also more durable during hurricanes and tornados, Ryan said.
Students from Kaynor Technical School in Waterbury and representatives from Carabetta Construction and LaRosa Construction watched as concrete flowed from hoses connected to cement trucks from Suzio York Hill Co.
The project is set to be completed by the summer, Pallotto said.
Support for tenants
Hanover Place was first proposed by the Meriden Housing Authority in 2010 but was on the back burner waiting for funding until 2017 when the state Department of Housing awarded $1.65 million.
The housing will benefit homeless veterans and female veterans with children. The two buildings will be comprised of three two-bedroom units and six one-bedroom units, plus a staff office.
The project will include full supportive services for veteran families with disabilities and special needs in an effort to help those at the greatest risk of homelessness, said housing authority officials.
The Veterans Administration of Rocky Hill will make the referrals for the new homes, and the American Legion Post 45 will raise and maintain a flag in a courtyard area between the buildings, said Edward Siebert of the MHA.
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