Students enrolled in the BC 2044 course toured the ACME Panel in Radford, Virginia. BC 2044 is a second year core class in construction materials. This course teaches students about materials and properties that they’ll be using on the job site. It allows students to investigate and experiment with the properties and behavior of building materials. Besides the classical building materials such as steel, concrete and wood, there are a variety of new building materials to investigate.
ACME Panel is an example of a local manufacturer of one of the newer materials available in the residential and light commercial construction market. ACME makes OSP-based structural insulated panel systems as well as insulated headers for wood frame construction. This tour was a great experience for students because it included demonstrations of the SIP manufacturing and fabrication process, shop drawings and different materials used for panels and their benefits and drawbacks. ACME engineer Kevin DiPetro conducted a pull test to demonstrate the strength of the panel and Sam Fortier showed students all aspects of the manufacturing process, from raw materials to production to recovery consolidation of solid waste for recycling. They also explained the steps the company has taken to improve its environmental performance, including repurposing an old Goodyear tire factory for the plant, recycling manufacturing waste, and powering the production process with solar power.
