Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. At Deluxe, we found out how true that is when we had to make our modular construction system work in a 12 story dormitory project.

Old-style poured concrete floors just weren't going to work on this project. We knew we couldn't go that high because the dead weight was just too much. After some research and consultation with our vendors, we found a new product that provided an innovative solution. It's a lightweight, noncombustible, structural cement panel.

These new cement panels help solve some major issues in modular noncombustible midrise construction. They're strong, very light in weight, and fast to install. They literally have replaced our old-style poured concrete floor altogether.

The cement panels provide DeLuxe with some significant benefits. As I mentioned, they're lightweight, so going up to 12 stories now is no problem for us. In addition, with less weight at every level, structural steel can be reduced as well. Not only did we increase our construction capabilities in a significant way, we saved money and time too. Likewise, no concrete means no curing time, which means the new cement panels are significantly reducing the time it takes to build the modules in our factory.

Our production staff installs the cement panels using conventional tools, so it's just as easy as installing plywood or OSB decking. We now are able to install the floor finishes - carpet, tile, vinyl - in the shop, which we couldn't do with green concrete. It all adds up to a building module that gets done sooner, and it's more complete. Plus, with less to do at the jobsite, additional savings can be realized there as well.

Besides all this, the new cement panel floors are noncombustible. We've had an entire noncombustible floor system assembly fully tested by an independent lab; it has a two-hour fire rating and meets all national codes. This makes it the perfect choice in any situation where noncombustible construction is required.

There are plenty of other benefits in using cement panels, and I'll be looking at some of those in future posts. The panels do a good job acoustically, and they're dimensionally stable, even if they're exposed to moisture. They won't warp, mold or rot, and bugs leave them alone.

But for now, take a minute to think about the advantages these cement panels provide and how they compare to the old-style poured concrete floors. Like me, I think you'll be floored.