Wall and floor framing system provides energy efficiency at low cost

The owner of a southeastern Wisconsin startup company thinks the building system he has developed could transform the construction industry.

Theres nothing out there like this, said Jim Jendusa, president of Lightweight Structures LLC. This could take off.

Lightweight Structures workers assemble a FORTECO composite frame for the Good Harvest Market store that is being built in Waukesha.

Workers pour concrete on a FORTECO frame at a job site.

Insulation decking is installed between the frames. Rebar is run through the frames. Then concrete is poured over the frames. Lightweight Structures takes the completed wall and floor pieces to the job site and installs them. Once installed, the frames are ready for drywall and the steel pieces come with pre-punched holes for wiring.

The system has numerous advantages, Jendusa said. It is more energy efficient and offers better soundproofing than wood frame construction. It costs considerably less than precast concrete construction.

Our price point is quite a bit less than what is out there in the market, Jendusa said.

Assembly of the frames requires little labor and the system can be installed quickly, both resulting in major cost savings, Jendusa said.

The labor to put this together is very reasonable, he said. Its not that complicated.

The system could be particularly in demand for big box retail construction and high rise construction of commercial and residential buildings, Jendusa said. The reduced costs of the system, improved energy efficiency and better soundproofing make the system a strong fit for high-rise construction and could provide costs savings that help more high-rise buildings get built, he said.

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Wall and floor framing system provides energy efficiency at low cost