Michael Chusid is an architect and a Fellow of the Construction Specifications Institute. His company, Chusid Associates, investigates and reports on the performance of new building products. He can be reached at www.chusid.com. Additional information on Eisenwall is at www.eisenwall.com.
A prefabricated wall system combining the durability and appearance of precast concrete with the light weight and strength of cold-formed steel framing is finding its place in history in a recently constructed facility at the Huntington Library, one of the most important research libraries in the country.
"With normal Portland cement, stucco is a 10-day project," says Jorge Vera, general superintendent for Mid Valley Plastering Inc., of Lathrop, Calif. "With this new cement, stucco is just a three-day project. If I can put 10 days into three, I make money."
