ROUND ROCK, TX — American Constructors, a 30-year-old commercial construction management company headquartered in Austin, TX, has utilized a dehumidification system for the first time in a school which has yielded better than expected results.

The company began constructing a 106,000-sq-ft elementary school in nearby Round Rock in June 2001, which is scheduled for completion in October 2002. Construction project manager Corey Taylor said the decision to introduce dehumidification into the building plan was influenced by a general awareness of and a major concern in Texas about the risks associated with mold and mildew.

Initially, the construction firm only sought to control moisture content inside the building to ensure against any possibility of formation of mold or mildew during construction. The project team later discovered that removing moisture aided drying times of concrete, wallboard compound, and substrate surfaces.

This new “bonus” allowed them to accelerate the schedule for painting, installation of ceramic tile, and applying epoxy flooring material.

“The use of Munters [desiccant dehumidifiers and indirect fired heaters] equipment helped us speed the construction progress and prevent any mold problems,” said Rick Conrad, project manager for the Round Rock Independent School District. “I can rest easier knowing that mold would not develop before we installed the building’s hvac system.”

Publication date: 04/08/2002