Property History

Brookshire Homes is requesting approval of an Alternative Method and Material Request (AMMR) for the thermal envelope design of two townhouse units located at 505 W. Ross Avenue, Tampa, Florida. During construction, Core Foam Masonry Foam Insulation manufactured by CFI Foam was installed within the cells of the exterior 8-inch CMU walls. The approved permit documents originally identified a different insulation assembly for achieving the required thermal performance of the building envelope. As a result, the insulation method currently installed does not match the insulation system shown on the approved construction documents and therefore requires Building Official review and approval through the AMMR process per recommendation of Joel Perdomo. The requested alternative method consists of utilizing the installed Core Foam Masonry Foam Insulation within the CMU wall cavities as the primary thermal insulation system for the exterior masonry walls. The product has been evaluated and tested in accordance with recognized industry standards and carries ICC-ES Listing Report ESL-1648. Testing documentation provided by the manufacturer indicates a thermal resistance of approximately R-4.6 per inch at 75°F mean temperature and reported assembly R-values exceeding the minimum energy code requirements applicable to this project. Supporting documentation submitted with this request includes: ICC-ES Listing Report ESL-1648. Manufacturer product specifications and technical literature. ASTM thermal performance testing data. ICC Code Interpretation Letter regarding approval of foamed CMU wall systems in Climate Zones 1 and 2. Revised structural sheets prepared by the Engineer of Record indicating that core-fill foam insulation within the CMU wall assembly is an acceptable application for achieving the required R-7.8 thermal performance. The Engineer of Record has revised the structural drawings to include the statement: "Core fill in CMU is an applicable application to achieve the R-7.8 value per manufacturing specifications." Based upon the submitted engineering documentation, manufacturer testing, ICC-ES evaluation report, and supporting technical data, the proposed assembly is intended to provide thermal performance equivalent to or greater than that required by the approved design and applicable energy code requirements. Accordingly, Brookshire Homes respectfully requests approval of the installed Core Foam Masonry Foam Insulation within the exterior CMU wall assemblies as an approved alternative material and method for compliance with the required thermal envelope performance of the project, allowing construction to proceed without removal and replacement of the existing insulation system. This request is not seeking a reduction in code requirements. Rather, it seeks approval of an alternate insulation system that has been tested, evaluated, and documented to provide equivalent or superior thermal performance to the originally specified assembly while maintaining compliance with applicable code provisions and project performance requirements.