ClarkDietrich Building Systems was recently recognized with the Design Excellence and Construction Innovation Award from the Cold-Formed Steel Engineers Institute. Awarded annually, the CFSEI awards acknowledge outstanding achievement in creative design, technical innovation and best practices in the use of cold-formed steel.

ClarkDietrich received the Design Excellence Award for its role in the construction of the Western Connecticut State University Visual and Performing Arts Center. The 137,000 square-foot project presented several unique design challenges for the use of cold-formed steel including a 96-foot soaring wall, an interior 40-foot plenum, as well as trapezoidal and triangular windows.

“Our work on the Western Connecticut State University project truly represents the best of ClarkDietrich’s offerings, from engineering services and design ingenuity to product specification and project management,” said Robert Warr, P.E., director of engineering services at ClarkDietrich Engineering Services. “We are honored to be awarded with such a distinguished accolade from the CFSEI.” 

ClarkDietrich was also the recipient of the prestigious Construction Innovation Award for the use of the company’s BlazeFrame fire-stopping system in the recent construction of a University of Massachusetts Lowell student housing project.

BlazeFrame is a first-of-its-kind product that combines fire and joint protection dependability into a single product head-of-wall system. BlazeFrame features an affixed intumescent material on its steel profiles, which allows installers to simultaneously frame interior walls while also constructing a fire-rated wall assembly that creates a smoke and sound seal of both dynamic and static perimeter joints.

The unique design of the system offers protection and support of wall framing materials for up to three inches of movement capability, while eliminating requirements for caulks, sprays, drywall rips and contour drywall cuts throughout joint assemblies. When exposed to heat above 375 degrees Fahrenheit, the 2-mm thick fire-stopping material expands up to 35 times its size to prevent the passage of heat, smoke and flames during a fire.

“Blazeframe addresses key challenges in the construction of fire-rated wall assemblies, and provides several cost-effective benefits for the installer while also providing an integrated solution for occupant safety,” said Warr. “We are extremely proud that the product has been recognized for the positive impact it has had on the building community.”