2014 Construction Career Day (CCD)

This event was started in 1999 by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) to promote the transportation industry and the careers it offers to America’s youth. CCD events are coordinated and presented annually in nearly all 50 states; in Florida, industry partners include the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Transportation Builders Association, the Suncoast Utility Contractors Association, the National Association of Women in Construction, and the FHA. They strive to educate students on a small group level with hands-on activities, about the opportunities and benefits of this exciting industry. Nearly all 50 states hold at least one CCD event per year.

Several Madrid Engineering Group, Inc. employees will present a learning lab throughout the event where we will teach about conduction, convection and reflection with some bench scale testing and hands-on learning featuring Greenstar Panels (GSP), a hyper-insulation™ construction product used in “green” retrofits of buildings. GreenStar Panels reduce heat build-up within attic spaces by reflecting heat away, as well as using natural convection (hot air rises) to direct the heat away from the building. Since they are made of polystyrene, they also act as an conduction insulator, like Styrofoam® cups on a hot (or cold) drink.

GreenStar Panels were developed by Larry Madrid, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE and his business partner and contractor, Paul White. This patent-pending product/system has helped to “greenovate” over 50 homes in central Florida, and has been used in a few commercial applications as well. “It literally has the potential to change the residential construction industry in the hot southern states of the US and possibly internationally. My own attic, for example, dropped from 145⁰ peak daily temperature to 105⁰, which is huge and greatly reduced my energy bill. We are pleased to participate in CCD and to offer a hands-on learning experience for the next generation of contractors who will be far more sustainability minded than our own generation.”

The event will take place at the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando on January 28 – 30, 2014.

For More Information about GreenStar™ Panels, contact Paul White, 863-559-3781