Multi-Zone Composite Architecture
CF-T01 Family · V7 Nominal · 122 mm

Composite Shear Connector System

Composite action in steel — without steel’s thermal bill.

The first multi-zone composite shear connector built around a minimal Ø 4 mm steel load path — ~60% less steel in the heat path than a conventional ¼-in pin, cutting conducted heat per connector by ~59% (calculated from published conductivities; per connector; ASTM C518 quantitative pending). In field thermography, the anchorages show no detectable hot-spot. Patent-pending, lab-validated on equipment with secondary calibration traceable to ISO/IEC 17025 (QUANTEQ CAL 0692, RBC/INMETRO) — full data disclosed, with sample size and dispersion behind every number.

Open the Designer → See the lab data Patent claims (verbatim)

PatentUSPTO Provisional · App. 64/100,667

LabCalibrated to ISO/IEC 17025 traceability

Tests3 Campaigns · 2026

USPTO Provisional Filed

ConnexFrame V7 · Interactive Model Parametric CAD · mm

Drag to orbit · Scroll to zoom · Hover to pause

Zone 01 · Steel core Zone 02 · GFRP barrier Zone 03 · VE+GMB+B envelope

0MPa

Panel compression · V3 prototype · n=3 · CV 7.88% · UPF/CETEC

0MPa

σu · steel core pilot coupon · n=1 (CF-T01/01) · Ø4.0 CA-50 · σu/σy 1.04

1.5°C

Total spread across 13 field points · no anchorage hot-spots · DJI M4T (qualitative)

Real product·three material zones

ConnexFrame three material zones — exploded

01Steel core

Ø 4 × 122 mm · CA-50 ribbed reinforcing steel (≈ ASTM A615 Gr. 75)
Primary load path — high axial & shear
σu 562.6 MPa · ASTM A370 / E8

02GFRP barrier tube

Ø 4 mm ID / Ø 8 mm OD
Alkaline & thermal barrier — isolates the steel from the cement matrix
λ ≈ 0.35 W/m·K (predicted)

03VE+GMB+B helical envelope

crest Ø 14 / valley Ø 10 mm · 4-start · pitch 89.4 mm
VE + 10% GMB + 12% basalt composite
Mechanical anchorage & thermal break

Tap for sound

Field & lab evidence

Not a concept — already built and tested.

Cast in a working precast plant, pulled to rupture, crushed to failure and scanned in the field. 18 seconds of the real ConnexFrame program — no renders.

562.6 MPasteel core · ultimate tensile · ASTM A370 / E8
6.52 MPapanel compression · mean of 3 · NBR 5739
No hot-spotsover anchorages · 13-point field IR

Watch the 18-second film

The Problem · For Structural Engineers

For 35 years, the U.S. PCSP specifier has been forced to choose.

Composite action or thermal performance. Never both. No ICC-ES report combines them.

The structural-thermal trade-off is not a marketing gap. Thirty-five years after it was framed (PCI Journal, 1991), it is still priced into every bid.

Metallic shear ties achieve partial composite action, but act as thermal bridges at each anchorage, eroding 8.5% (pins) to 25% (wire trusses) of the panel's effective R-value by zone-method analysis — up to 41% in early measurements (Sorensen, Utah State, PCA-supported, 2019 · Einea et al., PCI Journal, 1991). FRP cables and flat strips reverse the trade — excellent thermal isolation, limited shear transfer.

The opaque envelope — the wall itself — is a primary path for that loss (DOE, 2023).

Existing "hybrid" connectors combine structure and anchorage in a single continuous helical body. Patent file documents the three failure modes of that approach: (a) helical torsion induces parasitic secondary stresses in the axial path; (b) single-piece complex geometry drives molding cost; (c) the load path and the anchorage cannot be tuned independently (see Patent §2 · Background and State of the Art).

No commercially available connector simultaneously delivers high partial composite action, low envelope thermal conductivity, lasting alkali resistance at pH ≈ 13, and economically viable industrial manufacturability (PCI Journal · Einea et al. 1991 · Al-Rubaye et al. 2018). The category has been waiting for a geometric answer.

$150B

Wasted yearly in U.S. building energy

DOE, 2023

8.5–41%

R-value lost to steel connectors

Sorensen, USU (PCA) 2019 · Einea, PCI J 1991

~40%

U.S. energy consumed by buildings

DOE

35 yrs

The structural / thermal trade-off — still priced into bids

PCI Journal 1991 · Sustainability (MDPI) 2025

The Solution

ConnexFrame — three-zone multi-material architecture.

One connector designed for both axes of the trade-off.

Sectioned ConnexFrame connector showing steel core, GFRP ring and helical composite envelope

Structural Core

Structural Steel

Straight cylindrical steel core · Ø 4 mm · primary load path

Tensile peak 562.6 MPa on Ø 4.0 mm test coupon (pilot, n=1), ductile rupture — steel coupon per ASTM A370/E8, σu/σy 1.04.

Encapsulation

Pultruded GFRP

E-glass / vinyl-ester ring · Ø 4–8 mm

Triple function: electrochemical isolation, secondary composite transfer, radial thermal attenuation.

Helical Anchorage & Thermal Break

VE + GMB + Basalt

Proprietary 4-start left-handed helix · crest Ø 14 mm / valley Ø 10 mm · total length 122 mm · pitch 89.4 mm

Aromatic vinyl-ester matrix with 10% hollow glass microspheres + 12% basalt fibers. Mechanical anchorage and thermal break.

The two inner layers remain straight cylindrical, free of any torsional geometry. Only the outer layer assumes the four-start left-handed helical profile (r(θ) = R_base + A·cos(4θ), nominal pitch 89.4 mm). This functional geometric separation permits independent adjustment of load capacity (inner zones) and anchorage / thermal break (outer zone). This is the patentable distinction — drafted as Claim 1 of the USPTO Provisional.

Working Principle · Embedded Technology

Three concentric zones. Three simultaneous jobs. One clean load path.

The connector is not a single part doing one thing. Each concentric zone is engineered for a distinct structural, thermal, and chemical function — and all three act at once. This is the embedded technology that resolves a 35-year trade-off in a single component.

ConnexFrame connector installed in a precast sandwich panel — concrete, EPS core, helical connector

Working principle

How ConnexFrame works

ConnexFrame shear transfer between concrete wythes

ConnexFrame thermal bridge reduction, warm exterior cool interior

One connector, two jobs: the multi-zone body transfers shear for composite action and cuts steel’s thermal footprint, while the GFRP sleeve adds a chemical barrier against the alkaline matrix. Reference panel 172 mm · connector 122 mm.

01Load path

Composite action through the steel core

The straight cylindrical steel core carries the shear between the two concrete wythes, enabling the panel’s composite action. A clean, purely axial load path — with no torsional geometry — so capacity stays predictable and the steel never sees parasitic helical stress.

Structural steel core · Ø 4 mm
02Isolation

Electrochemical & thermal barrier

Concentric around the core, the pultruded GFRP sleeve isolates the steel from the cementitious matrix at pH ≈ 13 and radially attenuates heat flow where the connector crosses the insulation layer — lasting durability without adding a metallic conduction path.

Pultruded GFRP sleeve · Ø 8 mm
03Anchorage + thermal break

Helical lock and heat-flow cut

Only the outer envelope is helical: a 4-start left-hand thread mechanically locks the connector into both wythes, while the multi-additive composite — vinyl-ester + hollow glass microspheres + basalt — cuts residual heat flow. Mechanical anchorage and thermal break, in one body.

VE+GMB+B helical envelope · crest Ø 14 mm

Embedded technology — why it works

Functional geometric separation

Straight inner load path, helical outer anchorage. Each is tuned independently — the patentable distinction (Claim 1).

Hierarchical multi-scale composite

Vinyl-ester matrix, hollow glass microspheres and basalt fibers — each constituent works at its own length scale.

Cascading 3-level chemical protection

Composite envelope → GFRP ring → fully isolated steel core. Built to outlive the panel (Claim 18).

Physical Proof · V1 → … → V7

Seven prototype generations. The V7 — current design (VE+GMB+B) — is what the patent describes.

Geometry verified in 3D CAD, fabricated, cast into instrumented panels, and tested on equipment with secondary calibration traceable to ISO/IEC 17025 (QUANTEQ CAL 0692). Validated campaigns ran on precursor prototypes (thermography v1/v2; compression V3) that share the cylindrical inner load path; the composite envelope was iterated up to the current V7. Not a render. Not a concept.

**Family of prototype connectors** — Successive iterations through V7, with a millimeter ruler for scale.

Test panel assembly with connectors embedded — **Test Panel Assembly** — Penz Engineering · concrete cast around ConnexFrame connectors prior to compression testing.

UPF/CETEC laboratory — **UPF/CETEC accredited lab** — Emic SSH300 press with acquisition station.

Sandwich panel in 2000 kN press — **PCSP specimen on the press** — 500×500×120 mm panel, Work nº 8654.

**Schenck Universal tensile rig** — German precision platform for material characterization.

DJI Matrice 4T radiometric drone — field thermography on three PCSP prototypes installed outdoors — **DJI Matrice 4T drone** — radiometric thermography on three PCSP prototypes outdoors.

Panel post-test — EPS core intact — **Post-compression panel** — EPS core preserved 100%, no delamination.

Steel core necking after tension — **Steel core after tension** — ductile rupture with visible necking.

**Thermal vs. visible** — three PCSP panels side-by-side, March 2026.

Validated Data

Three parallel validation campaigns — March to May 2026.

Three parallel campaigns, March–May 2026. CP-level disclosure. Modes of failure named. Sample size and dispersion on every claim. Witnessed and signed by the sole inventor on every test — calibration certificates available on request.

01COMPRESSION · V3 PROTOTYPE · n=3UPF/CETEC · 28 Apr 2026

0MPamean panel resistance · CV 7.88%

CP	Area	Load	σ
CP1	65,278 mm²	47,056.68 kgf	7.07 MPa
CP2	65,792 mm²	40,630.44 kgf	6.06 MPa
CP3	60,652 mm²	39,702.53 kgf	6.42 MPa

3 CPs · 500×500×120 mm · Method BLOCO · Work nº 8654
Ductile failure in concrete face — EPS core 100% intact
Crack ~0.10 mm — within NBR 6118 / ACI 224R limits
6.52 MPa is stress on the gross section (incl. EPS); stress in the concrete wythes ≈ 12 MPa (conservative).

02TENSION · STEEL CORE · PILOT n=1UPF/CETEC · 06 May 2026

0MPaultimate stress σu

Schenck Universal — CF-T01/01 (single-coupon pilot)
Section	Ø 4.0 mm · A = 12.57 mm²
L₀	100 mm
Max load	7,072.47 N
σy	542.5 MPa · σu/σy = 1.04
Elongation	24.89%
Energy absorbed	96.21 N·m

Ductile rupture with visible necking · steel coupon per ASTM A370 / E8
σu/σy = 1.04 is below the NBR 7480 minimum (1.08) for CA-50 — mill certificate + n ≥ 5 replicate series scheduled Phase 2.
Single-coupon pilot characterization. Composite/anchorage qualification (ICC-ES AC320/AC422) is a separate roadmap item.

03THERMOGRAPHY · QUALITATIVEField · 31 Mar 2026

~0.9°Ccooler than steel control · no hot-spots

Panel	Connector	Mean	Δin
CP-01	Steel (control)	27.5 °C	0.3 °C
CP-02	ConnexFrame v1	26.6 °C	0.1 °C
CP-03	ConnexFrame v2	26.6 °C	0.7 °C

DJI Matrice 4T · radiometric · ε = 0.95 · Tamb 25.9 °C · Porto Belo/SC · 31 Mar 2026
ConnexFrame ran ≈ 0.9 °C cooler than the steel control, with no discrete hot-spots over the anchorages.
Qualitative screening · ASTM C518 quantitative confirmation planned (Phase 2)

Open Data · Radical Transparency

Anchorages: invisible in infrared. That is the proof.

To our knowledge, the only composite shear connector in the U.S. market that publishes the raw dataset behind its installed-system field thermography.

A conventional metallic tie acts as a discrete thermal bridge at each anchorage — a signature documented in infrared over steel ties (Sorensen, Utah State, 2017–2019), which lose an estimated 8.5–41% of panel R-value (Sorensen 2019; Einea, PCI 1991). ConnexFrame's anchorages show no such signature.

Across 13 field points on three instrumented panels — positions held directly over the anchorages and over intermediate regions — the connector anchorages produced no detectable thermal signature: total spread just 1.5 °C, internal variation as low as 0.1 °C. Quantitative R-value under ASTM C518 is the next step.

Thermomass/Leviat (CRH-controlled, Irish-headquartered), HK Composites, Owens Corning THiN-Wall, AltusGroup CarbonCast, IconX — to our knowledge, no incumbent publishes the raw field-thermography dataset of an installed product: per-point temperatures, emissivity, ambient conditions and dates, with the caveats on the same page. We do. Incumbent literature shows images; we show the data behind them.

ConnexFrame is, to our knowledge, the first composite shear connector to publish the raw field-thermography dataset of its installed system — 13 points, per-point data, caveats included. Quantitative R-value certification under ASTM C518 at an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited U.S. partner lab (Phase 02) is on the Q1 2027 roadmap — the qualitative result above is the leading indicator, not the final claim.

DJI Thermal Analysis Tool 3 — 13 points across three panels

Side-by-side thermal mask and visible photo of the three test panels

DJI Thermal Analysis Tool 3 · 13 measurement points (SP1–SP13) on two ConnexFrame panels + one steel-control panel · 31 March 2026.

Technical Differential · Why this geometry, why this composite

A hierarchical multi-scale composite on a separated load path.

The hybrid helical connector is prior art. The combination claimed here is not.

Why separate the functions?

Legacy hybrid connectors combine structure and anchorage in a single continuous helical body. Three documented limitations:

Helical torsion induces parasitic secondary stresses in axial load transfer.
Single complex part drives molding/machining cost up.
No independent tuning of load path vs. anchorage / thermal break.

ConnexFrame separates them. Internal zones stay strictly cylindrical (clean axial path); only the external envelope is helical (anchorage + thermal break). Each can be tuned independently to the panel geometry, the climate zone, and the structural target.

Why this composite (VE + GMB + Basalt)?

The outer envelope is a hierarchical multi-scale composite designated VE+GMB+B. Each constituent does a distinct, non-redundant job — and the combination produces "thermal-mechanical-chemical balance properties not achievable by the components individually or by binary combinations of the state of the art" (Patent §3, Summary of the Invention):

Aromatic vinyl-ester matrix

Intrinsic alkali resistance at pH ≈ 13 · thermal stability ≥ 120 °C continuous service

10% (mass) hollow glass microspheres (GMB) · Ø 15–65 μm · borosilicate

Microscopic-scale thermal-conductivity reduction (envelope-scale target ≈ 0.12–0.22 W/m·K, predicted; absolute confirmation pending ASTM C518) · volumetric cure stability

12% (mass) basalt fibers · Ø 9–22 μm · L 3–25 mm · silane-coupled

Mesoscopic-scale directional reinforcement · supplementary alkali resistance

Cascading three-level chemical protection (Claim 18): the VE+GMB+B envelope is the first barrier against hydroxyls; the GFRP ring, same matrix family, is the chemically compatible second barrier; the steel core is fully isolated from the cementitious matrix by both preceding barriers. The architecture is built to outlive the panel. Why that matters beyond this panel: corroding embedded steel is a leading cause of premature concrete deterioration — U.S. concrete bridge decks and substructures alone carry a ≈ $4 billion/yr corrosion bill (FHWA/NACE, FHWA-RD-01-156; FHWA-HRT-09-020 puts all bridges at $5.9–9.7B/yr). Isolating the steel at the load-critical link removes that failure mode by design.

Why the market never had to solve this. The two governing ICC-ES acceptance criteria evaluate the trade-off halves in isolation: AC320 covers anchorage / pull-out, AC422 covers shear / composite action. Neither criterion requires a thermal-conductivity or thermal-bridging measurement. Vendor-published connector conductivities: Thermomass ≈ 0.46 W/m·K (datasheet) · HK 0.30 (ST) / 0.25 (CA) W/m·K. The VE+GMB+B outer envelope targets ≈ 0.12–0.22 W/m·K at the material level (predicted; ASTM C518 confirmation scheduled) — and unlike every product above, the load path is steel: ~60% less steel cross-section in the heat path than a conventional ¼-in pin. No connector has ever been compelled by certification to demonstrate structure and thermal performance together. That is the gap. We close it deliberately.

And the direction is independently corroborated. Peer-reviewed measurement of precast sandwich walls found GFRP-connected panels deliver “equivalent or better” thermal resistance than steel-connected controls — measured R-values of 2.84–4.68 vs. 2.74 m²·K/W (Woltman, Noel & Fam, Energy and Buildings, 2017). That is third-party work on the category, not our data — it establishes that the composite route is what recovers the lost R-value. The ConnexFrame R-value itself stays unclaimed until ASTM C518 (Phase 02).

Competitive Landscape · Verbatim Specs

Five U.S.-market incumbents (including CRH-controlled Leviat). One open dataset. Two ESRs from the leader — because there is no single-product answer in the market today.

Every cell below is sourced from the named vendor's own published spec sheet or ICC-ES report. We refuse to fabricate competitor numbers.

Vendor	Product	Type	Open thermography	Thermal data disclosed (λ)	ICC-ES
Thermomass / LeviatCRH Group	CC, MC, MS series	FRP composite	— Not published	λ ≈ 0.46 W/m·K (datasheet)	ESR-1746 · 2873
HK CompositesDayton Superior	ST / CA Series	Thermopolymer (PPSU)	— Not published	λ 0.30 (ST) / 0.25 (CA) W/m·K	ESR-3381 · 5335
Owens Corning	THiN-Wall System	Precast sandwich	— Not published	System-level only	System-level
AltusGroup	CarbonCast	C-GRID	— Not published	Not published	ESR-2953
IconX	Composite Shear Connector	GFRP (glass fiber / vinyl-ester)	— Not published	Not published	— (no ESR found; tests to AC422)
ConnexFramePenz Engineering	ConnexFrame V7	Multi-zone composite	✓ Open thermography	Planned ASTM C518	Pre-application

The two-product tell. The market leader publishes separate ICC-ES structural reports for its non-composite (ESR-1746) and composite (ESR-2873) systems — two distinct products — and neither documents thermal-bridging performance. A specifier still chooses composite action or a simpler tie, with no published thermal data either way. ConnexFrame is architected so the choice disappears.

Sources: Leviat / Thermomass commercial literature (ESR-1746, ESR-2873) · ICC-ES report directory · HK Composites datasheets (ESR-3381 · ESR-5335) · Owens Corning · AltusGroup (ESR-2953) · ICONX product pages.

The Application

ConnexFrame Designer App — sizing, ROI, benchmarking.

ConnexFrame is delivered as a system, not just a part.

The ConnexFrame Designer App is a connector-sizing and decision-support tool for precast engineers. It outputs the connector count, recommended spacing, comparative cost, energy-savings estimate, and side-by-side benchmarking against the connectors actually specified in the U.S. market today.

Sizing calculator — connector count + spacing by panel geometry, insulation, climate zone
Panel-layout preview — connector distribution across the panel
Energy-savings calculator — ROI per panel by climate zone
Competitive benchmarking — NJI-Tie · ICONX · Thermomass CC · Delta-Tie
Cumulative project savings — total cost, energy, CO₂ savings vs. baseline

Methodology: benchmark connector counts sourced from Concrete Industries THiN-Wall reference panel (36 ft × 8 ft, 40 NU-Ties, deck 36-8-2, April 22, 2026) and scaled linearly by panel area. Field-validated values pending Phase 02 university tests.

Launch the Designer → Free · No login required · Runs in browser

ConnexFrame Designer · Connectors tab

Intellectual Property

What is protected — and what isn't.

USPTO provisional filed June 28, 2026 (App. No. 64/100,667). The claim is the combination, not the helix alone.

USPTO Provisional · 35 U.S.C. § 111(b) · App. No. 64/100,667 · filed 28 Jun 2026

Title. Multizone Composite Shear Connector with Helical External Envelope in Multi-Additive Thermoset Composite for Precast Concrete Sandwich Panels.

Inventor. Guilherme Penz · sole inventor · Micro Entity (37 CFR §1.29) · 20 drafted claims · 10 drawings on 6 sheets.

Claim 1 — verbatim (abridged)

"A multizone composite shear connector for precast concrete sandwich panels, comprising: (a) a straight cylindrical steel structural core, free of any torsional geometry…; (b) a straight cylindrical intermediate ring of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), concentrically encapsulating the structural core…; and (c) an external envelope of composite polymer having a four-start external helical profile, concentrically encapsulating the intermediate ring, the external envelope being the only element of the connector with helical geometry and simultaneously fulfilling the functions of mechanical anchoring in the concrete matrix, thermal break between wythes, and additional chemical protection to the intermediate ring."

ConnexFrame USPTO patent drawings, Figures 1 to 5

What we explicitly do not claim

Helical anchorage in cementitious applications is prior art (Helifix-type systems). FRP composite ties in PCSPs are prior art (Thermomass/Leviat, HK Composites/Dayton Superior). Neither, alone, is patentable. The claim is the architecture that combines them with geometric separation — and the VE+GMB+B multi-additive formulation that makes the outer envelope structurally, thermally, and chemically active at once.

What is defensibly claimed

Functional geometric separation between cylindrical internal load path and helical external anchorage / thermal break.

Multi-additive composite formulation for the external envelope: VE matrix + 10% hollow glass microspheres + 12% basalt fibers.

Application to PCSPs with parametric geometry: crest Ø 12–16 mm (nominal 14 mm in V7), 4-start left-handed helix, nominal pitch 89.4 mm, length range 60–300 mm (122 mm in the tested CF-T01 family).

Best-mode disclosure embedded — process parameters and CAD parametric model in V23 of the application.

ConnexFrame USPTO Figure 10 — application in PCSP

National Merit · National Importance · National Scope

An area of declared U.S. federal priority — addressed by a self-funded, U.S.-headquartered technology.

Building-envelope efficiency is named as a priority in DOE programs, EERE rulemakings, and the IRA. ConnexFrame is engineered to advance all of them at once — deployable in all 50 climate-coded jurisdictions, not a single state or single buyer.

“Roughly one-third, or more, of the energy used by buildings is wasted at a cost of $150 billion annually.” — U.S. Department of Energy, 2023

The opaque envelope drives 28% of building energy use — 11% of all U.S. primary energy (DOE, Opaque Envelopes, 2021); even a 20% improvement on the envelope share of DOE’s $150B waste figure is ≈ $8.4 billion per year. This is a problem of national scope: every state has commercial precast in its building stock, and every state must certify its commercial energy-code update under the DOE’s 6 March 2024 Federal Register determination.

ConnexFrame’s multi-zone composite architecture is engineered to operationalize, not just align with, three declared U.S. federal priorities:

DOE, Opaque Envelopes (2021) — names the building envelope “the single largest contributor to primary energy use in residential and commercial buildings.”
EERE Building Energy Codes Program · ASHRAE 90.1-2022 + IECC 2024 — tightened envelope U-factor targets; connector conductivity flows directly into the assembly U-factor (Normative Appendix A zone method).
One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21, 2025) · IRC §168(n) — full expensing for new U.S. production facilities, alongside permanent 100% bonus depreciation (§168(k)). Current federal tax law rewards building the plant on U.S. soil.

And the national-importance argument doesn’t end with energy. The current U.S. composite-connector market is dominated by foreign-owned multinationals (CRH/Leviat is Irish-headquartered). A self-funded, U.S.-headquartered, U.S.-bound alternative strengthens national supply-chain resilience in a critical building technology — exactly the kind of reshoring that current U.S. tax law now rewards directly (IRC §168(n): full expensing for new domestic production facilities). Penz Innovative Engineering LLC is registered in Ocoee, FL; current R&D is jointly conducted with UPF/CETEC (Brazil), with an active partnership pipeline being built with Utah State, UNL, and ORNL.

100%

Expensing for new U.S. production facilities · IRC §168(n)

OBBBA · P.L. 119-21 (2025) · IRS

50/50

States required to certify commercial energy-code updates

DOE Affirmative Determination, 89 FR 15983 (6 Mar 2024)

11%

Of all U.S. primary energy flows through the opaque envelope

DOE, Opaque Envelopes (2021)

U.S. LLC

Florida-registered challenger to foreign-controlled incumbents

Penz Innovative Engineering · Ocoee, FL

And the case does not rest on the energy code alone. The U.S. is short an estimated ~3.7 million homes (Freddie Mac, Q3 2024) — a supply gap that only industrialized, factory-built construction can close at speed.

The bottleneck is labor, not demand. Contractors must attract 349,000 net new workers in 2026 (Associated Builders and Contractors), while the skilled-labor shortage already costs home builders ~$10.8 billion a year and roughly 19,000 unbuilt homes (NAHB/HBI). Offsite construction answers that directly: up to ~20% cheaper and 20–50% faster (McKinsey & Company, Capital Projects & Infrastructure, 2019), because the work moves off the job site and into the plant — McKinsey cautions the savings hinge on scale; premiums are common without it.

That plant already exists at national scale. U.S. precast is a $25.8 billion industry employing roughly 102,000 people across 2,730 plants (NPCA, 2022 data) — a domestic supply chain in every state, waiting on a connector that does not force the structural–thermal trade-off.

~3.7M

U.S. housing units short

Freddie Mac (Q3 2024)

349,000

Net new construction workers needed in 2026

Associated Builders and Contractors

$25.8B

U.S. precast industry · ~102,000 jobs · 2,730 plants

NPCA Precast Concrete Market Report (2022 data)

$10.8B

Annual cost of the skilled-labor shortage to U.S. home building

NAHB / HBI (Fall 2025)

Context · Backdrop, not megaphone

The code did not invent the problem. It just made it unavoidable to ignore.

ASHRAE 90.1-2022 and IECC 2024 tightened the envelope U-factor targets — and connector conductivity is part of that assembly math (Normative Appendix A). The DOE determination is final and the state certification deadline passed on 6 March 2026 — adoption now rolls out state by state, and the U-factor math is the baseline, not a forecast.

For 35 years, the structurally cheapest tie has won the spec. As these codes are adopted state by state, the U-factor derating forces a redesign — and the connector that survives the new math is no longer the one that won under the old.

Regulation · The cost of doing nothing

Connector conductivity now shows up in the U-factor math

Connector conductivity flows directly into the assembly U-factor (ASHRAE 90.1 Normative Appendix A zone method) — and ASHRAE 90.1-2022 / IECC 2024 tightened the envelope targets that math must meet. Translation for the bid sheet: thicker insulation, larger wythes, or a lower-conductivity connector. DOE Affirmative Determination on ASHRAE 90.1-2022, 89 FR 15983 (6 Mar 2024).

Market structure · Why pricing hasn’t moved

Three incumbents, four structural ESRs — zero thermal data

CRH/Leviat (Thermomass), Dayton Superior (HK Composites), Owens Corning (THiN-Wall). Thermomass and HK each hold two structural ESRs (1746 · 2873 / 3381 · 5335); Owens Corning holds none — and across the six PCSP-connector ESRs we reviewed, “Properties evaluated” never includes Thermal. ConnexFrame is architected so the choice — and the cost — disappears.

Capital flow · What the 2025 law left standing

Federal money moved from credits to factories

The 2025 budget law (OBBBA, P.L. 119-21) ended the §179D deduction (construction beginning after 30 June 2026) and the §45L credit (homes acquired after that date) — while making 100% bonus depreciation permanent (§168(k)) and adding full expensing for new U.S. production facilities (§168(n)). The subsidy era for envelope efficiency is over; the manufacturing incentive is not. That rewards a connector that earns its spec on performance and is built in the U.S. — and owners still route compliance dollars to specifiers who can document envelope performance line-by-line, exactly what the Designer App outputs.

Questions a specifier asks in the first ten minutes

The five objections a U.S. precaster, GC, or structural engineer raises — answered with the document we’d send if you emailed.

Pre-revenue, patent-pending, AC422 timing, vs. Thermomass, and the catch on the free panel assessment. Specific answers, citable references, no hedging.

“You’re pre-revenue. Why should I specify you on my next bid?”

Because the alternative is specifying a connector whose ESR report was written for a code that no longer applies. ConnexFrame is patent-pending, lab-validated on equipment with calibration traceable to ISO/IEC 17025, on a dated ICC-ES pathway (Pre-Application Meeting on the Q4 2026 milestone), and backed by a sole inventor who was physically present at every test. We’ll send the calibration certificates with the panel assessment — open the PDFs and decide.

“Patent-pending isn’t patent-granted. What’s the IP risk on me?”

The USPTO Provisional is filed under 35 U.S.C. §111(b). The claim is the combination — multi-additive composite + functional geometric separation + PCSP application — not the helix alone. Helical anchors and FRP ties are prior art; the combination is what’s protected. Specifying ConnexFrame puts your project on the right side of that line, not on it.

“What if ICC-ES AC422 takes longer than your roadmap?”

The ICC-ES dossier is being assembled with the data already published here (compression 6.52 MPa, n=3; tension 562.6 MPa, pilot n=1 (σu/σy 1.04 — n≥5 pending); qualitative thermography). Pre-Application Meeting target Q4 2026. Phase 02 AC422 double-shear and AC320 pull-out are scheduled Q3 2026 at academic partner labs. If your project ships before our ESR lands, we’ll provide the third-party test data your AHJ needs to issue an alternative-means approval — at our cost.

“How is this actually different from Thermomass System SC?”

Thermomass publishes two separate ICC-ES structural reports — ESR-1746 (non-composite) and ESR-2873 (composite) — i.e. you pick composite action or a simpler tie, and neither comes with published thermal-bridging data. ConnexFrame separates the load path from the anchorage geometrically, so composite action and a thermal break are tuned independently in one part — with the thermography to show it.

“What’s the catch on the free panel assessment?”

None. Email a panel drawing — we send back a sizing PDF, a side-by-side benchmark vs. Thermomass / HK / Owens Corning / AltusGroup / ICONX, an energy-savings estimate by climate zone, and a quote line item. Typical turnaround: 2 business days. You owe us nothing. We’re building case studies. You’re a year ahead of your competitors on ASHRAE 90.1-2022 compliance.

What you actually get. A connector-count and spacing recommendation grounded in your panel geometry, the vendor benchmark in plain table form, a climate-zone energy estimate, a quote line item, and the full lab dossier + patent claim language as PDFs. Reviewed and signed by the inventor.

Request a free panel assessment (2 business days) → Or run it yourself in the Designer

Engineering Leadership · Witnessed Data

Guilherme was in the lab for every test. Every number on this page can be cross-checked against a calibration certificate and his signature.

No NDA wrapper. No outsourced validation. The inventor is the operator.

Tension · May 2026

Compression · Apr 2026 · UPF/CETEC

Thermography · Mar 2026

Guilherme Penz

Founder & Chief Engineer · Penz Engineering / ConnexFrame

Civil Engineer (graduated 2013). 13 years of post-graduation practice in civil construction, focused on precast concrete and high-performance envelopes — over 15 years in construction counting pre-graduation field work. Sole inventor on the ConnexFrame USPTO provisional patent application.

Conceived the multi-zone architecture, designed the parametric CAD model, fabricated the V1–V3 prototypes, and conducted each of the three validation campaigns on-site — UPF/CETEC for mechanical tests and field for the drone thermography.

This level of personal involvement is a deliberate differential: every datapoint in this dossier can be traced to a witnessed test — in contrast to competitors who operate validation under opaque NDA.

EducationCivil Engineering (2013)

Experience13 yrs post-grad in the sector

PatentUSPTO Provisional · sole inventor

Validation labUPF/CETEC · calibration traceable to ISO/IEC 17025

CompanyPenz Innovative Engineering LLC (US)

Based inOcoee, FL · USA | R&D: Passo Fundo, BR

The Path to ICC-ES

A dated, status-stamped certification pathway — no vague "coming soon".

Three campaigns done. Three next-up. Two academic partners targeted at U.S. universities with the seminal PCSP thermal-bridge research record. ICC-ES ESR by 2028 estimate. Phase 02 milestones (Q3 2026 onward) are contingent on academic-partner MOU signing; see Academic Partnerships below.

Mar 2026

Thermography

DJI M4T · 13 points · qualitative

Apr 2026

Compression

Emic SSH300 · 6.52 MPa

May 2026

Tension · Pilot n=1

Schenck · 562.6 MPa · CF-T01/01

Q3 2026

AC422 Shear

Double-shear · ICC-ES

Q3 2026

AC320 Pull-out

ASTM E488 · anchorage

Q1 2027

ASTM C518

R-value · ISO/IEC 17025-accredited U.S. partner lab

2028 est.

ICC-ES ESR

Commercial use under IBC

Academic partnerships

ACTIVE

Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF/CETEC)

Consolidated local partner. Test equipment with secondary calibration traceable to ISO/IEC 17025 (QUANTEQ CAL 0692, RBC/INMETRO). Compression and tension campaigns already executed and reported.

PLANNED

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

Continuation of the seminal PCSP thermal-bridge research line — the PCA-supported Utah State work (Sorensen & Maguire, 2019) reports 8.5–25% effective R-value loss from steel ties by zone-method analysis. Target for ASTM C518 R-value validation.

PLANNED

Utah State University (USU)

Origin of the seminal PCSP thermal-bridge research (Sorensen PhD dissertation, 2019). Accredited precast lab. Target for AC422 double-shear and durability campaigns.

Phase 02 — next campaigns

AC422 Double-Shear

ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria 422 · min. 3 specimens · symmetric loading.

AC320 Pull-out

ASTM E488 · anchorage capacity · validates failure modes.

ASTM C518 R-value

Quantitative thermal resistance · ISO/IEC 17025-accredited U.S. partner lab.

ASTM C666 Freeze-Thaw

Durability for IECC climate zones 5–8 (Utah, Nebraska, Canada, U.S. north).

Why Now

The technology already exists. The market window is open.

A regulatory transition, a concentrated market, and a validated multi-material connector — converging on the same window.

The thermal-bridging problem in precast sandwich panels has existed for decades. ConnexFrame was engineered to eliminate it. ASHRAE 90.1-2022 has now codified that this problem must be solved.

Code-driven demand

DOE determination — 2-year state window

ASHRAE 90.1-2022 and IECC 2024 tightened envelope U-factor targets — connector conductivity is part of that assembly math (Normative Appendix A). The DOE’s affirmative determination on ASHRAE 90.1-2022 (89 FR 15983, 6 Mar 2024) obligates states to certify updated commercial codes within two years — driving adoption through 2026 and beyond.

A concentrated market open to a new architecture

A market structurally open to a challenger

Large groups control the U.S. composite-connector market — CRH/Leviat, Dayton Superior/HK, and Owens Corning. Several also own precast plants. No connector publishes open thermography or combines high composite action with a certified thermal break. ConnexFrame is engineered to fit that gap.

Validated and patent-pending

Three campaigns done. USPTO filed.

USPTO provisional patent on file. Physical V1–V3 prototypes fabricated. Compression (V3, n=3) and pilot tension (n=1) completed on lab equipment with calibration traceable to ISO/IEC 17025; qualitative field thermography completed by radiometric drone. ICC-ES AC422 / AC320 Pre-Application Meeting on the Q4 2026 milestone.

Three audiences. One inbox.

The consolidated dossier — the USPTO Provisional (§112(a) specification, 20 drafted claims), CP-level test reports with calibration certificates, raw thermography from 13 measurement points, the VE+GMB+B formulation, and a live walkthrough of the Designer App. Full dossier to your inbox within 2 business days. You decide what to do next.

Specifier on a current bid? Open the Designer App ↗ Engineering / partnership inquiry

Specify one connector — composite action in steel, a fraction of the thermal bill.

Size it yourself in the Designer — connector count, spacing, a side-by-side vendor benchmark, and an energy-savings estimate by climate zone. Or email a panel drawing and we send the same as a PDF in 2 business days. No cost, no NDA.

Open the Designer ↗ Request a 2-business-day panel assessment →

Sources & Verification

Every regulatory and macro claim, traceable to a primary source.

Each code, Federal Register, and macroeconomic figure cited on this page links to its official U.S. government, standards-body, or manufacturer source — listed in full so any specifier, partner, or reviewer can verify the record independently.

1. U.S. DOE / energy.gov — building energy waste at $150B/yr
2. Federal Register · 89 FR 15983 (6 Mar 2024) — DOE determination on 90.1-2022; state certification was due 6 Mar 2026
3. Insulation Outlook — 2024 commercial energy-code update (context)
4. Professional Roofing — IECC 2024 §C402.7 (thermal bridges)
5. UpCodes · 2024 IECC — §C402.7 code text
6. IRS · OBBBA (P.L. 119-21) provisions — IRC §168(k) permanent bonus depreciation · §168(n) full expensing for new U.S. production facilities
7. IRS · P.L. 119-21 FAQs — termination of §179D and §45L for work after 30 Jun 2026
8. Federal Register · EO 14148 — rescission of EO 14057 / Buy Clean (20 Jan 2025)
9. Thermomass System NC — ESR-1746 (non-composite)
10. Thermomass System SC — ESR-2873 (composite)
11. ANSI — ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2022
12. Woltman, Noel & Fam · Energy and Buildings 145 (2017) — measured GFRP 2.84–4.68 vs. steel 2.74 m²·K/W (“equivalent or better”)
13. FHWA / NACE · FHWA-RD-01-156 — cost of corrosion in the U.S. ($276B/yr · 3.1% of GDP; 2002 study, 1998 data)
14. NAHB / HBI — skilled-labor shortage: ~$10.8B/yr · ~19,000 unbuilt homes (Fall 2025 Construction Labor Market Report)
15. Freddie Mac — U.S. housing supply shortfall (~3.7M units)
16. Associated Builders and Contractors — 349,000 net new construction workers needed in 2026
17. NPCA — Precast Concrete Market Report ($25.8B · ~102,000 jobs · 2,730 plants; 2022 data)
18. U.S. DOE · Opaque Envelopes (2021) — envelope = “single largest contributor to primary energy use”; 28% of building energy use · 11% of U.S. primary energy
19. McKinsey & Company · Capital Projects & Infrastructure (2019) — modular construction: 20–50% faster; savings up to ~20% where scale is optimized

Composite action in steel — without steel’s thermal bill.

Not a concept — already built and tested.

For 35 years, the U.S. PCSP specifier has been forced to choose.

ConnexFrame — three-zone multi-material architecture.

Three concentric zones. Three simultaneous jobs. One clean load path.

How ConnexFrame works

Composite action through the steel core

Electrochemical & thermal barrier

Helical lock and heat-flow cut

Seven prototype generations. The V7 — current design (VE+GMB+B) — is what the patent describes.

Three parallel validation campaigns — March to May 2026.

Anchorages: invisible in infrared. That is the proof.

A hierarchical multi-scale composite on a separated load path.

Why separate the functions?

Why this composite (VE + GMB + Basalt)?

Five U.S.-market incumbents (including CRH-controlled Leviat). One open dataset. Two ESRs from the leader — because there is no single-product answer in the market today.

ConnexFrame Designer App — sizing, ROI, benchmarking.

What is protected — and what isn't.

An area of declared U.S. federal priority — addressed by a self-funded, U.S.-headquartered technology.

The code did not invent the problem. It just made it unavoidable to ignore.

The five objections a U.S. precaster, GC, or structural engineer raises — answered with the document we’d send if you emailed.

“You’re pre-revenue. Why should I specify you on my next bid?”

“Patent-pending isn’t patent-granted. What’s the IP risk on me?”

“What if ICC-ES AC422 takes longer than your roadmap?”

“How is this actually different from Thermomass System SC?”

“What’s the catch on the free panel assessment?”

Guilherme was in the lab for every test. Every number on this page can be cross-checked against a calibration certificate and his signature.

A dated, status-stamped certification pathway — no vague "coming soon".

Academic partnerships

Phase 02 — next campaigns

The technology already exists. The market window is open.

Specify one connector — composite action in steel, a fraction of the thermal bill.

Every regulatory and macro claim, traceable to a primary source.