Formawall Dimension Series

Top Ten Specifying IMPs for Extreme Weather Zones
Expert Analysis
Top Ten Specifying IMPs for Extreme Weather Zones
September 12, 2023 at 3:23 pm 0

Expert Analysis Writer: Steven Huck, District Sales Manager at CENTRIA

Why Choose an IMP in an Extreme Weather Zone?

When hurricanes, tornados, extreme temperatures, snow and ice, or salty ocean air have the potential to impact a structure, it is critical to design a building envelope system that will protect the occupants from the elements and deliver a comfortable environment. In selecting a building envelope system, designers and architects need to weigh a variety of considerations.

For extreme weather zones, IMPs are the leader in each category and deliver the optimal solution.

1. Swings in Temperatures

A single component system like an insulated metal panel works in all seasons and is not impacted by temperature shifts. While the rule of thumb remains to install the air and water barrier toward the warm side, that approach leaves the system wrong half of the year in areas with four seasons and with large temperature swings and extreme temperatures. A universal wall system utilizing IMPs allows for appropriate thermal protection all the time and places the weather-resistant barrier on the control side of the wall managing condensation.

2. Thermal performance

The industry standard for thermal performance remains the R value. The insulative properties of IMPs can be measured two ways: through the R value of the foam interior of the panel or through the U factor of the complete panel system. Building based on a system measurement is critical to ensure thermal performance that is design specific. The key data point to review is the U factor that accounts for the system as a whole, which provides a more valuable and accurate look at the performance. IMPs improve thermal performance by forming air, water, and vapor barriers in one single component to protect the building from the elements. Since the exterior and interior skins of the panels are adhered to the foam core and there is no metal conductance between layers, thermal performance is greatly improved.

3. Integration

Building envelope solutions have evolved to be more energy efficient, but continuous insulation's ambiguity in the code and transitions from opaque wall areas to fenestrations and other penetrations through the envelope present opportunities for improved performance. Thermal imaging shows cold bands at those transitions when IMPs are not used. Integrated components like windows, louvers and sunshades improve the system transitions for thermal, air, and moisture protection. In extreme weather zones, that added protection is critical to ensuring high-performing structures and comfort for occupants. By installing insulated products designed to integrate with other exterior cladding like glass curtain walls and windows, designers can be confident that performance and protection will endure as a system and not leak at the transition seams.  

4. Dew points

When dew points are constantly changing, condensation can accumulate and soak traditional building envelope materials and can cause structural components to get wet. When temperatures are constantly changing or outside temperatures are drastically different than the dew point, the building’s walls will deposit bulk water and cause damage to the materials. IMPs place the dew point at an internal point of the panel, so the moisture-phobic foam and galvanized steel skins do not allow moister to enter. That prevents vapor from entering and condensation on any of the wall or structural components.

5. Wind loads

When facing high wind loads, the IMP sandwich panel's torsion box effect ensures resistance to impact, and the skins do not separate from the foam. The ability to select from a wide range of steel gauges allows for additional load and impact capabilities. The thicker, factory-sealed, inspected panels are reliable and deliver a safer panel.

6. Testing requirements

When specifying, it is critical to include the most up-to-date testing and performance requirements. With the ever-changing energy, fire, and performance code requirements, it can be a challenge to select a reputable manufacturer that can keep up with the scope of cladding systems. Great manufactures can provide industry-leading design and functional performance beyond the code-compliance minimums. IMPs allow designs to come to life while providing environmentally effective and occupant-centered spaces.

7. Carbon footprint

Specifying products that have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) product declarations is a must. This ensures your building envelope is made without red-listed chemicals and through a process that has a low carbon footprint. It  is also an important consideration to a building’s journey to completion. Halogen-free foams and climate-conscious methods that are prevalent in the manufacturing of IMPs create better products for longer lifespans and better environmental performance.

8. Gauge

When specifying an exterior cladding product, it is important to understand what the exterior has to contend with and pick the appropriate gauge, or thickness of the panel. IMPs can do gauges that range from 26-18 gauge on interiors and exteriors. In regions where extreme weather is a consideration, a good starting point is a 22-gauge panel to deliver a thicker and therefore stronger, more protective building envelope system to withstand the elements.

9. Installation

IMPs can be installed in a single pass around a building or one trip up a tower, saving coordination of trades, equipment costs and reduced time on site for crews. Installation of IMPs is also not subject to weather conditions. They can be installed in cold or hot weather and even during rain, because the moisture cannot be trapped in the system or absorbed by the foam.

10. Finish

In any weather zone, nearly any type of finish can be used on IMPs. In areas that are exposed to brackish water or salt air, it is best to select finishes that are more capable of resisting corrosive air. This may include stronger primers and clear coats. The facility and its function may also require material consideration. For example, at and around power plants, it is important to consider the PH levels of the processes occurring and upgrade interior finishes on panels to reduce potential corrosion. In extreme weather zones, considering the reflectivity of the panels is critical for safety as well as to ensure that sun reflections and glimmers will not disturb the surrounding environment or cause disruptions on roadways.

Insulated metal panels provide advanced air, thermal, and moisture protection performance, all in one single-component system. In extreme weather zones, the benefits of specifying an all-in-one building envelope system mean cost savings for installation, energy savings on building performance, and a building that endures the elements for the life of the building.

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CENTRIA Metal Panels Help Boeing Delivery Center Take Flight
Design Innovation
CENTRIA Metal Panels Help Boeing Delivery Center Take Flight
August 11, 2020 at 1:42 pm 0

When designers and architects began envisioning the new Boeing South Carolina Delivery Center for Charleston, South Carolina, they knew it had to make a statement.

The building’s purpose was to better facilitate the handover of aircrafts to its customers. With this in mind, the center had to express luxury, strength and modernity.

Having these milestones in place at the outset, architects decided that CENTRIA metal panels were the ideal choice for the building’s exterior.

 

THE FLIGHT PLAN

The Boeing South Carolina Delivery Center would include several key elements: hospitality areas, offices for pilots and flight line staff and a behind-the-scenes TSA checkpoint.

When it came to the exterior, visual impact was key.

Designers wanted to emulate the idea of movement and exploration to telegraph the nature of flight. The design team turned to CENTRIA and its Formawall Dimension Series insulated metal panels for their aesthetic and inherent performance qualities.

CENTRIA’s Formawall high-performance building envelope system consolidates six wall components into one product, creating distinct architectural wall profiles to match any building design. The product can be installed in either orientation, vertical or horizontal, and enables designers to achieve an uninterrupted appearance thanks to concealed clips, fasteners and sealants along with the exclusive Insulated Metal Vertical Joints.

The panels feature a pressure-equalized side joint to help prevent water infiltration. Formawall also integrates with glass wall, window and louver systems to provide a complete envelop package and comes in a variety of sizes.  

Formawall created plenty of flexibility in terms of how the exterior was fashioned for the Boeing Delivery Center. In the final design, flat panels are married with corrugated ones to simulate motion and momentum.  

SMOOTH LANDING

The completion of the Boeing South Carolina Delivery Center made good on the “wow factor” being sought by the jet manufacturer. For Boeing’s customers, the facility has made the experience of picking up a new aircraft a special event. 

 

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CENTRIA® Formawall® Completes Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research
Design Innovation
CENTRIA® Formawall® Completes Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research
October 3, 2019 at 8:00 am 0

One Research Drive is home to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR). CENTRIA®, the world’s leading provider of high-performance building envelopes, contributed more than 13,000 square feet of Formawall™ to the building façade, which visually echoes nearby campus buildings also clad in Formawall.

“We aimed to have the material connection across all facades, – the ICAR and the Center for Emerging Technologies – in addition to the same durability and speed of installation we enjoyed with the Emerging Technologies project,” says Chris Stone, Associate Principal, LS3P, the firm responsible for the building design.

The 85,000 square-foot structure aesthetically unites other nearby Clemson structures with the same clean lines and modern aesthetic. The design team with LS3P associates leveraged the sleek exterior and consistency afforded by working with Formawall.

“We utilized the CENTRIA panels in a continuous ribbon across the building, which enabled it to have a uniform, distinct façade: Its 4 sides all have prominent frontage and CENTRIA panels formed the primary skin that wrapped around the entire building,” says Stone.

Formawall is CENTRIA’s flagship line of insulated metal panels, combining unprecedented design freedom with unmatched performance. The product’s five distinct profiles deliver unlimited design combinations and create the world’s most imaginative building envelopes with varying articulations, rhythms, and textures.

Not only did Formawall provide the optimal building façade for Clemson’s needs, but the design team also opted to use the product for its accelerated and seamless installation capabilities.

“We have been working with CENTRIA products for quite some time and find that their speed of installation, longevity, and durability are all factors that make them ideal for our needs,” says Stone. “At the International Center for Automotive Research, the CENTRIA product was installed quickly enough to get the core and shell enclosed on-schedule.”

Other members of the design and construction team included general contractor, Sherman Construction, and CENTRIA dealer, Steel Clad, Inc.

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CENTRIA Formawall® and Integrated Formavue Windows Enhance  Salish Cancer Center Exterior
Design Innovation
CENTRIA Formawall® and Integrated Formavue Windows Enhance Salish Cancer Center Exterior
September 16, 2019 at 8:00 am 0

The Salish Integrative Oncology Care Center is the first ever tribal-owned cancer care facility in the Native American community and the United States as a whole.

More than 28,000 square feet for CENTRIA Formawall was installed on the building’s exterior to create the desired all-metal aesthetic and provide multiple lines of defense against water infiltration.  

The addition of 12,000 square feet of integrated Formavue windows forged the complete wall system with fully integrated details and CENTRIA’s advanced thermal and moisture performance (ATMP®) technology.

“The CENTRIA system was not only light but incorporated an exterior insulation that would meet energy code requirements for even a new building,” says project architect Chris Tongray, of TGB Architects. “Additionally, the CENTRIA system was sole-source, with windows and panels by a single manufacturer installed by a single subcontractor as a single system.”

Formawall is CENTRIA’s flagship line of insulated metal panels, combining unprecedented design freedom with unmatched performance. The product’s five distinct profiles deliver unlimited design combinations and create the world’s most imaginative building envelopes with varying articulations, rhythms, and textures.

The high-performing system was also successfully able to achieve the modern aesthetic desired by the building owners, the Puyallup Tribe, who purchased the structure in 2015. The Tribe founded the hospital to create a truly unique form of care, blending traditional oncology treatments with integrative medicine techniques like naturopathy and acupuncture.

The team from TGB Architects specified the mottled, natural finish provided by CENTRIA’s AllusionTM Rust print coat system, designed to simulate natural materials like wood, slate, bronze or zinc.

“The client is very satisfied with the project thus far,” says Tongray. “The contractors on-site have said that ‘everyone loves it.’”

The Salish Cancer Center was completed in August, 2016. TGB Architects provided architectural services, Andersen Construction was the general contractor, and the CENTRIA dealer/installer was Cobra BEC, Inc. Morrison Hershfield was brought on board as a wall consultant.

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Pittsburgh Mixed-Use Building Enhanced with CENTRIA Formawall®
Design Innovation
Pittsburgh Mixed-Use Building Enhanced with CENTRIA Formawall®
August 6, 2019 at 8:00 am 0

CENTRIA® Formawall® enhances downtown Pittsburgh’s Tower 260 mixed use building by contributing to striking asymmetrical design elements. The approximately

430,000 square foot development reinvigorates the downtown area with its visually-compelling profile and its capacity for new business, entertainment, and residences.

“The site shape is a classic result of an era when buildings were demolished to be replaced by parking lots wedged among the surviving buildings,” says Arquitectonica, the architecture and design firm responsible for this project. “This building exemplifies urban regeneration.”

Approximately 54,000 square feet of Formawall High Performance Building Envelope System aided in the final design of Tower 260. The panels were specified with a smooth finish in Sundance™ Mica. This enabled the firm to achieve its multi-prism design vision across several volumes.

“CENTRIA Formawall was a good fit for this project – the panels’ modular nature helped significantly with lay-out and installation,” says Tom Haught, Vice President, A.C. Dellovade, the CENTRIA dealer and installer. “The panel lengths were manageable - 12’-14’ – which made it very easy to move the material around the site while allowing A.C. Dellovade to keep our manpower down to basically 2- or 3-man crews.”

CENTRIA Formawall systems are durable, aesthetically-unique, and contain no red-list ingredients. Formawall consolidates up to six components found in common wall assemblies into just one, and its distinct profiles deliver unlimited design combinations.

Tower 260 has seven floors of Class A office space, a 330-car parking garage, and is home to the Hilton Garden Inn Pittsburgh Downtown. Restaurants in the building include Revel + Roost, Pizzuvio, and Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream. The building is LEED® Certified™ Silver, and tenants include JLL, the anchor tenant, and Merrill-Lynch.

The firm responsible for the design was Arquitectonica, and the general contractor was Turner Construction. The CENTRIA dealer and installer was A.C. Dellovade Inc. The building was completed in 2016.

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CENTRIA to Feature a Variety of Products at AIA 2019
Panel Discussion
CENTRIA to Feature a Variety of Products at AIA 2019
May 16, 2019 at 8:00 am 0

CENTRIA will be showcasing its advanced Formawall® insulated metal panels system and integrated Formavue® windows, in addition to introducing Intercept™ Entyre Copper at AIA 2019 from June 6-8 in Las Vegas at Booth #6325.

CENTRIA will also offer a series of three innovative presentations reviewing the Red List-free Formawall system, Intercept rainscreen integration with insulated composite backup panels, and CENTRIA’s full-breadth of engineering and design capabilities. Architects and other industry professionals can register at CENTRIA Booth #6325 to attend the course of their choice and learn more about CENTRIA high-performance metal wall and roof systems.

NEW:

  • Intercept Entyre Copper modular metal panels offer smooth planes and clean sight lines in an extensive palette of colors and finishes. The system offers integration excellence with a continuous engagement extrusion and concealed fasteners that work in conjunction with sequentially installed modular panel units. Copper Entyre panels can be integrated with any other Intercept panel or substrate. Maximum panel module size is 26” and maximum panel length is 79”.

FEATURED

  • Formawall has dual metal skins, advanced integral joinery, and a robust core of high R-value rigid foam insulation. It installs as a single component. Formavue windows feature aluminum framing that incorporates a complete thermal break and integral head and sill joinery that marries seamlessly with Formawall panels. This integrated design eliminates the need for time-consuming window/wall interface detailing and ensures ultimate weathertightness, maximum thermal performance, and reduced opportunity for window condensation.

For more information about CENTRIA products featured at AIA 2019 and across its extensive catalogue, visit www.centria.com.

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CENTRIA Formawall® and IW Series Panels Achieve  Aesthetic and Performance Goals at Minnesota Vikings Facility
Design Innovation
CENTRIA Formawall® and IW Series Panels Achieve Aesthetic and Performance Goals at Minnesota Vikings Facility
April 8, 2019 at 8:00 am 0

The Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center — also serving as the Minnesota Vikings Team Headquarters and Practice Facility — exemplifies the team’s spirit, unity, and resilience. Through its design, it also nods to ancient Viking history, culture, country of origin, and forms including longships and their intricate jewelry. Because of its outstanding aesthetic, CENTRIA’s Formawall® high-performance building envelope was deemed the ideal product to fulfill Crawford Architects’ vision, simultaneously meeting stringent performance goals and enabling efficient construction.

The entire complex spans 40 acres, and a massive 546,488 total square feet. CENTRIA Formawall and IW Series panels contributed to more than 225,000 square feet of exterior cladding. It includes custom architectural overlays and was also awarded with a very aggressive schedule; the entire team was able to meet the stringent goals in a timely fashion.

“A highly flexible system, Formawall enabled us to achieve our ‘glacial’ design objective. And as a bonus, it offers standardized panel dimensions,” says Doug Osborn, Senior Associate, Crawford Architects, the firm responsible for the design. “The system is efficiently engineered to expedite the installation process, allowing essentially one pass around the building to create the desired aesthetic while fulfilling performance requirements via the weather barrier, thermal barrier, and vapor barrier.”

The Formawall high-performance building envelope consolidates up to six components found in common wall assemblies into one. The product’s five distinct profiles deliver unlimited design combinations and create the world’s most imaginative building envelopes. In addition, all Formawall products include a standard halogen-free foam core, thereby creating a more sustainable building environment while improving the product’s fire performance.

“The Formawall system, including necessary flashings, sealants, and other components, provided very clean lines and the right kind of crisp, refined appearance we wanted for the exterior of this facility,” Osborn says. “CENTRIA products consistently possess a high degree of quality, and we also appreciate the finished appearance of the Formawall design.”

Also designed to be a true home for the Minnesota Vikings, and those who work with them, the facility has achieved its goal of unity, illustrated by the fact that team members opt to train in the space during the offseason.

“The facility is relentless in its demand for quality; it unifies all those that call it home and it expresses innovative design and construction,” says Osborn. “The team has signed free agents that have commented that the lure of training at the Center was too great an opportunity to pass up. And current players have opted to spend the offseason in Minnesota so they can access the facility’s amenities and continue to train.”

The Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center and Minnesota Vikings Practice Facility and Team Headquarters was completed in March 2018. Crawford Architects provided design services and the general contractor was Kraus-Anderson Construction Company. The CENTRIA dealer and installer was IWR North America. 

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CENTRIA Formawall® Completes Caliguiri Plaza Affordable Housing
Design Innovation
CENTRIA Formawall® Completes Caliguiri Plaza Affordable Housing
March 6, 2019 at 8:00 am 0

CENTRIA’s Formawall® high-performance building envelope effectively enabled the design team at Renaissance 3 Architects to achieve Caliguiri Plaza’s modern, vibrant façade — and to integrate the structure with the neighborhood.

Approximately 22,000 square feet of Formawall were specified in Sandstone, Bear Claw, and Champagne Bronze colors to give the building character and presence.

“Our goal was to create a contemporary and vibrant façade that expressed the building’s residential function,” says Carla Worthington, Senior Associate, Renaissance 3 Architects. “By utilizing CENTRIA's wide selection of standard colors, we were able to panelize the façade in a way that reduced the visual scale of the building and made it more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood context.”

Caliguiri Plaza is located in the center of the Allentown Business District, just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. The affordable housing complex has 104 units for the elderly and for persons with disabilities. There are 10 accessible units, and the building is one block away from the senior activity center. Residents enjoy access to local bus and trolley transportation, a laundry room, a community room, and a host of activities organized by the Tenant Council.

In addition to Formawall’s contribution to the building’s design, the system also achieved the exact level of thermal insulation desired.

“The characteristics of the CENTRIA panels helped us to fulfill several design objectives: They provided the required thermal insulation values, they offered a variety of panel sizes that were able to accommodate the various spans of the existing structural systems, and they provided a finish quality that met the residents' aspirations,” says Worthington. “Formawall provided a weather barrier, insulation system, and a finish material in a single product.”

The Formawall high performance building envelope comes complete with all the sophisticated, interlocking components required to design and construct healthier, longer-lasting, high-performing buildings. The panels are Red List-free, containing no harmful halogens, and meets the Health Product Declaration Standard.

The modular system can also be quickly and easily installed, which was a benefit to the project’s construction schedules.

“CENTRIA provided two additional assets to our team,” Worthington says. “First, the modular nature of the system allowed the panels to be installed quickly in the field. Second, the panels afforded us the flexibility to be modified in response to field conditions.”

The Caliguiri Plaza was completed in July 2017. Renaissance 3 Architects provided design services, and the general contractor was ATI. The CENTRIA dealer and installer was A.C. Dellovade, Inc.

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Taking Moisture off the Table
Design Innovation
Taking Moisture off the Table
February 20, 2018 at 3:43 pm 0

Iowa homeless shelter marries envelope aesthetics with high performance. 

Rob Smith’s design team faced a dilemma.

They needed to identify a design solution for a new homeless shelter in Des Moines, Iowa that projected a “caring institution without looking like a Taj Mahal” and still stick the landing on key envelope performance goals.

“We wanted to achieve as high an R-value as possible without insulating the stud space,” Smith explains. “It’s all about water vapor. We wanted to eliminate dew point as an issue.” (more…)

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Wall Weatherproofing with IMPs
Panel Discussion
Wall Weatherproofing with IMPs
July 31, 2017 at 6:50 pm 0

Making the case for insulated metal panels as the single-source solution.

Building envelopes are typically a series of materials separating the building interior climate from the exterior. These materials must be connected from wall to roof, and wall to floor/foundation, and they need to encapsulate the building and perform specific functions to resist moisture in liquid and vapor states, air infiltration and heat flow. (more…)

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