High Performance Precast Insulated Panels
07:55Sandwich Wall Panels
High performance buildings are designed to satisfy functional, human comfort, environmental and economic considerations. They incorporate the highest level of design, construction, operation and maintenance principles to provide maximum performance while meeting the owner’s project requirements. All the components of the building should be addressed in a cohesive, whole building approach, taking into account cost effectiveness—particularly life-cycle costs, sustainability, security and safety, accessibility, productivity of occupants, functionality and serviceability, and aesthetics.
Whether derived from reduced energy and operating costs, lower maintenance costs, improved functionality or productivity, or continued operational capability after a catastrophic event, a high performance building offers its owners a greater return on investment than a conventional building. High performance precast insulated sandwich wall panels can provide significant contributions toward these goals. These panels are composed of two wythes of concrete separated by a continuous (edge-to-edge) wythe of insulation. Panels can be bearing walls, supporting gravity loads, as well as resisting wind, seismic, and blast loads, or they can be cladding panels transmitting wind, seismic, and blast loads to the structural frame and foundation. Sandwich wall panels provide a versatile and economical means to meet the structural, thermal, moisture, and architectural requirements of a structure.Energy Efficiency.
A high performance building must deliver better energy efficiency than a building meeting the minimum requirements of the governing energy code. A building’s energy performance involves the interplay of the environmental (climate and weather), the building’s systems (envelope, mechanical, plumbing, and lighting), and the building’s occupancy (people, appliances, equipment, devices, and function). An energy efficient envelope is one that integrates and optimizes insulation levels, shading of glazing, solar reflectivity of exterior surfaces, air and vapor barriers, and thermal mass. The interior and exterior concrete layers (wythes) protect the insulation layer against damage during construction. They limit the production of toxic gases during and after building fires and do not promote the spreading
of flames to adjacent components. The concrete wythes are resistant to rodent, insect and impact damage, and they do not support mold growth. The insulation cannot shift or settle during or after construction, so there are no gaps in thermal protection. The concrete wythes provide excellent air barriers and limit air infiltration.
of flames to adjacent components. The concrete wythes are resistant to rodent, insect and impact damage, and they do not support mold growth. The insulation cannot shift or settle during or after construction, so there are no gaps in thermal protection. The concrete wythes provide excellent air barriers and limit air infiltration.
The thickness of the insulation is determined by the thermal characteristics of the insulating material and the thermal loads on the structure. Specific wall thermal characteristics can be designed for each face of the structure to suit its sun orientation.
Precast concrete cladding can be detailed with integral shading devices or deep window recesses to manage solar heat gain. They can also be detailed with shallow recesses or light shelves to maximize daylighting, signifcantly reducing reliance on artificial illumination and its associated energy costs.
A key benefit of a concrete structure is its “thermal mass”, its ability to absorb and release heat. Concrete has a high specific heat, high density and low conductivity, therefore a large amount of heat energy can be absorbed with little change in temperature. The high thermal mass provides thermal storage, reducing daily and seasonal temperature swings, absorbing heat during the day in summer and cooling the building by storing heat from the sun over the surface of the building rather than allowing it to flow into the building. This cycle reverses at night, during the cooler time of the day, when heat is released back out into the atmosphere. By damping and shifting peak loads to a later time, thermal mass reduces peak energy requirements for building operations.
As an added benefit, indoor temperature fluctuations are reduced and occupant comfort is enhanced. The required capacity of the heating/cooling equipment is also reduced, lowering initial costs as well as ongoing operating costs since smaller equipment running continuously uses less energy than large equipment running intermittently.
As an added benefit, indoor temperature fluctuations are reduced and occupant comfort is enhanced. The required capacity of the heating/cooling equipment is also reduced, lowering initial costs as well as ongoing operating costs since smaller equipment running continuously uses less energy than large equipment running intermittently.
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