Hops and High R-Value

by Jonathan McGaha | June 30, 2014 12:00 am

The Bale Breaker Brewing Co. is located just east of Yakima, Wash., in the small town of Moxee, the self-proclaimed “Hop Capital of the World.” Surrounded on three sides by a field of Cascade hops, the new facility is the first and only known brewery in America located in a working hop field.

The Quinn family has been farming hops on this land for more than 80 years. They needed a new brewing facility that could withstand the Northwest weather while providing thermal protection for modern brewing processors and a pleasant taproom for their brewhouse customers. The planned facility, to be built out in the open in the midst of an actual hop field, had to stand up to the strong Northwest elements. The materials used to construct it needed to provide specific R-values.

The design, created by Meier Architecture • Engineering, based in Kennewick, Wash., is a 12,000-square-foot building that houses brewing equipment capable of producing 3,000, 31-gallon barrels of beer annually. Mountain States Construction of Sunnyside, Wash., the project’s general contractor, installed Kingspan 900 Series High Rib insulated metal panels (IMPs) from Kingpsan Insulated Panels, Deland, Fla., in varying thicknesses for the exterior walls. IMPs were chosen because they provided an immediate finish to both the interior and exterior surfaces. Installation occurred quickly because IMPs do not require long and extensive labor.

One of the most popular benefits of including IMPs in the design phase is that they allow for flexibility in creativity. But IMPs are primarily specified because of the very high R-value they provide, and because they can be applied to multiple types of construction. Manufactured in varying thicknesses, an IMP is a single component cladding product. In addition to providing a high R-value, IMPs also offer superior airtightness and low thermal bridging. This result is an energy cost savings, on average, of up to 30 percent over traditional multi-part built-up systems.

There was concern about the interior finish because the walls had to hold up to daily brewery operations that involved exposure to wash down water, moisture and steam. IMPs proved to be the best choice. The specific IMPs used in the Bale Breaker Brewery met the durability level needed and were manufactured with a white interior finish that made the brewery seem brighter.

While the efficient R-value and durable interior finish were two benefits of choosing insulated metal panels, the brewery’s owners were also enthused by another advantage. They wanted the exterior to have a look similar to a hop kiln and the panels provided just what they were looking for. IMPs are produced in a full spectrum of vibrant hues and these high-performance coatings provide long-life protection and color retention.

Insulated metal panels can be specified for more than just vertical walls. The roof of the Bale Breaker Brewery was constructed with standing seam metal roof panels. This thermally efficient and airtight commercial roof system reduces overall energy usage and, as an added benefit, also increases a building’s curb appeal.

IMPs eased the critical path of construction for the brewery as they eliminated the need for adding insulation or doing extra interior finish work. By minimizing the construction schedule, the result was faster on-site installation compared to multi-part foam insulated panels. The Kingspan IMPs did not take any more time to install than typical metal building siding, however, they eliminated some time-consuming processes that would have been needed to finish out the building.

Today, customers in the taproom sit in a comfortable ambience provided by IMPs, enjoying the freshly made brews that Bale Breaker Brewery produces.

“It seems insulated metal panels will be the chosen cladding material on commercial buildings in the Northwest U.S. in the future,” says Delton Bonds, project manager for Mountain States Construction. “There has been a strong and growing interest in IMPs because they are the right product for so many construction applications.”

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Steve Mauro joined Deland, Fla.-based Kingspan Insulated Panels in 2009 and serves as director of sales for the U.S. cold storage division specializing in food processing and temperature controlled environments. To learn more, visit www.kingspanpanels.us[1].

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/hops-and-high-r-value/

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