IMP Retrofit Versatility Meets Sustainability Excellence

by Marcy Marro | May 2, 2022 12:00 am

Within the coronavirus age, European conflicts, and supply shortages; economic uncertainty is at top of mind. These trends reflect significantly within the construction industry. Retrofitting your existing building envelope can be a cost effective and sustainably attractive alternative to new construction. More than half of today’s construction projects being retrofits according to the U.S. Green Building Council[1]. Let’s dive into how insulated metal panels can provide a creative retrofit solution boasting superior performance, sustainability and aesthetic characteristics.

Performance and Implementation

Older construction featuring brick, CMU/stucco, or precast walls are often prone to cracking and failure overtime. Seemingly minor breaches in your building envelope can lead to significant moisture and air infiltration which can affect your building occupant’s health and literally leak money.

Insulated metal panels (IMPs) contain the all-important control layers of water, air, vapor, and thermal combined into one system, installed by one trade. In addition, with foam cores such as PIR or a hybrid PIR you see high R-values per inch which translates into decreased energy use and superior air/weather tightness.

Depending on the structural integrity and type of façade, lightweight IMPs have the opportunity to be installed directly over the existing cladding. Reduced landfill waste from demolition, and disruption of building operations are benefits of direct retrofitting.

A Sustainable Approach

“The greenest building is the one that already exists,” said Carl Elefante, former president of the AIA[2]. Insulated metal panels provide an excellent solution for upgrading existing buildings and adaptive reuse projects providing outstanding solutions from a sustainability standpoint.

With any steel or insulated metal panel product, recyclability is a 100% reality. Many IMP manufacturers are using steel with a minimum totaled recycled content upwards of 30%. This further contributes to planet passionate and global sustainability initiatives laid out by various green building organizations.

In 2018, 540 million tons of demolition debris were discarded according to the EPA. This results in a huge cost not only to the environment, but to the project team through demolition, loading, and transportation costs. Landfills are seldom not in the backyard of your demolition; just think of the number of landfill miles it takes to dispose of the debris and the per ton dumping fee. Upgrading your building envelope with IMPs can not only mitigate these costs, but provide you with high-performing water, air, vapor and thermal control layers.

One case study of a 24,900-square-foot cold storage facility built in the 1960s received the benefits of an IMP Roof Deck retrofit. Initially skeptical, the contractor, convinced by data implemented an IMP strategy that saved him two weeks out of his 10-week schedule. This resulted in a roof system that weighed 30% less than the previous structure. In addition, IMPs arrive at the job site complete, panel sizes are optimized in the factory not on the field, minimizing onsite waste.

Design Excellence/Economics

If you’re familiar with insulated metal panels, you know design aesthetics are limitless with the number of long-lasting high-performance paint systems, textures, and profiles that manufacturers offer. IMPs can also embody the brand of a business through custom colors or defined textures that exude the identity of the renovated enterprise. In addition, design is supported when incorporating new details such as glazing, doors, or louvers.

Building owner-operators like Cushman & Wakefield or Jones Lang LaSalle who lease their renovated or retrofitted properties realize a high ROI through lower energy costs and higher occupancy.

It’s a fact, there are countless buildings in the United States that are in desperate need of repair. With the implementation of IMPs in retrofit applications, building owners can offset carbon emissions, heal sick and leaky buildings, at the same time providing architects a creative pallet to design from.

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Nicholas Kauthen, WELL AP, LEED Green Associate, is the architectural sales representative for Vacaville, Calif.-based All Weather Insulated Panels (AWIP). To learn more, visit www.awip.com.

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/imp-retrofit-versatility-meets-sustainability-excellence/

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