Metal Wall Panels: A resilient and sustainable material choice
by Marcy Marro | November 1, 2022 12:00 am
Wall Assembly
Stand Alone:
A stand-alone assembly can be as simple as structural wall, sheathing, air-water barrier, framing channels (if plywood is used instead of gypsum board, no framing is required), and metal wall panels.
Pro: Easy to install, economical, least number of components to coordinate.
Con: No exterior insulation means high probability of condensation, metal wall panels need to be face sealed in most cases as it acts as the main weather barrier, any imperfection on the AWB will lead to leaks.
Rainscreen Assembly
Rainscreens are composed of four layers of products that act as one assembly. Exterior cladding, cavity framing, exterior continuous insulation, water resistive air barrier. Overall, a rainscreen assembly can provide significant advantage over traditional systems as it provides many redundancies. Rainscreens must be designed to provide a drainage plane that lets any accumulated water to exit the system in addition to providing air convection in the cavity.
Pro: Multiple layers of control can provide redundancy against leaks, mitigate condensation risks, highly resilient and effective system.
Con: Higher price point, requires coordination between multiple products.
Metal Finishes and Application
Metal panel base material can be galvanized steel, aluminum, copper, zinc, titanium, etc. The natural or exotic metals such as copper and zinc are typically unfinished and allows for natural patina. Other metals such as steel and aluminum must be protected against rust using highly durable protective coatings and paint systems (Kynar, FEVE, etc.). The paint process is completed under controlled environment in factory to establish uniform color and longevity. Properly protected metal panel paint will last anywhere from 20 to 30 years depending on the finish type. It is important for the designer to select the correct base metal, especially in corrosive environments. Aluminum or stainless steel metal panels will perform the best in corrosive and caustic environments.
Sustainability
Metal panels have high recycled content, little to no maintenance, and are 100% recyclable at the end of life, making it a very sustainable choice. Although the energy required to produce panels can produce high embodied carbon, with a proper rainscreen wall assembly design it can offset some of the operational carbon footprint of the building. Under USGBC’s LEED program, metal panel wall systems can qualify for several credits such as sustainable sites, optimized energy performance, and materials/resources.
Q. Jonnie Hasan, PE, BECxP, CxA+BE, is the director of engineering and sales support at Innovative Metals Co. (IMETCO), Norcross, Ga. For more information, visit imetco.com[1].
- imetco.com: https://imetco.com/
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