Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/885333
OCTOBER 2017 | 17 Insulation PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY ARMTEC PRECAST Research and development takes insulation to a new level by ROBIN BRUNET I t seems that with every passing month there is another code or regulation update pertaining to energy efficiency, or at least talk of changing standards. But while increasingly stringent standards may be a headache for developers, it's good for suppliers, and those who supply insulation products are busier than ever. This point is not lost on the Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI), which is currently focusing on precast concrete insulated sandwich wall panels as an ideal and complete energy-efficient building envelope. The concrete wall panels consist of two layers of concrete – or wythes – sepa- rated by a layer of rigid insulation. The insulation values are available from R5 to R20 or greater to suit project requirements, with the insulation material installed under controlled factory conditions and well protected by the concrete. Brian Hall, managing director of the CPCI, describes the many advantages of this product. "Standard building construction requires materials to be delivered to a job site, stored, and then placed by skilled labourers from multiple trades, but precast concrete insulated wall panels are delivered 'just-in-time' and installed, typically by a crew of four to six skilled labourers, directly from the truck onto the building with final finishes already complete." Hall goes on to note that "the R-value achieved by these panels can vary widely depending on the desired performance of the wall panel, and increased R-values are achieved by increasing the insulation thickness between the two wythes. The vast majority of the insulating properties come directly from the insulation; however, concrete does possess some insulating properties as well." Plus, wythe connectors with low heat conductivity will minimize heat transfer from the exterior concrete wythe to the interior concrete wythe, and vice versa; consequently, heat stays inside in the winter and outside in the summer. "The use of precast concrete insulated sandwich wall panels has really taken off, in no small way because they have proven in some circumstances to save an entire year of con- struction time on high-rise tower projects," says Hall. "We honestly think this is the product for the future." Unsurprisingly, Ignacio Cariaga, sales director for Armtec Precast, shares Brian Hall's enthusiasm for precast insulated wall panels. One of the more significant recent projects his company has been involved in is the construction of the St. Teresa Place in Calgary – a four-storey total precast supportive living building. Behind The Scenes Construction of St. Teresa Place in Calgary using precast concrete insulated panels.