Insulated Metal Panels Archives

What Makes a Metal Building Green?

Posted on February 19, 2020March 24, 2023 by Greg Hekman

Longevity, reduced material consumption and decreased energy usage are what determine if a structure is sustainable. A design-build contractor or builder should understand the metal building owner’s sustainability goals from the onset of the design phase.

In addition to protecting the environment, designing a sustainable building can save your company money through reduced energy costs and garner recognition through several certification programs including LEED®, Green Globes and the Living Building Challenge.

Metal buildings are a sustainable, or “green”, option from fabrication through the end of their lifespan. Here are some of the features of steel buildings that make them green:

Durability

One benefit of metal buildings is the exceptional durability of the building components including metal siding, roofing and framing . Compared to traditional building materials like lumber or shingles, steel is resistant to damage from the elements including severe weather, insects and even fire.

Rice Lumber’s retail store utilizes CF Flute insulated metal panels in slate gray. For the warhouse, PBR in 26-gauge slate gray were used for the wall and soffit panel, while and 7.2 Panel was selected under deck for the rubber roof.

This longevity means that there’s no need to consume additional resources to repair or replace your metal building for decades, contributing to its overall sustainability.

Reduced Impact at the Building Site

The benefits of metal buildings extend beyond the materials used. Since metal buildings are fabricated off site, there’s less disruption of the area surrounding the building. They can be erected quickly with less waste.

Decreased Temperatures in Urban Areas

Additionally, buildings featuring cool metal roofing panels can help reduce the heat-island effect. The heat-island effect refers to the increase in temperature created when dark and heat absorbing roofing materials are used. These roofing materials can raise the temperature of surrounding areas by as much as seven degrees. This excess heat can be detrimental to plants, trees and people in urban areas. Since cool metal roofing reflects heat instead of absorbing it, less heat is transmitted to the surrounding areas. This helps plants retain water and people remain more comfortable. This also translates to decreased energy usage and decreased greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity used for cooling buildings.

Improved Energy Efficiency

Metal buildings can also be designed for improved energy efficiency. Combine a variety of components such as insulated metal roof and wall panels and high-performance windows and doors to create an energy efficient building envelope. These components work together to create an effective thermal and vapor barrier, ultimately reducing energy consumption.

Further improve the energy efficiency of your metal building by choosing cool metal roofing. Since these panels reflect the sun’s rays, less heat is absorbed into the building itself. This helps to reduce heating and cooling costs.

Metal roofing panels are the perfect substrate for the installation of solar panels. Solar panels can be attached to a variety of metal panel styles. For standing seam metal roofing, solar panels can be clipped to the roof panel to avoid penetrating the substrate. This renewable energy source will help reduce your building’s carbon footprint and lower electricity costs.

Responsible Material Usage

When selecting sustainable materials for your building project, metal should be at the top of your list. Steel products contain a significant percentage of recycled material and are 100% recyclable at the end of the building’s life.

Since most metal buildings are prefabricated in shops, there’s less overall waste both at the job site and during fabrication. Any scrap materials that are created during fabrication can be recycled and reused.

Indoor Environmental Quality

One important component of sustainability is the interior performance of your building. This is achieved when the well-being of the building’s occupants is protected. Since metal building components are pre-finished off-site during fabrication, there are less harmful, volatile organic compounds released into the building.

Additionally, metal buildings offer flexibility of design, allowing for the incorporation of windows, doors and skylights throughout in order to provide natural light and exterior views. This has been shown to benefit building users.

How Insulated Metal Panels Enhance Building Design and Performance

Posted on January 3, 2020May 31, 2023 by Tyler Roose

Insulated metal panels can be a high-performing, aesthetically-pleasing solution for your customers’ building projects—particularly when the weather is colder. These lightweight panels feature an insulating foam core with a metal skin face and offer superior performance and design flexibility. This makes them the ideal choice for many building projects in many industries.

Enhanced Design Using Insulated Metal Panels

In addition to their functional responsibilities, Insulated Metal Panels also need to be aesthetically pleasing. Available in a variety of colors and profile shapes, they help meet the varying design requirements of your customers’ projects. Insulated metal panel finishes resembling traditional construction materials such as precast concrete, stucco, masonry and others are also available. This provides more customization and integration options for customers.

Flexibility and Code-Compliance

Insulated metal panels easily integrate with other building materials such as concrete tilt-up, stucco, brick, single-skin metal panels, glazing and exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS). They also require less space for insulation to comply with energy codes as compared to other insulating methods. This helps to maximize enclosed space within your customers’ buildings.

Additionally, the use of insulated partition panels gives customers the flexibility to decide how much of their building they want to insulate. These interior panels can help section off portions of buildings that require temperature regulation like offices and storage space. Insulated partition panels can span floor to ceiling up to 20 ft., so in most cases no additional framing is needed for installation.

Strength and Savings

The strength of Insulated Metal Panels allows for greater spanning and load-bearing capabilities as compared to single-skin alternatives. With fewer required supports, these panels easily integrate into building designs without added cost.

And, of course, the advanced polyurethane core of Insulated Metal Panels can help reduce heating and cooling costs. This energy efficiency translates into savings for building owners across the life of the panels.

Superior Performance and Cost Savings of Insulated Metal Panels

Offering superior strength and durability across their lifecycle, Insulated Metal Panels are designed as a long-term building solution. Their consistent, all-in-one air and water barrier design makes them simple to install, which can expedite the project build and minimize schedule delays.

Minimal Maintenance Requirements

Needing minimal maintenance, Insulated Metal Panels help building owners save time and money, while delivering peace of mind their strength affords. Compared to some traditional materials, insulated metal panels are also easy to repair and replace. This reduces building material costs over time while also allowing flexibility for building expansion and remodeling down the line.

Putting it All Together

Superior design and performance make Insulated Metal Panels an efficient, effective, all-in-one solution for insulating metal buildings. Contact your local ABC sales representative today to learn more.

What You Need to Know About Insulated Metal Panels

Posted on June 28, 2018May 31, 2023 by Tyler Roose

Insulated Metal Panels (IMPs), simply put, are the insulated version of single-skin (uninsulated) metal panels. As the name suggests, IMPs provide insulation and, therefore, thermal control and barrier protection to structures. This helps ensure air, heat and moisture stay outside of a building, reducing the chances of mold, corrosion and rotting.

A versatile and practical choice, IMPs are designed for many roof and vertical and horizontal wall applications—including ceiling panels and wall partitions for commercial, industrial and post-frame building types. IMPs are ideal for sustainability-minded designs, offering excellent R-values (indicating their insulating power) and improving energy efficiency. What’s more, they’re available in various colors, thicknesses, widths and finishes, providing many customization options to choose from.

Here, we’ll take a look at some of the many benefits of using IMPs. Plus, we’ll review some factors to consider when deciding if IMPs are the right choice for a building project.

Choosing IMPs:

There are several important factors that go into the decision to use IMPs. While they offer tremendous benefits, it’s always good to research the product to ensure it meets your needs. The manufacturer, as always, is a great resource to help determine the optimal material and product, given all the parameters. Here are some of the main factors to consider.

Benefits of using IMPs:

Installation and Maintenance: IMPs have similar requirements to single-skin in terms of time and labor.
Longevity: IMPs can enhance the building lifespan, as they protect from unwanted and damaging heat and moisture.
Versatility: Available in a range of panel colors, thicknesses, widths and finishes, IMPs offer many customization options.
Energy Savings: Because they help regulate interior temperature, IMPs are more effective at energy conservation as compared to single-skin panels.
Energy Performance: Contractors and builders can use IMPs to achieve necessary energy performance levels with this single-source enclosure, providing a continuous blanket of protection.
R-Value Performance: IMP tests show thermal performance values up to R-8.515 (roof panels) and 7.08 (wall panels) per inch of panel thickness. i.e., a 2.5-inch-deep panel would easily meet the International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE minimums.
Cost: While generally more expensive than single-skin panels, this cost is often offset by long-term savings.
Tax Savings: Federal, state and/or local governments often offer incentives for using sustainable or “green” products that meet energy-efficiency requirements. Your personal tax advisor can share more information on any currently available incentive programs.

How to know if you need an insulated metal panel:

Building Type/End Use: Any structure that will hold people or goods should consider using IMPs. Specialized facilities that require reliable temperature and moisture regulation are excellent candidates for IMP use. These include refrigerated warehouses, research laboratories, government facilities, defense contractors, technology companies, MRI clinics and food production facilities, to name a few.
Geography and Weather: Depending on region/weather considerations, IMPs might be the best choice. To help determine if that is the case, you can calculate the functional amount of insulation needed in your area by using the minimum rated R-values method or the maximum U-factor assembly calculation. [For IMPs, the Maximum U-Factor Assembly calculations is recommended and can be tested using ASTM C1363.]
Meeting Fire Rating Requirements: To become fire-rated, IMP manufacturers can submit full-size product samples to a testing laboratory like Underwriters Laboratories (UL). The products are then tested according to standard, agreed-upon procedures such as ANSI/UL 263, “Standard for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials.” The manufacturer can provide confirmation as to whether a particular IMP meets the requirement for your project.

All things considered, the advantages IMPs offer often make them ideal for many building applications. This is particularly true when it comes to energy efficiency and sustainability for the post-frame, commercial, industrial and institutional markets. For more information on IMPs, check out ABC’s IMP resources or reach out to an ABC representative in your area.