This course is part of the Metal Architecture Academy

Case Study

Photo courtesy of Kingspan Insulated Panels

Location: Cibolo, Texas
Building Owner: AISIN Texas Corporation
Size: 463,800 sq. ft.
Date Completed: 2022

Aisin Corporation, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of automatic transmissions, recently opened its first plant in the state of Texas. Located in Cibolo, the $400-million, 463,800-square-foot plant produces high-quality and high-performance automatic and hybrid transmissions.

KAI Enterprises, the design and build firm, chose insulated metal panels to complete the nearly 500,000-square-foot facility. More than 98,000 square feet of profiled micro-rib and smooth panels were used on the project.

The profile panels provide a unique aesthetic through a ribbed profile while delivering supreme thermal performance at the same time. The IMPs’ fully engineered joint design allows for profile integration, creating a striking appearance that is a perfect aesthetic compliment to the flat panel offering selected. The flat panels create an architectural-focused and modern building envelope solution. The use of pearlescent micas and metallic colors generate a dynamic finish. By combining these two profiles in a single project, the architects achieved aesthetic dynamics that add design depth to large industrial designs.

Aside from aesthetics, the panels have another benefit in common – thermal efficiency. As temperatures across the nation continue to rise, the use of IMPs is a way to future-proof buildings to reduce energy consumption. IMPs provide an air- and watertight continuous insulation barrier that seals the building enclosure and helps increase energy efficiency, making it a preferred building envelope approach for manufacturing centers. Texas cities set temperature records following a relentless heat wave during the summer of 2023. In June, Corpus Christi logged a heat index of 125 degrees. Readings in Laredo, Del Rio, San Angelo, and Junction were also the highest ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service. The facility’s thermal efficiency and full vapor and water barrier provided by the selected IMPs helped Aisin cut down on building cooling costs amid the Texas heat.

Ongoing Advantages: Maintenance and Flexibility

Besides first costs, costs that accrue over the life of a product should also be taken into account when determining full costs. With IMP products, ongoing maintenance costs are reduced as a result of continuing improvements in paints and coatings. Finishes will not crack or peel, which significantly reduces the potential of water penetration while increasing finish performance and weather integrity. IMPs require less maintenance than other exterior systems. Today’s IMPs retain their luster for decades, ensuring that the building maintains its aesthetic appeal and its property value for the long term. This longevity makes a difference when it comes time to sell the building. Facilities clad with IMP or metal composite material (MCM) systems retain their curb appeal and never look dated, often reducing the need for pre-sale refurbishing costs.

IMPs also facilitate easy renovations and building enhancements. The panels are flexible and can adapt to structural retrofits, accommodating new layouts or additions. They also can be easily disassembled for reuse.

Decision Point: IMPs and Tilt-Up

Fabrication and installation time combined is comparable between IMPs and tilt-up. However, IMPs arrive on site factory finished and prepared to act as a fully functioning enclosure. They also cost less. IMPs are less subject to weather delays than tilt-up.

As a retrofit solution, IMPs excel, given their light weight and design flexibility.

Photo courtesy of Kingspan Insulated Panels

IMPs created with a sustainable manufacturing process have lower embodied carbon and reduce operational carbon for years to come with high thermal efficiency, helping Caledon Industrial Park in Caledon, Ontario, on its quest to achieve LEED Silver certification.

Photo courtesy of Kingspan Insulated Panels

Vaultra Storage, clad with insulated metal panels, brings a modern, stylish vibe to the busy streets of Toronto, offering more than 2,100 climate-controlled storage units to customers.

IMPS IMPACT ON THE BUILDING

Insulated metal panels can fulfill all the required air, thermal, and water control functions to create a high-performing building enclosure. Designing with IMPs means realizing buildings with more consistent thermal properties and increased occupant comfort.

Insulating Capabilities of IMPs

Keeping the outside out and maintaining the comfort inside is the fundamental job of the building envelope. The ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings shows a clear trend for continuous insulation, specifically in Zones 5, 6, 7, and 8. Continuous insulation is the best method to improve thermal performance. Properly installed, it increases the effective R-value of the wall system. Continuous insulation additionally blocks thermal bridging–heat transfer–created by common types of exterior wall construction.

As a turnkey option, delivering a full vapor and water barrier–along with continuous insulation–IMPs are an easy way to meet growing code requirements, says Cassie Robertson, preconstruction manager, DPR Construction. IMPs generally use a foamed-in-place or polyisocyanurate foam plastic insulation, at thicknesses of 2-4 inches, achieving R-values in place of up to 45. This type of material can provide a thermal resistance value (R-value) of 7 per inch (nom.), compared to values of between 2 to 4 for fiberglass or mineral wool. High R-values are a driving reason behind the popularity of foam plastic insulation materials.

Supplementary insulation may be added to IMPs based upon a WUFI analysis, which evaluates the action of heat and moisture in walls, to meet other specified requirements. WUFI is a computer program that can tell how moisture and heat flow affect building materials over time. Insulated metal panel systems, by virtue of their joint geometry address thermal bridging in a more robust manner than typical “site built” assemblies for walls and roof, a design asset for maintaining thermal performance. Thermal bridging occurs when there is a break in a building’s insulation, so it is important to carefully consider the joint detailing when selecting a system.

Water and Air Barrier Capabilities of IMPs

The most important non-structural and non-fire performance aspect of any wall system is its ability to control rainwater. Historically, a widely used method of controlling rainwater was to install claddings over insulated metal panel systems, providing a continuous water control layer coupled with a continuous drained air gap over this water control layer. Because of its successful history of past performance in rainscreen applications, IMPs are widely recognized for their water- and air-barrier capabilities.

Two major ASTM standards are used to evaluate air and water performance of IMP wall assemblies: ASTM E28 -04(2012) Standard Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen and ASTM E331-00(2009) Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference. The following ASTM standards are used to evaluate air and water performance of IMP roof assemblies: ASTM E1680-11 Standard Test Method for Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Metal Roof Panel Systems (Specialized adaptation of E283) and ASTM E1646-95 (2011) Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Metal Roof Panel Systems by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference (Specialized adaptation of E331).

To best leverage the insulating and water and air barrier capabilities of insulated metal panel systems, it is important to pay close attention to how the system interfaces holistically. Paul Collyer, Vice President of Business Development, Cornerstone Building Brands, Denver, Colorado, emphasizes that, when dealing with any type of barrier wall, it is important to maintain continuity of control layers–specifically air, vapor, water, and thermal. “Proper details showing how the barrier system should interface with penetrations, material transitions, etc. are critical to proper envelope performance,” Collyer says.

Photo courtesy of Metal Construction Association

This five-story, 100,000-square-foot, Class A self-storage facility in St. Petersburg, Florida, was clad with IMPs. The thermal benefits from IMPs help keep the building cool in the Florida heat.

IMPs and Tilt-Up

Insulated metal panels (IMPs) are one of only a few types of building product that can provide an entire building enclosure in one prefabricated product. IMPs and tilt-ups with added cavity insulation both provide excellent liquid water management. While the use of concrete also provides some thermal mass for a building, IMPs provide superior thermal resistance, with an in-place R-value of up to 45. IMPs are also impervious to water. There is no loss of performance due to sagging or compression with IMPs, and a virtual elimination of thermal bridging.

IMPs provide superior air infiltration performance and vapor diffusion management. This can also be achieved with tilt-up structures, but only after sandwich and cavity systems are installed.

Tilt-up and pre-cast concrete panels require no modifications for fire resistance. IMPs are suitable for all construction types when used in accordance with the International Building Code (IBC). Of note, however, is the performance of IMPs in high wind load areas and seismic areas. Here, IMPs offer superior reliability and disaster resistance over tilt-up.