b'TECHNICAL ARTICLEINSULATED METAL PANEL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES: Admonitions and anecdotes from the fieldBy Harold Louwerse, P.L.Eng, RRO, and Ryan Bielenda, MASc, EITF or the thermal performancewe would like to weigh in on some offamiliarity with the IMP system and of todays exceedingly popularthe IMPs most challenging aspects. ensure everyone is on the same page exterior insulated wallwith regards to the design and subse-assemblies and the installa- CHALLENGE #1: EDUCATION quent challenges outlined below.tion efficiency of a unitized curtain wall system, a growingAs a rule of thumband this principleUnderstanding the limitations of IMP number of designers and contractorsapplies to many aspects of lifeyousystems and identifying problem areas are turning their attention to insulatedneed to educate yourself before you canduring a projects design phases can metal panel (IMP) cladding systems.educate others. By allowing yourself todramatically reduce headaches in the Cost effective, fully customizable andbecome the expert first, you create afuture. While IMP systems generally comprising every building envelopespace where simple mistakes are easilyperform well and are easy to install in component in one package (think air,avoided. In the process of educatingstand-alone applications, integration vapour, moisture barrier, cladding andyourself, get other stakeholderswith adjacent dissimilar materialinsulation all nestled together), IMPsinvolved. Conduct several meetingsassemblies can be difficult. Investigateinsulation sandwiched between twowith the owners, architects, engineers,what products your IMP manufac-metal skins, installed using mendingproject managers, subcontractors,turer may provide to simplify building plates, fasteners and butyl sealant installers, etc. to get a sense of the teamsassembly transitions. present themselves as a no-brainer alter-native to conventional multi-compo-nent systems. With every assembly comes a variety of technical hurdles. Now dont get us wrongthis is not intended to be a knock against IMPs. IMPs present a simple yet effective product with a relatively simple installation. However, what can easily be drawn on paper can pose serious challenges in the field. One bead of butyl sealant turns into a bump in butyl sealant stock prices, and shimming or packing out the substrate becomes a mastered art form instead of a quick fix. Contractors not accustomed to the tight tolerances of IMP installa-tion systems, designers unaware of the implications of panel orientations and mismanaged sequencing by construc-tion managers or general contractors on-site are just a few examples of the nuances that may create nightmares during installation or necessary envelope rehabilitation in the future. After usingFIGURE 1: PRE-INSTALLATION CONFERENCE ON-SITE WITH THE ARCHITECT, CONSTRUCTION MANAGER, IMP on a variety of different projects,BUILDING ENVELOPE CONTRACTOR AND BUILDING ENVELOPE CONSULTANT.16 BCBEC ELEMENTSA BCBEC PUBLICATION'