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Architects and Specification Writers are increasingly selecting unpainted metallic coated steels for architectural roofing and cladding applications on building exteriors where they want a “Silver” metallic finish. This is occurring more frequently, and even on “prestige” type projects. The Canadian Sheet Steel Building Institute whose fabricator members manufacture a wide variety of building panel profiles for roofing and cladding applications, are being asked to supply unpainted (natural finish) galvanized or resin coated 55% Aluminum-Zinc coated steel for these architecturally exposed end uses. Oftentimes, these materials are specified because the designer finds the natural finish of these products very appealing and sometimes because of material cost savings opportunities. This Fact Sheet has been developed to provide guidance in material selection and provide information on the Architectural Metallic Finishes that are available for highly visible steep slope roofing and cladding applications. 

For BART's Doolittle Maintenance Facility at the new Oakland Airport connector, SAFTI FIRST® provided 60 minute, fire resistive wall openings in the exterior using SuperLite® II-XL 60 insulated with low-e glazing in GPX® Framing with a clear anodized finish. SAFTI FIRST® engineered a connection that allows the structural elements of the GPX® Architectural Series Framing System to support an integral sunshade system, instead of being hung in front of it. The Doolittle Bart Station is one of the first installations of the GPX® Architectural Series System with sunshade connections, which also include SLCC New Instruction and Administrative Building in Salt Lake City, UT.

Introduction Prefinished sheet steel is used on many building products from wall cladding, to architectural roofing to interior panels. Prefinished sheet steel has been used in Canada for over 30 years and there may be sites were the paint surface is in need of repainting. This bulletin is intended to give some guidance on repainting prefinished panels. Due to the diversity of factory applied prefinished systems, and the diversity of potential field applied repaint systems, it is impossible to offer one comprehensive repaint procedure for all possible situations. However, it is possible to offer a set of guidelines to be considered in every potential situation.

Codes required fire wall separations between parking garages and businesses, markets, homes and other uses. Architects can replace entire walls with glass to open up buildings like never before. For example, SuperLite® II-XL in GPX® Architectural Series Framing by SAFTI FIRST® is a USA-made fire resistive transparent wall system that blocks radiant heat and meets the same stringent ASTM E-119/ UL 263/ NFPA 251 code requirements that any opaque fire rated wall must meet.

Faced with a tight schedule and challenging weather conditions, Belluz Group Ltd. turned to MAPEI for the range of high-end products and support that was needed to complete a new-build terminal project in the heart of Canada’s biggest city.

To preserve the building’s open design and to extend natural light further in the building, the architects incorporated fire resistive glazing in the areas that required a 2-hour fire rating, particularly in the stairwells and exit passageways at the new Kent State University College of Architecture and Environmental Design.

The Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering within the Gateway University Research Park in Greensboro, North Carolina is a new 105,000 sf interdisciplinary research facility dedicated to academic and industrial research. To create an open, transparent lab design, SAFTI FIRST® provided SuperLite® II-XL 60 in GPX® Architectural Series Frames for the 60 minute walls.

Central to the building's design are several simulation labs, practice labs, and mock operating rooms where students can observe instructors and each other as they perform their tasks. Because these labs are in areas where a 1-hour fire rating has to be maintained, the architects chose to combine vision, transparency, and fire safety with SuperLite® II-XL 60 in GPX® Architectural Series framing.

The University of Wisconsin School of Business Grainger Hall’s east and west wings are now linked by a state-of-the-art Learning Commons that encourages collaboration through technology and design. To achieve maximum transparency while meeting code requirements, the architects specified 9 ft. tall, clear, fire resistive butt-glazed walls using SuperLite® II-XLM in GPX® Architectural Series perimeter framing.

Steel is a major and essential construction material, offering unique value and unmatched performance in many end uses. Steel is strong, safe, durable, versatile, resilient and cost-effective. Steel is sustainable, with the exceptional environmental advantages of being highly recycled and infinitely recyclable. Steel is tough and does not rot, spall, split or absorb moisture and is resistant to pests, unlike other building materials. And from an aesthetic or architectural viewpoint, steel structures can easily deliver creative design options and offer excellent value. Steel is the fabric of life.

For a recent renovation of a stairwell and exit corridors at Ridgewood High School in Illinois, the design team specified SuperLite® II-XL 60 in GPX® Architectural Series Framing for its optical clarity, storefront-like appearance, and high STC ratings. In order to meet the code requirements and maximize the daylight penetrating into the building, the architects decided to use fire rated glass in the one-hour exit corridor. Because the glazing exceeds 25% of the wall area, fire resistive glass and framing assemblies rated equal to the wall had to be used.

The new San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters combines maximum daylighting and fire safety with a multi-story, fire rated glass stairwell from SAFTI FIRST. Dubbed as the "greenest building in North America," this Class A LEED Platinum office building features a transparent, 2-hour fire rated stairwell, situated prominently near the main entrance. SAFTI FIRST supplied SuperLite II-XL 120 in GPX Architectural Series Wall Framing and SuperLite II-XL 90 in GPX Builders Series Temperature Rise Door starting from the lobby all the way to the topmost floor.

The architects at Morris Adjmi wanted large, 11-ft. tall glass walls to highlight the breathtaking views for the reimagined Warehouse in New York City’s growing architectural wonderland of Chelsea. However, the building was on a lot line, mandating 2 hour fire walls. SAFTI FIRST® made this dream a reality by supplying the largest tested and listed 2 hour fire resistive glazing available today. The inclusion of low-iron glass in the fire-resistive glazing units ensured superior clarity and aesthetic continuity with the adjacent non-rated windows. The fire resistive units incorporated high performance glazing and were filled with argon for energy efficiency and occupant comfort.

Introduction Sheet steel roofing and siding (cladding) is available in a wide variety of profiles, colours and paint systems. The modern prepainted systems used on Canadian-made products will provide decades of beautiful performance before there are any visible signs of deterioration of the paint surface. However, an important component of the cladding system is the fastener used to attach it to the structure. This fastener is not simply a screw; it is part of the roof or wall assembly and should be expected to provide the same long-term performance. This performance is not simply the capacity to safely hold the cladding in place, but also to match the colour and durability of the paint system. The selection of the correct screw for the job is the first step in the creation of a cladding system that will provide long-term performance. The next step is the installation. Installing screws in sheet steel cladding is commonplace and can be done very efficiently. The tool manufacturers have developed a wide range of options for installing fasteners into any type of substrate. Selecting the most appropriate tool will help the installation process.

Introduction Prefinished sheet steel building products, such as wall and roof cladding, liner sheet, flashing, and associated items, have experienced an enviable growth record during the past twenty years or so. Coil coated prefinished sheet steel in a variety of colours and paint systems has greatly enhanced the appearance of thousands of industrial, commercial, institutional, recreational, residential and farm buildings, providing an economical, durable and attractive alternative to traditional materials. As with all materials, a little care and maintenance pays off handsomely in terms of longevity and repair costs. The recommendations which follow have been learned at first hand and represent the collective industry experience with thin-film paint systems applied to metallic coated sheet steel by the coil coating process. In this publication the term “thin-film paint system” refers to a modified silicone polyester or a fluorocarbon type having a coating thickness about 25µm. When the guidelines listed below have been observed, thin-film paint systems have been used successfully for all types of environments other than severe industrial atmospheres which require special consideration. The guidelines are not intended for barrier coatings, laminates, and new formulations which have different characteristics than the thin-film paint systems on which these guidelines are predicated. 

This Fact Sheet has been written to describe some of the factors that affect the cost of prepainted sheet steel cladding products. The most significant factors are: colour, paint system, order quantity, Fabricator's inventory and profile selection. Recognition of the impact of these factors can help you select a prepainted sheet steel cladding system to fit the aesthetic and durability requirements of your project, and still stay within a budget. 

The 1890s-era Midtown Community Court in New York City—a New York Historic Landmark—is currently undergoing a five year, $18 million renovation that includes a 9,650-square-foot addition for a new elevator, lobby and stairwell featuring fire resistive glass and curtain wall. The system consists of SAFTI FIRST®’s SuperLite® II-XL 120 IGU in GPX® Curtain Wall System.

Case study of Rockwool and Passive Purple together in a system and how together they are the perfect match for airtight buildings.

MAPEI’s Mapeheat™ radiant floor-heating system adds an extra touch of luxury to a five-star lodge.

We built the world first Passivhaus CPD training facility / pub, this is the worlds most airtight pub at 0.07ach at 50 pa. This is a twin wall timber frame, it’s 450mm wide insulation Huntsman which is made of thousands of recycled plastic bottles. Huntsman also recycled 1 billion plastic bottles from the sea last year. We have a 7.2 KW system solar panels system that powers the building, it’s got MVHR Nilan. On the external façade we applied Passive Purple External which is airtight up to 0.03ach.

An independent assessment of the life cycle cost for various low slope roof systems revealed that steel roofing had the longest life span, no leaks due to material failures, and the lowest overall maintenance cost.

1. SCOPE 1.1 The following specifications shall apply to hot-dipped metallic-coated sheet steel prefinished with colours of proven durability and suitable for exterior exposure as delivered from the coil coater. Proven paint systems for building products have been designed for vertical applications whose surfaces are no more than 30° to the vertical and non-vertical applications whose surfaces ranging from 5° up to 60° to the horizontal. It is not recommended for aggressive atmospheric exposure. 1.2 The prefinish system shall consist of a primer and topcoat continuously applied and cured within the paint manufacturer’s specifications on cleaned, pretreated, metallic-coated substrate. The pretreatment specified shall be zinc phosphate for galvanized steel and metal oxide pretreatment for aluminum-zinc alloy-coated steel, applied in accordance with the pretreatment manufacturer’s specifications.

This new 120,000 square foot, state-of-the-art convening center features a 1,000-seat auditorium that is large enough to host the entire MBA class. The glass atrium floods the multi-purpose lobby with natural light, as well as provides a visual connection between the interior of the building and the outdoor environment. To maximize transparency, SAFTI FIRST® met with the architects during the design phase to create a large, 2-hour, glass wall that separates the lobby from the auditorium while providing a visual connection between them. Since this 2-hour glass wall also serves as the entrance to the auditorium, deciding on a 90-minute door system was of upmost important. SAFTI FIRST®’s in-house engineering department provided design assistance, system details, engineering calculations and support from the planning phase all the way to the submittal process.

Start at the foundation where the loads imposed by a steel frame are up to 50% less than those of a concrete alternative. There is evidence in the field and through third-party case studies and comparative cost studies that steel building systems offer significant cost benefits over competitive building materials when the total cost of construction is considered.

Because the Sapphire Towers' south facing elevation was in close proximity to the adjacent property, code regulations required the south façade to either be solid, which was contrary to the design, or to have openings with a minimum fire protection of 45 minutes. SAFTI FIRST® engineered a system that met the uniform design demands and performance requirements for the windows and balconies in all 32 floors in the south-facing elevation.

When the people of Canada’s capital region seek relief from city life, they often retreat to the serene, natural beauty found in Quebec’s Gatineau hills. Here, where temperatures can drop to -38°F (-39°C) and snow falls seven months out of the year, heated flooring is a practical luxury. To help recreate a Scandinavian-style getaway for the Groupe Nordik Lofts du Village project, specifiers chose one of MAPEI’s Mapeheat floor-heating systems.

The David Eccles School of Business on the University of Utah campus features a 28- x 18-ft 2 hour interior glass wall with a 90 minute full-vision door in an exit enclosure/stairwell. The architects selected fire rated glass to meet fire rating requirements while providing maximum visibility and natural daylighting in the space. The project’s specifications also required the fire rated glass to have the same optical clarity as the adjacent non-rated glass systems.

The Salt Lake City Public Safety Building in Utah is the first U.S. Public Safety Building to achieve both a net-zero rating and LEED Platinum status and designed to survive a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and remain fully functional afterwards. This ensures that the city’s emergency operations center can survive and help the city recover in the event of an earthquake or a similar disaster. Fire rated glass contributes to achieving sustainable design goals by maximizing daylight penetration deep within a building and shared artificial lighting between spaces. It also ensures that occupants can exit the building safely in the event of an earthquake, which can damage sprinkler systems and render them ineffective.

Designers and builders have long recognized steel for its strength, durability and functionality. An important aspect of steel’s story is its high recycled content and end-of-life recovery rate. Both attributes are recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) green building rating system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), but steel construction products can contribute to many other LEED credits as well, either directly or indirectly. USGBC’s latest version, LEEDv4, includes a completely revised and expanded Materials and Resources section, with new credits in the areas of life-cycle assessment (LCA), environmental product declarations (EPDs), and overall product transparency

Four Key Components Constitute Prefinished Sheet Steel Prefinished sheet steel for construction consists of four major components: the sheet steel itself, a metallic (zinc or aluminum-zinc alloy) coating, chemical pre-treatment and primer, and a top coat. Each performs an important role in providing designers with a high quality, aesthetic, cost competitive and corrosion-resistant material. The backbone of the system is sheet steel, an ideal material for covering large surface areas because of its economy and high strength-toweight ratio. Protection against the demanding Canadian environment is provided by the metallic coating, one of the most effective methods of protecting bare steel from corrosion. Both zinc and aluminum-zinc alloy provide a tough, non-porous coating

Buildings have a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health and productivity. In North America, the built environment accounts for approximately one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water and material consumption and generates similiar proportions of pollution. Indoor air quality is regarded as one of the top environmental health risks today, affecting the well-being, productivity and performance of many people. As concerns increase about sustainability in building design and operation, there is a need to develop a framework for assessing and quantifying buildings so that questions such as, “What is sustainable design?” and “How green is this project?” can be addressed. In response to this, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system was developed to provide such a framework for North America. This document explores how the use of steel structures and components can contribute to achieving a LEED certificate for a building.

Buildings consume one-third of all energy and two-thirds of all electricity generated. Cool metal roofs can help reduce energy consumption by lowering cooling loads with their wide array of finishes, designs and colors.Cool metal roofs are energy-efficient. • The roof can have the greatest impact on the energy use of a building. On a typical summer afternoon, a light-colored, more reflective roof that reflects 80 percent of sunlight will stay about 310C (550F) cooler than a darker roof that reflects only 20 percent of sunlight, as reported by the Heat Island Group of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. • Cool metal roofs are an excellent option for commercial retrofit applications because they can be efficiently installed with above-sheathing ventilation, allowing heat to dissipate through the ridge vent in hot weather while acting as an insulating layer when it is cold. Metal roofs can result in as much as a 30 percent reduction in heat gain through the vented roof. • Metal roofs provide the optimal foundation for photovoltaic installations since the roof can be expected to last longer than the PV system it supports. • Wall and roof solar heat recovery systems can be integrated with steel cladding and used to provide air, water or process heating needs. • Cool metal roofing is available unpainted, with thermosetting coil-applied paint finishes, or with granular-coated surfaces. This family of roofing can achieve solar reflectance of over 70 percent, meeting the EPA Energy Star Roof Products Program performance criteria. • Emittance as high as 90 percent can be achieved for painted and granular-coated metal roofing. • Painted metal roofs retain 95 percent of their initial reflectance and emittance over time. They resist the growth of organic matter and shed dirt more readily than other materials. • Cool metal roofing can help to mitigate the Urban Heat Island Effect because of its high reflectance, which can reduce ambient air temperatures. Cool metal roofs are cost-effective. • Metal roofing has low life-cycle costs, making it the choice of many school, government, commercial, industrial and institutional building owners. • Due to its light weight per unit area, structural savings can be realized in a building when compared with heavier non-metal roofing alternatives. • For re-roofing projects, metal roofing can often be applied over the original roof, saving removal and disposal costs. • Metal roofing is fully recyclable when ultimately removed as part of building renovation or demolition, allowing it to credibly claim both recycled content and 100 percent recyclability by recognized definitions. The product’s recyclability also provides significant savings on construction removal and disposal costs.