Winter 2004

Volume 18, Issue 2 Winter 2004

A FINAL LOOK

Wausau Curtainwall Unites ACT’s New Corporate Campus
A high-performance curtainwall with integrated sunshades from Wausau Window and Wall Systems of Wausau, Wis., was designed to help connect the design of ACT Inc.’s new corporate campus physically and visually. The $40 million construction project for ACT, a not-for-profit organization and creator of the college placement assessment tests, was made to accommodate the company’s continued growth and serve as the headquarters for its 1,150 employees in Iowa City, Iowa.

According to a company news release, Wausau SuperWall system was selected to meet the project’s wind load and structural requirements and to contribute to the overall goal of energy efficiency. Thermally-broken, factory-fabricated, captured and vertical structurally glazed, the system was manufactured with a 2.5-inch face and with depths of up to 12 inches. Enhancing the building’s use of curtainwall, as well as its overall design and functionality, a large number of sunshades and canopies were engineered as integrated elements within the total glazing system. Some of the sunshades measured up to 45 inches deep in order to help reduce solar heat gain and HVAC loads.

“Because the team at Wausau did such a great job of documenting the shop drawings, we were able to work through the details prior to fabrication,” said Laura Serebin, lead architect on the project. “The structural supports for the sunshades needed to be concealed within the curtainwall, which meant an extra level of coordination was needed, but with everyone working together the final product came together well and looks great.”

Dow Corning Products Play a Part in Condo Rehabilitation
The 20-story Atlantis condominium in Ocean City, Md., is undergoing a $4.1 million rehabilitation, using silicone sealants and an exterior coating provided by Dow Corning. The rehab is intended to eliminate water intrusion and provide a new aesthetic appeal to the 30-year-old building.

Engineering consultants on the renovation chose the Midland, Mich.-based Dow Corning’s 795 silicone building sealant, a neutral-cure material used on more than 600 double-pane aluminum windows and sliding doors in the 200-unit structure. To address the building’s cracking and appearance issues, the company’s AllGuard silicone elastomeric coating was chosen for use on all exterior walls.

Rick Delargey, a principal with general contractor Structural Maintenance Systems, estimated that upon the project’s completion in 2004, crews will have installed approximately 25,000 lineal feet of the sealant around doors and windows, and approximately 20,000 lineal feet of 790 silicone building sealant in concrete wall joints.

As the work progressed, tests have been performed regularly to spot-
check sealant installation and coating thickness, and to confirm the overall integrity of the building envelope.