Metal Cladding

4: METAL CLADDING

4.1: Traditional Metal Cladding

4.1.1: Profiled Metal Sheets

Profiled cladding or profile sheeting has been widely used for industrial buildings over the years.T he metals used for profile sheeting are steel or aluminum. This type of cladding is mostly done for roofs and walls which need to be insulated. This type of cladding enables greater thermal movement and is resistant to corrosion. It has both durability and toughness and lasts over the years. The cladding is impervious and it does not allow water to seep in. (According to tatasteelconstruction.com ) 26

image 52 & 53: Corrugated Metal Cladding

Profiled sheeting is one of the earliest forms of industrialized metal cladding, often described as corrugated sheeting, stemming from the original manufacturing process. Initially a low cost cladding for industrial buildings with the development of new coating, profile cross sections and detailing it is used extensively in a wide variety of buildings.

Steel or aluminium is normally used for profiled sheeting. It can be applied to both roof and walls, in each case the performance requirements vary. On roofs the sheeting will be exposed to

greater solar gain and hence thermal movement which has implications for end laps between sheets and fixings. The roof will also be subjected to foot traffic during both installation and maintenance. The finish has to be designed for greater toughness. On walls, as they are more visible, the colour fastness of the finish is more important. 27

4.2Modern Systems

4.2.1: Composite Cladding
Composite Cladding comes in sheets as well as panels and tiles made of metal. The system can be a combination of any of these three forms together, as on the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.In composite cladding a metal which has thermal expansions coefficient less than 9 parts per million per degree centigrade is used. The temperature used for composite cladding is in the range of 20 degrees Celsius to 100 ° C. 28

image 54: Composite Cladding

In this method the core material is clad using a transition metal or alloy. In composite cladding the cladding metal or alloy should at least cover one layer of the core. The most common use of composite cladding is for making walls and roofs using steel.

Image 55: Guggenheim Museum (exterior) Image 56: Metal Cladding Fixing Detail

Benefits of composite cladding include speed of construction as most of the detailing and drilling for joints can be done on-site saving weight and saving on transport as well as providing easy installation of services. 29

The above advantages often lead to a saving in cost over other systems.(SCI publication)

Comparative structure cost of modern commercial buildings shows solutions involving composite construction to be more economical than steel or concrete alternatives for both a conventional four storey office block and an eight storey prestigious office block with an atrium.

Metal Cladding has traditionally found great application in steel framed office buildings, but they are also appropriate for the following types of: buildings:

·· Commercial buildings

·· Industrial buildings and warehouses

·· Leisure buildings

·· Stadiaums

·· Hospitals

·· Schools

·· Cinemas

·· Housing; both individual houses and residential buildings

·· Refurbishment projects. 30

4.3: Connection to The Building

image 57 & 58: Metal Cladding detailing

Image 57 & 58: Metal Cladding detailing

image 61: Detail at Base of Wall

4.4: Innovation

Metal has benefitted from an advance in technology which has resulted in cladding systems that are cheaper, easier to install and maintain as compared to traditional systems. Innovative metal cladding requires little to no skilled labour to install as it comes in an easy to use kit-of-parts. 31

image 62: Zinc Alloy Continous Cladding image 63: Pre-Insulated Metal Panel

4.4.2: MesoCoat CermaClad

CermaClad involves the use of nanotechnology to apply a protective coating to the metal used in the cladding process. It provides metal protection and repair through a revolutionary "long life" coating and "high speed" cladding technologies which allow for a thinner membrane to be used.32

It is a high strength, high toughness ceramic-metallic materials quality and high speed fusion cladding processes providing unparalleled wear and corrosion resistance; and has verified performance, productivity, and cost benefits. 33

image 64: CermaClad Metal Cladding

4.5: Challenges and Maintenance

Metal as a cladding material is lightweight and provides an attractive cover for the building. 34 Metal cladding has the following advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

One of the great advantages of metal cladding is that it requires little maintenance other than a yearly wash. While it was once prone to fading, the metal used for cladding is now generally coated with a tinted weatherproof topcoat that should last for many years. Steel is vulnerable to rust, so be certain to address any chips that occur in the finish, and install aluminum instead if you live in a coastal area. If your cladding is dented it can be repaired, but repairs that involve patching holes are more challenging and generally need expert help. These types of repairs may also be difficult to disguise.

Disadvantages:

Cost:

Cladding can be very expensive, depending upon the material. While timber or metal cladding can be relatively inexpensive, concrete cladding can result in a large bill due to the increased amount of labor required.

Time:

Depending upon the size of the structure and the material used, the installation of siding can take a long time.This also depends upon the quality of the original structure, which must be sound enough to support the cladding.

Repair:

While cladding is low-maintenance--requiring a simple wash on a regular basis--if it is broken or dented, its aesthetic qualities are reduced and it may be difficult to repair the damaged part.This is especially common with metal cladding, which can easily be dented. Also, if the cladding is not installed properly, the underlying structure can be damaged 35

Different types of materials can be used to cover the exterior surface of the building. Often the material chosen for this cladding is price dependent but more recently it's also to compliment an architectural design.

4.6: Cost Estimation & Analysis

Costs of metal cladding in a project vary depending on the structure of the building, the type of finish intended as well as the fixing details. 36

Project costs also include:

·Timber framing (typically at 100mmx50mm studs with 600mm centres)

· Building paper

·Cladding to exterior surface (note: excludes lining to interior surface)

·Labour 37

References

26, 32, 33 Euroclad.com (2010) Profiled Metal Wall Cladding : Euro Clad – Metal Building Solutions. [online] Available at: http://www.euroclad.com/wall-systems/profiled.aspx [Accessed: 13 Sep 2012].

27,28,29 Topics.wisegeek.com (2003) Cladding System. [online] Available at: http://topics.wisegeek.com/topics.htm?cladding-system# [Accessed: 26 Sep 2012].

30 Tatasteelconstruction.com (2012) Principles of cladding. [online] Available at: http://www.tatasteelconstruction.com/en/reference/teaching_resources/architectural_studio_reference/cladding/principles_of_cladding/ [Accessed: 26 Sep 2012].

31 Tatasteelconstruction.com (2012) Materials used in cladding. [online] Available at: http://www.tatasteelconstruction.com/en/reference/teaching_resources/architectural_studio_reference/cladding/metal_cladding/materials_used_in_cladding/ [Accessed: 26 Sep 2012].

34 Red-grey.co.uk (2011) Metal Wall Cladding - reviews and photos.. [online] Available at: http://www.red-grey.co.uk/general/metal-wall-cladding.html [Accessed: 26 Sep 2012].

35 Copper.org (2012) Copper.org: Architectural Details: Wall Cladding - Copper Screen Panels. [online] Available at: http://www.copper.org/applications/architecture/arch_dhb/wall_cladding/screen.html [Accessed: 20 Sept. 2012]

36,37 BROOKES, A. (2008). Cladding of buildings. Abington [England], Taylor & Francis.