A recent MCA study of the service life of unpainted 55%Al-Zn low slope standing seam roofing has had an impact on the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute. The report served as the technical substantiation for Athena to change the useful service life of this type of roofing product to 60 years! Athena’s software allows for whole building LCA assessment, taking into account all materials, systems, assemblies and components used in a given type of building.
The investigation of roof damage from high-wind events has shown that failure often initiates at the corners and/or edges of metal roofing. To address this situation, MCA has embarked on developing a test method standard that could be used to test the pullout strength of variations to edge perimeter details. A task group has developed a draft of the test method, which has been reviewed by several testing laboratories.
The next steps will be to test edge metal at different laboratories to determine if the test method is sound and repeatable among the laboratories. After testing and validation has been completed, the task group will create an industry guide and bring it to market. MCA will then pursue the ANSI standard process to create an industry standard. This is similar to the track that SPRI took for the development of their ANSI/SPRI ES-1 Standard.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory was awarded a grant to conduct a research project on cool walls. This is important for California cities to find ways to reduce building energy usage and to help with the urban heat island effect. California already has a project investigating the impact of cool pavement. This wall project will evaluate the types of wall materials that are now in the marketplace. The performance of those products will be analyzed using outdoor exposure in three climates in California. In addition, the dirt-shedding capability and durability of these wall systems will be evaluated. New technologies for ultra-cool pigmentation are also part of the research, in the field of product development. The project begins in July with the product characterization on exposure racks. The entire project will take 3 years to complete. Several MCA member manufacturers are providing samples of their metal wall systems in this R&D program. MCA is also participating in the project in their seat at the Industry Advisory Committee.
The use of spray polyurethane foam insulation on single skin metal panels is being studied for wall and roof assemblies. A research project to evaluate the detrimental effects on metal was proposed with the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) and with the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA). Issues such as oil canning from the exothermic curing of the foam and related elevated temperatures is one such item to evaluate. Other concerns are centered around potential damage to paint films. As a collaboration among MCA, MBMA and SPFA, preliminary research has already been done to evaluate the exothermic curing on metal. The next phase will include the use of full size wall and roof assemblies with foam sprayed in different ways. Results of the project will be used to generate a “Do’s and Don’ts” guideline for using spray foam insulation with metal wall and roof assemblies.
MCA is conducting research at the University of Florida to evaluate the performance of discontinuous metal panels, such as modular metal panels and snap-together standing seam. From that evaluation we will be investigating how to characterize the air permeability of these types of roof panels in order to develop a new test method to more realistically reflect the wind uplift that these systems can withstand. The main test to be utilized for the work is the UL 1897 in static and dynamic mode. Wind tunnel testing and variations to existing industry test methods will be used. An industry Advisory Panel has been created and a literature search has been summarized. Recently the Experimental Research Plan was shared with the Advisory Panel for their input. Test materials are being collected and shipped to the University of Florida for testing to commence in July. This is a significant research project, and is being conducted over three calendar years.
If you’d like to learn more about becoming a member of MCA, contact member services at 847-375-4718. Or, if you’re ready to become a member, submit an application today.
Download Membership Application > http://bit.ly/1yBBDYA
Non-members are welcome to attend an MCA event, at a special rate, to determine if membership is a good fit. The Summer Meeting is coming up June 2-3, 2015 in Chicago. The event will include council and committee sessions, plus socializing and networking – great opportunities to get more metal into building projects. METALCON will take place October 14-16, 2015 in Tampa, with about 300 companies exhibiting and 8,000 architects, contractors, engineers, and building owners attending. Which event would you like to attend?
List Of Upcoming Events > http://bit.ly/1BNV94z
Membership provides valuable resources at your fingertips, such as the Members-Only Web Portal that includes Exclusive News & Events, Statistical Reports, Research Studies, Webinars, Codes & Standards, Member Directory, Council & Committee Reports, and more. You can even submit your own company’s Case Studies and Gallery Photos to be included on MetalConstruction.org, helping promote your organization and its work to the world.
MCA members represent a broad scope of companies. Download a membership information kit for your industry segment and consider joining us!
• Metal Roof, Wall Panel, Shingles and Coatings Manufacturers >
http://bit.ly/1CPRJDf
• Coil Coater or Metal Producers >
http://bit.ly/1BNV3cW
Budgets are tight. We hear ya. That’s why we’ve reduced the cost of membership to the Metal Construction Association. The new dues structure means companies of all sizes will save on memberships. There’s never been a better time to join or renew. Learn more > http://bit.ly/1DzJIRC
