The 20-gauge metal roof on this airplane hangar had reached its useful life after 70 years. Instead of the time, expense, and waste of building anew, the roof was retrofitted with 92,400 square feet of curved standing seam roofing and a highly effective snow guard solution.
Read the Case Study courtesy of S-5! Metal Roofing >
By: John Ryan, Metal Construction Association
Fortune Magazine recently featured a story about Starbucks’ use of shipping containers in the design of their new drive-through coffee shops. According to Fortune, a good portion of the 900 or so drive-through locations that Starbucks plans to build in the next five years will be made using retrofitted metal shipping containers.
The use and repurposing of metal shipping containers in construction is a growing trend, even though they are not always less expensive than other manufacturing methods. And re-using a metal shipping container that would otherwise be destined for the scrap heap can make a statement about sustainability, especially when used with other “green” building efficiencies.
MCA’s 2012 Chairman’s Award Winner in the Education-Colleges & Universities category is a creative example of how shipping containers can be used in construction. The project, a student center for Monterrey Technical University in Juarez, Mexico, was designed by Ruben Escobar, a graduate of MTU and principle at the architecture firm Grupo ARKHOS.
The student center uses 14 metal shipping containers to make a 7,000 sq. ft. space for students to interact socially. With exposed metal making up 80% of the new building’s structure, Escobar integrated a metal skin composed of Reynobond composite aluminum panels around the building’s entrance. The 4-mm panels from Alcoa Architectural Products proved to be a perfect complement to the shipping containers, and also were chosen for their durability.
Not only is the new building constructed primarily of recycled materials, but it also is designed to keep cooling costs low. An outdoor paint scheme that uses automotive paint mixed with ceramic nanospheres helps repel the desert sun’s rays, and a series of aluminum and glass garage doors open up to provide natural ventilation about 8 months out of the year.
It is estimated that there are more than 17 million shipping containers in the world today. Because the United States imports far more than it exports, there is a surplus of empty shipping containers in this country. Metal shipping container-inspired architecture is just one way to give new life and purpose to these resources.
By: John Ryan, Metal Construction Association
If you’re in Denver this week to attend the 2013 AIA National Convention, be sure to stop by MCA’s booth (#1303) in the Metal Pavilion. Many of MCA’s member companies will also be exhibiting at the show, and will be displaying the many innovative metal roof and wall products and services that they have to offer. Here is a list of MCA member companies that will be at the convention in Denver this week:
| Exhibitor Name | Booth Number |
| 3A Composites USA, Inc. | 1733 |
| Akzo Nobel Coatings, Inc | 1330 |
| Alcoa Architectural Products | 1523 |
| Alpolic-Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America | 3354 |
| Alucoil North America | 519 |
| ATAS International, Inc | 1306 |
| BASF | 338 |
| Bayer Material Science | 3946 |
| CENTRIA | 3303 |
| Copper Development Association | 3930 |
| Englert | 3647 |
| Firestone Building Products | 3966 |
| ITW Buildex | 3958 |
| Kingspan Insulated Panels | 610 |
| MBCI | 716 |
| Metal Construction Association | 1303 |
| Metanna | 1403 |
| Metl-Span | 3038 |
| Metal Sales Manufacturing | 323 |
| Petersen Aluminum Corp | 803 |
| PPG Industries Inc. | 1736 |
| RHEINZINK America Inc. | 2730 |
| Sheffield Metals | 706 |
| Solvay Specialty Polymers | 4042 |
| Steelscape | 419 |
| Umicore Building Products | 2509 |
| Valspar | 3333 |
Attending the Energy Efficient Roofing Conference in Charlotte, NC, next week? Don’t miss Scott Kriner’s presentation on the integrated energy efficient metal roof retrofit system at Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, TX.
“This Department of Defense (DOD) demonstration project is a result of the $1 million Environmental Security Technology Certification Program grant, which was awarded to a team of industry professionals representing metal roofing, retrofitting, solar technologies, insulation, and the Metal Construction Association (MCA),” said Kriner, MCA technical director. Results of the installation are expected later this year.
Kriner will be presenting on Monday, April 8, from 3:50–4:10 pm. At 4:30 pm he will serve as a panelist in a Q&A session.
The United States Department of Defense (DOD) is a leader in energy efficiency for good reason—it is mandated to reduce energy use on its properties by 30% by 2015 and by another 37.5% by 2020. Three years ago, a team of leading metal construction companies and the Metal Construction Association (MCA) were awarded a $1 million grant to develop a retrofit metal roof system for a DOD building with integrated renewable energy technologies. Today, Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, TX, boasts a retrofit metal roofing system that integrates a host of solar energy-saving technologies and the ability to capture rainwater for irrigation purposes. View the case study of the project for more complete information.
The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is monitoring the building’s temperature and heat information. According to Scott Kriner, MCA technical director, both the DOD and the project team “are confident that this integrated retrofit roof system will perform as predicted and allow for the technology to be transferred throughout the DOD, to other federal agencies, and into the commercial-building sector.”
ORNL should be completing a year-long study of the building’s energy data in 2013 to quantify the impact of the metal roof retrofit project. Stay tuned–we will post more information to this site as it becomes available.
By Mark James, RetroSpec, LLC.
If anyone understands long-term life cycles, it’s a cemetery owner. I know one in St. Louis, MO, who owns two large, old mausoleums that stand side by side. One mausoleum has steel and copper roof systems that have remained relatively maintenance- and repair-free—and beautiful—for as long as 80 years. The other mausoleum has a flat-roof addition, built in 1986, which has a conventional roofing system that has been plagued by leaks for decades.
After determining the life-cycle costing and return on investment on the two roofs, it’s not surprising that the owner decided to retrofit the flat-roof addition with a metal roof. He anticipates far fewer worries with a metal roof, given its ability to shed rainwater and its 40- to 60-year service life.
In addition to its longevity and durability, metal retrofit also offers long-term cost-savings in the form of appreciable value of the building, better insurance rates, and energy-efficiency. Adding insulation to a metal retrofit can provide R30 thermal resistance—one reason why you increasingly see them on military and municipal buildings, including schools. Many building owners choose to add renewable solar energy technologies to these roofs, such as photovoltaics or solar hot-water systems, which can reap huge tax benefits.
For designers and architects, metal retrofits add generous curb appeal to buildings. Architectural metal roofs are meant to be seen, and a stunning sloped metal retrofit is seen far and wide—and well into the future.
Mark James is president of RetroSpec, LLC, Dallas, TX. He can be reached at mark@retrospecllc.com.
In a recent presentation at METALCON in Chicago, IL, Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, principal, Barley & Pfeiffer Architects, Austin, TX, discussed some commonsense ideas for building and living green. Pfeiffer, a pioneer in green building who owns “the greenest house in America,” stressed the cost-effectiveness of conserving energy in simple ways, such as adjusting your sprinkler system, placing your electrical panel on an interior (instead of an exterior) wall, and having your roof act as a shading umbrella.
“Don’t underestimate the value of discussing the obvious,” said Pfeiffer. “R-value means little if the house leaks, windows are unshaded, or the roof is a dark color. This is obvious stuff.” He added that sensible green building is “smarter and better” because it results in “reduced consumption of stuff,” such as energy, water, and nonrenewable materials. This type of building also improves health and indoor air quality.
Pfeiffer stressed that producing your own power is expensive. “Shading windows is better than adding [high-maintenance] solar roof panels. Light-colored metal roofs with broad overhangs that shade windows save money and are easier to maintain.”
How do you accomplish green building? Pfeiffer stated, “Keep it simple and rely on smart, thoughtful, climate-sensitive design.” He said that gizmos and complex things break, and are expensive and time-consuming to fix. Instead, make practical changes to your house, such as using Energy Star dishwashers, low-flow showerheads, and less hot water (instead of buying a fancy water heater). Also, don’t use dark roofs in the South.
Pfeiffer is a proponent of cool metal roofing/ASV ventilation. Unlike conventional roofing insulation, ventilation makes the roof last longer because it doesn’t lock in moisture. A Galvalume metal roof with an airspace underneath keeps heat in the house, he said, and a metal roof costs more than shingles, but it provides long-term cost savings on energy and insurance.
Solar radiation is a “big, powerful thing—and it’s uncomfortable. You need overhangs. Retrofitting with window awnings cuts air conditioning loads by a third by reducing radiation.”
Do you need AIA or GBCI credits? Or are you interested in how you can bring new life to old buildings with energy-efficient and sustainable metal roofs and walls?
Please join us on November 6th for a live webinar on “Retrofitting with Metal Roof and Wall Systems”.
Sign up and registration for the webinar is free.
In this one-hour session we will:
• Familiarize you with metal roof and wall systems
• Identify different metal system applications
• Apprise issues retrofit metal can satisfy
• Examine the benefits of retrofitting existing buildings
• Showcase the opportunities to save energy
Visit our Retrofit page for more information and resources about retrofitting with metal walls and roofs. Or visit our Case Study library, and search for “Retrofit” in the Project Type menu to learn more about inspiring retrofit projects.
And stay tuned for more information about monthly webinars.
