Project Highlight: Pinnacle Cardiovascular Associates Medical Facility in Opelika, AL
Original article from: MaxLife Industries
"The next project that I utilize ArmorWall on will completely eliminate the requirement for fiberglass batt insulation in the exterior wall. That will save a ton of labor and cost."
- Mr. J. Douglas McCurry, AIA, Partner at TRO Jung I Brannen
Summary: Pinnacle Cardiovascular Associates broke ground on a new facility in the East Alabama Medical Center on September 6, 2019, to offer physicians more space and technology. The new 37,700 square foot, two-story facility needed to be built quickly – in just eight months – leaving Architect J. Douglas McCurry looking for solutions. Mr. McCurry reached out to MaxLife for assistance in designing a building envelope system that would meet code requirements and eliminate the traditional grid (z-girt) system.
Building Type: Modern Medical Facility, new construction
Need: Very fast installation of commercial exterior sheathing with maximum durability and the least possible life cycle cost and maintenance.
Solution: Roughly 20,000 square feet of ArmorWall Symmetrical Panel (SP) Structural Insulated SheathingTM with an additional vapor-permeable water-resistant barrier coating found in ArmorWall Vapor Permeable (VP) was installed in just over two weeks.
Architect: TRO JungIBrannen
General Contractor: Bailey-Harris Construction
Story:
Pinnacle Cardiovascular Associates broke ground on a new facility in the East Alabama Medical Center on September 6, 2019, to offer physicians more space and technology to realize healthy outcomes for patients with cardiovascular needs. The new 37,700 square foot, two-story facility will have 24 exam rooms as well as a variety of imaging services including ultrasound, echo tests, nuclear medicine, EKG tests and Holter monitors. Nine cardiologists, one electrophysiologist, one cardiac surgeon, four nurse practitioners and a variety of radiology and other support staff members will be housed in the new facility.
The building is clad with prefinished fiber cement siding and slate shingle cladding that is mechanically attached to ArmorWall Symmetrical Panel (SP) Structural Insulated SheathingTM with an additional vapor-permeable water-resistant barrier coating found in ArmorWall Vapor Permeable (VP). This system simplified the components needed to meet continuous insulation requirements while also expediting the sheathing and cladding installation process. The cladding did not need to be attached to the studs as with traditional materials. Instead, the cladding fastens to the ArmorWall sheathing directly with traditional screws and fastening tools. Combined, this system reduces exterior maintenance and building costs while matching the visual aesthetics of other buildings in the campus.
Architect J. Douglas McCurry, AIA, Partner with TRO | Jung Brannen, chose ArmorWall sheathing for a very specific reason: the modern medical facility needed to be built and occupied in just eight months and some very specific requirements needed to be met. That tight design to install schedule didn’t leave a lot of room to meet the client’s needs of maximum durability and the least possible life cycle cost and maintenance. Knowing he would need to help General Contractor Bailey Harris Construction save time during installation, Mr. McCurry reached out to MaxLife for help designing components for the building envelope system:
“ArmorWall was selected for the exterior sheathing to eliminate the need for the energy code required cavity wall insulation for commercial buildings. A custom SIS (Structural Insulated Panel) was designed for the project which consisted of a ½” magnesium oxide exterior layer with a 2” polyurethane foam core with an additional ½” magnesium interior facer to protect the foam from fire exposure. The panel was factory dampproofed and eliminates the requirement for field applied dampproofing, saving substantial time and cost. As soon as ArmorWall was installed and the joints sealed, the exterior rainscreen was ready to be installed.”
“We were able to work directly with CUPACLAD to simplify the installation grid system and eliminate the z-girts normally provide since we had designed the exterior wall system to eliminate the cavity wall insulation required by the International Energy Code. This was achieved by using ArmorWall.”
The facility is expected to begin serving patients in late summer of 2020.
