CENTRIA, Moon Township, Pa., released a summary report that demonstrates the superior sustainability of its 3-inch Formawall Dimension Series insulated metal wall panel system as compared to Aluminum Composite Material and precast concrete. The report is based on a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment study conducted by Five Winds International in collaboration with PE Americas. For a copy of the summary report, visit www.CENTRIA.com/ReimagineMetal and visit the Education Center’s White Papers section.
The life cycle stages included in the study address raw material extraction, production and transportation of all materials involved in the manufacturing process, manufacturing of wall components, packaging, installation, maintenance and end-of-life treatment. The LCA excludes the building use phase impacts such as heating and cooling; however, all wall assemblies were designed to conform to the minimum prescriptive requirement in accordance with Proposed Addendum bb to ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007 Zone 5. The final report underwent external, independent critical review and fully complies with the ISO 14040/14044 standards.
According to the Life Cycle Assessment, 3-inch FWDS has a better overall environmental profile in most areas than precast concrete or ACM. Precast concrete has a significantly larger potential for global warming, acidification and smog; and ACM has a significantly larger potential for global warming, nonrenewable primary energy demand, acidification and smog potential.
The Formawall Dimension Series wall system provides advanced thermal efficiency and moisture control in a single panelized component. Compared to the traditional multi-component wall construction, which typically requires up to five separate components and multiple installers for each of the components, Formawall Dimension Series only requires one installer, helping to simplifying and ensure proper installation and long-term performance.