Commercial Wall Systems If a building looks better under construction than it does when finished, then it's a failure. -Doug Coupland

Commercial Wall Systems Load Bearing Walls Low Rise Cast-in-Place Concrete Tilt-up Concrete Concrete Masonry Units Non-Load Bearing Walls Curtain Walls

Comercial Wall Systems Load Bearing Wall Supports vertical loads other than its own weight Often supports floors or roof above Non-Load Bearing Supports only it own weight Typically used as Partition walls to separate interior spaces Protection from the elements

Load Bearing Walls Common Construction Materials Low-rise commercial construction (three stories or less) may be similar to residential construction Wood Precast Concrete Light Gauge Steel

Load Bearing Walls Other common commercial wall materials Cast-in-Place concrete Tilt-up Concrete Concrete Masonry Units (CMU)

Concrete Courtesy of TCA

Concrete Advantages Strength (especially in compression) Durable Pictures courtesy construction photography Advantages Strength (especially in compression) Durable Fire Resistant Pest Resistant Rot/Rust Resistant Low Maintenance Energy Efficient – Thermal mass stores heat energy Concrete is mixed at a plant . . . . . . and transported to the site of the pour.

Green Concrete? LEED credits earned for Using materials extracted, harvested, or recovered within a 500 mile radius from the site Using recycled aggregate Improved energy efficiency by taking advantage of thermal mass of concrete Reduced VOCs using concrete compared to other construction materials Generating less construction waste than wood or steel www.usgbc.org

Cast-in-Place Concrete Concrete walls are formed, reinforced, and poured in place. Concrete is reinforced with steel bars to improve tensile and bending strength. ©iStockphoto.com ©iStockphoto.com

Cast-in-Place Concrete Typical Construction WEEP HOLE Image Courtesy masonrysystems.org

Cast-in-Place Concrete Wall with Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) Concrete forms consist of insulating foam that stays in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly. Courtesy TexAZ Commercial Properties

CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE EXAMPLES 155 N Wacker Chicago The Dubai Tower is scheduled to open by the end of 2009 and will be the world’s tallest skyscraper at 2600 feet tall. Courtesy Portland Cement Association Courtesy Portland Cement Association Burj Dubai United Arab Emirates

Tilt-up Concrete Concrete wall sections (with reinforcing) are poured horizontally on site, tilted vertically, and the anchored. Courtesy TCA Courtesy Greg Thiel Courtesy TCA

Tilt-up Concrete Can be formed into a variety of shapes and sizes Different surface treatments and form inserts can be used to create a wide variety of surface textures Relatively quick design and construction time Courtesy Tilt-up Concrete Association Courtesy Tilt-up Concrete Association Courtesy Tilt-up Concrete Association Courtesy Greg Thiel Thin bricks are set in the form before the concrete is cast Form inserts give relief to the panels

Typical Tilt-up Concrete Wall Section

TILT-UP CONSTRUCTION EXAMPLES Austin Research Center for the Homeless, Austin, TX Bright House Networks, St. Petersburg, FL TILT-UP CONSTRUCTION EXAMPLES Boca Village Corporate Center Boca Raton, FL San Diego Children’s Museum, San Diego, California All images courtesy Tilt-Up Concrete Association

Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) Concrete is cast into hollow blocks that can be stacked and grouted to form walls. CMU load bearing walls are reinforced with steel bars to improve tensile and bending strength. Courtesy Masonry Systems.org photo courtesy of constructionphotographs.com ©iStockphoto.com

MASONRY WALL EXAMPLES Isle of Palms Recreation Center, SC Courtesy Isle of Palms Recreation Center Isle of Palms Recreation Center, SC Courtesy Tilt-up Concrete Association Tilt-up and CMU construction RS+K Advertising Madison, WI Courtesy Constructionphotographs.com Commercial building under construction

Non-Load Bearing Wall Supports only its own weight Typically used as Partition walls to separate interior spaces Protection from the elements Materials Wood framing Light gauge steel framing Concrete masonry units Curtain walls photo courtesy of constructionphotographs.com Courtesy Connie Bertucci Notice in the photographs that the walls do not support other structural components. In the first photograph, the ceiling framework is suspended from the roof above (look closely for the wires) In the second photograph [click], the exterior beams carry the structure loads – the walls simply fill in and will provide protection from the elements. In the third photograph [click], the wood framed walls were constructed to the underside of the trusses. The trusses carry the load from the roof above to the exterior load bearing walls. Courtesy TexAZ Commercial Properties

Curtain Walls Courtesy Lawrence C. Novak, Portland Cement Association Non-load bearing wall attached to the exterior of a building Often composed of glass and metal Provides visual appeal, daylight, and protection from the elements Courtesy Tilt-up Concrete Association Trump Tower Wikipedia.com Courtesy Tilt-up Concrete Association

Commercial Wall Systems Load Bearing Walls Low Rise Green Concrete? Cast-in-Place Concrete Tilt-up Concrete Concrete Masonry Units Non-Load Bearing Walls Curtain Walls

Image Sources Wikipedia.org Tilt-up Concrete Association TexAZ Commercial Properties, LLC Constructionphotographs.com Isle of Palms Recreation Center, Isle of Palms, SC Masonrysystems.org Connie Bertucci, Victor Senior High School, Victor, NY iStockphoto.com