The San Diego International Airport project included 850 precast concrete panels and 300 infill wall panels. Photo: Clark Pacific.
TECHNOLOGY
NEXT-GENERATION PRECAST CONCRETE INSULATED WALL PANELS COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOCUS ON LIGHTWEIGHT, ENERGY-EFFICIENT BUILDING ENVELOPE YIELDS PROMISING RESULTS
BY MONICA SCHULTES It is common knowledge that buildings have traditionally been energy hogs. Globally, buildings and construction are responsible for 60% of electricity use, 12% of water use, and 40% of material resource use. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) believes next-generation building envelopes have considerable potential to reduce energy consumption in buildings. However, to make any serious progress toward that goal, any technologies must be market-ready with minimal cost impact to facilitate widespread adoption.