IMETCO for Healthcare
How does your building perform?
Proper building envelope design and sustainable retrofit solutions can contribute to lower noise levels, increased air quality, energy efficiency and fire protection. All while giving your building a beautiful new look.
If your facility needs a check-up, we can help. Scroll for more.
More than meets the eye.
Through sustainable practices we can offer more than just a beautiful building. Whether you’re building a new facility or have an aging structure that needs some love, chances are we have a solution. First, let’s figure out where we can help you.
Why managing airtightness matters.
A report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was prepared to estimate potential energy savings and cost effectiveness of an air barrier requirement. The study included blended national average heating and cooling energy prices and cost effectiveness calculations matching the standards employed by ASHRAE 90.1.2
“Despite common assumptions that envelope air leakage is not significant in office and other commercial buildings, measurements have shown that these buildings are subject to larger infiltration rates than commonly believed.” The study’s findings show that the application of an air barrier system in various sampled types and sizes of building can reduce air infiltration by 60 percent to 100 percent, representing a significant reduction in energy consumption and operating costs: potential gas savings of greater than 40 percent, and potential electrical savings of greater than 25 percent compared to the baseline case. (2)
WBAT – Whole Building Airtightness Testing – Are you ready?
The adoption of air barrier and whole building airtightness testing (WBAT) requirements is accelerating among state and local jurisdictions. The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2021 will soon start going into effect and its requirements will apply to both new construction and existing buildings. IECC allows ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 to be used to show compliance as an alternate path to meeting these requirements.
Whole building airtightness testing (WBAT) can be performed in a variety of ways, the most common of which is the blower door test. As part of our R2™ Revive & Reclad process, once the recommended IntelliWrap™ air barrier has been applied to your building we can direct you to an experienced testing provider for WBAT. Once testing is completed to industry standards, the rest of your recladding system can be installed which may include continuous insulation, IntelliFrame™ framing and cladding.
Table 1. IECC/ASHRAE Data Compiled by Engineering Staff of the Metal Building Manufacturers Association
Table 2. Status of State Energy Code Adoption Map Summary
Here’s how we can help you.
IMETCO and Garland offer a number of sustainable solutions and service packages that address Air Infiltration & Leakage.
For existing buildings, our network of thermographers can scan your facility to help you to see the amount of heat and air that is escaping your existing building. We can then, based on the results of scans and site visits, provide a detailed findings report to determine the proper steps to retrofit your building. If your building requires an air barrier system installation, we can help with WBAT (Whole Building Airtightness Testing) guidance to ensure your building and installation are up to current codes. We can even help you find a certified installer, if needed.
For new construction, we love to collaborate with designers to help them design a building envelope that is engineered to perform.
Thermal Scans
Thermal scanning is a great way to identify air leakage and problem areas on existing buildings.
AWB Inspection
Jobsite inspections during AWB installation are critical to achieving membrane continuity which is key to airtightness.
Recladding
Bring your existing building up to current airtightness standards while giving it a new look with multiple cladding options.
Air Barrier Systems
Uncontrolled air flow takes a tremendous toll on a building and its occupants. IntelliWrap® vapor-permeable air barrier and water resistive barrier (WRB) membranes promote a wall cavity in which water vapor can be effectively managed, which is particularly important in regions where seasonal humidity and temperatures fluctuate.
Complete Rainscreen Wall Assemblies
IntelliScreen® complete rainscreen wall systems deliver high-performance energy efficiency, sustainability and longevity under a single-source warranty. Each system is customized for project requirements and may include IntelliWrap® AWB, continuous Rockwool® insulation, IntelliFrame® vented framing and a finished metal or terracotta cladding system.
Recladding Services and Solutions
R2® Revive and Reclad is a customized engineering services package for existing buildings in need of exterior renovation. Available with site visits to examine existing conditions, our team will help you to identify the proper recladding solutions that can help you to meet building codes while achieving better energy efficiency, air tightness and aesthetic improvement.
Peace & quiet when it matters most.
Studies show that several issues related to human health and cognitive activities are attributed to noise pollution, such as sleep disturbance, annoyance, cardiovascular diseases, perception and learning. Areas considered sensitive to noise, such as hospitals, create a source of greater concern where noise affects the well-being of patients, slowing their recovery, reducing the productivity of medical professionals and increasing the occurrence of errors. (11)
Noisy environments are stressful environments, and stress worsens healing conditions for patients. Further, stressed staff cannot easily focus on providing safe patient care. (6)
Noise pollution in hospitals – a growing concern.
Several studies on environmental noise measurements in hospitals that have been carried out worldwide have revealed that noise levels exceed those recommended for a healthy environment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), sound levels should not exceed 35 dB in the daytime and 30dB to 40dB at night in hospital environments. The levels measured in indoor hospital environments varied from 37 to 88.6 dB in the daytime and from 38.7 to 68.8 dB at night. (11)
Addressing noise from every angle.
IMETCO and Garland offer a number of acoustical solutions for the building envelope that deliver superior STC ratings for both interior and exterior noise pollution. Addressing noise can help in many ways including:
Optimal Healing
A quiet physical space stimulates and supports the healing capacity of patients, along with their families and healthcare staff. (3)
Patient Experience
Studies show that noisy environments slow healing, increase the perception of pain and are the number one patient complaint in hospital surveys. (4)
Patient Privacy
Ensure HIPAA privacy compliance by reducing noise transmission between rooms.
Acoustical Deck Assemblies
Perform-A-Deck® assemblies include structural acoustic decking, insulation and a finished roof system (flat or metal). This single-source solution addresses exterior noise pollution for roof conditions or noise between floors for multi-use facilities like gymnasiums or pools.
Sound Management Barriers
Waveblok® sound management barriers are designed to significantly reduce interior and exterior noise between floors or walls. This unique sound reduction material is a mass loaded, flexible barrier that is easily installed behind finished walls and beneath flooring.
Acoustical Wall Assemblies
IntelliScreen® complete rainscreen systems include a continuous layer of Rockwool® insulation that delivers excellent sound absorption ratings. In addition to acoustical benefits, IntelliScreen® includes our IntelliWrap® air barrier system which contributes to thermal efficiency and more.
Does your building require continuous insulation?
That all depends on where you’re located. For example, local energy codes require more insulation in colder climates like Alaska as opposed to moderate climates found in the south. To understand your requirements, you must first identify the zone where your building is located.
The U.S. Department of Energy provides a regional map to help you identify your zone and energy codes, so you can design the appropriate building envelope for your conditions.
Table 3. U.S. Department of Energy Regional R-Value Map
Table 4. U.S. Department of Energy Climate Zone R-Value Requirement Chart
Continuous Results from Continuous Insulation
Thermal bridging presents a serious challenge for energy-efficient building construction. Many traditionally built facilities allow heat to escape via conduction through the building envelope. That’s why newer building energy codes, such as IECC and ASHRAE 90.1 promote high-performance wall assemblies, especially those using continuous insulation. As defined by ASHRAE 90.1, continuous insulation is “insulation that is continuous across all structural members without thermal bridges other than fasteners and service openings.”
IMETCO/Garland have incorporated continuous insulation into resilient and energy-efficient solutions that can be customized for existing conditions or new design requirements.
Stone Wool Insulation
IMETCO partners with Rockwool® to provide high-density stone wool insulation for rainscreens on new construction and retrofit applications. This unique product meets R-Value requirements while providing sound absorption, fire prevention and long-lasting sustainability. Did we mention it is a natural product that is completely recyclable?
Complete Rainscreens for New Construction
For new construction, our team will help you design a resilient and sustainable wall assembly including major control layers like air barrier, continuous insulation, framing and cladding.
Recladding Services and Solutions
For buildings that need retrofit with continuous insulation, we can help to ‘build out’ a customized rainscreen system attached to your existing building that will improve energy efficiency and provide you with a fresh new façade.
NFPA 285 Explained – Is your building combustible?
NFPA 285 is a test method, developed by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), designed to determine the flammability characteristics of exterior, non-load-bearing wall assemblies/panels that contain foam plastic insulation. Recent versions of the International Building Code (IBC) contains requirements for NFPA 285 which require that exterior wall assemblies greater than 40 feet in height for Type I, II, III, and IV construction containing a combustible water resistive barriers must pass NFPA 285.
To reduce risk of fire-related deaths and property damage, it is recommended that contractors and architects verify NFPA 285 compliance of each assembly in their projects and when possible design assemblies using non-combustible components.
Building with Non-Combustible Materials
Studies show that building with combustible exterior wall systems like EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finish Systems), metal composite material, high pressure laminates and combustible wall cavity insulation can significantly increase the spread of fires in commercial and residential buildings. (5)
The fire resistance of building materials is a key factor in protecting the occupants of the building and allowing them to escape safely in the event of a fire. Mineral or Stone wool insulation is naturally non-combustible and remains so for the entire lifecycle of the product without the need for harmful chemical additives and fire retardants. (7)
The insulation can resist temperatures in excess of 2,000°F and will not burn or release appreciable amounts of smoke or gases. The fire performance of stone wool allow them to be used for the most stringent types of non-combustible construction required by IBC and NFPA standards. Many assemblies, including IntelliScreen®, use mineral wool to achieve optimal fire performance complying with NFPA 285.
IMETCO/Garland cladding and framing components are also non-combustible.
Table 4: Time Temperature Curve from ‘Standard of Methods of Fire Tests of Building Constructions and Materials” (ASTM E119-19)
Stone Wool Insulation
IMETCO partners with Rockwool® to provide high-density stone wool insulation for rainscreens on new construction and retrofit applications. This unique product meets R-Value requirements while providing sound absorption, fire prevention and long-lasting sustainability. Did we mention it is a natural product that is completely recyclable?
Complete Rainscreens for New Construction
For new construction, our team will help you design a resilient and sustainable wall assembly including major control layers like air barrier, continuous insulation, framing and cladding.
Recladding Services and Solutions
For buildings that need retrofit with continuous insulation, we can help to ‘build out’ a customized rainscreen system attached to your existing building that will improve energy efficiency and provide you with a fresh new façade.
Your building can look better, too.
In lieu of rebuilding, many healthcare facilities are choosing to retrofit their facilities with rainscreen systems that can enhance building envelope performance while welcoming patients, visitors and staff with a fresh modern aesthetic.
Renovation – A sustainable alternative to rebuilding
Instead of demolishing and rebuilding old buildings, which will cause a great waste of resources, building renovation refers to the process of refurbishing or replacing existing parts of a building to improve its performance. When working with IMETCO/Garland through our R2® Revive and Reclad program, the building is upgraded to meet current sustainable standards with performance as the prominent focus.
“The renovation of old buildings provides an important approach to energy saving and emission reduction with low economic costs. The current important issue remains how to determine the optimal cost-effective technical path for a specific project, although there are a large number of retrofit technologies to choose from.” (12)
Our team will review existing conditions to help decision makers determine the best route to improve performance and extend the life of the building envelope. During this process, we can provide project renderings to give a ‘preview’ of what the building will look like with new cladding and color options.
R2: Revive & Reclad
Project Renderings
Cladding Options (hover for more)
- Desjarlais, A., Shrestha, S., Bhandari, M. and Dalgleish, L. (2019), Estimating the Energy, Economic, and Durability Benefits of Installing an Air Barrier System in Commercial Buildings, U.S. Department of Energy and the Air Barrier Association of America. [online], https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1566992
- Emmerich, S., McDowell, T. and Anis, W. (2005), Investigation of the Impact of Commercial Building Envelope Airtightness on HVAC Energy Use, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=860985
- Jonas, W. (2020), How Hospitals Can Help Patients Heal by Reducing Noise, Psychology Today
- Mazer, S. (2012), Creating a Culture of Safety: Reducing Hospital Noise, Biomedical Instrument and Technology
- White, N. and Delichatsios, M., (2014), Fire Hazards of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components, The Fire Protection Research Foundation, Quincy, MA, [online], https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/Building-and-life-safety/RFFireHazardsofExteriorWallAssembliesContainingCombustibleComponents.ashx
- WHO World Health Organization, (1999) Guidelines for Community Noise
- Fire Protection Handbook, 20th ed., Arthur Cote, Ed. (Quincy, MA: National Fire Protection Association, 2008) pp. 4-208.
- Independent testing conducted per ASTM E119 (Standard Methods of Fire Test of Building Construction and Materials), United States Gypsum Research Facility, March 29, 1974. See also www.builtgreen.org/checklist/guide.aspx?ChecklistID=150.
- https://insulationinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Fiberglass-Rock-and-Slag-Materials-for-a-Sustainable-Planet.pdf
- North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, (2020), How Mineral Wool Continuous Insulation Can Benefit Your Building
- Andrade, E., Collins, D., Augusta, E., Oliveira, R., Zannin, P. and Martins, A. (2021), Environmental Noise in Hospitals: A Systematic Review, National Library of Medicine [online], https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7935697/
- Haolan, L., Rong, R. and Lu L. (2019), Existing Building Renovation: A Review of Barriers to Economic and Environmental Benefits, National Library of Medicine. [online], https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10001863/
Healthcare Project Gallery
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Kosair Children's Hospital -
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NKU Health Innovations Center -
UPMC Outpatient Center -
Georgia Southern University -
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Patterson Health Center -
Center at Belvedere -
Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete Social Change Center -
Linden Recreation + Wellness Center -
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Lexington Clinic -
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Hunt Regional Medical Center -
Carolina Donor Services HQ -
