July 2012: Products at Work

Panel wall system upgrades thermal efficiency at Birmingham Airport

Undergoing a $201.6 million terminal modernization project, the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama’s largest city has improved its building envelope with the ACCEL-E steel thermal-efficient panel wall system. Manufactured by Pittsburgh-based Syntheon, the wall panels are a lightweight, high-performance solution that shortens construction time and improves energy efficiency by combining the performance of cold-formed steel framing with the insulation properties of expandable polystyrene. The ACCEL-E installation accounts for 106,000 sf of wall space for a new concourse at the airport.

Syntheon

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Folding windows welcome outdoor patrons to new café in Gaithersburg

Café Deluxe is the latest addition to the Rio Entertainment Center shopping complex in Gaithersburg, Md. Designed by GTM Architects, Bethesda, Md., and owned by Clover Investment Group, the newest location features folding windows manufactured by Kolbe, connecting a lakefront patio to the restaurant’s bar. The five-panel window opening spans more than 15 feet in width. The double-pane insulating glass aids energy efficiency during the winter months. The folding windows were crafted from Douglas fir and installed by Building Resources of Rockville, Md.

Kolbe & Kolbe Millwork Co. Inc.

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Rubber flooring has physics students at Texas A&M ‘walking on air’

At the George P. Mitchell ’40 Physics Building on the Texas A&M University campus, in Corpus Christi, rubber flooring solutions from nora systems allow maintenance staff to quickly access the space under the floors when necessary. Designed specifically for raised-access flooring, norament ingresso uses four tabs to adhere the flooring tile to the raised-access panel, making it easy to remove the floor tile and reinstall it while providing convenient access to the panels underneath. The flooring also delivers sound absorption, durability, and low-maintenance features throughout the building, which experiences heavy foot traffic.

nora sytems Inc.

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Wire mesh enlisted for student commons at Maryland’s Towson University

Baltimore-based BWWO Architects, designer of the new West Village Commons, near Towson University, the second-largest university in Maryland, selected 3DZ-151 woven wire mesh from Milwaukee-based manufacturer Banker Wire for the building’s staircase and second-floor atrium safety railings. The open-weave mesh is near opaque when viewed straight on, but becomes translucent when viewed at an angle. This feature provides students sitting on the atrium level with some privacy while also allowing light to easily pass through.