
What are the dimensions of a panel?
An insulated panel
is 8" thick. A cross section demonstrates that there is a 4"
layer of reinforced concrete, then 2" of rigid closed celled
insulation, and finally 2" of lightly reinforced concrete.
There are no set linear or vertical dimensions on our panels as
all panels are customized. The maximum length for our panels is
30 and the maximum height is 13. Any dimension within
this rectangle is easily done.
For the most efficient (ie., most cost effective) dimensions, please
see the Specifications
page.
Is this
like tilt-up or poured in place?
Our walls are
prefabricated at one of our plants, and then trucked to the jobsite
and installed by one of our experienced crews. "Tilt-up"
and poured in place are cast on the jobsite with ready-mix. Because
our walls are manufactured offsite and under strict quality control
guidelines, we are able to:
1) be more accommodating to the builder, developer and homeowners
schedule
2) apply more detailed finishes
3) use higher strength concrete mixes with additives like Self Compacting
Concrete
4) We can have your building up within a matter of days with little
on-site debris
5) Usually the design guidelines, both from structural and aesthetic
point of view, are far more flexible using precast
How is this
different from concrete block?
Concrete Block,
or CMU, are individual blocks that are laid on site. Our walls are
prefabricated and brought to the site on trucks. They are erected
with cranes, and a typical house can be installed in just one or
two days. Our walls are stronger, more energy efficient, and far
more resistant to mold, rot, and termites.
What types
of exterior finishes are available?
There are a
variety of finishes that can be easily applied to our wall. If stucco
is the finish you want, we can offer many textures. A variety of
brick and stone finishes are also available, and our panels can
also accommodate a variety of cladding or siding.
For more information on products that work well with our panels,
click
here.
What is the
interior finish?
Because we use
the add mixture Self Compacting Concrete (SCC), our panels are smooth
to the touch with minimal "bug holes" or dimples. It is
so smooth that with a light coat of drywall mud you can paint right
on top of it for a beautiful plaster-like finish!
How do you
hang a picture?
Very easilya
simple drill with a masonry bit will do the trick. There are a variety
of different anchor screws that can hold a variety of weights. Patching
is easyjust dab some drywall "mud" into the hole
and lightly sand over until the finish is smooth. For smaller pictures,
adhesive hooks are recommended.
One of the benefits of our walls is that you will no longer have
to find a stud to nail into for heavy objects such as mirrors, large
framed pictures, shelves, or even cabinets.
How do you
treat the joints?
A precast building
will have horizontal and vertical joints where the panels come together.
We typically treat these joints with a backer rod and caulk on either
side. The exterior horizontal joints would lay in-between floors,
and the vertical joints are usually located on a corner. The exterior
joints can also be grouted over with a small expansion joint applied
in order to make them less noticeable. The interior joints are covered
by a base board in the case of the horizontal joints or a partition
wall on the vertical joints. In cases where a vertical joint is
exposed on the interior, it can easily be covered with a tape-less
joint compound.
For more information see Specifications
page.
How do you
treat MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing)?
Electrical and
cable raceways can be easily cast into our panels, complete with
standard boxes for outlets or switches. The chases are run vertically
and swept out through a dropped ceiling or a soffit. Typically electrical
panels are located in soft frame partition walls. Electrical and
cable lines can also easily be incorporated into to baseboards.
For more information see our Engineering
Details Tab.
While plumbing lines can easily pass through our panels, we do
not run plumbing lines inside them. Plumbing is usually left to
a partition wall or our walls can be furred out to accommodate.
HVAC lines and chases typically run through partition walls, the
attic, or the crawl space/basement. Chases and lines can be designed
into the wall and floor panel layout.
What is
your service range?
We have production
facilities in Savannah, GA, and Tampa, FL. From these two plants
we can service jobs located throughout the Carolinas, Georgia, and
Florida (there is roughly a 300-mile freight radius around each
plant). We may be able to accommodate larger jobs outside of our
range, but only by a few hundred miles.
What is
Hollowcore?
Hollowcore is
the common term for prestressed concrete floor and roof planks.
Hollowcore floors work extremely well with our wall panels, and
a design using both allows for incredible design flexibility, speed
of construction, and overall strength and quality. Designing with
hollowcore in conjunction with our walls allows us to deliver a
total structural frame complete with finished exterior walls. Hollowcore
comes in planks that are 4 wide, 6" to 12" inches
thick, and can span up to 40.
How is trim
applied?
There are a
variety of different details for both interior (baseboard, molding,
window surrounds) and exterior (window surrounds, banding, cornices,
etc.) details. We can cast in nailers to accommodate trim, or nailers
can be applied once the panels are erected. For more information,
see the Engineering
Details Tab.
How are
windows installed?
We can create
openings in our panels specific to your window manufacturers request.
Several window types can be anchored directly into our panels, or
we can cast in nailers to receive them. For more information, see
the Engineering
Details Tab.
How fast
can you erect these panels?
Depending on
design, we can usually erect an average of 2,000 to 4,000 SF of
building per day.
How long
does it take to get panels?
Depending on
our backlog, we can usually deliver the building with 90 to 100
days of signing a contract. This allows you time to get your permit,
do the site prep, and install your foundation.
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