ICA Making
International Inroads With Insulation and Lighting Products
Dan Carlson, Metal Architecture, June 1998
In 1997 Insulation Corporation of America (ICA) was
fortunate enough to travel overseas and south of the border. Our first trip took us to
Shanghai, China for 8 days. There we supervised and trained Chinese work crews to install
17 thousand square feet of the Energy Miser® Insulated Ceiling System and 32 of
ICA's Caindle® Indirect Lighting Fixtures. This project was two tennis courts
located on the 4th floor of a space frame building with a curved roof. The building is an
exclusive condo perched between two high-rise buildings in busy downtown Shanghai. The
tennis courts are for the use of residents living in the condo and those working in
adjoining buildings.
Although greeted by a translator, overcoming the language
barrier was the first obstacle ICA had to confront upon our arrival. Terminology for the
same item was drastically different. Unfamiliar building codes and obscure construction
methods were also waiting for us at the job site.
Upon arrival at the job site ICA inspected all materials to
assure they had arrived undamaged. Our next hurdle was communicating to the work force the
Energy Miser® installation process. The structural members of the roof were
constructed of four different sized tubular stocks. This type of structure is not the norm
for typical installation. Since the Energy Miser® Insulation System is designed
for easy installation and adaptation to many building types, training the crews on this
type of structure went quickly despite the language barriers.
The Chinese building methods also came into play when it
was time for ICA to install the Caindle® light fixtures, ballast's and wiring. On
a typical building the ballast's are attached to the wall. The walls in this building were
not designed to have anything attached to them. The use and availability of conduit was
virtually non-existent, as was the variety of accessories you find in the States. ICA's
background in the construction field enabled us to quickly resolve these impediments and
continue with the project.
When it was time for ICA to leave the crew had mastered the
installation of the Energy Miser® Insulation System and was rapidly moving toward
completion of the project. We are looking forward to another trip to China, but with a
well trained crew already in place there should be no need for it. ICA's next trip
took us to San Pedro Sula, Honduras where we inspected the installation of 163 thousand
square feet of the Energy Miser® Insulated Ceiling System. The several buildings
in which the system has been installed house garment manufacturing plants. Due to the
tropical climate of the region it is necessary to air condition these facilities. This is
needed to provide the manufacturing personnel with comfortable working conditions,
resulting in higher productivity and quality products. The owners of the properties chose
the Energy Miser® system for its thermal performance, aesthetically pleasing
appearance and compatibility to the structure.
The roof systems in these buildings are constructed of
metal panel arches without any intermediate support. The absence of this support lead them
to find an insulation method that would adapt to the roof without altering the structural
integrity. The Energy Miser® system was the only answer to their dilemma. The
hardware was attached to the existing bolts fastening the panel sections together. Thus
enabling them to conform with the buildings design and create a pleasant working
environment.
The Energy Miser® system was used not only as the
finished ceiling in the main working areas of the plants and was also installed in the
lunch room and office areas above the suspended ceiling. The system also allowed for
multiple other items to be installed without harming the vapor barrier. This included such
things as threaded rod for supporting gas and water pipes and chains for hanging the light
fixtures. |
