Design, Fabrication, and Installation of Engineered Panelized Walls: Two Case Studies (January 2002, 71 p.)
Through intensive "roadmapping" with leaders in
the housing industry, the Partnership for Advancing Technology
in Housing Program (PATH) identified panelized wall construction
as presenting significant opportunities for improving housing
quality, safety, and affordability. While panelized wall construction
is a well-known building technology, it has seen only limited
use and its benefits are largely untapped. In part, this situation
may be a result of technical and procedural barriers to optimum
use of panelized wall systems.
This publication, Design, Fabrication, and Installation
of Engineered Panelized Walls: Two Case Studies, provides
an evaluation of current technology used in the design, fabrication,
and installation of panelized wall systems, including engineered
wood frame walls and an innovative steel frame wall system.
In addition, procedures used for regulatory approval and,
ultimately, the delivery of products and services associated
with panelized wall construction are documented. Where appropriate,
recommendations for improved technology and procedures are
provided.
The two case study projects provided a "real world"
evaluation of existing panelized wall systems used in the
home construction industry. One case study, a custom-home,
was located in an area subject to hurricane-force winds. The
other case study, a production-built home, was located in
an area subject to severe earthquakes. At one site, innovative
engineering technology from previous HUD-sponsored research
was used to demonstrate advanced methods for design, fabrication,
and installation of panelized wall systems. This innovative
approach to building design and construction holds the promise
of greater affordability and safety, particularly for homes
built in the most hazardous areas of the United States.
The companion document titled, Model
Guidelines for Design, Fabrication, and Installation of Engineered
Panelized Walls, implements many of the findings and
recommendations made in this document. In particular, it addresses
key technology and procedural barriers to the effective use
of conventional and innovative panelized wall systems.
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