TABLE OF CONTENTS Gone are the days when metal buildings were uniformly clad in corrugated galvanized panels. Were Rip van Winkle to go to his nap in the 1940s and awake today, he might have trouble recognizing those buildings. Now, the choices of exterior wall materials for metal building systems are as numerous as for conventional construction; it is difficult to tell which structure is hidden behind a sleek contemporary facade.
This chapter s discussion is focused on common wall materials for metal building systems: metal panels, masonry walls, concrete, and some modern lightweight finishes. A few possible combinations of these materials to serve various functional or aesthetic needs are explored. Ours is not an exhaustive study of all the available choices; we can only afford a briefest of discussions, omitting such familiar materials as glass, wood, and stone.
First mass-produced pre-engineered buildings were clad in unpainted galvanized steel panels. Color was introduced in the late 1950s; paint was applied by spraying and baking on, as in refrigerators and car fenders. In contrast, modern metal panels are formed from factory-coated coils and come in many durable finishes.
Wall panels of metal buildings are normally supported on cold-formed C or Z girts. Most panels are made of 24-, 26-, or 28-gage galvanized steel with additional coatings discussed in Chap. 6. Metal roof and wall panels are similar in many ways, and some products can be used for both applications. Wall panels are typically shorter than their roof brethren and thus...
