Prefabricated Exterior Wall Assemblies: Herding Cats in Hard Hats

Prefabrication of exterior wall assemblies has been explored since the 1920s and 1930s, so the concept of their use is nothing new to the built environment. Today, the construction industry’s focus is ensuring continuity of air, water, and thermal barriers—regardless of whether wall assemblies are built in the field or in a shop. Prefabricated exterior wall systems are designed to meet these requirements. This presentation will introduce perspectives from both a General Contractor involved in delegated design and a building enclosure consultant who reviews design, fabrication, and installation. Case studies will highlight code and industry inspection requirements, review processes, and lessons learned in coordinating prefabricated assemblies with other trades. Presenters will include Colton Howard with Terracon supporting Kayla Maines, and we plan to bring in a prefabrication manufacturer to share their viewpoint.

Learning Objectives:

1.  Describe the history and different types of prefabricated exterior wall panels.
2.  Contracting and coordinating the delegated design process with the applicable trade partners. Turn-Key, Means & Methods, and who owns the details?
3.  Review applicable codes and standards and methods for testing and inspecting these assemblies.
4. Demonstrate the process of designing and construction of the prefabricated exterior wall assembly and how it incorporates the air, thermal and water barriers within it.

Register Now

Kayla Maines, AIA, Senior Architect, Terracon Consultants, Inc,

Kayla Maines joined Austin Terracon-Facilities in May of 2018. She is a Registered Architect in the state of Texas and Oklahoma, Legacy LEED AP, and Building Enclosure Commissioning Provider (BECxP) and a Commissioning Authority +Building Enclosure (CxA+BE) She has 17 years of experience that includes managing projects from Schematic Design through Construction Administration, multidiscipline coordination, peer reviews, design assistance, building assessments, reviews submittals and shop drawings, performs field observations and building enclosure testing, historic preservation, and building enclosure commissioning. Kayla was the 2020 Chair of the Austin Building Enclosure Council (BEC: Austin) and currently serves as a board member for BEC: Austin. She also serves as the Secretary of the Austin Construction Specification Institute (CSI). Mrs. Maines is a Terracon Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) and an Authorized Project Review (APR).

Trevor Brown, Regional Quality Director, JE Dunn

Trevor has been with JE Dunn Construction for 18 years and has dedicated 25 years to the Construction Quality profession. As an experienced Quality Director, he has a proven track record in the construction industry, showcasing his expertise in Building Envelope Design, Constructability Reviews, Mock-ups, Construction Processes, Pre-construction Activities, Team Leadership, Teaching/Training, and Contract Management. Trevor is a highly skilled quality assurance professional, holding Special Inspector Certifications focused on the International Building Code and other industry certifications specializing in building envelope systems, testing, and performance. He is a respected member of the building enclosure community. Acting as technical resource for building envelope design, construction, and code compliance.

Colton Howard, CEI, Senior Facilities Professional, Terracon Consultants, Inc.

Colton is a Senior Facilities professional in Terracon’s Austin, Texas office. He performs investigative testing and surveys of roofing and waterproofing components to identify deterioration and probable sources of water infiltration, generates reports of observations and findings with recommendations and cost estimates, and design repairs and renovations for building envelopes. Colton also oversees the different ASTM and AAMA standard tests or specialized testing. Colton also performs peer reviews of drawings and specifications and provides bid phase project management and construction phase project management services.

Colton has managed and overseen all phases of new and existing construction projects; commercial, remedial, residential structures, schools, historic rehabilitation, observation, reporting, and forensic investigation and installation of roof and exterior waterproofing and wall systems. He has also performed design surveys, peer reviews, bidding and award, construction administration, observation and reporting, and close-out documents in accordance with the RCI Manual of Practice. Colton also consults with architects and engineers recommending materials, applications, and design support, and trains new personnel.