Total Precast construction provided fast onsite installation, plant-controlled conditions for optimal execution, and helped eliminate the need for other trades on site. Overall, Total Precast reduced the entire project construction schedule and provided cost savings to the YWCA Hamilton. “Coreslab has an insulated panel,” says Rick Sealey, KMAI’s on-site project manager, “so we worked with them to double their R-value. We used a European phenolic resin that hadn’t been used in Canada before, sandwiched between two slabs of concrete.” Erecting 243 precast panels was a meticulous job that required the taping of every panel in place, like taping drywall. “We needed to tape the panels,” says Sealey, “to achieve the air-tight requirement of Passive House. This also happened with the massive three-pane windows which were 600 to 800 pounds, even a 1000 pounds each. They had to be moved in place with a robot sometimes to meet the tight tolerances.” KMAI sourced a highly resilient sealing tape from Siga Swiss Canada for application at the Putman Family YWCA. Unlike conventional sealants, which are made from plastics, the company’s products are made from an acrylic polymer, a water-based material. Plastics used in building materials give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are associated not only with poor air quality but degradation. “With conventional tapes,” Byrne adds, “the sticky backing eventually breaks down and loses its grip, allowing heat to escape. Siga’s polymers, by contrast, are guaranteed to THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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