With increasing concerns over climate change, public sector demand for more sustainable build- ings and growing awareness of social respon- sibility, can prefabrication play a role in a more sustainable future? When it comes to sustainability, an owner will typically address the main components of a project which include the structure, HVAC system, and building envelope, incrementally. In doing so, a project may end up with a cutting-edge HVAC sys - tem that reduces energy consumption but may not integrate well with other building components and, as a result, fail to meet overall sustainability goals. When focusing completely on only one piece of the puzzle, there is often little left in the budget to address a building’s structural components or envelope in a similarly effective way. However, the industry has come a long way and a growing number of projects are taking advantage of advances in prefabrication and holistically op- timizing a building’s core integrated systems to maximize energy efficiency and performance, as well as occupant wellness and comfort. Sustainable Prefabrication in Action With goals to be carbon neutral by 2030, Califor - nia-based security provider, Fortinet, chose pre- Can Prefabrication Play a Role on the Path to Net-Zero? By Jon Mohle
fabrication to help meet sustainability goals for its new headquarters. The company, along with project stakeholders, worked closely with Clark Pacific to develop an early-stage prefabrication strategy that would holistically address the building’s structural, mechanical, and façade systems for the best possible outcomes. Clark Pacific manufactured and delivered the building’s structural and integrated thermally active radiant flooring which will help reduce en - ergy consumption and mechanical costs. As part of the building’s overall solution, the system provides 100 percent fresh air to building occupants and activates the structure’s mass as an energy storage solution. The wall panels were also fabricated at Clark Pacific’s Woodland facil - ity and delivered to the jobsite, shortening the project schedule by four months compared to traditional construction. LEED-Gold certified,
Fortinet’s headquarters uses 30 percent less energy than a standard building. Additionally, the building’s radiant system will save 76,600 gallons of water per year. However, Fortinet isn’t alone in its efforts to create more environ- mentally friendly buildings. Across sectors, construction projects are taking advantage of prefabrication to lower their carbon footprint. The University of California San Francisco’s new 595-unit student housing development, The Tidelands, leveraged prefabrication, becoming the institution’s first residential development to earn LEED Gold certifica - tion. The building envelope using glass-fiber-reinforced concrete was manufactured off site by Clark Pacific. Architect Kieran Timberlake conducted a facade sun exposure analysis to determine the impact of solar heat gain and as a result, billows and horizontal and vertical sunshades were built directly into the panels on sun-facing elevations.
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csengineermag.com
May 2022
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