Shedding Light on a Challenging Glass Curtain Wall System
Kraus-Anderson’s Collaborative Design-Assist Process Overcomes Budget, Schedule, Weather and Quality Challenges in Watford City, North Dakota
Sunlight may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about North Dakota. But a visit to the new Watford City High School and neighboring Watford City Event Center might change that perception.
During construction, the three-story, 160,000-square-foot high school and 269,000-square-foot event center featured glass curtain wall systems designed to maximize daylighting and support strong learning and recreation environments.
That distinctive design element also presented unusual delivery challenges in the harsh conditions of the northern plains, where 50 mph wind gusts, temperatures from 30 below zero to more than 100 degrees and driving rain and snow are not uncommon.
Balancing design intent with quality, budget and schedule goals required a multidisciplinary design-assist approach. Members of the project team recapped the effort below.
How Did the Design-Assist Process Begin?
BRAD HARVEY, PROJECT MANAGER, KRAUS-ANDERSON: During schematic design, Kraus-Anderson evaluated several exterior options, including storefront and curtain wall systems.
When the team determined that a complete curtain wall system was the best design option, Mike Spence, vice president of quality, collaborated with JLG Architects to develop a performance specification.
Four curtain wall contractor proposals were reviewed and presented to the city and school boards for approval. Ford Metro Glass was selected and brought in Wheaton Sprague, a curtain wall design firm, as a consultant.
This early collaboration reflects the value of preconstruction services and pre-design planning for complex building-envelope decisions.
What Challenges Did the Curtain Wall System Present?
JOHN WHEATON, PRESIDENT, WHEATON SPRAGUE BUILDING ENVELOPES: The specifications called for a design-assist effort for structural work because of the unique span heights, module widths, building structure conditions and required integration. The project also needed interactive thermal analysis for the event center, high school and pool area.
JERRY RICHARDSON, LEAD ARCHITECT, JLG ARCHITECTS: The greatest concern for the high school project was the aggressive construction schedule required to deliver the building to the school district in January 2016. The timing of contract award, shop drawing review and coordination of curtain wall installation within the overall construction schedule were critical to meeting the completion and building-turnover deadline.
The building envelope needed to perform under challenging weather conditions while supporting daylighting, energy performance and occupant comfort. Learn more about building science and challenging glass curtain wall systems.
How Did the Design-Assist Process Work?
HARVEY: Kraus-Anderson coordinated weekly online design meetings to review thermal imaging models, determine condensation points, establish required mullion depths from a structural standpoint and identify other potential performance issues.
How Did the Curtain Wall Handle North Dakota Wind and Weather?
WHEATON: It handled weather through appropriate strength and reinforcing, along with proper sealing within the Wausau SuperWall system.
RICHARDSON: At the northeast and west locations, the foundation wall and main-frame structural steel had to be designed to account for higher load capacities than typical because of the cantilevered curtain wall condition.
This required coordination among the architect, building structural engineer, curtain wall contractor, curtain wall structural engineer and Kraus-Anderson team to confirm that the additional loading and detailed connections were adequate for the conditions.
How Did the Project Team Develop the Design Solution?
WHEATON: The team used effective, planned and documented design-assist meetings with all interested parties at the table. The work relied on respectful dialogue, clear follow-up activity and assigned tasks.
RICHARDSON: The Kraus-Anderson construction team’s coordination and quality process was critical in bringing all team members together to review and understand key curtain wall details for the Watford City High School and Watford City Event Center projects.
Every design partner brought experience and a professional perspective to the meetings. This helped maintain design intent while addressing performance and constructability issues.
The collaborative approach is especially valuable for complex enclosure systems, where early coordination can address issues before fabrication and installation. Explore curtain walls from the contractor’s perspective and Building Information Modeling and Virtual Design and Construction.
How Did the Curtain Wall Solution Support the Schedule and Budget?
WHEATON: The approach allowed the team to develop real solutions in real time with all parties together. It cut months from the schedule, or helped keep a tight schedule on track. It also allowed budget decisions to be made during meetings.
HARVEY: By hiring Ford Metro Glass early, the team was able to complete shop drawings and share structural and precast concrete wall-panel shop drawings to support coordination.
As a result, the curtain wall was fabricated from Ford Metro Glass shop drawings and arrived on-site as a preassembled unitized system with glass already installed. The panels were hoisted into position section by section.
This saved field time and advanced the finish schedule, a benefit for both projects.
RICHARDSON: Kraus-Anderson addressed potential cost savings early by bidding curtain wall systems for both the high school and event center together. This created substantial cost savings for both projects.
Bidding the projects together also meant the curtain wall area met the threshold for a unitized curtain wall assembly rather than a traditional site-built stick system. The team achieved advantages in schedule management, factory-controlled assembly and quality assurance.
Kraus-Anderson’s leadership, experience and knowledge supported installation of a high-performance curtain wall system designed to serve the community for years to come.
How Did the Event Center Curtain Wall Differ From the High School System?
RICHARDSON: One key difference was the curtain wall system at the north and east walls of the swimming pool at the event center.
Pool environments present significant curtain wall design challenges because interior conditions can include summer-like temperatures and high humidity while outdoor winter temperatures can fall well below zero.
Wheaton Sprague provided design assistance to study the thermal performance of the swimming pool curtain wall system. Early studies showed that a typical curtain wall system would not perform as required.
The final solution included a triple-pane insulated glass system and the removal of exterior pressure plates and caps. The team specified a structurally silicone-glazed system at vertical and horizontal frames.
What Features Did the New Watford City High School Include?
The new Watford City High School was planned to serve 800 students in grades 7-12 through a joint venture involving Kraus-Anderson and Grand Forks-based Construction Engineers Inc.
Features included classrooms, cafeteria, commons, kitchen, multimedia center, learning resource center, gymnasium, cardio and weight room, wrestling room, theater, shop, and band and choral rooms.
Completion was scheduled for January 2016.
What Features Did the Watford City Event Center Include?
The Watford City Event Center, later known as the Rough Rider Center, was planned to include a swimming pool, field house with three basketball courts, two-sheet ice arena for hockey and skating, gymnastics facilities, football stadium with track, baseball and softball stadiums, convention space and a 3,000-seat venue for concerts and sporting events.
The project also included parking lots, conference rooms and administrative offices. Completion was scheduled for September 2016.
In this interview, the Watford City project team explained how a collaborative design-assist process supported high-performance curtain wall systems at Watford City High School and the Watford City Event Center. The discussion covered daylighting, thermal analysis, weather resistance, schedule coordination, budget decisions, factory-built unitized curtain wall systems and swimming-pool enclosure design. Learn more about K-12 construction, building science and the completed Rough Rider Center.
CATEGORY: Construction