Metal Construction News, May 2018

PRODUCT FEATURE Oversized metal panels have special transportation and handling needs Photo courtesy of Best Buy Metals Working with Oversized Metal Panels Transportation handling and installation tips for oversized panels With the growing trend of glass manufacturers fabricating longer and wider sheets of glass architects are designing more of their projects with larger metal panel sizes These oversized metal panels have special transportation handling and installation requirements Mishandling oversized metal panels can negatively affect both their performance and aesthetics Long length panels have the tendency to buckle or fold if not suffi ciently supported says Jeff Haddock technical representative AEP Span Fontana Calif This can put creases in the panel legs or the panel giving an unsightly appearance Damage to the panel leg can also affect panel performance weathertightness and wind uplift by not allowing the panels male female leg to fully engage Oversized panels are not only longer but they also weigh more These two components make individual panels and bundles that are much more susceptible to damage Buckling and kinking are the best way to describe the most commonly seen damage says Brian Shelton marketing manager Chief Buildings Grand Island Neb It is also common to see localized bends and evidence of crushing at lift points and blocking dunnage points when stacked If sliding and articulating clips are not used or installed correctly the added expansion and contraction of the long panels may create stress risers and lead to panel failure Oversized Panel Transportation Generally fl atbed trailers are 48 feet long Material on these trailers is allowed to overhang the trailers end by 5 feet This allows for maximum panel lengths of 53 feet to be shipped on standard fl atbed trailers Longer panels may require stretch load trailers Stretch load trailers can handle loads of up to 100 feet long Haddock says Special consideration must be taken into account regarding the shipment of stretch trailer loads Job sites in remote or mountainous areas can be very challenging to access with long trailers due to tight turns Job sites also have a fi nite amount of area to handle larger than normal loads Steve Arnold vice president of operations at Queen City Roofi ng and Sheet Metal Springfi eld Mo stresses when transporting panels to make sure they are properly strapped down with foam or other soft materials in between the panels Delivering the longer panels takes special trucks and permits to ship longer panels he says If at all possible we fi nd its better to order coils and roll our own panels on site Oversized Panel Handling To prevent damage extra caution and care should be exercised due to the added bulk and weight of oversized panels Comprehensive training of employees with panel manufacturer information also helps Haddock contends an installers ability to handle oversized panels should be carefully considered before a project is bid Safety procedures must be in place to accommodate any oversized panel By Mark Robins Senior Editor 44 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS May 2018