Facade Designing – Viva Knowledge Center (VKC)
A Designer’s Guide to installing VIVA’s Aluminum Composite Panels for façade architecture
The ACP cladding industry has evolved significantly over the past few decades. In the past, ACP sheets were only considered suitable for functional constructions and industrial buildings. Now, ACP panels are used for a wide range of construction due to their good insulating properties, versatility, quality and aesthetic appearance.
Viva’s aluminum composite panels are widely used in exterior architecture, interior decoration, advertising, transportation and industrial applications.
To ensure a proper installation of ACP cladding, any project stakeholder, be it a designer, installer, or subcontractor, should review the below-recommended checklist.
1. Wind load calculation
Due to variations in wind pressure from floor to floor, the thickness of an ACP panel depends on the height of the building. An ACP board that is not thick enough will either be pushed out of position or will deform as it cannot withstand the high pressure. For example, if a 3 mm thick ACP sheet is used for the first 3 floors, it may make sense to use a 4 mm thick ACP cladding for the top 3 floors, as wind pressure is typically higher on the top floors.
2. Dimension of the panel
The ACP panels used in the construction must have the same height and width. If the block is a rectangle, it must be a rectangle; if it is a square, it must be a square. This means that the uniformity and synergy of each ACP board must be consistent.
3. Panel joints
VIVA’s aluminum panel sheets can be joined to other panels or materials by using rivets designed for aluminum construction. To determine how many rivets are required to attach the ACP cladding to the structure, the corners of the ACP panel should be considered.
4. Panel arrangement
Maintaining proper spacing between ACP sheets and filling that space with silicon is important. This is because the aluminum composite panels expand and contract in response to weather changes occurring from the outside and silicon used in between helps to maintain the shape of the and also prevents dust and rain water from entering the space.
5. Details of the abutment
While determining the size, thickness and spacing between the ACP sheets, it is important to consider the thermal expansion of the ACP panel, which is 2.49 mm/m/100°C. To prevent jamming or deflection of the sheet, it is also necessary to ensure that the rivet hole allows sufficient room for expansion.
6. Shade Differences
We are aware of the possibility that the building structure may expand and therefore ACP panels of the same shade are required. Hence, VIVA is known for offering its prestigious customers the unique luxury of reordering the specific shade of ACP sheets in exchange for the batch name of the previously ordered panels. The designers ought to make sure that the aluminum composite sheets are installed as per the directional arrows printed on the protective film.