I-Corps: Innovation Corps Teams Program: Innovative Insulated Wall Panel Connector

Lehigh University, Bethlehem PA

Investigators

Abstract

An insulated wall panel is a layer of insulating foam sandwiched between an exterior and interior layer of concrete. Shear ties make a physical connection between the exterior and interior layers of concrete. This physical connection increases the strength of the wall panel without increasing the amount of concrete present; however, the physical connection also allows heat to pass directly from the exterior concrete layer to the interior concrete layer, completely bypassing the insulating foam in a phenomenon known as thermal bridging. To prevent thermal bridging, ties must be made of a non-conductive material. Currently, ties made from non-conductive material lack the necessary strength to economically improve the capacity of the insulated wall panel. Additionally, these tie systems often suffer from fabrication difficulties increasing the cost of labor and limiting the quality assurance provided by the final product. The proposed project will facilitate discovery of commercial potential of a novel insulated wall panel connector that provides a blast and thermally resistant envelope for buildings. The proposed effort will allow the team to identify markets, consumers, and manufacturing methods. The effort will also enable product refinement and prototype development of the original design concept. The team envisions that the proof-of-concept demonstration will provide a full-scale prototype of the revised connector. The prototype will be installed in a table top size wall panel mock-up. Material options will be identified and a manufacturing and supply plan for the connector will be assessed and presented. The team will conduct a preliminary market assessment to examine the size of the market and to determine a rough price point and potential margins. The engineering principles will be illustrated with supporting experimental and numerical test data. A sample design will illustrate how the connector can be used in a standard wind load environment and in an extreme blast load environment.