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Specifying Flat Panels

There are many reasons why an installed panel may not appear flat. Achieving flatness starts with appropriate specification and fabrication. The internationally recognized materials standards (i.e. ASTM, EN and others) include flatness requirements. They can vary with the specification, thickness and product form.

For example, if you are specifying wide cold-rolled coil for panels using ASTM, A480/A480M determines the dimensional tolerance requirements and has two flatness options – standard and “Stretcher-Leveled Standard of Flatness”. Table 1 shows the flatness requirement differences. For architectural and aesthetic applications, the project specification and the fabricator’s order should require, “ASTM A480/A480M stretcher-leveled standard of flatness”. If this wording is not included, then standard flatness can be provided. Some stainless steel producers obtain stretcher-leveled quality of flatness by tension leveling coils, which is acceptable.

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Stainless Steel Specifications & Guidelines

Properly specified stainless steel can last the life of a building or structure with only minimal maintenance cleaning. Unfortunately, many project specifications are incomplete which can lead to unexpected failures.

In upcoming issues, Stainless Solutions will address common specification problems in more detail. This issue focuses on fundamental specification issues and the importance of using internationally recognized stainless steel specifications and guidelines.

IMOA and the Nickel Institute have developed a list of widely used international specifications and guidelines. It is regularly updated so please check imoa.info for the latest version.

International Specifications, Guidelines & Industry Associations

Below is an international list of widely used stainless steel product, material and welding standard specifications, structural design resources, basic rules and resource sites. Stainless steel industry association contacts are provided to assist with country-specific specifications:

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Each month, Stainless Solutions from IMOA covers a different stainless steel issue with tips on design and specification, and links to technical resources. This month they introduce new resources on the sustainability of molybdenum containing stainless and carbon steels.

Sustainable Resources

The decisions made in a wide range of industries have a direct effect on the sustainability of our buildings and cities. For example, pollutant emissions can be reduced by choosing longer life construction materials, alternative energy sources, and scrubber systems to minimize emissions. Higher strength carbon and corrosion-resistant stainless steels minimize resource use. Water is a valuable resource and its handling, treatment and recycling are increasingly important sustainability factors.

IMOA’s website has several resources that may be helpful including our Sustainable Architecture page which has links to articles, case studies and life cycle assessment studies. IMOA’s website also has information about molybdenum’s life cycle inventory (LCI) as well as other sustainability information. The International Stainless Steel Forum’s Sustainability website is also an excellent resource.

IMOA has published several case studies and Life Cycle Assessments related to the contribution molybdenum makes to sustainable development – CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.

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The austenitic stainless steels have been the primary alloys used for building and construction, consumer products and industrial applications. Their overwhelming popularity is due to several factors:

• Commonly available in all sizes and product forms;
• Highly formable, making very tight crisp bends possible;
• Easy to weld and repair;
• Widest range of aeshetic finishes; and
• Superior impact, blast and seismic performance

The most commonly used alloys have been Types 304 and 316 and their low carbon versions Types 304L and 316L. The low carbon versions are only needed when sections 0.125 inches (3.2 mm) thick and greater will be welded. The molybdenum addition to Types 316/316L makes them more resistant to chloride salts (coastal and deicing) and to pollution related corrosion.

Early architectural projects, built some 50 or more years ago, were constructed in Type 302, which is equivalent to modern Type 304. While Types 304/304L and their predecessor Type 302 were widely used historically for building and construction applications, Type 316/316L and sometimes more corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloys are increasingly being specified for exterior and sheltered applications.

This has occurred because of increasing global use of deicing salts, population concentration in coastal areas, and high pollution levels and rain acidity in developing countries. Sheltered areas are even more corrosive because they accumulate the same environmental contaminants but do not benefit from natural rain-washing. Austenitic grades with even greater corrosion resistance are used for industrial and seawater applications.

IMOA’s Stainless Steel Selection System, Case studies, Coastal Salt, Deicing Salt and other website resources provide alloy selection guidance. Visit this link to view those resources and the complete newsletter.

For more information or to schedule a workshop contact Catherine Houska, 412-369-0377.

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A faceted façade, creative cantilever and tightly spaced top define the structural system of Manhattan’s new center of trade for diamonds, gems and jewelry.

Download article from Metals in Construction

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Finish options

Stainless steel finishes are available in a wide range of mechanically applied patterns, textures, and colors. Etched patterns are also available. It is not uncommon to combine techniques to achieve unique finishes. There are numerous resources to assist with aesthetic finish selection:

• 3D Finishes, EuroInox
• Colored Stainless Offers a Rainbow of Possibilities, SMACNA
• Colouring Stainless Steel, EuroInox
• Electropolishing Stainless Steels, EuroInox
• European Finishes for Stainless Steel, BSSA
• Guide to Stainless Steel Finishes, EuroInox
• Mechanical Finishing of Decorative Stainless Steel Finishes, EuroInox
• Special Finishes for Stainless Steel, SSINA
• Standard Finishes for Stainless Steel Interactive Web Brochure, SSINA
• Surface Finishes, ASSDA

Corrosion performance

The relationship between surface roughness and susceptibility to corrosion of materials (i.e. not just stainless steel) is well known. Rougher surfaces accumulate more dust, debris and corrosive substances from the environment, such as industrial pollutants and coastal and deicing salts. Their higher surface tension means that they also retain the moisture that is needed for corrosion to occur for longer periods of time.

This relationship is discussed in Stainless Steel and the Challenge of Time, EuroInox and Guidelines for Corrosion Prevention, Nickel Institute.

Textured finishes (i.e. coined and embossed) are slightly different than other rougher surfaces, consisting of patterns pressed into the surface. Typically, the underlying surface is a very smooth 2B or BA mill finish, which inherently retains fewer deposits. The ability of the chosen pattern to be easily rain-washed needs to be assessed.

Specifying low sulfur austenitic stainless steel (e.g. 316) sheet, strip and plate is important for both appearance and corrosion resistance – see Stainless Steel: A Perfect Mirror Finish, The Construction Specifier.

IMOA has developed a scoring system and case studies to provide guidance with finish and alloy selection – see Which Stainless Steel Should Be Specified For Exterior Applications, and the links to information sources on different corrosion environments.

Specifications

It is important to use internationally recognized finish specifications. They provide legal protection for the buyer and seller and help to more clearly define requirements. However, specifiers must understand that standards describe how finishes are applied but do not provide enough detail to ensure consistency.

Specifiers therefore need to work closely with suppliers to precisely define the finish using parameters such as surface roughness range, reflectivity (gloss), and more specific aspects of appearance, such as color range. Visual standards must be agreed by suppliers and matched for aesthetic applications. Many special finishes are not covered by standard specifications and should be described in as much detail as possible. For further information, see IMOA/Nickel Institute International Specifications, Guidelines and Industry Associations list.

Click here to view the complete newsletter and for finish measurement resources.

For more information or to schedule a workshop, contact Catherine Houska, 412-369-0377 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/*’,’a’,’/’,”,'”‘,’ 109′,’ 111′,’ 99′,’ 46′,’ 99′,’ 110′,’ 105′,’ 45′,’ 114′,’ 109′,’ 116′,’ 64′,’ 97′,’ 107′,’ 115′,’ 117′,’ 111′,’ 104′,’ 99′,’:’,’o’,’t’,’l’,’i’,’a’,’m’,'”‘,’=’,’f’,’e’,’r’,’h’,’a ‘,’= 0){out += unescape(l[i].replace(/^ss*/, ‘&#’));}while (–j >= 0){/**/if (el[j].getAttribute(‘data-eeEncEmail_QzTfPTbPND’)){el[j].innerHTML = out;}}/*]]>*/.

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Assessing the Corrosiveness of Coastal Environments

It is not uncommon to apply general rules to the specification of materials, such as proximity to the coast. This type of guidance can be very helpful but there are exceptions to every rule. The ‘typical’ coastal construction site where Type 316 stainless steel is used successfully has these characteristics:

-at least 0.2 km and up to 16 km (0.12 miles to 10 miles) from a large saltwater body (ocean or harbor)
-low to moderate salt, pollution and particulate level exposure
-none of the exterior surfaces are sheltered
-surfaces are regularly subjected to heavy rain cleaning which minimizes the accumulation of corrosive substances

Severe coastal environments where precautions should be taken may meet the requirements above but there are additional site conditions which make them more corrosive:

-close proximity to salt water
-rocky shorelines
-salt combined with heavy industrial pollution
-hot, low-rain environments with high surface salt accumulations where evening humidity or salt fog dampens surfaces
-volcanic fume exposure
-sheltered areas in hot humid environments that cannot be rain washed
-regular light, misty, high-salt-content rain and/or salt fog that dampens but does not clean surfaces

Without finish specification or design changes, at least light superficial “tea staining” corrosion of Type 316 can occur in more severe locations. In such cases, a more corrosion resistant stainless steel such as 2205 duplex will be needed, particularly if there is an aesthetic expectation of a pristine appearance. The corrosiveness of the site, aesthetic requirements, and expected maintenance frequency determine effective solutions. IMOA has a website page to provide guidance on identifying and selecting materials in coastal climates. It includes links to two articles with guidelines for typical and severe locations.

IMOA’s selection system can help you determine whether the site is more severe and our case studies show how it is used. Case studies 3 (New York and Miami), 4 (Singapore), 5 (Hong Kong), 6 (Canary Islands), 7 (Barcelona), 9 (Australia), 10 (New York), 11 (Thames Barrier) and 14 (New Zealand) illustrate a variety of applications and site conditions.

For previous issues or to subscribe to the e-newsletter, please visit the archive page.

Continuing Education – American Institute of Architects (AIA)
IMOA is an AIA continuing education system approved provider with eight 1-hour programs that are registered for both live face-to-face and distance learning credit.

1. Stainless Steel Sustainable Design
2. Bioclimatic Design With Stainless Steel Weather Screens
3. Stainless Steel Structural Design
4. Stainless Steel Specification For Corrosive Applications
5. Deicing Salt: Stainless Steel Selection to Avoid Corrosion
6. Stainless Steel Finish Specification
7. Advanced Stainless Steel Specification and Problem Avoidance
8. Specification of Stainless Steel Finishes and Grades For Corrosive ApplicationsFor more information or to schedule a workshop contact Catherine Houska, 412-369-0377.

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