Kellogg School of Management Global Hub, Northwestern University, Evanston
Illinois
Date: 2016-2017
OITC-56 and R-13.5 Expansion Joints Match High Performance Building, Design, and Functional Intent.
The Kellogg School of Management’s new Global Hub is attracting international attention, but none of this attention is being drawn by EMSEAL’s Seismic Colorseal wall expansion joint. Northwestern’s new flagship building embraces a sleek and flexible contemporary design that is inspired by its lakefront location.
Can you spot the Expansion joint? Color matching and careful design placement of expansion joints combine to make them as inconspicuous as possible. From 26 standard colors architects KPMB Architects chose “Anodized Aluminum” silicone to blend with the anodized aluminum mullions between each window pane.
In places where the expansion joints are visible from both the exterior and interior of the building, Seismic Colorseal-DS (silicone coated on both exposed faces) maintains both function and aesthetic by ensuring watertightness in the vertical expansion joint while providing a finish on both sides of the curtain wall.
Seismic Colorseal-DS also provides significant sound attenuation. This contributes to indoor environmental quality conducive to the professional and academic purpose inside, while students can fully enjoy the athletic fields and recreational green spaces that surround the building. Seismic Colorseal-DS in the 6-inch (150mm) custom depth provided for this project, yields an OITC rating of up to 52 and a STC rating of 62 (as tested in a STC 68 [OITC 52] wall). The actual STC and OITC values of the curtain wall, in this application, are likely lower than these values. This means that in this situation Seismic Colorseal-DS will match the level of sound attenuation of the wall itself and will be as if the expansion joint wasn’t even there.
In addition to managing potentially high levels of sound from recreational activity, both the Kellogg School and its neighbor The Ryan Center for the Musical Arts sit on the lakefront of Lake Michigan. These building constantly take a beating from high winds, strong weather, and heavily fluctuating temperatures, with record temperatures ranging from -27°F (-38.8°C) to 105°F (40.6°C). Seismic Colorseal-DS at custom depth of 6-inches (150mm) has a calculated R-Value of 13.5 (2.25 x 6 inches [150mm] of depth). This value only increases as temperatures decrease (especially in winter months) as the joint size and width of the expansion joint system increase.
Students enjoy the quiet, insulated, and comfortable interior created with the help of EMSEAL’s Seismic Colorseal and Seismic Colorseal-DS. The level of sound resistance provided in addition to the high R-value, proximity to point of manufacture, and low life-cycle cost are helping this building track to achieve LEED Gold certification.
We didn’t lay down on the job so you might have a chance to!