Wall Expansion Joint Systems Elevate Twin Buttes High School Facade

Seismic Colorseal is masterfully integrated into the architectural inset pattern design and nearly vanishes into the facade while maintaining a watertight, energy efficient, and movement capable building enclosure.

Wall Expansion Joint Systems are essential to maintaining the durability, watertightness, and flexibility of modern building envelopes. At the new Twin Buttes High School in Twin Buttes, ND, Sika Emseal’s expansion joint solutions were specified to protect the façade and ensure long-term performance in a challenging environment.

This project represents a major milestone for the MHA Nation reservation, as it marks the community’s first high school. The new facility allows students to pursue their education closer to home while fostering cultural pride and strengthening community ties.

The school’s striking façade features a prefabricated envelope with custom CNC-machined inset patterns, delivering a distinctive appearance that required equally high-performance expansion joint solutions. Equally impressive, is the integrate design of the expansion joint systems to nearly vanish into the building’s facade. 

To achieve this, multiple systems were integrated:

• Seismic Colorseal® was installed along the exterior façade, providing a watertight, flexible, and thermally insulating expansion joint capable of handling multi-directional movement. Its precompressed foam technology eliminates the need for mechanical anchors, ensuring a clean, reliable seal against the elements.

• Emshield® WFR2 was also incorporated, delivering a 2-hour fire rating alongside watertightness and movement capability. By combining fire protection and weather sealing in one system, Emshield WFR2 simplifies construction and reduces trade coordination challenges.

The installation was carried out with precision by Wells Concrete, whose expertise ensured watertight integration of Sika Emseal’s wall expansion joint systems within the precast façade. Their craftsmanship supported both the building’s aesthetic vision and its long-term performance.

Sustainability and Lifecycle Performance

In addition to functionality and aesthetics, sustainability was a core consideration. Sika Emseal’s wall expansion joint systems contribute to reduced lifecycle costs by minimizing maintenance requirements and extending the life of the building envelope. The combination of watertight performance, thermal insulation, and fire resistance helps improve overall energy efficiency while lowering the environmental impact of future repairs. By selecting expansion joints that integrate multiple functions into one system, the project reduced material use and waste, aligning with modern sustainable construction practices.

Through the combination of Seismic Colorseal, Emshield WFR2, and expert installation by Wells Concrete, the new Twin Buttes High School is designed to stand as a durable, safe, sustainable, and inspiring environment, reflecting both innovation in construction and the cultural pride of the MHA Nation community.