Aluminum and steel are extremely thermally conductive. They transfer heat readily, especially if there is metal-to-metal contact from the outside through to the inside. Metal directly transfers both heat and cold. To eliminate that potential, Johnson utilizes a strong pultruded polyester transparent, non-heat conducting thermal break as an integral part of its panel design.
The pultruded thermal break is placed against the inside of the exterior sheet and between a tubular steel frame member on the inside wall. This design, in addition to incorporating a non-heat conducting thermal break, adds significant strength to the entire panel. This construction technique places a thermal break every 2-ft. along the entire length of the panel. Additionally, the thermal break runs along the entire perimeter of the roof band.
Competitive constructions that use aluminum skin exteriors rely on “Z” posts for structural support. The result is significantly weaker side walls and heat transfer points. See the information on thermal efficiency.
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