Sustainable industrial construction with aluminium

Industrial construction is not just about erecting 'functional industrial buildings'. The call for sustainable industrial construction is growing and that is a good thing. It then comes down to sitting down around the table with environmentally conscious partners to put the energy-conservation puzzle together. For joinery, that's where aluminium lurks around the corner as the best solution, with Aliplast leading the way.

Take a look at sustainable industrial construction 

Trends in industrial construction

Building warehouses, distribution centres, production halls, storage areas and factory offices is an industry in itself. As an industrial construction contractor, you rise to the challenge every day with lots of dedication. You can nonetheless gauge a trend in today's needs. Besides functionality and comfort, the main issue in industrial buildings is energy conservation. Pure necessity. So it is handy to have suppliers who think along the same lines and help you chart a sustainable course. At Aliplast Aluminium Systems, we keep our finger on the pulse. Sustainability is in our DNA and in our products. After all, our material helps insulate and thus helps  the climate and energy conservation. But there is more.

Sustainable industrial construction

The fact that aluminium is 100% recyclable means added value for industrial construction. Aluminium can be easily melted, shaped and reshaped without loss of quality.

Photographer: Yvan Glavie

At Aliplast, we have obtained Cradle to Cradle certification for ten of our aluminium door and window systems. This not only looks at the recycling of the material, but also at the use of renewable energy, sensible water consumption and social interaction with staff and suppliers. And industrial construction also reaps the benefits.

Industrial construction and BREEAM

One step further: in industrial construction, pay attention to the BREEAM certificate. BREEAM  stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, the most common international standard for the certification of industrial construction and buildings worldwide. It aims for sustainability while maintaining the comfort, safety and health of building users. An example of a BREEAM-certified building is Barry Callebaut's chocolate warehouse.

Example of industrial construction: the Barry Callebaut chocolate warehouse

Star75 and MC Wall were chosen for this warehouse and offices so as to combine high thermal insulation with a sleek modern look. The Star 75 windows have a recessed depth of 75 mm for the outer frame and 84 mm for the sash. They have an Uw value of 0.94 W/m²K and an airtightness class of 4. In terms of acoustics, the windows also score high with 47.1 dB (-1,-4). This solution therefore fits perfectly into industrial construction applications, in accordance with the most stringent thermal and acoustic insulation requirements.

For the curtain walls, the structural engineer integrated the MC Wall, which guarantees unprecedented design freedom for every architect. With a Uf value of 0.97 W/m²K, this all-in-one curtain wall also scores well on the insulation front. The deep oval protective covers chosen by the architect accentuate the depth on the façade, adding an extra architectural touch to the glass sections, because, yes, industrial buildings can also be beautiful. Aliplast thinks along the very same lines.

Energy-efficient profiles for industrial construction?