As the construction industry starts to implement more environmentally friendly, sustainable systems with longer lasting, high-quality materials, all new buildings are becoming some of the greenest we’ve ever seen. Even large industrial complexes and city centers are built with low-impact carbon emissions and sustainable energy in mind. While these new constructions are better than ever in terms of how they affect the earth, there are still many older buildings in use that could be improved with more sustainable retrofits and modernization. Around 50% of commercial buildings in the United States alone were built more than 50 years ago. There are many ways these older buildings can be improved for a lower carbon footprint by adjusting the existing structure without necessarily changing the historical significance. At Northland Fastening Systems (NFS), we know that stud welding and construction welding, in general, can be a large part of that retrofitting process.
Composite Construction Welding
There are many steps in the building process that rely on stud welding operations for quality construction. Stud welding is used in composite construction for attaching beams, girders, and other skeleton components to other important materials like concrete. It’s also used to fasten insulation sheeting to enclosed walls, build scaffolding needed in the construction process, create protected electrical systems, and more.
Construction Welding
The process of modernizing older buildings for sustainability with the use of construction welding takes several steps. Some of the most important steps include updating the following building components:
Electrical:
How a building generates electricity can affect how much energy is utilized on a daily basis. Retrofitting an electrical system can seriously change how energy is spent. Better power blueprints, longer lasting lighting, energy storage, and more can improve building sustainability. Electrical enclosures in buildings are almost exclusively built with capacity discharge (CD) stud welding operations.
Insultation:
CD stud welding is also used to install insulation pins quickly and effectively. Most older buildings have poorly installed, outdated insulation that doesn’t hold up to modern building conditioning. With the installation of better insulation sheeting throughout an older building, energy spent on maintaining well-conditioned indoor temperatures will drop almost immediately.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC):
Another part of conditioning an older building that could be updated for better sustainability is the HVAC system, which can be a huge energy cost, especially for larger buildings that are not well designed or insulated with eco-conscious goals. If older buildings receive better HVAC systems (often installed with stud welding) with new motors, cooling agents, boilers, and filters, then emissions are greatly reduced in that area and the air quality will also likely improve.
Other adjustments can be made to the building’s main structure, roof, and even foundation for better sustainability, but the three areas discussed are the quickest and least invasive retrofit options for old buildings. To learn more about how stud welding and construction welding is involved in this process, contact NFS at (651) 730-7770 or request a quote online.