Wyeth Labs, Life Sciences Building, PA
Pennsylvania
Date: 2002
In, out, up, down and around — COLORSEAL wraps a corporate campus.
Curtainwall-to-Masonry Expansion joints at Wyeth Labs sealed with Colorseal
Whether in the office or lab spaces, control of air movement through life sciences structures is of critical concern.
Structural expansion joints are necessary to absorb, thermal, wind, seismic and static and dynamic loading movements. But, they are also a gap through the entire building. At this life sciences head quarters, the structural expansion joints fell between brick and brick, brick and curtain-wall, brick and metal panel, and even between steel stud and gypsum substrates.
The challenge was to seal the joints and the task and a multi-function expansion joint sealant was needed. Colorseal from EMSEAL provides waterproofing, insulation, air flow resistance that exceeds ABAA requirements, hurricane-force winds, sound attenuation, and accommodates structural movement–all in one, non-invasively anchored system. Here’s how it was done…
Brick-to-brick, brick-to-window mullion; brick to gypsum soffit; and back to brick-to-brick — Colorseal follows the ins and outs of all direction and substrate changes while ensuring continuity of seal.
Installation was executed from a boom lift making access to inside corners easy.
A pedestrian sky-bridge connects two of the campus structures, sealing the joints at either end of the bridge posed numerous conditions all of which are readily handled by the non-invasively anchored and highly flexible Colorseal.
The ability to switch colors provides unique ability to coordinate with substrate changes. 26 standard colors are available and we can work with a custom color being used on your project.
Expansion joints at inside corners are difficult to make watertight. Strip seals (combination aluminum rail and snapped-in extruded glands) cannot be practically installed because of the need to drill and set anchors.
Other options like compression seals are not watertight where variations (such as at mortar joints) exist.
Caulk and backer rod cannot be installed in large joint-gaps to look good or handle structural movements.
The Colorseal solution is a hybrid sealant system which preserves the best properties of a high performance silicone but removes the shortcomings of liquid and mechanically applied materials.
Colorseal positively anchors without drilling into the substrates, is watertight through changes in direction and plane and fits the designers aesthetic intent.
