Kalwall Is Light-Years Ahead in Translucent Daylighting Systems

Kalwall is a proven, highly functional, building technology that began over 50 years ago with the invention of a translucent, true sandwich panel by the company's founder, inventor and chairman, Robert Keller. Since 1955, he has directed the continued development of a building panel that extracts and converts free energy from the sun to heat, cool, naturally light, and dramatically "electrify" buildings (figuratively, and soon literally). Kalwall allows building designers and owners to incorporate advanced technologies into the buildings of today and tomorrow!

Kalwall is the most highly insulating, diffuse light-transmitting, structural composite sandwich panel technology in the world. The company has perfected a unique composite fenestration that combines controlled, usable, natural daylight with properties of the ultimate in energy efficiency. The panels are lightweight, shatterproof and have impressive structural integrity. A truly amazing strength-to-weight ratio (less than 2 pounds per square foot) makes the application of Kalwall limited only by the imagination. There are countless potential configurations of Wall Systems and Curtainwalls, Window Systems and Window Replacements, Skylights, Clearspan Skylights/Skyroofs, Walkways/Canopies and Complete Structures.

What Is Kalwall?

Kalwall is NOT a plastic, polycarbonate or glass. Kalwall is a translucent fenestration system whose primary element is a structural composite sandwich panel formed by permanently bonding, under heat and pressure, specially formulated, fiberglass-reinforced translucent faces to a grid core constructed of interlocked, structural aluminum/composite, thermally broken "I" beams. Panels can be curved or flat. Every job is custom pre-engineered from standard components to assure a perfect fit.

Kalwall Is Highly Insulating!

Kalwall is exceptional at reducing thermal heat/cooling loss and controlling solar heat gain to deliver significant savings in HVAC costs. During the manufacturing process, the panels can be infilled with translucent insulation. Optional thermally broken panels yield the ultimate in energy performance and condensation control. U-factor performance ranges from a standard .29 to include options from .53 to .05 in the standard 2-3/4 inch (70 mm) panel thickness. Unlike gas-filled technology, which eventually leaks out, Kalwall's highly insulating properties remain constant, forever.

Kalwall Is Museum-Quality Daylighting^™

High-quality, natural daylighting exists in very few of today's buildings -- unless they incorporate Kalwall. Kalwall has the unique ability to fill a space with diffused, natural daylight, even on cloudy, dark days. Millions of prismatic glass fibers imbedded in the faces of Kalwall refract sunshine and even overcast daylight, in a balanced, diffuse wash of glare-free, usable light. Even on bright sunny days, there is no harsh glare. The quality of light is truly exceptional, especially where computer screens or video monitors are used. Shades, curtains and light shelves can be eliminated.

Kalwall provides a wide range of light levels to suit virtually every task level requirement. Natural light can be correctly qualified by a specialized Kalwall Daylighting Analysis. A computer-modeled, weather-weighted, average daylighting analysis program allows proper selection of the correct foot-candles at task level for every space within the Kalwall-lit area. The result is complete design control in creating the most people-friendly environment filled with glare-free, shadowless, natural light. Significant savings are realized in electric lighting costs.

The Importance of Load Capacity

There are other "look-alike" products on the market that appear similar to Kalwall. But Kalwall's revolutionary, true sandwich panel technology out-delivers them all with amazing structural integrity... standing up to hurricane force winds and any climate! In fact, Kalwall Skylights and Skyroofs passed an unusual test when a 16-foot span of Kalwall, held up only by two sawhorses, easily supported the weight of twelve plant workers standing on it -- nearly 3,000 pounds! The integrity of an entire project, and those responsible for its design and construction, rests on the quality of the products and systems utilized. OSHA fall-through standards met? YES! There is no other Kalwall.

Details and Technical Summaries

Complete details and technical summaries are available by consulting Kalwall's Technical Service Department. Reference the pages of Sweets for a further introduction to some typical details and complete specs on U-factor performance and shading coefficients.

Kalwall personnel become a key member of your team during the design stages of a project. The support, people and expertise of Kalwall are considered a true resource by the nation's most noted architectural and design firms.

Operation, Maintenance

The cost savings of Kalwall go far beyond installation costs and energy savings. Kalwall is virtually maintenance-free. No more scraping or painting window sashes or trim. Unlike glass, natural rainfall is all that's needed to keep the surface clean and streak-free. Kalwall is also shatterproof and highly vandal-resistant. The exclusive glass veil erosion preventer overcomes periodic maintenance. Graffiti is easily removed.

Assembly, Installation

All Kalwall Systems are pre-engineered and factory prefabricated, delivering the ultimate in quality control. Large, lightweight modular units are created in the factory in order to eliminate most field joints. Installation costs and time are reduced and performance greatly advanced. Although Kalwall panels are created from standard specifications, a wide variety of options are available to meet every application. Because of this design flexibility, each and every system is factory fabricated to the specifications of a specific job.

Kalwall arrives on the job site in complete, factory-assembled "panel units" wherever possible or practical. The superfluous structure required with most other systems is eliminated. No additional finishing or assembly is required; the panels are ready for final installation. Kalwall employs a system of interconnected structural components, forming rigid, modular units which replace the heavy mullions and floating panels of other curtainwalls. Normal loads are dispersed throughout the panels, rather than converging on the mullions. Clamp-tite™ closures at the perimeter and panel-to-panel serve only a sealing function in most cases.

The unique construction and superior structural strength of the components permit the largest panels to be installed quickly and efficiently and for far less than conventional building materials.

Availability, Costs

For over 50 years, Kalwall has been renowned for its quality, performance, engineering expertise, aesthetic value and total company integrity. But there is even more to the Kalwall story. The cost effectiveness of this lightweight, highly durable, unique translucent building panel technology is unparalleled. Although often selected for its aesthetic value and performance features alone, Kalwall is also more affordable! From initial purchase price to installation costs, maintenance and energy savings, Kalwall is the most affordable solution to countless design challenges.

The process of beginning to estimate a job is as simple as contacting Kalwall. Real people -- helpful, experienced, and fully qualified -- are ready to go to work for you.

Codes, Certification

Kalwall exceeds the most demanding building requirements.

Kalwall products are linked to building code-, designer-, and owner-driven performance requirements. Kalwall has been tested and approved to meet or exceed the most demanding requirements and has been job proven in virtually every climate. Kalwall meets several sections of the ICC, Regional and Major City Codes and International requirements.

Kalwall's impressive quality control, product design and engineering are driven by standards that ensure life-safety, product durability and an ongoing commitment to meeting and exceeding the most demanding requirements to truly endure the life cycle demands of the buildings of today and tomorrow.

Kalwall is committed to continued research and development!

Factory Mutual approved Class I Wall and Roof Systems for unsprinklered buildings

FM approved for Pressure Venting Systems

U.L. tested and listed

South Florida Hurricane Systems developed

ICC requirements of "Criteria for Sandwich Panels" for panels and adhesives

AAMA 1503.1-88 tested for air and water infiltration, structural integrity and overall thermal properties

NFRC-100 based U values fully tested

Institute for Research and Construction/National Research Council Canada

UFC 4-010-01 DoD Anti-Terrorism Specifications

Kalwall -- the qualified expert in building with daylight.

Since 1955, Kalwall has been acclaimed for its innovation and continued research into the development of high-tech building technologies. No other manufacturer in the world has dedicated its entire existence of over a half century to the art and science of designing with daylight. The continuous evolution of the revolutionary Kalwall translucent sandwich building panel technology, invented by company founder Robert Keller, has made it possible for architects and building designers to fully exercise their imaginations to incorporate daylight into their designs. A universe of possibilities can be explored through the practical application of managed daylight made possible by Kalwall.

Kalwall has changed the way people work, play and live their lives by bringing usable, natural daylight into buildings to create energy efficient, practical environments that are simply more pleasant to be in. Kalwall is committed to the creation of environments that enhance our well-being and enrich the education of our children. Kalwall provides architects with a technology through which they can fully exercise their imaginations to create the most wonderfully daylighted, beautiful facilities for their clients.

Today, Robert Keller's original translucent sandwich panel invention has evolved into Kalwall's comprehensive 8 Building Systems which can be a part, or all, of the walls or roof of any structure, or be an entire building. But where did it all begin?

The Daylighting Story

Yesterday

Today's high-tech building systems from Kalwall are derived from a concept invented over 50 years ago by the company's founder, Robert Keller. By the end of World War II, Keller had started in business with his own fabrication shop. He had amassed an impressive background of practical experience in the fields of laminating, bonding dissimilar materials, and working with high strength, lightweight construction materials utilized in airplane manufacturing. This was the "golden age of bonding."

Formulating specialty high-pressure resins and overcoming design challenges fueled Keller's fertile imagination. The company's early efforts included manufacturing extruded aluminum moldings faced with wood veneer to match interior wood paneling. Other projects included custom-bonded products such as molded plywood furniture, shoe heels, airplane and helicopter parts, and various government contracts. Experimentation began with acrylics, polyester reinforced with glass, and other filling materials.

Keller focused his attention on the dream of developing a proprietary sandwich panel. His objective was to create a lightweight, inexpensive, insulating building panel that would transmit light, last the life of a building, and give the architect complete flexibility with virtually endless design possibilities. The surface material of Keller's miracle panel was a specially formulated fiberglass sheet bonded to an aluminum framework.

Keller's past experience and hands-on research and development work in adhesives, lamination and resins allowed him to solve various engineering problems. The first challenge was creating a permanent bonding of the dissimilar materials: fiberglass sheet and aluminum grid. Then came the development of a Clamp-tite System that allowed the panels to be easily installed into a building while allowing flexibility for construction irregularities and varying thermal expansion rates. The overall performance and strength-to-weight ratio of the original panel system was truly impressive!

The result of this sandwich panel invention was a product and company named Kalwall. Even the company's name is a "sandwich" with the "K" standing for Keller, "al" for aluminum and "wall" for the product's initial intended use.

Today

For Kalwall, the years since 1955 have been filled with continued research and development and countless product improvements. Although the basic premise behind the original idea has changed very little, the materials, performance and applications of Kalwall are ever-advancing. The search for excellence never ends. This commitment to making a good product even better has kept Kalwall at the forefront of the industry.

Kalwall's many "firsts" in the composites industry: