Kalcurve^TM: A Moving Experience at Florida Airport

This part of Florida is so far north, it is almost Georgia. By the time Interstate 95 makes it up to Jacksonville, highway signs have long since turned their attention to the number of miles to Savannah. However, this is still the deep South, where relentless sunshine bakes the air without mercy and torrential thunderstorms can soak to the skin in moments. No wonder, then, that translucent Kalcurve panels by Kalwall were chosen to control the daylight, turn down the heat, and provide rain shelter for a pair of moving sidewalks at Jacksonville International Airport.

The sidewalks attach two parking garages, one old and one new, to the airport terminal. Protecting them from the elements is a 27-foot-wide, supported canopy with endwalls, stretching 225 feet. The shape of the Kalcurve forms the perfect canopy. Moreover, as lightweight as regular Kalwall panels are, the burden from this especially thin yet sturdy configuration of Kalcurve is even less, thereby lowering the stress load further and lessening the degree of support required. Two louvered, 25-foot by 6-foot side walls are also Kalwall. Eventually the moving sidewalk area will be air conditioned space.

Of course, the prefabricated Kalwall and Kalcurve panels were selected for more than simply their light weight and easy installation. The Airport Authority didn't want the canopies over the moving sidewalks to turn into dark tunnels. And with all that Florida sunshine free for the taking, it would have been ridiculous to waste money and energy on any more artificial lighting than absolutely necessary. That's where Kalwall's translucence comes into play. The panels' translucent, diffuse-light properties deliver the best quality of natural daylight. Even on cloudy days, Kalwall transmits even, usable natural light. On bright, sunny days -- in fact, much of the year -- the diffuse panels eliminate harsh glare, hot spots and shadows often associated with traditional glazing. Minute glass fibers within the surface of the panels act like prisms to magnify and transform even the lowest levels of daylight into uniformly balanced illumination.

In addition, the panel face has an innovative, weather-resistant composition that gives Kalwall superior weatherability to stand up to any climate, including Florida's notorious hurricanes. In 1992, the state racked up $20 billion in property damage courtesy of Hurricane Andrew, but the Kalwall skyroof atop Boca Raton's Temple Beth El came through unscathed and leak-free. Meanwhile, just west of Andrew's eye, winds over 165 miles per hour literally blew the doors off a private home. The hurricane wiped out the interior but the Kalwall stayed in one piece. And both projects were standard-grade Kalwall systems, not the newly developed Super-Hurricane/Tornado Resistant System which is even stronger! Kalwall meets and exceeds Florida's demanding construction codes.

Kalwall saves money, too. Because of their superior insulating performance, the panels pay for themselves in energy, maintenance, and installation cost savings. Kalwall is also rugged, shatterproof, vandal-resistant, and maintenance-free, further lowering expenses over time by reducing capital outlays for replacement. Each exterior surface features a glass erosion barrier to prevent "fiber bloom", assuring like-new appearance for years to come. Maintenance-free Kalwall works especially well in airports as jet fuel residue and deicing spray tend to cover buildings with an unsightly film. Since Kalwall is self-cleaning, normal rainfall creates a sheeting action to clean the surface. It is hard to imagine a better choice for a project that helps move over 5 million passengers a year through Jacksonville International Airport.

Architect: RSH Architects, Jacksonville, Florida

Kalwall Specifications:
Light Transmission: 15%
U-Factor: .29 by NFRC-100
Panel Color: White
Trim Color: Aluminum

For more information, contact:
Bruce Keller
Kalwall Corporation
1-800-258-9777