Top building products for July 2023

Durable curved doors, sustainable powder coating, and comfort-focused flooring are some of the top building products featured this month.

Building Design+Construction editors bring you the top building products for the month of July. Collected across a variety of building sectors, these products offer protection from the elements, eco-friendly artifacts, and industry solutions.

From curved doors to wood-alternative cladding, here are 15 products being used in the industry today.

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Designed with embedded threaded connectors, the FeltWorks Blades — VarAffix linear acoustical panels offer design and installation versatility, including cable-to-deck independent suspension, threaded rod, and more. The rectangular blades come in 16 standard sizes and 12 standard neutral colors that can be mixed for dynamic visuals. Part of the company’s Sustain portfolio as well as part of the CleanAssure family of disinfecting ceiling panels and more, these panels are made from 60% pre-consumer recycled PET fibers and can provide sound absorption of up to 0.85 NRC depending on blade depth and spacing.

An expansion of the company’s seamless resinous flooring portfolio, SofTop Comfort flooring systems resist cracking, chipping and impacts while also being tolerant of temperature extremes and waterproof. The range features two different systems intended for lighter and heavier foot traffic: SofTop SL consists of a flexible membrane with a polyurethane topping while SofTop Comfort SL has a denser membrane for areas needing extra strength, sound dampening and cushioning. Formulated with up to 25% natural, renewable plant oils and containing very low levels of VOCs, the flooring systems install easily over prepared concrete substrates, and a high-traffic satin topcoat delivers a fine slip-resistant texture for added safety.

Years of working with customers to understand their needs for reliable pedestrian access solutions results in the addition of 17 door products to the company’s collection of cleanroom ISO-rated products. Available in various configurations as well as manual or automatic sliding doors, these door options are ISO 14644-3 certified for Class 3 cleanroom applications, making them suitable for use in medical and non-medical applications.

The Legrand Networked Level 2 Commercial Electric Vehicle Charger is suitable for offices, parking garages, multi-unit dwellings, fleets and more commercial applications. Preconfigued with software from EV charging provider AmpUp, hosts, such as building managers, can access advanced charging management software right out of the box, including real-time monitoring, remote diagnostics and customizable settings to meet the needs of different types of EVs. Access to the charger can be controlled—for example, making chargers available for tenants, customers or employees—via its built-in RFID card reader or authorization through the AmpUp Driver App. The 48A charger achieves an average of 46 miles of range per hour of charging, depending on the vehicle.

Available on grilles, doors or insulated doors through the company’s Cornell and Cookson brands, CrossingGard with ThreatProtect creates lockdown zones within a building when a hostile event alarm is triggered or opens in the event of a fire alarm. While it installs like a standard rolling door, the wiring within creates a direct line of communication from the premise’s central command to the grille or door itself. A battery backup will allow the door or grille to operate and respond to alarm conditions during a power outage for up to 48 hours or 10 open/close cycles.

Joining Typar MetroWrap in the company’s portfolio of building wraps designed specially for commercial structures, the Typar DrainableWrap Commercial is engineered to protect multi-story structures from the elements and manage excess moisture. The brand’s meltshot technology adds an integrated layer of fibers to the building wrap, creating a drainage gap that channels wind-driven rain and bulk water away from the structure. Available in 5- by 150-ft rolls, the drainable building wrap can be paired with the brand’s line of house wraps, tapes and accessories.

Fiberon's latest Wildwood cladding product joins the series' Sahara color collection of wood-alternative cladding. Inspired by the rich tones of the desert, the Sahara lineup is expanding its selection of light cladding colors—Mulga, Palo, and Sumac—with the introduction of Bamboo. The new material offers a subtle, sandy hue to the palette, with gradients and shading that mimics the characteristics of natural bamboo. Fiberon's introduction of Bamboo aligns with the industry's current trend of lighter cladding tones.

Bobrick's TrimLineSeries and ClassicSeries Napkin/Tampon Vendor products offer ADA-compliant dispensers of feminine hygiene products. With recessed and surface-mounted options, the vendor holds up to 30 tampons or 20 napkins, and come in free-vend or token-vend configurations. The product responds to the growing number of U.S. states mandating menstrual care products in schools. Bobrick's End Period Poverty advocacy program aims to help architects meet their area's legislation requirements for school bathrooms.

Powdura ECO 4000 is the latest architectural-grade powder coating from Sherwin-Williams, formulated with resins made from post-consumer recycled plastic (rPET). The sustainable product provides an eco-conscious and durable polyester coating, with performance that is comparable to traditional products. The Powdura ECO 4000 is designed to meet AAMA 2604 standards, can be specified for metal interiors/exteriors and specialty products, and will feature a full range of color and gloss levels—available in the Fall.

Part of YKK AP America's ProTek blast-resistant product lineup, the pre-glazed YHS 50 TU storefront system is designed to meet the industry's quick installation and resilience needs. By adding the ability to pre-glaze in the shop, contractors stand to benefit from greater glazing efficiencies. The system comes with versatile options like inside or outside glazing options, compatibility with YKK AP's H-series of entryways, and higher thermal performance with advanced glazing.

The Acrovyn Curved Door spawned from a collaboration between Skanska, Perkins&Will, and Construction Specialties (CS). It joins CS's established library of Acrovyn doors, built for durability and abrasion resistance. The Curved Door design is influenced by the needs of healthcare workers, as it provides a way for nursing staff to maintain line of sight to their patients. The product benefits also as a space-saving device—engineered without swinging hinges that would otherwise require clearance in the room.

The REHAU Exelis 190 hung-slider design with integrated RAUSHIELD features an 83mm frame with anchor points that allow for quick installation of the storm protection fabric. The product is tested to ASTM E330, E1886, and E1996, and is approved for Wind Zone 3. The 190 hung-slider with RAUSHIELD is engineered with fusion-welded frame and sash corners, interior glazing, and compression-seal technology.

Kingspan Light + Air's new KlearSky metal framed glass skylights aim to revolutionize the way architects integrate natural daylight into buildings. The product offers standard configurations like pyramids, polygons, segmented barrel vaults, single slopes and ridges, in addition to fully customizable shapes. A varied array of UV-stable glass glazing options are also available to meet energy code performance requirements, including high-performance insulating glass and laminated glass. KlearSky skylights also offer a variety of frame finishes, as well as installation optimization through KlearSky's QuickLink technology that requires 75% fewer fasteners.

The Vandal Resistant Downlight (VRDL) series combines a sleek aesthetic with the capability to withstand heavy abuse and harsh environments. Designed to comply with behavioral health and correctional facilities environments, the luminairies are rated IK10 for impact resistance and rated IP66 for resistance against water and dust, making the downlights suitable for transit hubs and park facilities as well. Compatible with both nLight Wired and Wireless lighting control platforms, the light series comes in 4- and 6-inch sizes with a range of 1800K through 6500K in various color temperatures.

Made of high-tensile structural aluminum, the S-5-RC clamp can attach a wide range of rooftop accessories to the Riverclack metal roof profile, protecting the roof from corrosion and preserving its thermal cycling characteristics. Its two-piece design interfaces with the rib geometry and can be installed anywhere along the seam for placement flexibility. The clamp creates a mechanical interlock strong enough to mount most rooftop applications, such as with rails or with the S-5! PVKIT solar solution.

BD+C editors are now accepting submissions for the annual 75 Top Building Products awards. The winners will be featured in the November/December 2023 issue of Building Design+Construction.

For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.

Construction input prices fell 0.6% in May compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices declined 0.5% for the month.

Walter P Moore’s Darek Brandt discusses the key questions building owners and property managers should be asking to determine the health of their building's façade.

A trio of multifamily housing experts discusses trends in materials in their latest developments. Topics include the need to balance aesthetics and durability, the advantages of textured materials, and the benefits of biophilia.

The University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory has unveiled a new product called Shell Wall—which the organization describes as the first lightweight, freeform 3D printed and structurally reinforced concrete wall. The innovative product leverages DART Laboratory’s research and development on the use of 3D-printing technology to build structures that require less concrete.

HydroSKIN is a façade made with textiles that stores rainwater and uses it later to cool hot building exteriors. The façade innovation consists of an external, multilayered 3D textile that acts as a water collector and evaporator.

Schweiss Doors, the premier manufacturer of hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors, erected a new manufacturing facility which will also serve as a showcase for the company’s new “free-standing” header frames.

The 2022 edition of AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440, “North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for windows, doors, and skylights” (NAFS) has been published. The updated 2022 standard replaces the 2017 edition, part of a continued evolution of the standard to improve harmonization across North America, according to a news release.

More than ever, AEC firms and their suppliers are wedding innovation with corporate responsibility. How they are addressing climate change usually gets the headlines. But as the following articles in our AEC Innovators package chronicle, companies are attempting to make an impact as well on the integrity of their supply chains, the reduction of construction waste, and answering calls for more affordable housing and homeless shelters. As often as not, these companies are partnering with municipalities and nonprofit interest groups to help guide their production.

BD+C editors are now accepting submissions for the annual 75 Top Building Products awards. The winners will be featured in the November/December 2023 issue of Building Design+Construction.

For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.

Construction input prices fell 0.6% in May compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices declined 0.5% for the month.

Walter P Moore’s Darek Brandt discusses the key questions building owners and property managers should be asking to determine the health of their building's façade.