Contrarian Micro Textures,a high-performance architectural metals company, is reinforcing its expertise in airport projects – and the advantages of stainless steel – with the near-completion of phase one of Terminal 2 at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, set to open this year. Contrarian Micro Textures’ stainless steel matte finish, InvariMatte®, is being used for the 280,000-square-foot roof during phase one, and will be used for another 107,000 square feet of roof for phase two.
This $570-million project follows the announcement in November 2007 that Contrarian’s InvariMatte® finish is being used in the construction of what will become the world’s largest stainless steel roof at the New Doha International Airport in the State of Qatar.
The New Doha airport will partially open in 2009 – with completion set for 2015. At 2.1 million square feet, the new roof will exceed in size the currently largest stainless steel roof of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (1.614 million square feet).
Contrarian’s stainless steel finishes have been installed in a wide number of applications, including other airport projects in Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Detroit, Scottsdale, AZ, and the Jamaica Air-Train JFK Terminal.
Airport projects specify Contrarian’s stainless steel finishes primarily for their aesthetic value, glare resistance and longevity.
“Contrarian’s InvariMatte® finish is a perfect choice for airport construction because of the matt, non reflective finish,” said Dan McAuliffe, Engineering Manager for Merchant & Evans Inc. of Burlington, NJ, which manufactured the Zip Rib Structural Standing Seam roof system for the Raleigh-Durham project. “Plus, with it being stainless steel, its longevity is a given. It’s going to last for decades.”
Merchant & Evans, Inc.’s Zip Rib roof panels were job site-rolled to facilitate the 450-foot-long continuous length. The panels are manufactured as both 16-inches and 12-inches wide. The 12-inch panels are being installed two at each major column line providing an aesthetic contrast for the curved structural seam roof.
The architect for the Raleigh-Durham airport project is Fentress Architects of Denver. “Our design for Terminal 2’s roof was inspired by the rolling hills of North Carolina’s Piedmont region, said Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA, Principal-in-Charge of Design, Fentress Architects. “The rolling roof forms of the terminal, concourse and pedestrian bridge canopy recall these nearby hills. The roof’s metal was selected with a stainless steel finish for its exceptional qualities of durability, glare resistance, maintainability and its overall appearance.”
InvariMatte® is a non-directional, low gloss, uniformly textured stainless steel finish designed for use in architectural applications. While its lower reflectivity lends itself to roofing applications, it also can be applied to wall panels, coping and trim. The superb consistency of this finish results in excellent panel-to-panel matching. Since InvariMatte® has no coatings to deteriorate, it will last indefinitely with little maintenance. InvariMatte® is readily welded or soldered and available in coils and cut lengths up to 288 inches and widths ranging from 0.75 to 49 inches. Because stainless steel is dimensionally stable up to 2000-degrees Fahrenheit, InvariMatte® provides an added measure of protection in the event of a fire.
“InvariMatte® is a remarkable product that provides a sustainable, low glare appearance with excellent finish consistency’” said Halliday. “Other stainless steel finishes are simply too reflective to use in a glare-sensitive environment. Whereas painted metal may address the glare issue, InvariMatte®’s finely textured finish will stand the test of time without fading, all the while delivering stainless steel’s remarkable resistance to corrosion.”
Stainless Steel and Airports
Metal, particularly stainless steel, is showing up more frequently on newly-constructed airport exteriors across the country. The trend marks an important juncture for airport construction specifiers mindful that some metal products are less suitable for airport settings than others – those that have reflective properties, require paint, or corrode when exposed to jet fuel emissions. Not so with Contrarian Micro Textures’ InvariMatte®, a corrosion-resistant, uncoated stainless steel finish with low glare and a long life cycle.
In addition to sun, wind and precipitation, airport exteriors are continually exposed to jet fuel residue, earth-rumbling engines and the repercussions of heavy traffic. The materials used to construct these exteriors must stand up to these elements and maintain an aesthetic standard. Stainless steel accomplishes both goals.
InvariMatte® resists the threat of corrosion from atmospheric conditions and trapped moisture.
Data collected from the Nickel Development Institute indicates that aluminum, a common alternative to stainless steel, corrodes several times faster. While a layer of paint is effective for extending the life of an aluminum panel, it can actually have a detrimental effect on corrosion resistance if that layer is breached and moisture is trapped at the metal interface. Incidental damage to roof panels – punctures in the paint, or dents and dings – can easily occur from routine maintenance or weather events, such as hailstorms. If moisture and contaminants – like sulfur dioxide and chlorides – are trapped at the metal surface, rapid deterioration, known as crevice corrosion, will occur.
With InvariMatte®, no paint is needed, allowing the natural beauty of stainless steel to shine through.
Aside from physical damage done to them, painted surfaces do not stand up well in an airport environment because of jet fuel residue. Kerosene- based fuels will act as solvents when particles come in contact with painted exteriors. While some floor paint formulations are resistant to jet fuel, none is available for coil-coated applications. More to the point, however, is the fact that “resistance” to jet fuel does not equate with “imperviousness.” The InvariMatte® finish is able to make the claim that it is impervious to jet fuel.
Low Glare
In addition to being visually uniform, Contrarian’s InvariMatte® has low reflectivity compared to typical stainless steel finishes. For that reason, it can be used on airports as prominently visible exterior walls and roofs with no risk of glare or reflection that could compromise a pilot’s sight. InvariMatte® has lower gloss (<20 at 85 degrees) than many paint finishes.
Reflectivity is a concern not only for pilots and airport personnel, but also for those who live and work in surrounding high-rise buildings and condominiums. “InvariMatte® is a sensible choice as a cladding material in dense urban environments,” said Halliday. “While all stainless steel addresses corrosion and paint failure concerns due to smog and jet fuel residue, some stainless steel finishes are just too bright to be used in glare-sensitive locations like transportation centers.”
Low Life Cycle Cost
Considering the high cost of service disruption at an air terminal, not to mention security issues, a permanent stainless steel roof system is a logical and cost-effective choice. While titanium will perform beautifully from a sustainability standpoint, it can be expensive in comparison to stainless steel. Likewise, a less costly alternative, aluminum, painted or not, requires maintenance or replacement at some point during its life cycle, which makes it more costly overall.
The appropriate grade of InvariMatte® stainless steel can be expected to last the useful life of an air terminal building with little maintenance. Gutters should be kept clear and panels may need to be cleaned for cosmetic reasons, but these are minimal necessities as compared to alternative products.