The development of the DreamWall™ precast concrete wall panel system is in direct response to market demand for a lighter, more energy-efficient, and higher-performance cladding system. The DreamWall™ panel system is a copyrighted system that is used under license by precasters who have shown their ability to produce high-quality precast concrete products and have been trained to manufacture the DreamWall™ panels in the most efficient and sustainable production processes. DreamWall™ panels are engineered and configured for use in exterior and interior facades where the client has a desire for a high-performance prefabricated wall panel system that is remarkably lightweight, thermally efficient, versatile, durable, and aesthetically pleasing.
The DreamWall™ system is custom engineered and fabricated to fit each client's specific design, performance, and size requirements. Our custom cladding gives designers the ability to provide their clients with almost limitless aesthetics and several performance possibilities and owners can achieve the brand appeal they are looking for. The copyrighted DreamWall™ panel is available in three thicknesses, 250 mm (DreamWall™ Lite), 300 mm (DreamWall™ Standard), and 400 mm (DreamWall™ Passive), and can be made thicker if needed. The panels can span up to 7.5 m horizontally or vertically. The front face (normally the exterior face) can be cast to mimic any material or natural materials, such as brick or stone, can be embedded into either face of the precast panel. The back face (interior) is typically smooth, but may have a light textured finish, be stained, or a combination of these to create limitless possibilities.
Malcolm Hachborn P. Eng. President, M. E. Hachborn Engineering has over 40 years of experience in the design, fabrication, and/or application of architectural and structural precast concrete structures. He has extensive experience in building science, manufacturing, and construction of building envelope systems. Malcolm has been involved in projects ranging from the design of cast-in-place, precast, and pre-tensioned as well as post-tensioned prestressed concrete bridges, dams, and well over 1000 buildings utilizing precast concrete architectural cladding. These precast projects have included water treatment facilities, multi-storey condominiums, large institutional projects (hospitals and courthouses), and multi-storey commercial and office structures ranging from simple to extremely complex, some involving blast resistance. Mr. Hachborn participates on several CSA technical committees for advanced materials and many of the technical and quality control committees for the Canadian and US Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institutes. Malcolm is also the author of the CPCI (Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute's Architectural Precast Concrete Walls: Best Practice Guide. He is also a Past Chairman of the CPCI, a recipient of the CPCI Fellow Award in 2013, a recipient of the CPCI - John Fowler Award for Significant Contributions to the Precast Industry in Canada in 2022, and most recently inducted into the CPCI Titan Registry.
In Mr. Hachborn's dealing with architects and owners, there were always concerns expressed by architects, structural engineers, and owners about the weight that was added to structures when a precast concrete cladding system was used. This involved adding extra reinforcement to strengthen floor slabs and taking extra steps in the precast design process to ensure precast panel loads were applied close to columns to limit deflections. He recalled a professor in his undergraduate days saying that advances in materials would be the pathway to innovation. When the first Ultra High-Performance Concretes were introduced into the marketplace in the early 21st century, he saw an opportunity to develop a lighter-weight wall system that could change the industry. After overcoming the high cost of UHPC and determining how to provide additional stiffness to the thin wythes of a lightweight insulated panel, the DreamWall™ panel system was born.
M. E. Hachborn Engineering is a member of the Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI) which is the prime source of technical information about precast and prestressed concrete in Canada.
The Institute is the publisher of the CPCI Design Manual, the Best Practice Guide for Architectural Precast Concrete Walls, the Precast Concrete Wall Thermal Performance Calculator, and over 50 other technical publications. CPCI is the leading source of technical resources, and represents the Body of Knowledge (BOK), for the precast concrete industry in Canada. From this BOK, Building Codes, Design Guides, Educational Programs, Certification of precast products, Sustainability Programs, Accelerated Building Construction, and new research ideas are derived.
Mr. Hachborn is a Registered Professional Engineer in the following Canadian
Provinces: Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Alberta
Malcolm is a member of the following CSA Standards Committees: