DreamWall
Products

Architectural Insulated High-Performance Prefabricated Wall Panels

Prefabricated Architectural Precast Concrete Wall Panels are generally defined as any precast product that contributes to the aesthetic and architectural value of the structure. Applications include load-bearing and non-load-bearing wall panels for both the exterior and interior of buildings. In most cases, besides versatility and durability, the use of prefabricated precast concrete wall panels provides savings in both time (schedule), and long-term costs for the project.

Double wythe, insulated precast concrete wall panels provide both the exterior cladding, providing the aesthetics and the rain screen function of the wall system, as well as the load-resisting structure for the exterior cladding and the interior of the wall, allowing for the quick enclosure of a building without the need for scaffolding and hoarding. The windows and doors can be installed in the precast panels before being shipped to the site to shorten the time required to enclose the entire structure. As the panels are fabricated off-site, the construction of the building frame can continue, unobstructed. Once the structure is complete, the cladding can be placed on the building frame quickly, providing a safe and comfortable workspace for the trades that follow.

The DreamWall™ precast concrete panel system is a double-wythe, insulated, wall panel that is available in three thermal performance versions. All three versions represent a significant improvement in performance to most of the currently available wall systems on the market.

The DreamWall™ precast concrete panel system can be used in load-bearing as well as non-load-bearing applications as well as foundation walls for residential and commercial buildings.

Each DreamWall™ panel consists of two wythes of Very High-Performance Concrete with a continuous layer of insulation in between. With a wide selection of standard or custom form liners available, almost any pattern or design, surface treatment, or colour can be achieved.

Various natural stone and brick materials may also be incorporated into the panels to achieve a specific look, however, these will increase the weight of the panels to some degree depending upon the product chosen. The DreamWall™ prefabricated precast concrete insulated wall panel system offers an opportunity for clients to incorporate their unique corporate identity into their offices, warehouses, storage facilities, as well as residential and many other types of projects.

DreamWall™ Lite

DreamWall™ Lite is a 250 mm (10 inch) thick panel used where thinner wall sections are required. The Lite version has some size limitations and provides a lower thermal performance in the RSI 4.5 range, (R25) when conventional Neopor insulation is used within the panel. The term "Lite" refers to the thermal performance of the panel. The weight of the "Lite" panels is between 1.3 to 1.9 kPa (27 to 40 pounds per square foot), depending upon configuration, and is only slightly lighter than the Standard and the Passive versions of the DreaMWaLL panels. The DreamWall™ Lite panel is not normally used in load-bearing applications.

DreamWall™ Standard

DreamWall™ Standard is a 300 mm (12 inch) thick panel that provides thermal performance in the range of RSI 6 (R35) when conventional Neopor insulation is used within the panel. This version of the panel is the preferred version to provide a thermal performance that will meet and exceed the requirements of the current building code and any future changes to the codes.

The DreamWall™ Standard panel weight ranges from 1.4 to 1.9 kPa (28 to 40 pounds per square foot), depending upon configuration, and can be used in load-bearing applications as well.

DreamWall™ Passive

DreamWall™ Passive is a 400 mm (16 inch) thick panel that provides thermal performance in the range of RSI 9.5 (R55) when conventional Neopor insulation is used within the panel. This version of the panel is for those applications where superior thermal performance is required or desired and will meet the requirements of the passive house standard for cold regions. The DreamWall™ Passive panel weight ranges from 1.4 to 1.9 kPa (28 to 40 pounds per square foot), depending upon configuration, and similar to the DreamWall™ Standard panel, it can be used in load-bearing applications as well.

The DreamWall™ panel system uses Very High-Performance Concrete in the fabrication of the wall panels to provide superior durability, building sealing, and moisture performance properties while accommodating a myriad of architectural and structural configurations. The DreamWall™ Panel system can be utilized as an architectural cladding and/or as a structural system for a building structure.

DreamWall™ panels can be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most of these will fall into categories of architectural high-performance prefabricated concrete wall products. Since DreamWall™ is a prefabricated material and is factory-made, essentially any shape can be manufactured to meet the needs of a client's project. All panels are custom manufactured to meet the requirements of the client's project with sizes ranging up to 3.6 m (12 ft) wide and 7.5 m (25 ft) long keeping in mind that the panels need to be shipped and must fit on a truck and remain within the allowable load sizes set by ministries of transportation. The panels can also be configured to span vertically 7.5 metres with a width of up to 3.6 m.

The DreamWall™ panel was designed with automation in mind to reduce the labour required to assemble the panels and also to expedite the production process.

The DreamWall™ Plug and Play connection system was designed to reduce installation time and accommodate the need to place more panels on a building within a given time frame.

When the windows and doors are installed in the panels in the production facility, the enclosure of the building is sped up even further, allowing for less congestion on the project site and improved safety by reducing the number of workers on site as the building is closed in.

The rapid enclosure of the building also improves comfort for the following trades to increase their rate of production and improve the quality of their work.

DreamWall™ Prefabricated Precast Concrete Non-Load-Bearing Wall Panels

The DreamWall™ panel was originally designed to be used as cladding panels for high-rise residential construction as well as cladding for institutional buildings such as hospitals and courthouses, industrial buildings, and commercial and low-rise residential structures. All three of the panel configurations are available for non-load-bearing wall applications. The panels are installed using the proprietary DreamWall™ Plug and Play connection system to provide fast and accurate installation of the panels. The choice of the DreamWall™ panel, whether DreamWall™Passive, DreamWall™ Standard, or DreamWall™ Lite is normally based on thermal performance, environmental footprint, and price, although the savings in energy costs over the long term will far exceed the additional initial cost of the igher thermal performance panels. If load-bearing capabilities are required, the choice is between DreamWall™ Passive and DreamWall™ Standard as noted below.

DreamWall™ Prefabricated Precast Concrete Load-Bearing Wall Panels

The DreamWall™ Load-Bearing wall panels utilize the DreamWall™ Standard or DreamWall™ Passive panel structure providing a thermal performance in the range of RSI 6+ (R35+) or RSI 9.5+ (R55+) respectively and rest on top of the floor structure below, attaching at connection points at each end of the panels and later being grouted below the panel to transfer the loads uniformly from above to the structure below.

DreamWall™ panels can be used as load-bearing walls for low-rise residential construction as well as for institutional buildings such as smaller long-term care facilities, seniors housing, houses and townhouses, smaller industrial buildings, and commercial structures up to four storeys. The panel configuration remains consistent and the proprietary DreamWall™ Plug and Play connection system is utilized to provide fast and accurate alignment of the panels. Once the panels are in position, the panels are grouted to provide additional load-bearing capacity.

The DreamWall™ Load-Bearing wall panel utilizes the DreamWall™ Standard or DreamWall™ Passive panel configuration providing an RSI 6+ (R35+) or RSI 9.5+ (R55+) thermal performance and rests on top of the floor structure below.

DreamWall™ Prefabricated Precast Concrete Foundation Wall Panels

DreamWall™ panels can be used as prefabricated foundation wall panels for homes, townhouses, and commercial and industrial buildings. The DreamWall™ Standard panel design is utilized for foundation wall construction with some minor modifications to accommodate the specific requirement of foundation walls. They provide a thermally efficient basement, ready for use. The exterior of the wall is normally supplied with a very smooth finish with no pattern. There is no need for parging of the foundation wall as the surface of the precast wall is exceptionally strong and durable concrete. If the wall extends above grade and the client wishes to have a specific texture or pattern on the exterior of the basement wall, these can be accommodated at an additional minimal cost.

The interior surface is smooth and similar to a concrete block surface once painted. The wall panels can be provided with electrical conduits already placed inside the panels and receptacle boxes spaced to meet code requirements, all that is required is for the electrician to thread the wires, install the receptacles and wire them into the panel.

The exterior wythe may be provided to extend up to the top of the main level floor system and the top of the interior wythe has anchors installed for fastening the sill plate if the main floor framing system is constructed using wood and provides sufficient space within the wall to provide a generous amount of insulation around the exterior of the floor structure. Precast hollow-core floor planks can also be accommodated with this foundation wall system.

The foundation wall panels sit atop a thickened granular pad below. The panels are attached at mid-height and at the top of the inner wythe to provide the required structural stiffness. The panels are connected with a buckle system that allows for backfilling of the foundation once the basement floor and the main floor framing are installed. The panels are ready to use once installed.

A typical foundation can be installed in less than a day, and usually, the foundation can be backfilled within a week.

DreamWall™ System Attributes

Lightweight Between 27 and 40 pounds per square foot
Materially Efficient Less concrete, fewer materials
Less resource extraction
Spatially efficient Reduced wall thickness for a given thermal performance
High thermal performance RSI values from 4.5+ to 9.5+
R values from 25+ to 55+
(Depending upon panel size and configuration)
High R-value for thickness Insulation replaces the normal volume of concrete
Continuous insulation Edge to edge insulation
No thermal bridging Thermally efficient, composite ties
Durable Very high-performance concrete
Sustainable Less concrete, less cement, less aggregate
Complete wall system Exterior face, insulation, and interior face - all in one panel
Resilient Fiber reinforced concrete for toughness
Waterproof High-performance concrete has very low permeability
Hurricane proof Very strong and resilient
Tornado proof Very strong and resilient
Frostproof Low water absorption and low permeability
Vandal-proof Very strong and resilient
Rodent proof Rodents won't eat or nest in components
No off-gassing (no VOCs) Concrete has no VOCs
Fireproof (non-combustible) Concrete does not burn, insulation is encapsulated
Flood resistant Not affected by water
Low maintenance Concrete requires minimal maintenance
Minimal air infiltration Very low permeability and porosity
No mold or mildew No organics to feed mold or mildew
Low GHG per area Less cement, less weight, less aggregate per unit area
Full building envelope Rain barrier, air barrier, vapour retarder, and insulation in one
Wide variety of finishes The same variety of finishes as normal precast
Fast Assembly Panels designed for automation
Fast installation Connections designed for fast installation
Fewer onsite workers Minimal installation staff required
Minimal site waste Nothing needs to be removed on site
Low permeability Properties of Very High-Performance Concrete
Low porosity Properties of Very High-Performance Concrete
Lower environmental footprint Less cement, less material, less weights
Assists in attaining LEED points New, innovative, less material, fewer GHGs