The Safety of PalmSHIELD’s Louvered Mechanical Screening

Did you know that louvered mechanical equipment screening provides benefits outside of allowing airflow and improving the aesthetic appeal of the industrial area you’re working in? This type of screening from PALMShield also helps protect equipment from the elements, engineered to meet IBC and ASCE 7-16 codes for wind loads on structures. In many cases, rooftop louvered mechanical equipment screening is required to meet these codes, especially near the coasts, and here’s why:

FEMA’s report on rooftop equipment in high-wind regions states: “Observations after the 2017 hurricanes have once again shown that rooftop equipment is often damaged during high winds. Damaged equipment can impair the operation of the facility, and the equipment can detach and become damaging wind-borne debris. In addition, water can enter the facility where equipment was displaced or damaged.” Having said that, how do engineers and architects ensure that expensive rooftop equipment is protected from the threats of high winds. A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers discovered that “fully enclosed screen wall configurations do lower wind loads on the equipment it protects”.

Mechanical equipment screening that. meets IBC and ASCE7-16 wind codes helps protect mechanical equipment as well as businesses from unexpected expenses. After all, if equipment becomes damaged by high wind, your expenses will not only go up, but your project will be delayed as the equipment is either repaired or replaced. Associated costs with an unusable building include:

Revenue lost due to the closure
Fixed expenses, such as rent and utility costs for the unusable location
Expenses of operating from a temporary location
Advertising to announce a new temporary location
Interruption in production

Architects need assurance than their architectural screening can withstand wind load. For this reason, we encourage not using non-engineered screening and instead go with PalmSHIELD. We offer free specifications, engineering documents, and CAD drawings available on our website. This helps simplify the process designing your next project.