Corrugated Furring Channels for Moisture-Resistant Wall Cladding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wall cladding methods using furring strips and fasteners are time-consuming, prone to moisture ingress, and cause panel warping due to the high number of penetrations and lack of drainage in rainscreen systems.
Innovation Solution
The use of corrugated furring channels attached to metal panels with high-bond-strength tape and hooked onto corrugated rail brackets, eliminating the need for fasteners through the panels and enhancing moisture drainage and air circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional fasteners (screws, nails) are used to attach panels to furring strips, then the panels are securely attached to the wall structure, but the panels warp, twist, and buckle as the building settles and panels expand/contract with weather
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static, rigid fastening system to a dynamic, flexible system. The furring strips are designed to be flexible rather than rigid, allowing them to accommodate panel movement and building settlement without causing warping or buckling. The fasteners are allowed to move slightly within the furring strips, creating a dynamic connection that absorbs thermal expansion and contraction forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the mechanical parameters of the fastening system by using larger-diameter fasteners with wider head spacing, and by designing furring strips with specific flexibility characteristics. These parameter changes allow the system to maintain attachment strength while accommodating panel movement and preventing deformation.
2Strength
If conventional fasteners are used to attach panels, then the panels are securely mounted, but numerous penetration points are created where moisture can seep into the gap
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful function of conventional fasteners by eliminating the need for multiple penetration points. Instead of using numerous small fasteners that create moisture pathways, the system uses fewer, larger fasteners with improved sealing characteristics, thereby removing the source of the moisture ingress problem while maintaining attachment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The furring strips serve as an intermediary element between the panels and the wall structure. This intermediary layer provides a continuous moisture barrier that prevents water from seeping through fastener penetrations into the wall assembly, while still allowing secure attachment of the panels.
3Strength
If double-strapping with vertically and horizontally oriented furring strips is used, then the panels can be attached securely, but the number of individual segments that must be cut and individually attached is high, making the process time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies segmentation by dividing the wall surface into manageable sections defined by horizontal and vertical furring strip orientations. This segmentation allows for systematic installation while reducing the total number of individual furring strip segments required compared to traditional double-strapping methods, thereby improving installation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs preliminary action by pre-positioning and securing the vertical furring strips first, then using them as a framework for attaching horizontal furring strips and panels. This sequential pre-positioning approach streamlines the installation process and reduces the time required for measuring, cutting, and attaching individual segments.
4Device complexity
If furring strips are spaced 16 to 24 inches apart, then the structure is simplified, but intermittent spaces or breaks must be created to allow moisture drainage from behind the panels
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the porous materials principle by incorporating drainage channels and gaps within the furring strip structure itself. The furring strips are designed with built-in porosity and drainage pathways that allow moisture to pass through continuously, eliminating the need for intermittent breaks while maintaining effective moisture management at the standard 16-24 inch spacing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces installation time, minimizes moisture ingress, and allows panels to float relative to the wall, preventing warping and twisting while maintaining a secure attachment, with improved drainage and air circulation.
Implementation Method 1
the corrugated nature of the rail-bracket free flange and the first furring-channel flange provides spaces through which moisture drains from between the panel and the wall structure
Implementation Method 2
through which air circulates
Implementation Method 3
The corrugated furring channels are attached to backsides of the metal panels using high-bond-strength tape
Data Source
AI summary
A sheathed building uses corrugated hat-channel furring channels to attach metal panels to an underlying wall structure in a semi-floating manner. The corrugated furring channels are attached to backsides of the metal panels using high-bond-strength tape, and the corrugated furring channels are “hooked” onto corrugated flanges of rail brackets that have been attached to the wall structure to secure the metal panels to the building. Using tape instead of conventional fasteners (e.g., screws or nails) reduces penetrations through the panels and reduces moisture behind the panels. The corrugations facilitate drainage of moisture from behind the panels and drying air circulation. In other embodiments such as a clapboard arrangement of metal panels, rail brackets are not used, and the corrugated furring channels are used to mount the panels in overlapping fashion with no fasteners penetrating through the panels.