The successful installation of 16,000 sq. ft. of aluminum composite material (ACM) panels on the DCH Cancer Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is a testament to the capabilities of both the panel fabricator and the system installer.

Completed in May 2009, the 94,000 sq. ft. cancer treatment center was designed by Ward Scott Vernon Architects Inc. of Tuscaloosa. In combination with brick, the architect specified a Series 100 ACM panel system for sections of the building's walls, as well as for the curved canopies that define the structure from a design standpoint. It was those canopies that provided the biggest challenge for the fabricator and installer.

“Nearly every panel was one of a kind,” said Scott Stafford of The Miller-Clapperton Partnership Inc. The Austell, Georgia-based company is one of the nation’s leading fabricators of ACM and used field measurements taken by the installing contractor, provided in AutoCAD format, to ensure panels were produced precisely as needed. "This extra effort by R.B. Atkins & Associates enabled us to import directly into our shop drawings, which saved weeks of drafting time," Stafford added.

The ACM utilized for the project was 4mm Reynobond®, produced by Alcoa Architectural Products of Eastman, Georgia. The panels were provided with an Anodic Clear finish.

R.B. Atkins & Associates Inc. is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The project’s general contractor was Harrison Construction Co. Inc. of Tuscaloosa.

To learn more about the capabilities and services of The Miller-Clapperton Partnership, visit www.millerclapperton.com.

For more information on Reynobond and other products available from Alcoa Architectural Products, visit www.alcoa.com/aap/north_america/en/home.asp.