Complex custom architectural metalwork
When a flashing or trim job becomes custom work: what makes it complex, how the specs and AFS's limits constrain it, a ten-step method with worked examples, and how to diagnose defects and document the evidence.
4 lessons · about 44 min · 15 diagrams · 4 videos
Version 1.0.0
Builds on these modules
Lessons
0 of 4 complete
Lesson 1 · 10 min · 9 slides · 8 questions
Complex custom architectural metalwork: principles and terminology
What makes a flashing or trim job custom and complex, what finished work must do, the shop drawing, samples, mockup and conference that control it, why three specifications give three answers, and what AFS counts as complex.
You will be able to: Classify a custom metalwork request by what makes it complex, name the project documents and who owns each decision, and say what AFS's published limits allow and what a tested edge system means.
Not startedStart →Lesson 2 · 12 min · 12 slides · 9 questions
Complex custom architectural metalwork: materials, standards and design constraints
How the specs name copper and aluminum, what zinc and aluminum do to forming and joining, movement as arithmetic, why joint spacing differs by owner, oil canning, finishes, metal compatibility and AFS's thickness rules.
You will be able to: Choose a metal, thickness, finish and joint approach that satisfies the governing document, the metal's behavior and AFS's published limits, and explain why three documents can disagree.
Not startedStart →Lesson 3 · 11 min · 12 slides · 7 questions
Complex custom architectural metalwork: methods and worked application
A ten-step method for custom work, four worked examples (a cap checked against AFS's limits, a fascia that is too wide, and a 60 ft aluminum run), shop drawings, samples and mockups, and how the sign of a bend shows which way a fold turns.
You will be able to: Run a custom job through a ten-step documented method, recording assumptions, units and inspection points, and build the job packet.
Not startedStart →Lesson 4 · 11 min · 12 slides · 7 questions
Complex custom architectural metalwork: defects, verification and case study
The defects custom metalwork shows and the causes each points to, how to diagnose oil canning, soldered and sealed joints, finish and compatibility faults, what is checked at which point, a constructed fascia case study, and hot-work cautions.
You will be able to: Diagnose a custom-metalwork defect from its pattern, choose corrective options in a sensible order, and document evidence a reviewer can accept.
Not startedStart →
Practical task
Prepare a documented job packet for a custom parapet coping and fascia on one building, then write a short spec-comparison memo for one metal across two public specifications that recommends what the design professional should confirm.
Hand in
- A decision rationale for the custom cap: its drivers of complexity, whether it is complex in AFS terms, and its status for the chosen metal and thickness with the exact message AFS's limits give
- A marked-up section sketch showing the cap, cleat, slotted fasteners, hems on the inside face, separator and any fixed point, with the owner of each dimension noted
- An assumptions table: metal, thickness, temperature change, lap, joint spacing and piece length, each with its owner (a spec, a manufacturer, an AFS limit or a teaching input) and its units
- A movement and piece plan for a run you choose: total movement, sections and joints under each spec you compare, and pieces at the standard 10 ft and the 126 in maximum
- A quality checklist built from the five checkpoints and a defect analysis of one injected fault: cause family, rule and source, correction and the evidence that proves it
- A one-page spec-comparison memo for one metal across two of the three public specs, stating where they differ and what the design professional should confirm, never a ruling
Rubric
| Criterion | Meets the standard when |
|---|---|
| Complexity and limits | The cap is classed correctly (more than one bend or any hem is complex in AFS terms), girth is computed with the hem allowance against the 48 in limit, and the status and message match AFS's limits for the metal chosen. |
| Owners and units | Every number carries its owner and units; no spec value is presented as a code limit or as AFS practice, and no tolerance is invented. |
| Movement and pieces | Movement is coefficient x length x temperature change with the temperature change stated as an assumption, joint counts follow each spec's own spacing, and pieces use the 120 in standard and the 126 in maximum correctly. |
| Documents and bend signs | The packet names the shop drawing, samples, mockup and field measurements, and each bend is shown with its signed interior angle. |
| Defect analysis | The fault is matched to a cause family with a source, the correction fixes the cause before the symptom, and the evidence a reviewer can check is listed. |
| Safety | The packet notes machine guarding (29 CFR 1910.212) and that no welding, cutting or heating is done where flammable paints or compounds create a hazard (29 CFR 1926.352). |
| Memo | The memo names the two specs, shows where they differ with their numbers, and ends with questions for the design professional rather than a decision. |