Adventure Aquarium

Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J., can keep its underwater residents and visitors comfortable for less thanks to fully composite, carbon fiber reinforced, CarbonCast® High Performance Insulated Wall Panels.

The CarbonCast exterior walls at the 90,000 square-foot Adventure Aquarium replace conventional shear reinforcement with non-corrosive, high-strength C-GRID® carbon fiber grid. The 41-foot panels have three-inch outer and inner wythes enclosing four inches of continuous foam insulation to deliver a healthy R-16. The high R-value—provided at the same cost as conventional precast with R-12 or lower—significantly reduces Adventure Aquarium’s heating and cooling costs, an important factor for delicate aquatic life.

C-GRID connects the inner and outer wythes of CarbonCast High Performance Insulated Wall Panels to yield a fully structurally composite panel. And because carbon fiber has low thermal conductivity, the panels provide an even insulation profile; they do not have problems with hot spots or cold spots that can plague other wythe connection options.

The exterior of the panels have a steel form finish with reveals. The panels were painted with a whimsical aquatic scene for stunning visual appeal. The interior has a one-time pass with a steel trowel for a smoother finish.

The load bearing and non-load bearing panels were engineered to incorporate man doors, double doors and window openings.

As an alternative to conventional precast, tilt-up or masonry construction, CarbonCast High Performance Insulated Wall Panels install quickly and require only minimal space on the job site during erection. CarbonCast precast technology can also be found in architectural panels, double tees and a variety of multi-family residential applications.

The CarbonCast High Performance Insulated Wall Panels were fabricated and installed by AltusGroup founding member Oldcastle Precast.