3 Why is the industry shifting from on-site to off-site wall panel fabrication? The answer is simple. Prefabricating structural steel wall panels benefits everyone involved by shaving time and cost off the project, the two biggest commodities in the industry. What sets Panel Pros apart? Panel Pros has distinguished itself by offering the ability to manage the process from start to finish. We are able to better control each step: engineering, fabrication and installation. It’s a better experience because we are involved from generating the drawings all the way down the line to immediately responding to adjustments on the job site. What kind of technology does Panel Pros use? Traditional drawings show two lines to represent a wall. At Panel Pros, we work with a panel-specific software which allows us to generate 3D drawings detailing every single stud. We are able to integrate plans for plumbing, electric and HVAC systems into the design. Overall, it’s an efficient process and the technology takes out a lot of the guess work. Are certain jobs not suitable for prefab panels? We haven’t run into a job yet where we said there’s no way that can be panelized. If you can get a crane to move materials for stick framing, there’s no reason you can’t raise full panels. W/JONATHAN BACZEWSKI, DIRECTOR OF PROJECT DESIGN Q &A ENGINEERING During the engineering phase, Panel Pros works hand-in-hand with the GC to custom-design prefabricated structural steel wall panels to the specifications of the job. •  Our engineer starts by creating initial drawings calculating stud size, gauge and spacing. Once these rough drawings are agreed upon, we will create detailed shop drawings showing the placement of each stud and each piece of steel. •  Every trade is taken into account to predetermine whether a stud or header needs to be relocated or removed to make way for an elevator shaft, vent, pipe, etc. These drawings will serve as a reference by the Panel Pros crew in the shop to fabricate the wall panels. •  Meanwhile, our superintendent works on logistics. He’ll make site visits with the crane company to determine in which location it will operate. Decisions will be made about where to accept deliveries. At this time, we will also discuss working within OSHA requirements to make sure the job runs safely. PHASE 1  NEXT PHASE: FABRICATION