← Glossary
Walls

Element joint

An element joint is the connection between two prefabricated elements on site, where structure, insulation, air barrier and cladding must be made continuous.

Also known as panel joint, element connection, wall panel connection, site joint, panel-to-panel joint

Where two wall panels meet, or a wall meets a floor or roof element, the factory-made layers stop. The joint must fix the elements together structurally and close every layer: insulation, air and vapour barrier, wind barrier and cladding.

Good element joints are designed in advance, with overlaps, sealing tapes and loose cladding boards prepared in the factory, so the site work is quick and repeatable. They are among the most important details in panelized construction.

Related terms
AirtightnessAirtightness describes how little uncontrolled air leaks through a building envelope, measured with a blower door test. Dimensional toleranceDimensional tolerance is the permitted deviation from a specified size, such as how much a wall panel may differ from its drawn length, height or squareness. Panelized constructionPanelized construction builds a house from flat prefabricated wall, floor and roof panels that are assembled on site.
From term to production line

Talk to Randek

Building this at scale? Tell us what you produce and we’ll point you to the right system.

Talk to your team Back to the glossary
Talk to your team