Architectural Fiberglass, Inc.

Architectural FRP Joins IBC

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 19:27:14 +0000

Press Releases

Architectural FRP Joins IBC

This article appeared in The Construction Specifier, August 2009.

by John P. Busel

Photo courtesy DEC Architectural Composites

A NEW SECTION IN THE 2009 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE (IBC) COULD ENCOURAGE MORE ARCHITECTS, SPECIFIERS, AND BUILDING OWNERS TO USE ARCHITECTURAL FIBER-REINFORCED POLYMER (FRP) COMPOSITES IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Generally, U.S. Cities, counties, and states that establish building codes for their jurisdiction adopt sections of IBC as written, or add or subtract language to suit particular needs and preferences.

As evident in thousands of applications throughout the United States, FRP is a proven architectural material. Although it offers similar or greater strength than alternative materials (such as steel, aluminum, concrete, and limestone), FRP is lighter in weight (Figure 1). Consequently, the material costs less to ship and install, and reduces the load on buildings and support structures.

FRP practically eliminates maintenance because it does not rust like metal, rot like wood, or endure damaging moisture intrusion like terra cotta, stone, and concrete. However, maintenance depends on surface texture. Some FRP is designed to last for more than 20 years without care, while most others need attention similar to that of painted surfaces.

FRP is a cost-effective architecctural solution for restorations and new construction (Figure 2). It has approximately the same installed cost as glass-fiber-reinforced concrete (GFRC), but is lighter in weight and requires less structural support. It is also more durable, because it does not chip, stain, or deteriorate like GFRC. For restoration projects, FRP is often ideal for replicating surface features, color, and shape of the original material — it can be made to match textures ranging from smooth to coarse. For new construction, architectural FRP offers a host of custom design features limited only by the imagination.

Despite these varied benefits, architectural FRP has only enjoyed limited use in the absence of a uniform code. Instead, flame spread and other performance requirements have been established on a case-by-case basis between FRP manufacturers and local building authorities.

The primary force behind the addition of FRP language in the 2009 IBC has been the Architectural Division of American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA). To draft a proposal for code changes that incorporate fiber-reinforced polymer composites, ACMA enlisted the help of fire protection authority Jesse Beitel, senior scientist and principal for Hughes Associates in Baltimore, Maryland.

“To be in a position to present a lower bid, some manufacturers in the past would cut corners and use practices that typically led to mediocre products,” said Beitel. “The subpar performance of those products was often a reflection of the entire industry, not just the manufacturer.”

Beitel believes the additions in the 2009 IBC validate fiber-reinforced polymer as a legitimate material of construction by setting the bar high for everyone to follow.

“A key provision is the requirement FRP components delivered to a jobsite carry a third-party label from an independent code recognition authority such as Underwriters Laboratories,” he said. “Companies who use the label are held accountable to follow best practices that result in products compliant with code requirements.” ¹

STRENGTH AND WEIGHT

	Density(pcf)	Tensile (kpsi)	Compression (kpsi)
FRP	90	30	25
Steel A36	500	36	36
Aluminum 2036 T4	170	49	49
Concrete	150	1	10
Limestone	170	3	25
GFRC	150	4	5

A SAMPLE OF ARCHITECTURAL FRP PRODUCTS COVERED UNDER THE 2009 IBC

Artificial stone/rock	Doors	Planters
Balustrades	Fountains	Signage
Columns	Furniture	Stairs
Cornices	Grating-walkways	Trim
Crown moldings	Handrails	Wall panels

Detail showing how FRRP is installed directly to a non-combustible substrate or fireblocking.
Image courtesy Architectural Fiberglass, Inc

What's new: Section 2612

The new FRP section falls within IBC Chapter 26, entitled “Plastics.” The code defines FRP as “fiber-reinforced polymer” and “fiberglass-reinforced polymer,” as either term can be used in the applications under consideration. FRP materials must meet esisting code requirements for other materials in Chapter 26 for applications specified as:

interior finish;
decorative materials and trim;
light-transmitting materials; and
exterior use.

ACMA adopted the criteria used for foam plastics as a basis for FRP standards, because of how effectively the existing code section addressed fire performance of foam plastics in exterior walls. For both materials, the code explicity states specific tests must be passed for multi-story use, radiant heat, flame spread, and smoke-developed indices. Other requirements cover live, snow, wind, and earthquake loads. As the code measures performance without mandating how to achieve performance targets, manufacturers can engineer fiber-reinforced polymer material systems to be application-specific.

One of two exceptions to the new general code requirements for FRP composites applies to uses of the material as building ornamentation, such as cornices. This exception limits the size of the ornamentation and its flame spread index requirement based on the percentage of fiber-reinforced polymer material on the wall.

The code also requires FRP ornamentation to be installed directly to a noncombustible substrate or separated from the exterior wall by code-approved, fire-blocking materials. In addition, the installation’s design must meet structural conditions already established in the code.

The second exception to the general code for FRP recognizes the material can be used on buildings higher than 12 m (40 ft), in a manner consistent with other materials. This set of requirements provides assurance the materials employed in these applications are appropriate and do not create any undue hazard.

REPLACING CORNICES AND COLUMNS AT TERMINAL TOWER

More than 80 years old, the historic Terminal Tower in Cleveland, Ohio, is undergoing a major restoration to replace terra cotta components that have become a hazard due to pieces falling off. Authentic-looking fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) has replaced thousands of square feet of original material, including 32 columns that surround the tower at heights above 180 m (600 ft). Columns are 1 m (3 ft) in diameter and 9 m (30 ft) tall with Corinthian capitals.*

Each column used 14 individual FRP units to replace more than 100 distinct terra cotta units. Hundreds of lineal feet of specialized, decorative cornices for several floors of the tower have also been replaced.

In as little as 12 weeks, custom molds from the existing terra cotta were manufactured and finished parts were delivered to the site. The lightweight FRP replicas were brought into the building up freight elevators, eliminating the need for cranes and large support structures. The 32 maintenance-free FRP replicas cost about the same as four new terra cotta columns. (The sealant or caulking used with the FRP composites and adjacent material may need minimal maintenance.) Additionally, lead times with terra cotta would have added more than a year to the project.

* “Corinthian capital” is a generic term that describes the decorative style of the capital or the decorative top portion of the column. Corinthian refers specifically to one of the five classical orders of architecture created thousands of years ago by the ancients Greeks and Romans.

Architectural applications

Architectural fiber-reinforced polymer has myriad characteristics. The following diverse examples illustrate how FRP can be suitable in a range of applications.

Acoustic panels

Acoustically reflective, advanced composites wall panels produce excellent sound quality for the Chicago Symphony’s Ravinia Festival Outdoor Pavilion in Illinois.

The panels have a density of 20.6 kg/m² (4.2 lb/sf) and employ a sandwich construction. Inner and outer layers are composed of rigid panel comprised of biaxially oriented glass strand reinforcement in isothalic polyester resin. The sandwich core is a polyvinyl chloride (PVC), closed-cell, structural foam core. Special testing was required in order to demonstrate the panels’ ability to meet Class I fire resistance requirements.

In this case, the acoustician specified the wall panels must be 196 kg/m² (40 lb/sf), but any material was acceptable. The obvious solution was precast concrete, except the building was already built and the roof trusses were not strong enough to rig from. Some panels would weigh over 4000 kg (9000 lb). This novel solution was to engineer and build hollow panels out of FRP, which could be lifted from the roof trusses and installed onto the backup structure. After installation, the hollow spaces inside the double wall panels would be filled with dry sand, thus increasing the panels to 196 kg/m². There are nearly 60 tons of sand in these panels.

Architectural fiber-reinforced polymer has myriad characteristics. Moving forward, the challenge lies in educating design/construction professionals on its benefits and strengths compared to alternative materials.

Decorative elements

David H. Murdock, owner of Castle & Cook and Dole Foods, purchased a huge, abandoned textile mill site with plans to create a research campus for biotechnology. The first building and center of the North Carolina Research Campus is the Core Lab in Kannapolis, which has since been surrounded by various facilities built by several state universities.

In keeping with the character of the historic mill town and surrounding area, the architect was tasked with creating a building with a traditional design but on a large scale. After analyzing requirements for a 1.8-m (6-ft) tall limestone cornice for the building, the architect specified architectural FRP as a lighter-weight alternative for decorative elements. FRP was cast into elements, such as original cornices, pediments, fascia, window surrounds, and pilasters, with a high degree of detail and dimensional accuracy. These FRP pieces were also less costly to install, especially at higher locations.

Small amounts of cast stone and structural glass-fiber-reinforced concrete were used for applications at lower elevations. The FRP wass produced in an aggregate finish that replicated that of stone at a fraction of the cost for both product and installation. All FRP components were produced with a Class I fire-rated formulation.

Substrate qualities

Pictured on the cover is the 4.6-m (15-ft) diameter cupola dome at One Rodeo Drive, a high-end retail building. The dome has more than 10,000 Venetian glass mosaic tiles bonded to its surface. It was manufactured in two halves, and then delivered and installed over a period of three hours.

The use of FRP eliminated the need for scaffolding and dramatically reduced onsite labor. The FRP also provided a more accurate and waterproof substrate for the distinctive mosaic pattern.

The underside of the single-skin FRP laminate incorporated integral ribs to add stiffness where required. The FRP application is engineered for dead load, seismic, and wind requirements. Fire resistance of the dome interior was accomplished with a post-applied, fire-resistant FRP material.

The manufactured dome uses Class I fire-retardant (FR) resin, a special grade of resin. Not all resins are FR-grade. Composites can be formulated to provide a range of fire resistance characteristics. For the first time, these codes standardize on requiring a Class I rating based on ASTM E 84, Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials. The city of Beverly Hills required the dome interior have additional spray-applied fireproofing, just as would be used on structural steel.

The future of FRP

Moving forward, the challenge lies in educating design/construction professionals on the benefits and strengths FRP composites can deliver when compared to alternative materials. Most engineers are very comfortable using other materials because they may have studied them in school.

It is important to remember that for more than a half century, architectural FRP has been specified to restore buildings with artistic, historical, and landmark significance, or create architectural statements for new construction. Charles Wittman, chair of ACMA’s Architectural Division, explained how code recognition builds on this heritage.

“Every time we pursued a new application for architectural FRP in the past, we had to demonstrate all over again how fiber-reinforced polymer products can be designed to meet established flame spread standards,” he said. “With the new code in place, we go from reactive to proactive.”

Bill Kreysler, an architectural fiberglass specialist, discussed the subjectivity that prevailed in the absence of a uniform code.

“Without the code language, decisions about when, where, how, and why to use FRP were subjective and based to a large degree on the perrsonal opinion and/or prejudices of officials,” he said. “Some were better informed than others and made better decisions.”

Architectural fiber-reinforced polymer is suitable alternative for various, major external and internal applications. The new International Building Code recognition can assure building officials fiber-reinforced polymer is properly employed in these applications. The code also creates new opportunities, encouraging the FRP industry to advance technologies that better serve design/construction professionals in the architectural community.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Author

John P. Busel is director of the Composites Growth Initiative of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA). He has almost 30 years of experience in designing and manufacturing FRP composites, and has led market development activities for the use of composites in civil infrastructure applications. Busel is chairman of American Concrete Institute (ACI) Committee 440 on Fiber-reinforced Polymers. He can be reached via email at [email protected].

Abstract

Fiberglass composites will be added to the 2009 International Building Code (IBC). Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials will have to meet existing code requirements for other materials in Chapter 26, ‘Plastics,’ for specified applications. Despite its features and benefits, architectural FRP has seen only limited use without a uniform code. Consequently, flame spread and other performance requirements were established on a case-by-case basis between FRP manufacturers and local building authorities. This article examines the new code requirements against a backdrop of myriad FRP applications.

REWORKING THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL TOWER

A 4 x 8-m (13 x 25-ft) tower of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) replaced an old rotating unit near collapse at the Akron Beacon Journal’s building in Ohio. FRP materials enabled the manufacture of an art deco design that matched the original Indiana limestone construction.

The tower uses state-of-the-art electronic display technology and is a new focal point for downtown Akron. Individual FRP panels were easily mounted to a new steel support frame. The material was chosen because of its light weight and ability to reproduce the complex shapes in an efficient and economical manner. Decorative stone elements would have been cost-prohibitive and created an aunsupportable burden on the existing structure. FRP elements enabled the project to take less than seven months from concept to completion. Furthermore, reworking the tower in stone would have cost $700,000 to $800,000, compared to $75,000 in fiber-reinforced polymer.

Photos courtesy Architectural Fiberglass Corp.

FROM TERRA COTTA TO FRP IN THE BIG APPLE

At 327 Central Park West in New York City (top photo), parapet-level replication of terra cotta cornice was necessary. Approximately 64 lineal meters (210 ft) of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) replacement cornice includes integral ‘Spanish Tile’ Mansard roofing. The molded-in color and finish combine a gray façade with burgundy tiles and plaques, which are indistinguishable from the originals. The 16-story structure was built in 1929 and is a recognized New York City landmark. This FRP cornice is part of almost 32 km (20 mi) of replicated cornice work by the manufacturer that met the rigorous scrutiny of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for shape, detail, and color-matching accuracy.

The main advantage of choosing FRP over terra cotta and other masonry products is the material’s significantly lower weight, which reduces structural steel support requirements and related labor and installation costs. FRP also allowed individual elements to combine into larger units that further contributed to simpler design and lower installed costs.

At 580 Park Avenue (bottom photo), the design challenge included recreating integral lions’ heads incorporated into a 914 mm (36 in) high and 864-mm (34 in) projection cornice.

The 113 lineal meters (370 ft) of durable FRP on this 14-story landmark built in 1923 looks like terra cotta, but eliminates the potential danger of aged pieces failing, breaking off, and falling. Due to the precise replication, it is difficult to determine where replacement FRP has been used, proving the material’s suitability for aesthetically sensitive restoration projects.

At Cleveland, Ohio’s Terminal Tower, scaffolding is being removed from the top portion of the tower, revealing the decorative features that have been replaced with fiberglass replicas. It is nearly impossible to distinguish the new FRP from the structure’s original material, which is more than 80 years old.
Photo ©Shawn Sterba.
Photo courtesy Architectural Fiberglass, Inc.

Acoustically reflective FRP walls at Chicago Symphony’s Ravinia Festival Outdoor Pavilion in Illionois.
Photo courtesy William Kreysler & Associates, Inc.

MasterFormat No.

06 80 00 — Composite Fabricating

Key Words

Division 06
Architectural applications
Fiber-reinforced polymer
International Building Code

¹ This articles focuses solely on architectural applications, as the current IBC addresses FRP in non-structural applications. Fiber-reinforced polymer in structural applications has its own set of requirements, which IBC does not focus on at this time.

The post Architectural FRP Joins IBC appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

Clock Tower Puts Beacon In a New Light

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 12:16:35 +0000

Press Releases

Clock Tower Puts Beacon In a New Light

This article appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal, October 9, 2005.

$500,000 project does more than give time, temperature

By Bob Dyer

Beacon Journal staff writer

KATHY KOCHANSKI / Special to the Beacon Journal
The Beacon Journal’s clock tower will display the time, temperature, news, advertising and event information.

The term “Beacon Journal clock tower” has just become obsolete.

This time, you’re getting a lot more than a clock. This thing is a scoreboard. Or maybe a video game. We’re not exactly sure yet.

We can flash it, blink it or stream it. We can roll it, scroll it or hold it. We can change the colors. We can even give you full-color animation.

Yes, you’ll still get the time and temperature, just as you have for the last 66 years. But our new $500,000 tower will also provide news, advertisements, event information and whatever else our mad programmers dream up.

The lower display consists of a four-sided message board, each side 12 feet wide and 3 ½ feet high. That’s where the news and ads will go.

The upper screens, 7 feet by 3 ½ feet, will alternate between the time and temp, “Akron Beacon Journal” and the logo of the newspaper’s Internet partner, Ohio.com.

Forget the neon lights that went up in 1939 and the gaudier ones that went up in 1955. Forget the floodlights that went up in 1966. Today we’re into pixels.

Each “bulb” is actually three tiny diodes — red, green and blue. Now, an artist would tell you that the three primary colors are red, yellow and blue. But to create the entire spectrum of light, the magic trio is red, green and blue.

The company responsible for the displays, Daktronics, is the same firm that created the gargantuan scoreboard at Jacobs Field and thousands of other sports and entertainment displays around the world.

Short of a hologram, this is about as sophisticated as a sign can get.

By contrast, the reconstruction of the tower itself marks a return to the past.

When the Art Deco building was designed in 1930, it was owned by a different newspaper group — Scripps-Howard, whose logo is a lighthouse. So the original tower was supposed to resemble a lighthouse.

Each time the clock was replaced, the revamped tower moved farther from the original style. But now, thanks to sketches by Beacon Journal graphic advertising designer Mike Ayers, the tower is much more in keeping with the original vision.

Put those two elements together — ancient tower, ultra-modern electronics — and we’re “back to the future,” as Beacon Journal publisher Jim Crutchfield puts it.

First, the future.

Northern lights

The new boards came to life in a little town near the Big Sioux River on the plains of eastern South Dakota.

This is a region where the roads run either directly north and south or directly east and west. A lot of them are dirt, and all of them are flat.

If you take the biggest one going north from Sioux Falls, you’ll arrive about an hour later in Brookings, S.D.

“Population 18,504,” says the sign — and fully 10 percent of those folks work at Daktronics.

What on Earth is this sophisticated company doing in the middle of the prairie? Simple. It was a solution to brain drain.

Brookings is home to the state’s largest university, 11,000-student South Dakota State. By 1968, two SDSU engineering professors had grown weary of watching their best and brightest flee after picking up diplomas. So the profs decided to launch a company that would require the services of electrical engineers.

They incorporated as Daktronics — a blend of Dakota and Electronics.

The early projects were rudimentary sports scoreboards and simple electronic voting machines for state legislatures.

KEN LOVE/ Akron Beacon Journal
A crane hoists segments of the Beacon Journal’s clock tower into place Sept. 27 at 44 E. Exchange St. Architectural Fiberglass Inc. of Akron made synthetic stone that looks and feels like the real thing.

But today, Daktronics is the worldwide leader in programmable displays, a force so powerful that it drove the gigantic Sony Corp. right out of the North American scoreboard business.

Daktronics has signs and scoreboards all over Las Vegas… at Times Square… at every Olympic venue since 1988… at 1,000 colleges… and at 80 percent of the arenas and stadiums used by professional baseball, football and basketball teams — including not only the Jake but Cleveland Browns Stadium and The Arena Formerly Known As Gund (aka Quicken Loans Arena).

Feeling blue

Photo courtesy of Daktronics
Workers test the Beacon Journal’s wraparound message board at the Daktronics factory in Brookings, S.D.

The company’s big breakthrough came in the mid-1990s. Until then, Sony had so ruled the market that the brand name JumboTron had nearly become the generic name for video scoreboard.

But Sony’s big CRTs (cathode-ray tubes, same as traditional televisions) were outrageously expensive, ungodly heavy and lacking in brightness. And they seemed to break down a lot.

The solution appeared to be light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. But nobody could figure out how to make decent blue ones. The red ones were fine. The green ones were fine. But the blue ones simply weren’t bright enough.

Blue was tricky because blue has the shortest wavelength of visible light.

For 20 years, all of the biggies — Sony, RCA, Hewlett-Packard, Matsushita — had been pounding away in their research labs, always in vain. Finally, a guy working for little Nichia Chemical Industries in Japan figured it out.

All of a sudden, you could create a huge full-color display with LEDs.

Daktronics produced its first LED video scoreboards in 1997, shipping them to the University of Oklahoma, Clemson and Washington State.

Since then, the company’s business has exploded. Daktronics has products in 70 countries and so many orders that it is constructing a 100,000-square-foot addition to the 250,000-square-foot factory it already owns on a 40-acre complex next to Interstate 29.

Sports is only one element of the boom. The current rage is commercial projects such as the Beacon Journal tower. Those range from small, one–color signs in front of fast-food restaurants to the 42-by-58-foot full-color monster headed for the Emperor Hotel and Casino in Macau (an island next to China with even more gambling action than Vegas).

A third niche is highway signs. Daktronics has done business with 20 state transportation departments as part of the growing national trend toward “Intelligent Transportation Systems,” which use display boards to warn motorists of delays.

How hot is that product line? If Daktronics never gets another order, the factory will be busy through March.

The operation is already running seven days a week, with three shifts on weekdays. The “jobs available” bulletin board contains so many pieces of paper that the hallway looks like a ticker-tape parade gone awry. The project manager for the Beacon’s $218,000 order, Trevor Moser, is all of 22 years old, straight out of SDSU.

“Growth is always a delicate balance,” says vice president Reece Kurtenbach, son of one of the co-founders.

As business challenges go, that’s a nice one to have.

The inside of the factory is the electronics version of Willie Wonka. Big, funky, computerized machines do everything from fabricating the metal for the support cabinets to cutting the printed circuit boards, popping in the resistors and soldering entire boards with one swipe.

But there would be no place to hang the Beacon’s fancy new displays if it weren’t for a considerably lower-key company located in an ancient part of Cleveland.

History of the Beacon Journal Tower

June 1930: Building opens at 44 E. Exchange St.

November 1939: First clock installed. Oval shape. Has two sides, facing north and west. Uses neon tubes and 60 bulbs around the edge that tick down the seconds.

April 1955: New four–sided clock installed. Uses red numbers and white letters accented with green and yellow neon tubing.

November 1966: Revolving clock tower erected. Two sides feature big red plastic “BJ” letters. Other two sides alternate between time and temperature using 152 white floodlights, 45 watts each.

October 2005: “Back to the future” tower unveiled. Tower goes back to original Art Deco style of 1930, while two sets of display boards use cutting–edge electronics to display numbers, letters, logos and animation.

Re-create the past

Bessemer Avenue is in a well-worn neighborhood on the city’s near east side. Inside a tall metal fence topped with barbed wire, behind the “Beware of Dog” sign, you’ll find a small group of folks who are in the business of making new stuff look old.

Or old stuff look new. Depends how you want to think about it.

Much like the tubes-to-LEDs breakthrough that sent Daktronics into the stratosphere, this business is thriving because of a technological development of its own.

The Beacon’s original tower consisted of Indiana Limestone. Most of it still does. But near the top, where the electronics start, it is now fiberglass masquerading as stone.

Architectural Fiberglass Inc. is able to mimic all kinds of masonry for a whole lot less money.

One of the company’s best customers is Coon Restoration of Louisville, the firm that did the heavy lifting on the Beacon’s project.

“We’re trying to re-create the past, not reinvent it,” says Steve Coon, whose company has renovated such places as the Cleveland Convention Center, the Stark County Courthouse and churches throughout Stark and Summit counties.

Because of the huge cost savings, historic buildings that once may have been torn down now can be restored.

The initial problem with fiberglass was its lack of durability. Ultraviolet rays from the sun ate it alive. But now, with the development of UV inhibitors, the life expectancy of projects such as the Beacon tower is at least 50 years.

Reworking the tower with stone would have cost $700,000 to $800,000, rather than the $75,000 that is going to Architectural Fiberglass.

Cost is not the only factor. Another is speed. During a previous job, Coon says, “we were waiting a year and a half for a piece of terra cotta.”

Fiberglass also is far easier to handle because it is dramatically lighter. The Beacon’s new synthetic stone weighs about 2 ¼ tons — 200 times less than the real thing, according to Coon.

But put the stone and fiberglass side by side and you’re hard – pressed to see any difference. They even feel the same.

Jigsaw puzzle

In some ways, replicating stone is every bit as exacting as lining up diodes.

Working from detailed blueprints, the folks at Architectural Fiberglass use a variety of media — wood, foam, fiberglass, nails, glue, whatever it takes — to build an exact replica of what they’re trying to create.

Next, they make a mold of the replica.

The mold is then spray-painted to ensure that all the different substances have the same general texture.

When the mold is finished, it is sandblasted to create pores. Then a gel coat is applied to create the desired texture.

Only then is the fiberglass sprayed into the molds.

There’s even more to it than that — and a lot of it is unpleasant. The shop is loud and smelly and staffed by people wearing respirators and plastic gloves. Electric sanders, high — volume spray guns and big fans create a constant din.

Even more fun: “Almost every chemical in here will self-ignite” if left alone after it is mixed, owner Mike Dobronos says. When that happens — which is often — the workers simply carry the flaming containers to the rear of the shop and let them burn out on top of big drums filled with water.

The private, 25-employee company uses fiberglass to mimic a wide variety of materials. Walking through the shop on a sunny July day, you see tall gold-colored crosses destined for a church in Toronto and a wooden model of a huge baseball glove expected to wind up at a major league ballpark.

Coming together

The old stuff from Cleveland and the new stuff from South Dakota were introduced to each other during the final week of September.

The hulking fiberglass sections were raised to the top of the parking deck with a crane, as were two big wooden boxes containing the electronics. They were assembled on the deck, then lowered to the street before being lifted to the top of the tower in two sections on Sept. 27.

End of story? Not quite.

A placed called “the Beacon” needs a light. So the company’s facilities manager, Mike Dean, had a plan: Take a 10,000 — watt light, stick it on top of the new tower and shoot that puppy straight up into the night sky.

The light is so bright that Dean had to get special permission from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA cleared him for takeoff in July — which cleared the way for some additional creativity.

Using filters, the Beacon’s beacon could shine red on Christmas… green on St. Paddy’s Day… perhaps gray for January and February and March….

How long will the new tower last? Well, the life expectancy of the LEDs is almost 12 years, and their modular design makes them easy to replace. The tower should be good for more than half a century.

But if tradition holds, long before the tower crumbles, somebody in a corner office will probably decide it’s time for a new look.

Holograms, anyone?

The post Clock Tower Puts Beacon In a New Light appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

IBC Certification

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 12:05:13 +0000

Press Releases

Architectural Fiberglass receives certification under Ashland IBC listing and labeling program

This article appeared in FR Strategist, Winter 2011.

For decades the value of FRP in architectural applications has been largely unrealized due to the lack of uniform building code recognition. Section 2612 of the 2009 International Building Code (IBC) now significantly expands the use of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composites for building construction and allows architects, specifiers and building owners to harvest the many benefits of FRP in architectural applications. Prior to 2009, FRP products were limited to use in exterior building facades at heights below 40 feet. The new code now allows fire retardant fiberglass to be used in all areas of construction when in accordance with code requirements.

Ashland Performance Materials working in tandem with ACMA’s Architectural Division and Southwest Research Institute developed a listing and labeling program to establish code compliance for fabricators using Ashland fire retardant resins. Architectural Fiberglass, Inc. (AFI) in Cleveland, Ohio is the first fabricator to undergo the rigorous fire testing and quality control inspections required under Section 2612 of the IBC code. Having passed all the requisite tests, AFI is now listed under Ashland’s umbrella certification for Hetron FR 620T-20M resin and can thus label its architectural FRP products accordingly indicating compliance with fire retardancy and stringent manufacturing requirements under the IBC code. When an FRP component bears a testing laboratory’s IBC compliance label, architects and professional engineers may call out the credentialed FRP in construction plans.

Mike Dobronos, President of Architectural Fiberglass (Cleveland, Ohio) put it best when he said, “Establishing the new IBC listing and labeling standard for fire resistant FRP in architectural applications was an enormous undertaking. It took months of hard work establishing the testing criteria and the quality control manuals for these applications. Being first is never easy, but this new IBC compliant label gives us a great competitive advantage in the building products market.”

Architectural Fiberglass custom designs and manufactures decorative Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) ornamentation for the restoration, reproduction and new construction industries. AFI has had over 20 years of success manufacturing, designing and installing fiberglass products. They manufacture all of their FRP composite products with Ashland Hetron and Modar fire retardant resins to meet a flame spread rating of 25 or less and smoke density under 450 as characterized by the ASTM E-84 Tunnel Test at typical 1/8″ glass mat laminate.

The post IBC Certification appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

Architectural Fiberglass Rebuilds Cleveland

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 19:47:59 +0000

Press Releases

Builders Exchange Profile

This article appeared in FR Strategist, Spring 2008.

For nearly 20 years Architectural Fiberglass Inc. (AFI) has custom designed and manufactured decorative ornamentation for the restoration, reproduction and new construction industries. Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) parts are chosen over other material because its lightweight, cost effective, corrosion-resistant and virtually maintenance-free. FRP shapes can be curved, corrugated, ribbed or contoured in a variety of ways, with varying thickness. Pound for pound, FRP is stronger than concrete, steel or aluminum, and it has weathered extremes for more than 50 years without sign of deterioration.

Fire-retardant FRP can be used to replicate wood, stone, concrete, terra cotta, marble, granite, copper, steel and other popular building materials. It is versatile enough to match existing structures in both color and texture. As President and Founder, Mike Dobronos explains, “Architects send us stuff and we match it. We build what people want us to mimic. You can see it and you don’t know that it is fiberglass.” Mike goes on to say, “FRP pieces are less expensive to use not so much because they are in themselves more economical,

but because they are so much lighter and thus easier to place and fasten, without the need for heavy scaffolding, cranes or specialty workers. Lighter weight also means that heavy structural supports are not necessary.”

Many occurrences of fire-retardant fiberglass are being installed throughout Cleveland, Ohio. It can be observed in restoration projects such as the W.T. Grant Building downtown, the Keith Building and West Technical High School. When St. Peters Church on 17th and Superior went through restoration, the building was discovered to be too frail to hold the weight of stone replacement pieces for its 65-foot by 28-foot bell tower. AFI was called upon by project structural engineers to recreate the bell tower from flame-retardant FRP. The dramatic reduction in material weight enabled the project’s successful completion.AFI relies on Ashland HETRON® FR620T-20M fire retardant polyester resin for all its building projects.

When properly fabricated, HETRON FR620T-20M resin produces Class I ASTM E-84 composites. “We use it in everything,” says Mike Dobronos.

More recently, AFI landed a contract to participate in the $40 million makeover of the Grand Dame of Cleveland’s historic downtown structures — the Terminal Tower. Once the tallest skyscraper outside of New York City, the Terminal Tower rises 52 stories and 708 feet into the Cleveland skyline. AFI is working to replace the damaged terra cotta and limestone that sheathe the 81-year-old structure. They have provided 32 fire-retardant FRP columns and hundreds of feet of specialized cornices for several floors of the structure. In as little as 16 weeks, AFI can make a mold from the existing terra cotta and deliver pieces to the site that cannot be distinguished from the original stone. It would take more than 36 months to procure the same architectural pieces in terra cotta. The 32 fiberglass columns that AFI produced for this project cost about the same as four new stone columns. And the fire-retardant fiberglass columns can be transported up in the elevator as opposed to renting a heavy crane for $200 thousand or more.

Architectural Fiberglass Inc. owes a debt of thanks to the American Composites Manufacturing Association (ACMA) who has been working tirelessly to introduce Fire-Retardant FRP into the International Building Code (IBC) to promote the acceptance of composites in building construction. During the International Code Council (ICC) public hearings last February, the Fire Safety Committee voted to accept ACMA’s proposal as the initial step to including Fire-Retardant FRP into the IBC and outlining the proper use of fire-retardant fiberglass in non-structural applications. ACMA past President Bill Kreysler stated, “This is a major step forward in getting composites treated the same way as traditional materials. This has the potential for growing the architectural market for ACMA members.” Fire-Retardant FRP made with Ashland HETRON FR620T-20M resin is opening doors for cost-efficient urban renewal of historic city centers all over America.

The post Architectural Fiberglass Rebuilds Cleveland appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

Fiberglass “A Gateway to Green Building Innovation”

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 18:02:19 +0000

Press Releases

Fiberglass "A Gateway to Green Building Innovation"

Fiberglass Rebuilding Cleveland's Historic Landmarks

Terminal Tower, 49th floor fiberglass dentil cornice and corinthian columns replacing terra cotta.

Restoration and new construction projects using Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites is fast becoming a viable alternative to traditional building materials. The ability of fiberglass to reproduce shapes and sizes of complex configurations allows designers the freedom to recreate historic shapes and finishes without sacrificing the authentic look.

Restoration projects using fiberglass products are gaining further popularity and opening the eyes of owners, builders, architects, engineers, and developers. The restoration market for FRP has not yet blossomed anywhere near its potential. This is due to the unawareness of the benefits of FRP and the lack of specialized fiberglass manufacturing companies. Cleveland’s own Architectural Fiberglass, Inc. (AFI) has been providing architectural elements throughout the country for over 20 years. “Our education efforts to the construction industries have been convincing architects and contractors the long-term benefits of FRP” says General Manager Mike Dobronos.

And AFI’s efforts are becoming visible, because as one looks around Cleveland, there is a lot of fiberglass being installed all over the city. Chances are you have seen AFI’s fiberglass in action masquerading other materials on restoration projects downtown such as the W.T. Grant Building, The Huntington Bank Building, and the Keith Building. Mike says “Sometimes we send architects out to look at projects and they come back asking where the fiberglass is because it impossible to differentiate from the material it is mimicking”. AFI produced hundreds of square feet of decorative terra cotta on the West Technical High School restoration. Individual damaged terra cotta units were replaced with fiberglass replicas. It was less expensive and faster to replace the terra cotta with FRP, rather than repair and re-glaze the damaged terra cotta units. FRP elements are scattered throughout the building façade. Except for the installing contractor, no one else really knows were the 250+ fiberglass units are installed.

When St. Peter’s Church on 17th and Superior was restored, engineers realized that the 155-year-old structure would never be able to support a new belfry tower that was removed in the 1920’s after a fire damaged the church. AFI reproduced the original 65′ tall by 28′ wide fiberglass tower that housed three of the churches original massive bronze bells. An architect later asked how such large stones were erected at such a height. Easy, when using fiberglass panels that are about 200 times less weight than real stone.

West Technical High School Restoration, Decorative fiberglass scroll elements.

Terminal Tower, 48th and 49th floor fiberglass dentil cornice and Corinthian columns replacing terra cotta.

AFI replicated the textured stone/brick patterns with false mortar joints consolidating multiple individual stone elements into larger fiberglass panels. The fiberglass units were pieced together like a puzzle and mapped out on detailed shop drawings provided by AFI. The fiberglass joints were filled with a sealant that contained aggregate to simulate mortar. The FRP panels matched the decorative brick pattern design of the existing church structure below.

More recently, AFI has been contracted for the ongoing makeover of Cleveland’s 80+-year-old Terminal Tower. Authentic looking fiberglass has already replaced thousands of square feet of terra cotta including 32 columns that are 40″ dia by 30′ tall that surround the tower at heights over 600 feet. Hundreds of lineal feet of specialized cornice for several floors have been replaced with fiberglass including a cornice at the 15th floor that spans over 10 feet in height. In as little as 12 weeks, AFI can make custom molds from the existing terra cotta and deliver pieces to the site that cannot be distinguished from terra cotta originals. The lightweight fiberglass replicas are brought into the building up freight elevators to the appropriate floor for installation. Fiberglass eliminates the need for cranes or other massive structures that would be required for terra cotta replacements. The 32 columns that AFI produced for the project cost about the same as 4 new terra cotta columns with lead-times that would have exceeded over one year.

St. Peters, 65′ tall by 28′ wide fiberglass belfry replicating stone on existing building below.

Fiberglass on New Construction

Terminal Tower 15th floor, 10′ tall fiberglass cornice replacing terra cotta cornice.

Though frequently associated with old buildings, many of these distinctive fiberglass elements are also incorporated into new structures, especially bank, university, library and government buildings. Local new construction projects outfitting AFI’s fiberglass materials include massive 48″ diameter columns at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson; Fiberglass cornice and columns used to mimic stone to eliminate the need for heavy support framing at the Elyria Municipal Courthouse; And new fiberglass dentil cornice replicating limestone at Kent State University Franklin Hall was manufactured at a fraction of the weight, replacing hazardous limestone cornice that was falling off the building.

AFI replaced The Akron Beacon Journal 25′ tower which was designed, fabricated, and erected in less than a few months to replace the old rotating sign that was near collapse. AFI manufactured the architectural art deco design matching the original Indiana limestone building.

Western Reserve Academy, Hudson OH, 48″ dia by 28′ fiberglass

Elyria Municipal Courthouse, 40″ dia columns and cornice replicating stone.

The tower now includes the latest high tech electronics and is a new focal point for downtown Akron. Individual fiberglass panels clad a new steel frame that supports the structure. Fiberglass was chosen because of its light weight and ability to reproduce the complex shapes in an efficient and economical manner. Decorative stone elements were cost prohibitive and the existing frail structure could not support the weight. The fiberglass elements enabled the project to be completed in less than 7 months from concept to completion. Reworking the tower with stone would have cost $700,000 to $800,000, rather than the $75,000 in fiberglass.

Recent new construction projects touting AFI’s fiberglass include Garfield Middle School, Cleveland State University Law Building, John Carroll University Dolan Center, and the Fireman’s Memorial between Cleveland Browns Stadium and the Great Lakes Science Center.

Since AFI’s birth, they have assembled thousands of stock molds that can be reused to build a massive variety of columns, cornice, balusters, cupolas, domes, fascia panels, finials, moldings, sculptures and other decorative elements. Some of AFI’s well-known customer base includes a variety of hotel chains, Disney, and Major League Baseball.

Akron Beacon Journal, 25′ tall by 13′ wide Fiberglass Tower replicating Indiana Limestone.

Building Green With Fiberglass Composites

Green building has become an increasingly important focus for new construction. When fiberglass is compared to other traditional products such as concrete or terra cotta, the total life cycle assessment of fiberglass material contributes to Green Building contributions such as the LEEDS Program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). When the impact of the energy consumed to produce a given product, the installation of a product, and the environmental sustainability is taken into consideration, fiberglass products use far less energy than other traditional materials. Fiberglass can be used in ways that are less energy and carbon intensive than other building materials.

Processing cement for example, requires mining, extraction, and burning of raw materials that emit ample amounts of carbon dioxide. Once the cement is processed, It can require up to 90% more cementitious material to produce the same product from fiberglass. Not only does the cementitious product require more material, but it also wieghs far more than its fiberglass counterpart. The light weight fiberglass contributes to overall savings due to lower transportation costs, faster construction thereby causing less distress and disruption to the community, less dead weight requiring smaller and lighter building structural requirements, and less heavy lifting equipment. The overall carbon footprint for fiberglass throughout its life cycle is far less.

FRP is often chosen over other construction materials as environmentally sustainable and having a life cycle that exceeds other products. Fiberglass is not only a low maintenance, long lasting durable product, but also is resistant to rust, rot, and corrosion. By doubling the useful lifespan compared to other products, fiberglass’s durability reduces the need for replacement, repair, or repainting which makes it more earth friendly. The durable nature for FRP products reduces the overall negative environmental impact. Fiberglass is unaffected by termites and its use as a replacement to wood virtually eliminates toxins from exterior painting and pesticides.

Other Fiberglass Advantages

The new innovative technologies and molding techniques make fiberglass indistinguishable from authentic materials. “Fiberglass is not just a shiny white plastic looking material similar to a boat hull or fiberglass shower surround” says Mike Dobronos. Fiberglass can be molded into a number of different finishes to mimic wood, stone, terra cotta, concrete, steel, granite, copper, and other popular building materials. Finishes can range from a smooth dull matte to a high gloss polished look, or a slight texture to rough stone texture. FRP parts are chosen over other material because it is lightweight, cost effective, corrosion resistant, and is virtually maintenance free. Fiberglass products are manufactured with fire-retardant resins and the color and finish is molded in the surface. Because FRP begins with liquid polymer resins and formable glass fibers, the finished shape can be curved, corrugated, ribbed, or contoured in a variety of ways, with varying thickness. Per unit of weight, FRP is among the strongest commercial material available. Pound for pound, FRP is stronger than concrete, steel or aluminum.

Though fiberglass is very practical when compared with the material, maintenance and installation cost of other traditional materials. One should not assume that the material cost of fiberglass is low, but the installation methods and procedures boast lower installed cost and lower life cycle cost. Stone or terra cotta decorative ornaments can become dangerous when a building’s supporting structure deteriorates to carry the load of a solid, heavy material. Usually stone or terra cotta features require additional robust framing and attachment areas. Fiberglass elements typically weigh 1.5 to 2.5 lb. per square foot; and can be attached to a building without heavy steel supports or structural rehabilitation of the attachment areas on a building. Intricate details that are molded into fiberglass such as brackets, medallions, steps, drip edges, and curves add rigidity and strength to fiberglass elements. In most cases minimal pressure treated wood blocking or galvanized steel studs is sufficient for attachment.

Contractors love the fact that fiberglass is so lightweight, it in turn lowers their all around installation cost and it is easier to install than traditional materials. Fiberglass ornaments can be easliy screw-fastened, bolted, or hung onto a concealed clip system. Usually at 3/16-inch typical thickness general-purpose scaffolding and manual placement of fiberglass materials is sufficient. General contract workers and carpenters are frequently capable of installing fiberglass without heavy lifting equipment and cranes.

Fiberglass on Historical Landmarks

Fiberglass is gaining substantial recognition with preservation and landmark agencies as they are realizing the advantages and are accepting FRP as a viable alternative to traditional materials. Preservation agencies are skeptical at first but after seeing examples and samples of fiberglass, it is a convincing and faithful alternative to more costly and less durable materials. In most cases using traditional materials is cost prohibitive, and it is difficult to find companies qualified and able to produce such decorative materials. Historic landmarks have been repaired or replaced with fiberglass elements including the rear façade of The White House, home to U.S. Presidents and countless other Colonial and Victorian restoration projects.

The Future of Fiberglass

AFI and the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) have made great strides with the introduction of FRP to the International Code Council (ICC). ACMA is the largest trade association serving the composites industry and ICC is the organization that publishes the International Building Code (IBC) that is the primary model building code used throughout the United States. Before 2009 FRP products were not recognized in the IBC and fell into the category of plastics limiting its uses on building facades. ACMA’s Architectural Division developed, and submitted a code change proposal to the ICC. The proposed code change added a specific section for FRP Composites into the IBC which addressed several end-use applications, and provides test requirements and regulations for the FRP industry. Through the exhaustive ICC public hearing process, the ICC approved and adopted ACMA’s proposed code changes that will be published and will be effective in the 2009 IBC. This code change is a significant step towards recognition of FRP Composites by the prescriptive building codes of the USA.

AFI has recognized the use of FRP in all phases of construction and has undertaken the task of informing and educating contractors, architects, and developers the benefits of fiberglass. At this time there are no clear, long-term life expectations of fiberglass. This is because fiberglass products have been installed on buildings for more than 60 years, with no significant sign of deterioration. For more information about fiberglass products please contact Architectural Fiberglass, Inc.

The post Fiberglass “A Gateway to Green Building Innovation” appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

Sustainable Substitution

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 12:39:20 +0000

Press Releases

Sustainable Substitution

This article appeared in Properties Magazine, September 2009 issue.

Fiberglass provides green alternative to traditional building materials

Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer (FRP) is fast becoming a viable green alternative to traditional building materials. Its ability to reproduce the look of stone, terra cotta, steel, granite, copper and various other popular building materials allows designers the freedom to utilize a wide range of shapes and surfaces without sacrificing an authentic look — while providing numerous advantages as an environmentally sustainable solution.

The total life cycle assessment of fiberglass material can place it above traditional products, such as concrete or terra cotta, under green building initiatives like the United States Green Building Council’s LEED Program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). When the amount of energy consumed to produce, install and maintain a given product is taken into consideration, fiberglass products use far less than other traditional materials. Fiberglass can be used in ways that are less energy and carbon intensive than other building materials.

Processing cement, for example, requires mining, extraction and burning of raw materials that emit ample amounts of carbon dioxide. Once the cement is processed, it can require up to 90% more cementitious material to produce than the same product built from fiberglass. Not only does the cementitious product require more material, but it also weighs far more than its fiberglass counterpart. The lightweight fiberglass contributes to overall savings due to lower transportation costs, faster construction thereby causing less distress and disruption to the community, less dead weight requiring smaller and lighter building structural requirements, and less heavy lifting equipment. The overall carbon footprint for fiberglass throughout its life cycle is far less.

FRP is often chosen over other construction materials as environmentally sustainable and having a lifecycle that exceeds other products. Fiberglass is not only a low maintenance, long lasting durable product, but also is resistant to rust, rot and corrosion. By doubling the useful lifespan compared to other products, fiberglass’s durability reduces the need for replacement, repair or repainting, which makes it more earth friendly. The durable nature for FRP products reduces the overall negative environmental impact. Fiberglass is unaffected by termites and its use as a replacement to wood virtually eliminates toxins from exterior painting and pesticides.

Another advantage of fiberglass is that it is a low conductor of heat. Despite its relatively thin skin, the use of fiberglass allows for a lower requirement of insulation. The thermal integrity of the material minimizes heat loss during winter and heat gain during summer. Including fiberglass can help to maximize energy performance, one of the key points of achievement in the LEED Program. Fiberglass domes and cupolas used as roof structures, or cornice, panels and pilasters used as wall coverings, can be an economical and decorative way of improving energy savings.

The green advantages are complimented by the authentic look provided by FRP products, says Mike Dobronos, general manager of Cleveland’s own Architectural Fiberglass, Inc. (AFI), which has been providing architectural elements throughout the country for over 20 years. Chances are you have seen AFI’s fiberglass in action masquerading as other materials on restoration projects in downtown Cleveland, such as at the Terminal Tower (see Properties, August 2009), the W.T. Grant Building, the Huntington Bank Building and the Keith Building, according to Dobronos.

“Sometimes we send architects out to look at projects and they come back asking where the fiberglass is because it impossible to differentiate from the material it is mimicking,” he says.

Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer offers additional advantages. It is corrosion resistant, fire-retardant and is virtually maintenance free. FRP is among the strongest commercial material available per unit of weight; pound for pound, FRP is stronger than concrete, steel or aluminum. And although one should not assume that the material cost of fiberglass is low, the installation methods and procedures often boast lower life cycle cost.

Finally, contractors love the fact that fiberglass is so lightweight, Dobronos says. The lower weight of the product in turn lowers all around installation cost and it is easier to install than traditional materials. Fiberglass ornaments can be easily screw-fastened, bolted or hung onto a concealed clip system. Usually at 3/16-inch typical thickness, general-purpose scaffolding and manual placement of fiberglass materials is sufficient. General contract workers and carpenters are frequently capable of installing fiberglass without heavy lifting equipment and cranes.

The post Sustainable Substitution appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

Towering Achievement

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 09:19:36 +0000

Press Releases

Towering Achievement

This article appeared in Properties Magazine, August 2009 issue.

Extensive renovation program revives Downtown Cleveland landmark

By Lou Kren | Photos by Ken Krych

RELIC RENEWED The Terminal Tower has battled the harsh North Coast environment for80 years, and time has taken its toll. Ongoing repair and restoration work is underway toprepare the structure for coming decades.

The best address in the best location in the nation: 50 Public Square. So it’s been since 1928, when on 50 Public Square and ultimately rising 708 feet above it the Terminal Tower opened its doors. The $179 million price tag for what was originally known as Cleveland Union Terminal is dwarfed by the structure’s value as a Cleveland icon and the city’s most recognizable landmark. The dream of brothers Oris Paxton and Mantis James Van Sweringen was to be only 14 stories, sitting on top of the city’s rail hub. Instead the steel-frame structure, with decorative limestone and terra cotta exterior, topped out at 52 stories — atop 280-foot caissons — and when completed was the world’s second tallest building, behind only the Empire State Building in New York City. (As the two were built nearly simultaneously, the Terminal Tower reportedly was the world’s tallest for a few months prior to the topping off of its Gotham counterpart.) Today, as a Forest City Enterprises property, it serves as the centerpiece of mixed-use Tower City Center, with the entire Terminal Tower complex comprising 557,000 square feet on 34 acres.

Time took its toll

At 80 years old, the tower has battled the harsh North Coast environment for decades, and time has taken its toll. From floor 34 on up to the flag pole can be considered the Terminal Tower’s roof. Exposed to the elements for so long, the upper floors bore scars from water infiltration, including rusting steel that supported the terra cotta façade. Chunks began loosening and falling, with cornices failing and needing to be strapped into place, leading Forest City to assess and ultimately address the problems. In October 2005, the scaffolding went up from the 37th floor to the top so engineers could in effect “touch every inch of the façade” to determine the extent of water damage, according to Dennis Breiding, managing the renovation project for the Construction Division of Forest City Enterprises. Forest City brought in a structural engineering company, Barber & Hoffman Inc., of Cleveland, to study the problem, and tapped Provenzale Construction, also of Cleveland, to handle construction management as an extension of Forest City Construction.

“The original construction had trapped steel into the mortar,” explains Breiding, discussing the investigation phase prior to renovation work. “Steel flanges had rusted and expanded, acting like a hydraulic jack, and the expansion was tearing the building apart. Anything hanging would have to be torn off. We determined that the building was failing exponentially and we had to figure out how to stop that failure.”

Unique plan, unique methods

At that point, Forest City faced having to spend three years developing drawings and placing work out to bid — an extraordinarily long and expensive proposition. The decision was made, instead, to examine and fix the exterior floor by floor. With a $20 million-plus construction budget, Forest City, Barber & Hoffman and Provenzale teamed to investigate and develop bidding for nearly every area, according to Breiding. Essential for funding the project were historic tax credits. Receiving those credits required a unique presentation to state officials.

“We didn’t have an exact renovation plan, but we knew what methods we would use to achieve it,” Breiding recalls.

Replacing terra cotta with terra cotta was no option, as the steel holding the terra cotta could no longer support the weight. The alternative: fiberglass cornices, with embedded aluminum extensions that would bolt to new steel. Lighter and easier to manufacture and install, fiberglass pieces would remain watertight and allow for removal of any heavy, hanging material. Architectural Fiberglass Inc., of Cleveland, was awarded the contract to supply the cornices and other fiberglass shapes for the project.

Liquid plastic, a coating often employing a fiberglass mesh component, was selected to repair terra cotta and waterproof the upper exterior.

Terminal Tower: Tackled Floor by Floor

The following floor-by-floor summary of exterior work completed or still underway during the renovation of the Terminal Tower, from a report compiled by structural engineering firm Barber & Hoffman, attests to the massive scale of this undertaking.

51st to 49th floor: replaced all mortar joints and replaced the 49th floor cornice with fiberglass; replaced deteriorated pieces of terra cotta and coated all terra cotta with liquid plastic.

49th to 48th floor: replaced all mortar joints and replaced deteriorated terra cotta on parapet wall while fully restoring the wall; replaced the 48th-floor cornice with fiberglass; coated all terra cotta with liquid plastic; installed new roof and vent.

48th to 46th floor: replaced mortar joints and replaced terra cotta on all 16 columns with fiberglass; restored ornamental iron on windows and replaced copper at column bases; replaced 46th-floor terra cotta cornice with fiberglass and coated all terra cotta and ornamental iron with liquid plastic.

46th to 44th floor: replaced mortar joints and deteriorated terra cotta pieces; replaced walkthrough concrete roofs and deteriorated walkthrough parapet walls; replaced 44th-floor buttresses with fiberglass and replaced concrete base; replaced buttress roofs; restored 44th-floor parapet wall; installed new roof and coated walls with liquid plastics.

44th to 41st floor: replaced 43rd-floor cornice; replaced mortar joints; replaced all 16 terra cotta columns with fiberglass; restored ornamental iron on widows and coated with liquid plastic; replaced deteriorated terra cotta pieces; replaced copper at base of columns and on 41st-floor cornice.

41st to 37th floor: replaced mortar joints and deteriorated terra cotta pieces; replaced copper on turret walls; replaced terra cotta with limestone on turret walls; replaced 37th-floor roof.

37th to 34th floor: replaced cornice stone and replaced steel lintels with stainless lintels; replaced mortar joints and deteriorated terra cotta pieces; replaced 34th-floor roof; replaced 34th-floor cornice with fiberglass; coated 34th-floor parapet wall with liquid plastic.

34th to 15th floor: replaced mortar joints; cleaned exterior; replaced caulk and deteriorated stone pieces; coated column capitals with liquid plastic; replaced 15th-floor cornice with fiberglass.

15th to 4th floor: replaced mortar joints and deteriorated stone pieces; replaced caulk; restored deteriorated balconies.

4th floor to ground level: replaced mortar joints and replaced deteriorated stone and terra cotta; replaced caulk joints.

Time to get to work

With historic tax credits granted, Provenzale sent out bid packages, the first being for scaffolding from the 37th to the 52nd floor, erected by January 2006 and becoming a familiar Cleveland skyline sight. Other bid packages included painting, patching and application of liquid plastic, replacement of 16 upper and 16 lower exterior columns with fiberglass, and replacement of decorative hanging terra cotta with fiberglass shapes, according to Dave Provenzale, who is handling the Terminal Tower project for Provenzale Construction.

Though differing in detail from floor to floor, the exterior renovation was summarized by Michael Mazzocco, a structural engineer with Barber & Hoffman, in a project report.

“The biggest problem encountered was water infiltration into the building,” he wrote. “To eliminate the water infiltration, mortar joints were cut out and replaced with new mortar [in fact, points out Breiding, beginning on floor 37 and continuing to the top of the building, every joint was crowned out], various deteriorated pieces of terra cotta and stone were removed and replaced, roofs were removed and replaced, and drains were repaired and/ or replaced and cleaned. The upper portion of the tower was coated with liquid plastics. Where the terra cotta was determined to be beyond repair, all material was removed with the underlying material, either concrete or steel, being restored. Once the material was removed, the concrete was replaced, steel was cleaned and painted, and new material was installed. Based on the extent of deterioration, it was decided to either use original material, such as stone or terra cotta, or replace with fiberglass replicas duplicated from salvaged material.”

As one of the first renovation tasks, crews toiled in rarified air, performing extensive repairs on the cast-iron cupola at the base of the flagpole. As originally constructed, the cast iron served as a form for poured concrete. Over the years, the cast iron had cracked and rebar in the concrete had rusted. Workers cleaned and restored ornamental iron or replaced it with new steel cornice and coated the iron with liquid plastic, replaced the handrail, cleaned the existing metal deck and coated it with liquid plastics, and replaced all cupola windows.

New computer-controlled LED lights ring the exterior at this lofty height. The new system can be programmed for roughly 30 presets and changed remotely for events such as baseball games, football games, holidays and more. The array of colors is almost infinite and there are plans to create one setting to mirror how the building looked in the early 1950s.

Great efforts were made to prevent water penetration. Water entry over the years had resulted in damage to interior walls on lower floors. A tour revealed the layers of materials and coatings placed to watertighten the entire exterior. But the work didn’t end with façade renovation. During this renovation, all 2,050 windows in the tower are being replaced to provide better insulating qualities and mimic the originals. In addition, all exterior surfaces will have been cleaned by project’s end.

Project gets a lift

MATERIAL IMPROVEMENTS Fiberglass cornices and other shapes,supplied by Architectural Fiberglass Inc., were used to replace damagedterra cotta.

Renovation has not been limited to just the outside. Vertical access was addressed as Kone Elevators & Escalators, of Cleveland, spent more than three years modernizing 21 elevators, replacing controllers, hoist machines, hoist ropes, door operators, fixtures and other components. Cab interiors were remodeled, providing an appearance similar to previous interiors but with new wood trim and ceilings.

“The biggest challenge we encountered was safely removing the 1920s-era DC hoist machines from the mechanical rooms and out of the occupied building,” says Tim Clements, Cleveland branch manager for Kone. “Safety is obviously our number-one concern not only for the tenants but for our workers. The old hoist machines weighed in excess of 6,000 pounds. We had to break them down to pieces weighing no more than 3,000 pounds due to floor loads and the fact that the service elevator had a capacity of only 3,000 pounds.

“The existing hoisting equipment is based on inefficient technology, whereas the Kone elevators utilize the Kone EcoDisc hoist machine,” Clements says. “This permanent-magnet synchronous motor is 50% more efficient than traditional two-speed traction elevators.”

What's next?

Almost five years in, the Terminal Tower renovation is coming to an end, but Forest City Enterprises hopes to continue building on the momentum. The wish list includes restoration of the observation deck to its original grandeur as well as restoration of the Van Sweringens’ living space. But in the meantime a pat on the back is warranted.

“We beat the five-year timeline — ahead of schedule and under budget,” Provenzale says proudly in describing how the principals and subcontractors worked together to tackle this massive project.

And for Forest City’s Breiding, this project represents much more than just restoration of the company headquarters.

“This project is not only a city icon but also is our company headquarters,” he says, “and we are very proud of it.”

The post Towering Achievement appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

The joy of creating

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:36:54 +0000

Press Releases

Builders Exchange Profile

A Builders Exchange Member Company Profile, Builders Exchange Magazine

Fabricating building parts lets workers understand

The joy of creating

Architectural Fiberglass, a national player in its specialized niche, is making inroads into the regional market by touting FRP’s advantages

Workers at Architectural Fiberglass enjoy the fabrication of pieces to go on some of the nation’s most unusual structures.

Architectural Fiberglass Inc., a designer and fabricator of decorative fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) ornamentation for both restoration and new construction, is one of only a few such companies in the area. “What we do, there are only few companies that can do it,” says Mike Dobronos, president of the firm. “We work in 40 states. But the market here in Cleveland is just beginning to blossom for the product.”

The firm began 15 years ago with the manufacture of domes and cupolas for religious, civic and commercial institutions. It, like so many other good ideas, was born as the solution to a problem, when the founder, Mike Dobronos, was faced with a deteriorating aluminum dome on his own house of worship. After thorough research, he decided that fiberglass would be the best material to use to rebuild the dome — and that his own firm would be the best one to do it.

In 1999, the company opened its own manufactory on the East Side of Cleveland to create the building parts. Since its birth, it eventually was able to assemble thousands of stock molds that can be reused to build a massive variety of columns, cornices, balusters, cupolas, domes, fascias, finials, moldings, louvers, pilasters, sculptures and other parts. The large assemblage attests to the growing popularity of the material, and to its versatility.

A tour shows not only the collection of past work, but workers busily involved in creating a host of new pieces. It’s worth a trip. Suited to decorative applications where it would be prohibitive to hire an artisan to work in more traditional materials, FRP has been used to create everything from the onion domes of Orthodox churches to the Middle Eastern architecture of mosques and other religious buildings, as well as the Art Deco ornamentation of 1930’s buildings. Visitors to AFI can see everything from giant baseball gloves to gilt angels.

Special effects

The many attractions in the World of Disney show how imaginatively FRP can used to create theme decorative elements, as can the Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, an AFI project. Indeed, Las Vegas has been called the architectural fiberglass capital of the world, due to the great variety of architectural effects that FRP has been called on to reproduce there. FRP offers exact specifications with unlimited possibilities, without repetition. “The Disney quality control specs are very, very strict,” says Steve Dobronos, the founder’s son. “But that is one of the clients that helped us get started. Now, people put us into their specs.”

Architectural Fiberglass provides customers with designs, drawings, patterns, molds and parts. The work is specific enough to take a special skill. “We train our own people, so they come with no preconceived habits,” says Steve Dobronos. However, they do only fabrication, not installation work, due to a lack of time. “We used to be installers, and we can recommend them,” adds Mike.

“Cornices and columns become easy to install,” he goes on. The FRP elements are prefitted by AFI and numbered for ease of installation. Noncorrosive fasteners such as masonry screw bolts and clips can attach the pieces directly to the building. Gaps between the piece and building itself are sealed with silicone caulk or elastomeric polyurethane.

FRP is versatile enough to match existing structures in both color and texture. “Architects send us stuff and we match it,” says the senior Dobronos. “We don’t have a color chart. We build what people want us to mimic. You can see it, and you don’t know that it is fiberglass.”

Fiberglass can be any shape, size or appearance,” he goes on. “It’s not just white plastic.” It can be curved or contoured and then finished to mimic wood, stone, terra cotta, concrete, steel, marble, granite, or copper. Columns and balustrades can be made as load-bearing parts to hold weight, or as covers to wrap around structural supports.

Steve Dobronos shows off some of AFI’s work.

In the yard at AFI can be seen pieces to go on many buildings, including the new Akron Beacon Journal clock tower.

FRP pieces are less expensive to use not so much because they are in themselves more economical, says Mike, but because they are so much lighter and thus easier to place and fasten, without the need for heavy scaffolding, cranes or specialty workers — general workers can do the work. the lighter weights also do not need heavy structural supports or structural rehab.

Thus, their light weight makes them easier to install, cost-effective, corrosion resistant and almost maintenance free. Fiberglass weighs less than two pounds per sf of surface area, and can be produced to be watertight. Pound for pound, it is stronger than concrete, steel or aluminum. Domes can be up to 40 ft in diameter, up to 60 ft high. FRP also does not rust or rot, and it’s heat- and chemical resistant and fire retardant.

Coatings also vary. Many area churches have domes and other ornamentation that shine with 22-karat gold safeguarded by Tedlar, an Architectural Fiberglass Specialty. Gold flake gel coat is another ecclesiastical option. While UV-gel coats do not need paint, and molded in surface gel coats are resistant to airborne contamination, it can suffer some aesthetic UV degradation, uniformly, if coated in a dark color. And its light weight means that pieces must be fastened securely, and if used in areas accessible to the public, they will find it hard to the touch but acoustically hollow sounding when struck. FRP has been used for 50 years with no significant sign of deterioration.

The creative process

At AFI, the fabrication of a structural element takes many steps. It all begins in the pattern shop, where the company makes a mold to create the product. The gel-coat is introduced into the mold to provide color, and then resins are used as a matrix strengthened with fiberglass reinforcements. Cores, stiffeners and attachments can be molded in to produce special performance needs.

FRP in action

Let’s take a look at some of AFI’s work on local projects. FRP has been used in new construction, such as Crocker Park and John Carroll University’s Dolan Hall, as a cost-effective alternative to create almost any look.

It can also be seen in rehabs such as the W. T Grant Building in downtown Cleveland, on the Keith Building’s 19th and 20th floors, or on the West Technical High School rehab into apartments. And when the 65-ft by 28-ft St. Peters Church at 17th and Superior was rehabbed recently, it was found that the building was too frail to hold the weight of stone replacement pieces. AFI was called in by the structural engineers to create the right components. Later on an architect had to ask how the crews got the stone up that high. Easy, when it’s not stone. In Hudson, the columns at Western Reserve Academy were so wide, the school turned to FRP as an affordable, beautiful substitute.

Another project where FRP came through was the new Akron Beacon Journal Tower, 12 ft square by 28 ft tall, in which the eight original, but too often revamped, light beacons had to be recreated as something more authentically Deco. “We like to do things that take more doing, like this,” says Mike, about the replacement of the stone and steel with the visual artistry of FRP. It is the challenge that thrills him, the versatility of his chosen medium, and the pure joy of creation.

The post The joy of creating appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

Akron Beacon Journal Tower

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 17:50:44 +0000

Press Releases

Akron Beacon Journal Tower

Architectural Fiberglass forms enable project to be done quickly & economically

The Akron Beacon Journal needed a new tower designed, fabricated and erected quickly and economically to replace an old rotating sign that was near collapse. They wanted the tower to include the latest high tech graphics panels while keeping with the art deco design style that the building was originally created in.

Architectural Fiberglass, Inc. was contracted to manufacture the architectural elements that had to match the original limestone building. Skilled craftsman at AFI meticulously hand carved and shaped patterns for molding, faithfully following the design drawings… going the extra step to carefully reproduce the complex sculptural shapes.

After completion of the molds the decorative fiberglass elements were manufactured. AFI pre-assembled the fiberglass units to insure that they would fit with each other and would correctly match up with the steel frame work that supports the structure.

Architectural Fiberglass, Inc. custom produced textured colored samples to determine the best match for the finish that was then applied to the fiberglass parts.

Quality custom architectural fiberglass elements hand made by Architectural Fiberglass, Inc. enabled the tower project to be done quickly and economically… in less than seven months from concept to completion.

The tower is now a handsome new focal point for downtown Akron, Ohio.

The post Akron Beacon Journal Tower appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..

Architectural Elements

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 08:39:54 +0000

Press Releases

Architectural Elements

This article appeared in Composite Technology, July/August 1996

By Susan Bassett, Infrastructure Editor

Architects Draft FRP for Decorative Elements

Offering ornate detail at significant cost savings, FRP ornamentation replaces traditional materials.

For specialty applications, fiberglass decorative architectural elements are fast becoming the first choice among building owners and architects. Not only is the installed cost of fiberglass less than that of traditional materials, but composites are easier to install and maintain.

Technological advances such as new finishes that better simulate traditional material make fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. In addition, heightened outreach efforts to the construction industry are convincing architects and contractors of the long-term benefits of FRP.

“It’s like trying to introduce a new tool to a carpenter. Like any other new material, it has to be presented in a waythat connects to what has been done in the past,” says William Kreysler, president of William Kreysler & Associates Inc. (Penngrove, Calif.), a composites manufacturer specializing in custom-built architectural elements.

Fiberglass decorative elements make it possible to achieve certain ornate styles. In many cases the cost would be prohibitive to use traditional materials, assuming one could find an artisan capable to do the work. FRP is ideally suited to decorative applications because intricate detail can be molded into thin fiberglass components. In fact, ornate details, such as steps, curves, brackets and lentils add rigidity to the material, says Charles Wittman, president of Architectural Fiberglass Corp. (Copiague, N.Y.)

Architectural elements encompass a wide range of decorative features including steeples, balconies, column covers, cupolas, dormers, friezes, pediments, railings, and window sills. Though frequently associated with old buildings, some of these distinctive elements are also incorporated into new structures, especially bank, university, library and government buildings. FRP is being used in the renovation of old buildings and in new construction.

FRP has already gained a majority share of the steeple market for several reasons. First, steeples are usually white, and white gel coats have historically weathered better than many colors. Second, their inaccessibility makes repainting extremely difficult and costly, making low-maintenance fiberglass a logical alternative.

Cost Savings Drive Acceptance

Complex fiberglass architectural elements boast lower installed cost and lower life-cycle costs compared to traditional decorative materials, such as painted wood, stamped steel, cast iron, copper, limestone, sandstone or terra cotta. However, these lower costs should not be interpreted to mean that the fiberglass elements themselves are cheap. Use of long-lasting materials and quality molding techniques produce a cost-effective product, but the most significant cost savings of these systems usually comes from reduced installation and maintenance costs.

At only 3/16- to 3/8-inch typical thickness, most fiberglass elements are substantially lighter than traditional materials. When these elements are installed high on a building, general purpose scaffolding and manual placement is sufficient. In contrast, traditional materials can require cranes and heavy scaffolding.

Another major cost savings comes from easier attachment methods. Typically, fiberglass elements can be screwed or bolted onto the existing structure without heavy steel supports or structural rehabilitation of the attachment areas on the building. Finally, labor cost savings can be achieved because general contract workers are frequently able to attach fiberglass elements.

“Fiberglass architectural elements can provide a ‘weight-loss’ system for buildings,” says Joe Czarnecki, national sales manager for Fibertech Corporation (Pendleton, S.C.). Large stone cornices and other outcroppings can become hazardous when the building’s supporting structure becomes too weakto carry the load of a solid, heavy material. But fiberglass elements, which typically weigh 1.5 to 2 lb. per square foot, can be attached to a building with less robust structure.

Cost savings also accrue over time from low maintenance. FRP does not rust, rot or erode. With highly weather- and UV-resistant gel coats, fiberglass surfaces need no paint. High-quality gel coat surfaces are expected to last at least 20 to 25 years (and possibly more) without significant deterioration. When deterioration does begin, the surface can be painted to extend the life of the elements. “Basically, you get the first several paint cycles for free,” Wittman says.

FRP on the White House

The balustrade on the rear façade of The White House has been restored using fiberglass components. Other landmark buildings now sporting fiberglass elements include the Plaza Hotel and the Equitable Building in New York City, the James Flood Building (see Figure) in San Francisco, St. Joseph Cathedral in San Jose and many others.

When faced with the replacement of deteriorating 70-year-old terra cotta cornices and window sills for the 40-story Equitable Building, owners feared that the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission would require replacement with new terra cotta. However, Joe Micceri, restoration manager for the building’s owner, couldn’t find anyone qualified and able to produce the 62,000 square feet of terra cotta needing replacement. Architects for the project suggested fiberglass replacement and won approval from the preservation agency.

However, Micceri remained skeptical and required the work to be done in phases. After several years of work and $13 million, the deteriorated terra cotta was replaced with fiberglass elements produced by Rocca & Noto Inc. ( Long Island City, N.Y.), which has now adopted the name Architectural Molded Composites Inc. No longer skeptical, Micceri says, “I’m very satisfied with the material; it blends in so beautifully that nobody knows the difference if I do not point it out.” More than 10 years after installation, Micceri reports no problems with the fiberglass material and praises its

Outfitting New Buildings

Fiberglass are also being specified for new buildings. The Taj Mahal Casino ( Atlantic City, N.J.) and many other “theme” structures sport glitzy fiberglass decorative elements. In addition, new buildings replicating a period look are receiving fiberglass ornamentation.

A 10,000-square-foot Georgian-style residence in Jacksonville, Fla., is currently receiving fiberglass cornices. According to Mitchell McDaniel of Jacksonville-based McDaniel Contractors Inc., comparable wood or stucco cornices would cost at least twice as much as the fiberglass systems when material and installation costs are considered. McDaniel contacted several fiberglass manufacturers to find suitable stock molds for two different styles and sizes of cornices. The building has already received approximately 120 lineal feet of a cornice supplied by Architectural Fiberglass. Installation of this 4-ft-high by 2-ft-deep cornice was filmed for a recent broadcast of “Remodeler’s Showcase,” a television show available via cable and satellite. A smaller cornice produced by EDON Fiberglass ( Horsham, Pa.) has been scheduled for installation.

Residential uses are not for everyone, though. McDaniel estimates that ornamentation with these types of fiberglass cornices is restricted to residences costing $500,000 or more.

Design Considerations

When incorporating fiberglass architectural elements, several factors should be considered, not the least of which is aesthetics. To complement the architectural style of the building, the appropriate finish should be selected. Fiberglass can be molded into a number of different finishes to mimic wood, stone, terra cotta, concrete, steel or other materials. Additionally, in instances when people will interact directly with the elements, it is necessary to take into account the texture and solidity of the material. For example, polymer concrete works well as a substitute for many types of stone and concrete.

Manufacturers now provide a wide variety of stock elements. However, if an exact replica is needed, custom design and fabrication services are available. Loading (due to wind, snow, earthquake, pedestrians, and workers) and structural attachment of the fiberglass to the building must also be examined.

When decorative elements will be attached to an existing building, precise building measurements are crucial. Architectural Fiberglass Corp. prefers to have its own employees take measurements on site to ensure that any potential problems are identified before the elements are molded.

Fiberglass Specialties Inc. ( Henderson, Texas) integrated a number of different finishes when it produced a roof, cupola, and spire for the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. The project successfully replicated the look of slate shingles, copper and sandstone to match other parts of the existing building. After assembly on site, the entire roof, cupola and spire were lifted in one piece and placed atop the masonry tower. Three hours later, installation of the 18-ft wide, 45-ft tall structure was completed by bolting it to the existing masonry.

Element Design

Manufacturers have several design choices when creating decorative elements. In Fact, architects and contractors often request help from fiberglass manufacturers when writing the element specifications. For example, when specifying a cornice surrounding the top of a building, designers must consider how the

cornice joints coordinate with other linear elements on the building installation to determine the optimal number of sections. Cornice sections are usually 4 to 10 ft long and 12 to 60 inches tall.

The method of joining sections is also considered. When lap joints are used, one edge of a section overlaps the edge of an adjoining section. In contrast, when butt joints are used, the sections meet but so not overlap. Architectural Fiberglass Corp. prefers to build butt joints with full-depth walls (returns) at both ends of every cornice section. Once installed, the end returns of each roofed cornice section completely enclose a portion of the building. This design creates self-reinforcing modular rigid sections that often need no internal bracing. The full-depth returns (typically 6 to 42 inches deep ) also provide structural support to the roof of the cornice. Another advantage of this design is greater fire protection, since the use of flame-retardant resins in the end returns creates natural fire stops between cornice sections.

In contrast to butt joints with end returns, lap joints may be designed to fit sections together. On each cornice section, one edge steps down; the other edge is flat so that it will overlap the stepped edge on the adjacent cornice section. One advantage of these joints is that the sections can be cut in the field to the exact length needed. Because they use less material, the as-manufactured cost of this design is typically lower. However, the use of lap joints may increase installation costs, especially if internal bracing between the building and the fiberglass sections is required. Thermal expansion of different materials must also be considered when using internal bracing.

Manufacturing Process

Spray-up is the most commonly used manufacturing process for architectural elements. At Fibertech Corp. (Pendleton, S.C.), approximately 80 to 85 percent of the company’s architectural moldings use spray-up techniques, reports production manager Ray Longnecker.

Molds are commonly made of fiberglass and flexible rubber. Open fiberglass molds provide the most stability and can withstand higher volume use without distortion. Rubber molds are less dimensionally stable but provide more flexibility for making parts containing undercuts.

The most commonly used gel coat or exterior architectural applications is UV-inhibited NPG (neopentaglycol) isophthalic gel coat, which gives the best resistance to weather and UV light. The color of the gel coat can be customized to match the building, other decorative elements on the building or the caulk that will be used to seal joints between element sections.

Two types of resin are typically used for architectural elements. General purpose polyester resins are least expensive, but they are not formulated to retard fire. Class I flame-retardant polyester resins are formulate to meet the Class I standards, as defined in the ASTM E84 test method for measuring flame spread.

End-grain balsa wood is sometimes used in sandwich core FRP construction to produce additional stiffness. Wittman recommends sandwich core construction whenever a flat surface is more than 12 inches square.

If the finished part will be installed as a corner element, one of two manufacturing processes can be used. If only a few corners are needed, two straight pieces can be molded, miter cut and joined together. Architectural Fiberglass Corp. typically lays up fiberglass mat inside the corner to strengthen the joint. If quantities dictate, a corner mold can be built to produce a one-piece corner.

Installation

To facilitate installation, most manufacturers pre-fit pieces at their facility before shipping them to the site. Typically, adjoining sections are numbered and sent with a diagram showing the location of each piece. Careful shipment and handling of the bulky fiberglass shells is needed to prevent distortion or breakage.

Lightweight architectural elements are usually fastened to the building using screws or bolts. Masonry screws or bolts can attach the fiberglass elements directly to the building. More frequently, screws fasten the fiberglass to treated wooden blocks that are preinstalled on the building. To resist corrosion, all fasteners should be stainless steel, galvanized or coated with a corrosion-resistant material. In special cases where the decorative element does not include its own “roof,” special internal bracing may be built to attach the element to the building.

Since many elements are built in modular sections, a critical consideration when installing adjoining sections is to allow sufficient gaps between sections for thermal expansion. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for fiberglass is approximately 1.1×10 -5 inch/inch/ oF, which means that the fiberglass will expand and contract approximately twice as much as stone or steel. To prevent problems associated with varying CTE. Wittman suggests using a gap of 3/8-inch when sections are up to 12 feet long.

Once the fiberglass has been attached to the building, flashing is installed. Gaps between the building and the fiberglass elements are sealed with elastomeric polyurethane or silicone caulk. Gaps between element sections are also sealed.

Polymer Concrete Adds Needed Weight

Another composite material used in architectural elements is polymer concrete, a formulation of thermoset resins and aggregate that simulates stone. In some applications, particularly those within reach of pedestrians, a heavy material may be desirable to provide both the look and feel of stone or concrete. Kreysler and Associates advises that high-density core fiberglass with polymer concrete surface finish be used when the installed material will be within 10 feet of the ground. This heavy material is designed to simulate the solidity of stone so that there is no hollow sound if a passerby happens to tap it. The archway (see Figure) illustrates use of this high-density material to simulate sandstone blocks.

The company manufactures the simulated sandstone by first spraying a mixture of gel coat and sand to create the visible outer layer. Because the mixture contains approximately 40 percent sand, it is “barely sprayable,” says Kreysler, so the company has modified its spray equipment to handle the heavy mixture.

The high-density core is then manufactured by sandwiching a one-inch layer of polymer concrete between two layers of fiberglass. After being removed from the mold, the panels weight 10 to 15 lb. per square foot. A stone-like surface is created by sand-blasting approximately 10 to 15 mils of the resin from the exterior surface.

The exposed polymer concrete surface is even less susceptible to UV degradation than high-quality UV-resistant gel coat, since a high proportion of the surface is sand. The polymer concrete surface also has several advantages over real stone because it does not absorb moisture, dirt or graffiti.

Stone-like polymer concrete surfaces can also be created on lightweight fiberglass panels. The manufacturing process for these panels is similar to that described above, except that the 1-inch layer of core polymer concrete is replaced with a lightweight core or eliminated altogether. Lightweight matching elements are installed at heights more than 10 ft above ground level. Thus, FRP provides seamless visual integration of both heavy and lightweight materials, providing optimal properties based on their placement on a building.

Rapidly Expanding Market

Fibertech Corp. reports a 50-percent increase in demand over the past three years. “Architects are starting to come around,” Longnecker says. Kreysler estimates the current market size for composite architectural components at $30 to $50 million annually and growing at a healthy pace. “I would not hesitate to say that the market is likely to grow at the rate of 20 percent a year,” Kreysler says.

Sales of some types of architectural elements will outstrip others. According to Ben Bradshaw, sales and marketing manager of Fiberglass Specialties, the steeple market is already mature, due to fast FRP acceptance. Fiberglass Specialties sells about 500 to 800 steeples each year. In contrast, cornices and other fascia elements should grow significantly due to increasing requirements to inspect and upgrade old buildings. New York City requires fascia inspections of older buildings every five years and Chicago is expected to adopt a similar requirement. Deterioration discovered during these inspections should prove to be a market driver for manufacturers of FRP replacement elements.

Deborah Sack of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, states that the agency “prefers to see architectural replacement with original materials.” However, the agency recognizes that many traditional materials (especially stone, terra cotta and wood) can be too costly. Synthetic replacement materials are approved on a case-by-case basis and the agency has approved many projects using fiberglass or fiber-reinforced concrete. Last year, a terra cotta cornice was replaced with a new fiberglass cornice on the Armani Exchange Building in the Soho Cast Iron Historic District in Manhattan.

Industry Actions Can Speed Acceptance

Fiberglass element manufacturers can take several actions to gain a larger share of the architectural elements market. First, the industry can continue work to educate building owners and the construction trades about the material. Manufacturers also often need to continue to work with owners, architects and contractors to ensure that all aspects of the project have been integrated. Wittman believes that clear specifications outlining the responsibilities of all parties involved in a project provide a good starting point. The publication and dissemination of the Composite Fabricators Association’s ( McLean, Va.) “Guidelines and Recommended Practices for Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Architectural Products” is a positive step. The book includes a guideline specification to help architects and engineers draft clear, complete industry standard specifications for FRP decorative material.

Kreysler recommends that the industry can speed fiberglass acceptance by providing better documentation of past successes and clear, long-term expectations. While some fiberglass elements have been installed on buildings for more than 30 years, no compilation of these projects is available. Architects and contractors are looking for materials with proven track record but typically get only anecdotal evidence concerning fiberglass elements. Convincing documentation would allow fiberglass manufacturers to spend less time proving the capabilities of the material and more time discussing the project at hand.

Finally, some composite manufacturers are communicating in terms that the construction industry commonly uses. Since architects and builders are familiar with cast stone, Kreysler and Associates often describes its high-density core, FRP as “Synthetic cast stone.” Furthermore, the company specifies traditional attachments techniques for its products because architects, engineers and installers are already familiar with these methods.

The post Architectural Elements appeared first on Architectural Fiberglass, Inc..