Here you'll find the latest information on what's happening at Strongwell. Whether you are looking for new product information, corporate news, new applications or changes and developments in any of Strongwell's large range of products - check our news section often. A lot of good things are happening at Strongwell!
Strongwell’s Bristol Division was awarded the 2007-2008 President’s Award from the United Way. The division received the honor because 90 to 100 percent of employees participated in the United Way’s Fair Share Potential donation program. An hourly “Fair Share” participant donates one hour of pay per month for one year and salaried employees give 1% of their annual salary. Strongwell is proud to employ such giving team members!
Strongwell’s HS Armor panels were initially designed for the U.S. military. The panels provided overhead protection for troops stationed in Iraq. Since then, Strongwell has advanced the ballistic panel technology to include a wider range of armor types.
Designed for ballistic resistance, the HS Armor panels are assembled using specially constructed glass reinforcements in a proprietary resin matrix. The panel components are then cured in a controlled cycle. When a projectile strikes the composite armor, the panel delaminates in a way that absorbs the energy and stops the projectile.
HS Armor panels are independently tested on a regular basis to ensure conformance to specification requirements. The fiberglass composite panels have exceeded UL 752 levels 1 through 3 and NIJ (National Institute of Justice) Levels 1, 2A, 2 and 3A. HS Armor has also been tested against storm damage. States such as Florida require 3/4” plywood to withstand a direct hit from a flying 2” x 4”, traveling at 39 m.p.h. A 1/8” HS Armor panel has been shown to deflect the beam at speeds exceeding 80 m.p.h.
The corrosion resistant properties of the fiberglass ballistic panels ensure less maintenance and a longer product life than steel alternatives. The lightweight armor panels are easy to fabricate using ordinary carpenter’s tools. Installation of panels can be accomplished with bolts, screws or industrial grade adhesive. For more information about the armor panels, download the HS Armor Panels Flyer or visit the Composite Armor section of the website.
New water play equipment at the Bridgeland’s Recreation Center in Cypress, Texas, is supported by Strongwell’s pultruded fiberglass. In the summer of 2007, the park was outfitted with a Multi-Play Climb & Slide from waterpark entertainment experts Aquatic Recreation Company. Aquatic Recreation selected a fiberglass platform from Strongwell because of the pultrusion leader’s ability to build rust-resistant, climbable structures for the waterpark industry.
The 10’ square slide platform was designed using Strongwell’s EXTREN® series 525 structural shapes. DURAGRID® T-1800 1” pultruded grating with a non-skid surface was selected for the raised platform’s flooring and stair treads. A custom SAFRAIL™ fiberglass handrail system surrounded the platform and stairs. Matching fiberglass pickets were installed to prevent children from going underneath the platform.
Unlike wood or metal structures, the fiberglass platform is well suited for a chlorine-rich waterpark environment. To insure UV protection, the fiberglass components were painted with blue and white polyurethane paint. The fiberglass slide will require minimal maintenance, resulting in a satisfied customer and a safe, solid structure for children’s water play activities.
With cellular dependency growing, signal boosting antennas are continually springing up to meet demand. Many find the structures intrusive and some municipalities require that cellular antennas be hidden from view. Concealing the antennas with standard building materials such as steel and aluminum becomes a challenge because metals can interfere with cellular signals and degrade an antenna’s performance. The solution is Strongwell’s fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The fiberglass composites are electro-magnetically transparent, making them invisible to cellular signals, radio waves, microwaves and other electromagnetic frequencies.
ComposiCon, Strongwell’s fabricator in Northern California, has worked with several cellular antennae screening applications. The fabricator knows that screening the antennas with Strongwell’s FRP structural shapes will not distort the signal strength and can be designed to achieve an aesthetically pleasing look.
ComposiCon combined Strongwell composite products to produce beautiful cellular antenna screenings, as seen on this rooftop in San Francisco. The fabricator used EXTREN® structural tube for support posts. SAFPLANK®, Strongwell’s interlocking fiberglass panels, was attached to the square tube with FRP plate clips and Strongwell’s composite nut and bolt system, FIBREBOLT®. ComposiCon completed the application with their custom fiberglass cornice. The resulting screen does not affect cellular signals, completely camouflages the antenna and blends aesthetically with the design of the building. FRP was the only reasonable option and the customers were well pleased with the results.
The primary clarifiers at the Albert Lea Wastewater Treatment plant in Albert Lea, Minnesota were in immediate need of an overhaul. The trapped gases inside the covered clarifiers had deteriorated the aluminum grating and rusted the steel framing to the point the walkway was no longer safe. The consulting engineers selected Strongwell’s fiberglass composite products as the best solution to this corrosion problem.
The new walkway was built with Strongwell’s EXTREN® series 525 beams and tubes. A SAFRAIL™ fiberglass handrail system with 2-line side mounted posts and a 4 inch kick plate was assembled on location. Strongwell’s 1.5” DURADEK® I-6000 pultruded grating was selected to serve as the new walkway’s flooring.
Rice Lake Construction, contractor for the project, found the fiberglass walkway to be much lighter and easier to install than steel. Rice Lake’s site supervisor, Brad Knight, added that Strongwell engineers were very helpful and he was very happy with the final outcome of the project.
A major national home builder selected Strongwell’s DURADEK® I-6000 fiberglass grating to safely guard a newly built drain trench in a Brentwood, California community. The concrete trench was in close proximity to the sprinkler system, so metal grating would have presented corrosion and rust issues. Safety was also important because the 3’ deep trench bordered a public bike trail.
The DURADEK® fiberglass grating solved all the issues by providing a sturdy covering for the trench that was corrosion resistant and attachable to the concrete with discrete stainless steel clips. The client was extremely satisfied with the user friendly grating and mentioned that the Strongwell team was very helpful in product selection, delivery requirements and installation assistance.
In July of 2007, the Metrolink commuter train service in California opened a new station in Buena Park, Orange County. The station is part of a new trend of “transit-oriented” development that promotes building around stations as cities look to revitalize aging areas. The Buena Park station is expected to serve 500 people daily and liven up a stagnant area currently comprising industrial buildings, townhomes and a housing complex owned by the California State University, Fullerton.
The sophisticated station design included 680 foot passenger platforms, passenger waiting area canopies and an overpass with towers and elevators. With the station playing a key role in revitalization efforts, the project’s general contractor ACE Engineering, Inc. selected Strongwell’s 2”
DURAGRATE® molded grating to complement the modern design. DURAGRATE® is primarily used as floor grating, but the product’s attractive grid pattern made the molded grating an excellent choice for the architectural screening application.
Strongwell’s DURAGRATE® has high resin content (65%) that will provide the station extended maintenance free performance. The light weight panels are also very easy to fabricate. Strongwell distributor McNichols made fabrication even simpler by providing ACE cutting templates. Mike Coleman of McNichols stated “Use of the molded pattern greatly added to the overall appearance.”
Strongwell is committed to providing the latest news, product literature and information on our up-to-date website.
- Strongwell Specifications are now downloadable in an online Word document.
- An Architectural Solutions page has been added to our Selected Markets section. Visit this new page to learn more about the benefits of fiberglass for architectural applications.
