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2010 News

Fiberglass Selected to Replace Timber Screening Pyramids

February 2, 2010 | 2 comments

The Vintage Club is one of America’s most prestigious country club communities. Located at the base of Eisenhower Mountain in Indian Wells, California, the Vintage Club blends natural beauty with sophisticated architecture. Throughout the club, pyramid shaped screens accent rooftops and conceal the facility’s air-conditioning units. The dual purpose screenings were constructed from structural timber and required approximately $75,000 in maintenance costs, every other year.

The timber’s quick deterioration, caused by the desert’s thermal cycling, combined with the mounting maintenance costs were driving factors in the Vintage Club’s exploration for a cost effective, long-term replacement. Harrington Plastics, a distributor of Strongwell products, recognized the club’s situation as an ideal project for fiberglass. Harrington recommended Strongwell’s EXTREN® structural shapes due to pultruded fiberglass’ significant structural and architectural advantages over wood.

Unlike timber, EXTREN® does not rot or decay and EXTREN® is not susceptible to insect attack. Strongwell’s EXTREN® shapes are also stronger and more rigid than timber.

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2 comments on this article.

  1. Date: 3-31-10
    Nwaeke Aja Ogbonnia commented:

    How does EXTREN affect enviroment and health of the occupant?

    Any emmission from it?

    I appreciate your product and could it be used in African to replace wood for roofing?

    Aja

    Reply
  2. Date: 4-12-10
    John Barker, Corp. Health, Safety & Environmental Manager, Strongwell commented:

    Hi Aja,

    Here is some information in response to your questions:

    1. EXTREN® is nearly inert under normal circumstances, does not leach when exposed to water, is acid and alkaline resistant, is fire resistant and is not subject to rotting or decomposition.

    2. EXTREN® has no residual emissions, does not off-gas unless exposed to extremely high temperature (600°F).

    3. YES; our material can replace wood in Africa or other tropical regions. The high temperatures and high humidity do not affect the performance of EXTREN® structural shapes or other FRP products that we manufacture. In comparison, wood suffers from rotting in high humidity environments and will need replacing on a much quicker time frame than in the USA with lower temperatures and humidity.

    Reply
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