Case Study: Fiberglass Reduces Maintenance for Red Roof Inns
A trend with motel chain management is to cut down on overhead costs through the use of "no maintenance" materials like Strongwell's fiberglass industrial products. Red Roof Inns, the largest privately owned motel chain in the country, chose EXTREN® Series 525 structural shapes and a custom channel to replace badly corroded steel handrails, stair landings and canopy supports at several of its motels.
Constant exposure to salt, water and urban pollution resulted in excessive corrosion of the steel structures. The fiberglass components were easier to install than the original steel structures and are expected to last three to five times longer.
Red Roof Inn Corporate Headquarters and the Fabrication Sales Department at Strongwell-Bristol Division worked to develop the design solution for Red Roof's corrosion problems.
| TECHNICAL DATA |
|---|
| Product: E-Channel Fascia, Fiberglass Handrail Posts, Canopy Supports, Stair Landings |
| Process: Pultrusion and Fabrication |
| Materials: Fiberglass reinforced polyester, fire retardant |
| Sizes: 8-1/2" x 3/8" E-Channel EXTREN® Series 525:
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| Weight: 8-1/2" E-Channel = 4.03 lbs/ft. |
| For: Red Roof Inns |
A specially designed, custom pultruded fiberglass E-Channel is used to encase the exposed edge of the concrete walkways of the second floor balconies. A fiberglass post is attached to this channel for the handrail system.
All fiberglass components are pultruded in custom colors (beige or dark brown) and coated with a urethane base paint before being shipped to the job site. All visible components are painted.
Many of the Red Roof Inn sites have already been retrofitted with the fiberglass structures. After several years of service, the fiberglass installations at the original site show no sign of deterioration. When changing out handrail systems on the other motels in their chain, Red Roof Inn plans to replace the steel with fiberglass.