EQUIPMENT & MATERIALS
LIGHTWEIGHT PLASTIC PANELS
A new glass-reinforced plastic panel for building which is light and easy to handle has been developed by a Bri- tish firm and is available for manufac- ture under licence.
Panels, made by a patented casting process using mineral aggregates bond- ed with resins, are designed in three forms composite building panels, facias for decoration, and ones for per- manent shuttering.
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They are claimed to cost less than conventional glass-fibre units and can be easily drilled or screwed for fitting. The panels are claimed to have good weathering and colour retention pro- perties and do not delaminate if scrat- ched and moisture enters.
Insulation is also high, making them ideal for housing developments in all climates. The U value (insula tion) of a composite panel 3.5 in (89 mm) thick, for example, is equivalent to a 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m) thick brick cavity wall.
Panels can be manufactured in a full range of colours and in finishes from smooth, fluted and embossed to sand-textured and aggregate. For fur- ther information, please write to Fypol Ltd., Leeds Road, Lofthouse, Nr Wakefield, Yorkshire, U.K.
SCALE MODELS International Resources Planning and Development Pty. Ltd., an Aus- tralian group offering professional ser- vice in the fields of surveying, planning, engineering, aviation and the earth sci-
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ences, is now making scale models for various construction applications.
Three scale models builders are shown (below) working on a topogra- phic model at the company's building in Adelaide Street, Brisbane. Models of this type are constructed to assist plan- ners, engineers, and geologists in vari- ous projects including urban and re- gional development and mineral ex- ploitation programmes. Such models are being used increasingly in Australia as a method of visual communication to facilitate the design stages of vari- ous projects, and to introduce eco- nomies in production and construction and improve operational technique.
FIRE-RESISTANT FOAM
Fire-resistant isocyanurate foam which can be made by most of the techniques used to produce rigid ure- thane foam has been introduced by I.C.I. It has the same rigid properties as rigid urethane foam-low thermal conductivity, closed cell structure giving low water vapour transmission, light weight and low applied cost- but with the added advantage of con- siderably increased resistance to burn- ing and spread of flame. It can with- stand temperatures of up to 150°C.
Burn-through tests of over 13 minutes have been recorded for a pro- pane gas torch to burn through 25 mm thickness of the new material; ure- thane foams are burnt through in sec- onds.
The new material is expected to find increasing use as a spray-on thermal insulation for chemical plant
and storage vessels, buildings, ducting and other situations where speed of operation is important. For additional information, please write to I.C.I., Millbank, London WC1, England.
CONCRETE PANELS
The 5,000-tonne 'Go-Con' press which produces large concrete panels quickly and economically, using a mould process, will give architects and civil engineers much more scope in design and construction.
The press is the result of seven years' development work by Britain's Building Research Station near Lon- don, and will be manufactured by a consortium of British companies. Its unique design makes it possible to con- solidate wet concrete mix into as many as 15 concrete panels per hour, using only 4 moulds a 20-fold in- crease in mould usage over present casting methods. This unique mould concept allows production of a wide variety of panel designs and sizes with- out slowing output; sizes range up to 20 ft (6 m) long and 9 ft (2.7 m) wide, with a maximum thickness of 10 inches (254 mm). In addition to their use in apartments and houses, the panels will be suitable for a wide varie ty of engineering projects. For addi- tional information, write to Go-Con Concrete Ltd., 17 Woodstock Street, London, England.
POWER DRILLS
Eight electric drills have recently been added to a well-known range of power tools. Between them, the drills are said to be suitable for any job within their capacity range encounter- ed in heavy engineering, shipbuilding and civil engineering applications, par- ticularly deepboring operations. All the drills are double-insulated ensuring adequate safety without requiring a separate earth wire.
Four of the drills are of the keyed- chuck type and include two single- speed models, a two-speeder and a four-speeder. The other four comprise one single-speed No. 1 and one single- speed No. 2 Morse taper type, and one two-speed and one four-speed No. 2 Morse taper model. Capacities (in steel) of the chuck drills range from in to 4 in and of the Morse taper types from 35/64 in to 29/32 in.
The main advantage of the drills is their high power to weight ratio, all
Far East BUILDER, August 1971
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