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FlexCrete Fiber Reinforced Aerated Concrete offers many advantages
for commercial and residential construction, including:
Ease
of Use. FlexCrete is typically provided in rectangular blocks, tongue-and-groove panels for walls, floors and roofs, or as thin unreinforced panels (TUPs). These blocks and panels are entirely
solid, making them easy to place and secure, using less skilled labor.
The materials can be sawed, drilled and shaped like wood using standard
hand tools. Regular screws and nails also can be used in FlexCrete. Ordinary
mortars and stuccos adhere to its surface. And because the solid blocks
are filled with billions of tiny air pockets, they are extremely light
— about one-fifth the weight of concrete.
Physical
Strength. Typical compressive strengths of FlexCrete are 320
pounds per square inch, more than adequate for supporting one- and two-story
residential
and commercial construction. Flexural strengths can be enhanced with
the addition of polypropylene fibers, making FlexCrete an excellent choice
of building materials for areas that are prone to earthquakes and hurricanes
or other extreme winds.
Durability. Because
FlexCrete contains no organic material, it is not susceptible to pests.
It is also non-allergenic and highly
resistant to molds and fungi.
Fire
Resistance. FlexCrete surpasses the stringent requirements
of a four-hour fire assembly test in accordance with ASTM E119. For the
test,
a 10-foot
by 10-foot wall was constructed and placed under a 45,000-pound load.
The wall was then placed on a furnace burning at temperatures as high
as 2000° F
for four hours. On the opposite side of the 8-inch wall, the change in
temperature was 11° F from the original temperature over the four-hour
time period. The wall was then subjected to a 45-psi stream of water
for
five minutes. The wall withstood the impact from the water stream with
minimal damage and maintained the 45,000-pound load.
The wall was then subjected to an increased load of 100,000 pounds and
maintained complete
structural
integrity.
Energy
and Acoustic Efficiency. An eight-inch section
of FlexCrete with an exterior cementitious stucco coating and an interior
plaster
or gypsum board covering offers an estimated equivalent R-value of 25.
The insulative
qualities
of FlexCrete are credited to its thermal conductivity, thermal mass
and air tightness. Thermal conductivity is an attribute of the closed-cell
structure, which yields an actual R-value of 1.34 per inch and a U-value
of 0.74. The thermal mass of the material creates a lag time for heat
to
pass through the wall during heating and cooling cycles, minimizing
high and low peak temperatures and thus minimizing the amount of energy
required
to heat or cool a building. FlexCrete also provides sound insulation
greater than other building materials on the market. It features a
Sound Transmission
Class (STC) rating of 48, and an Impact Sound Insulation Class (IIC)
rating of 52.
Environmental
Sensitivity. Because FlexCrete is manufactured
primarily with fly ash – a 100 percent recovered resource – the
environmental benefits are substantial. As a building material, FlexCrete
replaces
wood and reduces the depletion of forests. An average FlexCrete based
home would
utilize approximately 21 tons of fly ash that would otherwise be disposed
in a landfill. (An average American generates a single ton of solid
waste every 455 days.) Additionally, FlexCrete technology allows the
use
of fly ash that does not meet quality specifications for traditional
uses
such as ready mixed concrete.
For more information regardingFlexCrete technology, please contact
us.
