Expanding The Possibilities of Architectural Design
For nearly four years, there's been a material available to architectural contractors that will save time, improve quality and reduce labor costs. Oddly enough, only a small percentage of architectural design and construction professionals are aware of it. It's a system that utilizes a structural plastic shell over expanded polystyrene or other foams which have been cut into architectural shapes using computer-aided cutting equipment. The material then cures to the touch in just seconds to speed production.
This structural plastic "shell" is the spark which is causing a revolution in the architectural fabrication industry. Where this approach really succeeds is the area of specialized trim and elements.
For centuries, materials like wood and cement,or more recently EIFS and FRP, were the accepted norm for construction. And while hard-coated foam is not intended as a replacement for these materials, it does have distinct advantages that prove it to be a performance enhancing, and labor and cost saving alternative.
Polyurethane-over-foam's evolution grew directly out of conventional EIFS technology. When EIFS first hit the scene, architects and designers were amazed at the possibilities it offered for new and retrofit construction. EIFS could easily replicate cement and stone surface cladding on buildings. This technology rode a crest of success for years. However, there are limits to the benefits of EIFS: it cannot preserve fine surface details and is difficult to use on unusual angles and unconventional radii.
In the mid-1980s, advances in material technology introduced the industry to solvent-free, structural polyurethane plastics similar to the high impact RIM (reaction in-mold) systems used in automotive bumpers and side panels. The structural polyurethane plastic is spray-applied directly over foam at 65-125 mils (1/16" - 1/8") to form a durable plastic shell. In a first pass, a sprayed polystyrene polyurethane system reaches every crack, corner, undercut and surface detail.
Imagine, for a moment, trying to use an EIFS system with small dental molding, unusually shaped balusters or other radiused elements. As Chuck Stanmore of Creative Arts Unlimited, St. Petersburg, Fla., describes it, "EIFS, with all the mesh and base coats, simply cannot preserve fine surface characteristics and small angles. Only a polyurethane encapsulation system can preserve fine surface detail of the part." To accomplish something like small dental molding with EIFS would take hours of work. Stanmore continued, compare that to foam which can be cut with intricate lines, then hard coated to seal every surface area with a thin, yet highly durable shell.
An Architectural Renaissance
Polyurethane coated foam offers many advantages to the architectural industry. It is a lightweight, easy-to-manipulate material; foam is easy to cut or carve into any size or shape. With the introduction of computer-aided design technology, designers can transform any custom design into foam within minutes. This process eliminates the need to make an expensive mold. A computer-controlled cutting machine will cut the same piece out of foam over and over again with exacting detail. Architects no longer have to stick to standard, catalog sizes and shapes to design elements and trim.
Once carved, a fast-set polyurethane, such as Styrothane® 5321, manufactured by Futura Coatings, Inc. of St. Louis, is sprayed over the entire surface. The result is a lightweight, durable architectural element ready to be primed, colored and installed.
Polyurethane-coated foam is now being used with traditional EIFS cladding systems to retrofit old, boxy cinder block buildings into facilities displaying unique shapes and contours. It's also being applied to new construction mainstream materials such as in a Greco-Roman architectural revival. Now an architect can easily custom design a look that reflects the mood or theme for the occupants. Just take a look at creations such as Planet Hollywood's spherical "earth" shape, which is a sprayed foam encapsulated with a structural plastic, or the cityscape look of Las Vegas' New York, New York Casino.
Spearheading the renaissance of imaginative architectural foam fabrication are companies such as Treadway Industries in Leesburg, Fla. According to George Treadway, "Until recently, architects would simply design to accommodate the nature of wood shapes, but now they are learning that anything that was once cut from stone can now be cut out of foam -- and at a much lower cost." Contractors, too, are learning new ways to use foam for decorating results, and in doing so are increasing their profitability, he added.
Foam and polyurethane hard coating fabrication and installation is very simple. With only a little bit of construction knowledge, "you can change the look of your existing building in an afternoon," said Mark Harrington of Foam Works, Lake Elsinore, Calif. He further noted that there's an added cost-saving advantage with foam when building owners with low budgets no longer need to hire expensive craftsmen. Utilizing simple tools, adhesives and no more support than a ladder, contractors can install trim and cornice work.
The Secret Of Success
The secret to a successful polyurethane-coated foam project lies in using a two-component, fast-set polyurethane for encapsulation. The surface of the polyurethane seals the foam in a hard, weather-resistant plastic shell. The surface of the polyurethane can then be primed with a product like Futura-Bond 610, and is ready to accept most typical acrylic EIFS finishes.
However, applying the polyurethane is not simply a matter of running out to the local building supply store for the equipment and material. It requires a capital investment in spray equipment. This spray equipment is manufactured by companies like Gusmer® , Graco® , Binks® or Glascraft® and is offered through distributors around the world. A product like Styrothaner® is made up of two components which require separate heat and proportioning of the "A" side ISO and the "B" side polymer. Once the operator triggers the spray gun, the materials are pumped from their drums and mixed at the tip of the spray gun. The resulting material interaction creates the hard plastic shell which dries to the touch in seconds.
Keep in mind, the up front investment in equipment will cost between $17,000 and $20,000. Luckily, this system has such a profit potential built in that this investment can quickly pay for itself.
Ten Times The Production
This fast set technology means more square footage of foam can be encapsulated than is possible with conventional EIFS systems. In fact, according to Harrington, "In the amount of time it took me to create 20 feet of intricate trim with EIFS, I can now spray polyurethane on foam and hard-coat as much as 200 feet of trim."
According to Mark Stephanson of Foam Fabrication, Sandy, Utah, "A product like hard-coated foam allows us to produce custom parts that exceed the standard in impact resistance."
More and more, architects are now recognizing the infinite possibilities foam offers. As each successful project is unveiled, architects are getting over a learning curve about using and specifying foam. And contractors are being introduced to a product which is easier to install with fewer workers. Any contractor with experience working with plastering and EIFS applications can make a fairly easy transition to working with foam shapes.
Jeff Raglani, division manager with Future Coatings, commented: "It's hard to believe more EIFS contractors have not caught on to polyurethane hard coating." The technology has been readily available and the companies taking advantage of the system are growing in sales every year.
"The demand for specialized architectural fabrication has not come close to peaking," noted Raglani. "Each day brings new and exciting applications for polyurethane coated foam."
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