BASIC PANEL COMPONENTS

Both the TS100 Exterior and the TS200 Interior Wall systems are composed of the facing panel of 3/8" thin reinforced natural stone (discussed below) and the extruded aluminum structural framing systems with their series of interlocking clips, angles, and wall runners.

THE PANEL FACING

The TS Wall Systems are based on the use of the 3/8" facing panels of natural stone produced using the Thin Reinforced Stone technology which was developed in Italy in the late 1980's. The first major use of this product in the USA was the new Denver International Airport, Denver, CO, which was built during the 1992 and 1993. After exhaustive technical examination and testing, the architectural firm of C.W. Fentress & J.H. Bradburn, Architects, selected the thin reinforced stone for use on 380,000 sq. ft. of flooring. The flooring pattern involved large panels with a curvelineal shape as shown in the photo below. While the requirements of flooring and cladding are different, the basic common technical aspects of the product are nevertheless significant. The heavy airport traffic usage to which this 3/8" thin reinforced stone has been subjected for more that 10 years is a testament to this product's unique qualities of strength and durability and its overall superior quality.

In the above left photo, one can see the back of the 3/8" thin panel and the netting of glass fiber reinforcing which has been bonded to the stone by vacuum induced impregnation. To understand the significance of this photo, one must know that unreinforced natural stone 3/8" thick in such a large panel and brought to such a sharp point, would be extremely brittle and subject to breakage. However, this reinforcing technology enables the thin stone to be securely fabricated to the required dimensions and shapes which would not be possible with traditional unreinforced stone. The vacuum impregnation process transforms the brittle natural stone material into a non-brittle, or ductile, material which is strong and impermeable, qualities which make it ideal for use as exterior cladding.

WINDLOAD TESTING

In order to qualify for use as exterior cladding, the thin reinforced stone wall panels have been subjected to a rigorous testing regimen, part of which is illustrated by the left photo below. Full-size wall panels for the Melville Park Office Building, Melville, NY which was reclad in 1993, were tested in the laboratories of Architectural Testing Inc., York, PA, under actual installation conditions as shown in the photo below which clearly shows the TS100 wall framing system of structural extruded aluminum. Panels were tested for Wind Pressure in both positive and negative direction as per ASTM E330,for Water Penetration as per ASTM E331, and for Air Infiltration as per ASTM E283 with passing marks on all tests. The panel withstood a negative pressure up to 73 psf which is equivalent to a wind speed of 170 mph.

The above right photo shows a typical spandrel panel being installed over the existing brick spandrel walls of the Melville Park Office Building. The panel on the A-frame shows the typical panel framing which was tested as described above. These panels were installed in 1993.

IMPACT TESTING

Another critical criteria for exterior cladding is impact resistance and this category was also tested in the Architectural Testing, Inc. laboratories. A test bag weighing 23 lbs. swinging in a pendulum action against a test panel generated an impact force of 442 ft-lbs. without damaging the panel.

For more detailed technical information, click  Product and Test Data.