Wall Construction OptionsFeaturing FiberBeam™ Technology
All of our fiberglass shelters and buildings feature wall panels made from our exclusive FiberBeam™ Technology - an innovative and proprietary composite lamination process that bonds inner and outer fiberglass skins with a series of integrated fiberglass I-beams.
Foam is a great insulator but it is not a good structural material for building shelters. That is why we developed FiberBeam™ Technology. Unlike a typical FRP panel with a foam core that fails when placed under stress, shelters made with FiberBeam™ Technology are more rigid and can withstand much higher stresses without any bowing or buckling.
The FiberBeam™ Technology utilizes fiberglass I-beams spaced every 12" on center throughout the walls, doors, and roof of the shelter. The result is a shelter that is both lightweight and super strong - pound for pound, stronger than steel.
FiberBeam™ Technology Explained
The FiberTeam™ Technology utilizes fiberglass I-beams spaced every 12" on center throughout the walls, doors, and roof of the shelter. The result is a shelter that is both lightweight and super strong - pound for pound, stronger than steel. It is capable of handling heavy snow loads, hurricane-force wind loads (up to 160 mph), corrosive environments and seismic events.
Standard Wall Composition
- Resin
- Fiberglass
- Core Materials
- Polycor/Stypol Polyester Resin
- Isophthalic Gel Coats
- Rigid Polyiso foam board: non-ozone depleting
Standard or Reinforced Wall Options
In addition to our exclusive FiberBeam™ Technology, walls can be customized with an added panel to accommodate needs for increased structural stability, the hanging of equipment, or when there is an additional need for insulation or sound attenuation.
Need something structurally sound enough to survive earthquakes or hurricane-force winds? FiberBeam™ Technology handles the majority of environmental issues for most applications, but if you have a special need, just let us know.
Wall Reinforcements
If you need to hang equipment on the walls inside your shelter, we can add a layer of oriented strand board (OSB), marine grade plywood or Thermo-Lite Board to the walls.
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Oriented Strand Board (OSB) Plywood
OSB is known for its rigidity, strength, uniformity, durability and minimal warping. It has no internal gaps or voids and is water resistant - making it a perfect material for adding strength to walls that will have heavy equipment mounted on them.
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3/4” Marine Grade Plywood
Marine Grade Plywood over OSB is often specified for use in high humidity areas where walls will be pierced or penetrated in the field to add additional equipment. It is also used in the base flanges to help withstand moisture.
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Thermo-Lite Board®
This manufactured, ultra-heavyweight woven fiberglass panel offers all the strength of wood without being a wood. It is used in very specific situations where chemicals used in the fiberglass building can cause wood to ignite.
*Since all the wood used in the construction of our prefabricated shelters is encapsulated within fiberglass, we typically recommend OSB over Marine Grade to avoid unnecessary costs. However, the final choice of wood used is always up to the client.
Insulation & Environmental Characteristics
Shelter Works buildings are very energy efficient, with tight joints and high-quality building composite structure. The chart to the left shows the R-Values of the foam alone; the actual R-Value of the shelter could be much higher, depending on the number of openings, vents, fans, etc.
Plus, every Shelter Works building includes a foam core that consists of a standard ridgid polyiso panel. This foam has been tested for volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde emission to ensure it is below the maximum levels allowed. It has received the Greenguard Environmental Institute highest rating of 4 for its high resistant to mold growth.
| Foam Thickness | Foam R-Value |
|---|---|
| 1 1/2" | 12 |
| 2" | 15 |
| 2 1/2" | 18 |
| 3" | 21 |
| 3 1/2" | 24 |
| 4" | 28 |
Case StudyNeed Internal Walls?
See how we developed a one-piece shelter with three internal compartments to house a chemical feed system, water heater system and SCADA system.
Gel Coats
To hold up to tough industrial applications, Shelter Works uses Isophthalic UV protecting gel coats that maintain a nice gloss over long periods of time and in many weather situations. These high quality coatings provide a quality finish, with good chemical/water resistance, gloss retention, weatherability, and resiliency, which means that they can resist damage from impact, chemicals, water and even grafitti! These gel coats, used in combination with our unique FiberBeam construction process makes a building that truly is "Built for Life."
Gel Coat Colors
- Standard Colors: Polar White, Desert Sand, Storm Gray and Meadow Green.
- Custom Color Match available for any color.
- Shelter Works uses a high quality coating that yields a quality finish, with good chemical/water resistance, gloss retention, weatherability, and resiliency.
- Formulated to meet the rigid requirements of transportation, boating, and sanitary applications.
Fiberglass
Every shelter we build is constructed of high-quality fiberglass. We use a variety of resin types, depending on the application; the most commonly used is what is known as Stypol LSP Unsaturated Polyester Resin.
| Test | Test Method | Laminate: 33% Glass |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile Strength | ASTM D638 | 16.000 psi |
| Tensile Modulus | ASTM D638 | 1,300,000 |
| Tensile Elongation | ASTM D638 | 1.9% |
| Flexural Strenth | ASTM D790 | 33,700 PSI |
| Flexural Modulus | ASTM D790 | 1,160,000 psi |
| Barcol Hardness | ASTM D2583 | 45 |
Sound Attenuation
The standard composite construction of a Shelter Works building includes a foam core that provides some sound attenuation, with a minimum STC rating of 25 decibels. If you need additional sound attenuation, we can add optional sound absorbing materials to blunt the noise of machinery even further.
One client did his own testing and sent us his results. What you see in this chart is that the noise level inside the structure where the machinery was measured 93 decibels, but standing outside from 5 feet away, the decibel readings dropped off dramatically to 66 decibels.
| Inside | Outside | |
|---|---|---|
| 93 | ||
| 5 ft. Away | 66 | |
| 20 ft. Away | 63 | |
| 50 ft. Away | 58 |
Just How Durable Are Our Shelters?
We swung a baseball bat and hit a golf ball at our shelters to see how they would hold up. Check out how they performed.
