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A builder in Florida is buildinbg houses with a new material: a pultruded polyester-and-glass composite. Because the strands are full length–8 feet long for an 8 foot 2×4- and all oriented in the same direction, the manufaturer, Advanced Composite Structures (ACS), Ft. Meyers, Florida, claims the material is stronger than steel… and termite resistant.
The material has been tested for wind loads equivalent to a 364 mph wind. Based on this testing the Southern Building Code Council International has approved its use within its jurisdiction. I have no e-mail address or phone number for ACS. The bnuilder is Centrex Homes in the Naples-Ft. Meyers area. GeneL.
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Do you have to pre-drill for nails? Is there any wood in the mixture, or is it all fiberglass?
*I did a quick web search on pultruded and came up with this web site. http://www.mmfg.com/PULT/Pultrusion.htmVery interesting.
*The web site and the product are both very interesting. But I can't see it being used much for houses, because it has to be bolted or glued together. It appears to be a precision product. Now, I can see it being used for something like a roof over a swimming pool, where light weight, strength, and corrossion resistance would be needed. Unfortunately, speed and ease of construction seem to be the norm for houses, and anything that doesn't meet those criteria won't be widely accepted.
*Ed. T he "lumber" is 100% fib erglass...no wood. It comes precut and predrilled framing members. I don't know if the members are bolted or how they are secured.The first(?) house to be framed with this material was a Habitat for Humanity (HFH)structure. Advanced Composite Structures (ACS) the manufacturer of the materal donated the frame to HFH. The builder was surprised at how easily the unskilled workers erected the frame. The glass house sold quickly. He intends to build more houses using the composite lumber. GeneL
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A builder in Florida is buildinbg houses with a new material: a pultruded polyester-and-glass composite. Because the strands are full length--8 feet long for an 8 foot 2x4- and all oriented in the same direction, the manufaturer, Advanced Composite Structures (ACS), Ft. Meyers, Florida, claims the material is stronger than steel... and termite resistant.
The material has been tested for wind loads equivalent to a 364 mph wind. Based on this testing the Southern Building Code Council International has approved its use within its jurisdiction. I have no e-mail address or phone number for ACS. The bnuilder is Centrex Homes in the Naples-Ft. Meyers area. GeneL.