There are a lot of materials on the modern construction market, the technical characteristics of which seemed impossible several decades ago. Take at least cellular polycarbonate: it also passes light like glass, but it is 16 times lighter and can bend. The ideal solution for canopies, pitched structures, canopies and greenhouses.
Construction
Cellular polycarbonate is a hollow material. Two( or more) thin sheets, connected by jumpers, or "stiffeners".In the section it resembles a honeycomb, more often with a rectangular section of cells. Such a design allows simultaneously to provide light weight and high rigidity of the material.
Cellular polycarbonate is produced from granular plastic by extrusion. The molten mass is forced through a special matrix, forming a sheet with a predetermined arrangement of jumpers. Due to the technological process, it is possible to produce polycarbonate with a thickness of up to 0.3 mm.
Types and scope of application
Polycarbonate can be:
- single-chamber, consisting of two sheets connected by jumpers, its standard thickness is from 40 to 10 mm,
- is a two-chamber, consisting of 3 sheets and 2 rows of bridges, its thickness is 16 mm,
- reinforced, with diagonal bridges, 4 or 6 mm thick,
- four-chamber, consisting of 5 sheets and 4 rows of bridges, its thickness is 16 mm.
The thicker the sheet, the stronger and stiffer it is, the thick four-chamber polycarbonate bends the worst. Also, the strength and durability depend on the thickness of the jumpers, for cheap options they tend to be thin and do not withstand heavy loads. Most often, the jumpers run along the edge of the sheet, but are found and located by the wave.
The choice of polycarbonate depends on where it will be applied. For the manufacture of advertising structures, signboards, interior details, polycarbonate 4 mm thick, which bends well. When constructing canopies, arbors, greenhouses, use sheets with a thickness of 6-8 mm, depending on the size of the structure. Polycarbonate 10-20 mm thick is suitable for the construction of fences, glazing of large areas, construction of canopies above parking lots, internal partitions, etc. The thickest polycarbonate, 30-32 mm thick, is used to create transparent roofs in residential and industrial buildings.
The standard width of the sheets is 210 cm, and the length is 200 cm, 600 cm or 1200 cm.
Characteristics of
Polycarbonate has many advantages that make it very popular in modern construction.
- It transmits more than 90% of the sunlight, retaining most of the ultraviolet radiation. In high-quality polycarbonate grades, light permeability approaches glass, which at a low price makes it an ideal choice for building greenhouses. Sunlight, passing through a leaf, becomes diffused - this is also an advantage for growing plants.
- Polycarbonate is very light. Its weight is only 6-7% of the weight of glass of similar thickness, and 30-35% - based on the weight of acrylic. This allows you to use it when erecting awnings, gazebos and other structures with a not too strong frame, as well as dispense with additional devices for lifting weights.
- The sheet bends without much effort or heating. The maximum radius of bending depends on the thickness and structure of the material: the thinner it is, the more pliable it is. Due to this compliance, it is used in the construction of structures of complex shapes - arches, arbors with rounded roofs,
- Polycarbonate is very resistant to mechanical influences: standard tests include dropping weights from a height of several meters. Even if it breaks, then without shards, unlike glass.
- Possibility to impart different colors to polycarbonate - green, blue, red, - and, thus, to diversify the type of buildings. The permeability of painted sheets is much lower - about 25-30%.
- Thanks to the voids inside, honeycomb polycarbonate is an excellent sound and heat insulator. These parameters directly depend on the thickness and structure of the material.
- Polycarbonate is not afraid of temperature changes and does not deform. Varieties that are resistant to ultraviolet action can be used in areas that are very hot in the summer. In winter, the sheets withstand frosts to -40 degrees.
- Practically not combustible, can withstand temperatures up to 120 degrees.
Disadvantages of
There are no ideal materials. There are disadvantages in polycarbonate.
- Most manufacturers define a service life of 15 years, but only with the correct installation. This is not too long, and it is not known how the material will behave after it.
- Afraid of acetone and similar solvents, they leave on it cloudy spots.
- For installation, you need a special profile and fasteners. During the installation you need to be careful not to scratch the surface with a sharp tool.
Cellular polycarbonate is an excellent modern material for private construction. In order not to be disappointed in it, choose products of proven manufacturers and observe all installation rules.
