Pultruded Fiberglass Windows

www.inlinefiberglass.com

© Inline Fiberglass Ltd. 2012

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What Is Pultruded Fiberglass?

Pultrusion: continuous process for manufacture of composite

materials with constant cross section

•fabric provides strength

•resin acts as binder

•FRP - fiber reinforced

polymer

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Applications for Fiberglass Products

• Transportation
– construction equipment
– truck beds
– armored vehicles/tanks
– highway sound barriers

• Aircraft
– plane fuselages
– propellers
– nose cones of jets
– satellites

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Applications for Fiberglass Products

• Marine
– boats
– jet skis
– resists corrosion

• Recreation
– golf clubs/carts
– snowmobiles
– playground equipment
– skis/ski poles

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Applications for Fiberglass Products

• Construction
– “H” and “I” beams
– guard rails
– oil rigs
– sea walls and dikes

• Household Fixtures /
Environment
– shower stalls
– laundry tubs
– hot tubs
– gas storage tanks

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The Fiberglass Pultrusion Process

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The Fiberglass Pultrusion Process

The process begins The resin-soaked The lineals are made Your choice of
with glass roving and glass fiber matrix is to specific window color is then
mat pulled through heated and door profiles applied
dies

• process is irreversible
• form cannot be changed under heat or pressure
• PVC/aluminum will deform under pressure
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Resins

The typical material mix is:

•glass (mat and rovings) -
minimum 60%
•polyester resin - minimum 20%

The balance is made up of:

•fillers (limestone, clay)
•additives (catalyst, lubricants,
UV inhibitors, fire retarder)

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Tensile Strength (Longitudinal)

For an equivalent mass, fiberglass’s longitudinal tensile strength

@ 60,000 psi is:

•two times stronger than steel

•three times stronger than aluminum

•ten times stronger than PVC

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Thermoset Cross-linked Fiberglass Profiles

• Cross-linking: large polymer molecules react with each other to

form three-dimensional network
• can’t flow past/around each other
• can’t be broken apart from each other

- the difference between

lots of single uncross-linked
molecular chains and a
cross-linked chain

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Heat Deflection at 90˚F Air Temperature

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Heat Deflection

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Material Strength

Fiberglass - inert, stable material:

•does not out-gas like PVC
•does not deteriorate over time
•unaffected by temperatures up to
350˚F (176˚C) or below 122˚F (50˚C)
Sportun-Woodbury Project, Haliburton, ON

Strong window frames:

•allow for slender frame sight lines
•allow for larger window openings
•maintain shape in a square plane

Private Residence, Toronto, ON

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Material Strength

Two main types of force behavior:

•plastic
– PVC frames
• permanent deformation
may occur
•elastic
– fiberglass
• profile has memory
and will spring back Fig.2 Deflection of a simple beam

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Thermal Conductivity

Thermal conductivity: rate of thermal movement through a

material, per unit area, per unit thickness, per unit temperature
(delta T)

“U” Value (Factor): measures

transfer of heat loss or gain, due
to the difference between indoor
and outdoor air temperature

“R” Value (Factor): resistance to

thermal conduction per unit
thickness of a material
The thermal conductivity of fiberglass is <1% of aluminum.

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Thermal Efficiency Comparison

Aluminum Window Frames

– high thermal conductor
– must incorporate thermal barrier
Wood Window Frames
– lowest U-value
– cannot be fabricated into thin wall cavity profiles
PVC (Vinyl) Window Frames
– requires more mass to match structural strength of
aluminum or fiberglass profile
Fiberglass Window Frames
– most energy efficient window framing material
– whole frame is thermal barrier

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Condensation

If not dealt with, condensation will

lead to:
•mold growth and subsequent
health issues for occupants
•damage of household fabrics,
Wilson House, Mono Mills, ON
discoloration of paint and
wallpaper
•reduction in effectiveness of
insulation
•deterioration of drywall, structural
damage
Camp Kawartha Environmental Centre, Peterborough, ON

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Lineal Thermal Expansion

The following materials have known coefficient of linear expansion

rates:

Expansion and contraction/degree in temperature (C or F):

•Vinyl - seven times greater than fiberglass
•Aluminum - three times greater than fiberglass
•Wood - does not expand/contract due to temperature change -
subject to swelling and shrinkage due to moisture absorption

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 Expansion / Contration

Inadequate perimeter seal

clearance causes movement
that will lead to failures such as:
•sashes not operating smoothly,
or at all
•the risk of sealed unit failure
•perimeter caulking failure
•increased air and water
leakage

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Characteristics of Window Systems

Wood Windows
•not dimensionally stable, absorb/release moisture
•can swell, distorting/jamming operating vents
•potential for rot, mildew, and decay
•food source - termites/insects/rodents/wildlife
•more frequent painting/maintenance

PVC (Vinyl) Windows

•lack of structural strength
•heat/cold diminish physical properties-warping/shrinking/cracking
•unstable thermoplastic resins allow out-gassing/ageing
•high expansion/contraction rate can distort the frame and break

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Characteristics of Window Systems

Aluminum Windows
•poorest thermal performance
•susceptible to salt water corrosion/atmospheric pollution
•expansion/contraction rate threefold that of fiberglass
•difficult to repaint on-site

Fiberglass Windows
• not affected by age/time, hot/cold, wet/dry environments,
pollution, salt/chemical corrosion
• glass mat in pultrusion profile distributes impact load to prevent
surface damage
• easy to repaint onsite

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Acoustical Performance

Windows - weak acoustical link in wall

•Aluminum and PVC: homogeneous

materials readily transfer sound
through wall

•Fiberglass: bundles of glass fibers

with resins and fillers of different
densities – sound vibrations are
dampened as waves vibrate through
changing densities

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Finish Performance

Pultruded fiberglass: factory painted prior to fabrication, normally

with two-part polyurethane enamel, then oven cured
•does not chip, scale, blister, caulk, or discolor

Fiberglass manufacturers offer:

•unlimited choice of custom
colors
•split finishes; exterior color can
be different from the interior
•real wood laminated to a
fiberglass substrate
•copper/brass foil laminations Natural Fruitwood Wheat Cordovan Mahogany

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Standards for Coatings

AAMA (American Architectural

Manufacturers Association),
Voluntary Specifications for
Organic Coatings on Fiber-
Reinforced Thermoset Profiles:
•AAMA 623 Tom Taylor Place, Newmarket, ON

•AAMA 624
•AAMA 625

Six Nations Police Building, Ohsweken, ON

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LEED® Certification

Rideau Residences, Ottawa, ON - The first

certified Passive House in Canada also
received a LEED Platinum rating.

Philip Merrill Environmental Center,

Annapolis, MD - The first building to
receive a Platinum rating through the U.S.
Green Building Council's LEED Rating
System, version 1.0.

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ENERGY STAR®

ENERGY STAR distinguishes and promotes

energy efficient products, above standard lower-
efficiency systems, through third-party
certification and labeling.

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ENERGY STAR® U.S.A.

Northern
Mostly Heating

North-Central
Heating & Cooling

South-Central
Heating & Cooling

Southern
Mostly Cooling

2010 ENERGY STAR Qualification Criteria for Windows

**Northern zone windows can meet prescriptive (1st row) or alternative energy
performance (2nd & 3rd row) criteria to qualify for ENERGY STAR.
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Embodied Energy

Embodied Energy

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Health

Fiberglass windows contribute

to better indoor air quality:

•tight fitting windows control air

exchanges, reducing entry of
pollutants and pollen

•provide condensation
resistance and water leakage
resistance, avoiding the
potential of mold growth within
walls

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Environmental Issues

Longevity
•premature failure negates
greenhouse gas reductions
•must remanufacture, package,
transport
St. Christopher Catholic Elementary School, Windsor, ON

Recycled Fiberglass
•most use raw materials that have
recycled content
•life expectancy of fiberglass
window greater than 40 years
Dr. David Suzuki Public School, Windsor, ON

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Assembly of Fiberglass Windows

• cannot be welded, can be

chemically bonded
• mechanical fasteners, reinforced
polymer corner brackets
• joint sealers, corners foam sealed
• single profile Wilfred Laurier University, Brantford, ON

Limitation:
• fiberglass once pultruded is
irreversible - unable to reform
profiles to produce round top or
curved windows
Mnjikaning First Nation, Rama, ON

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Installation

Fiberglass windows and door

frames remain stiff and rigid.

• corners retain 90 degree

• fast and easier to install

• reduced installation cost.

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Economics

• fiberglass windows are

competitively priced

• costs of traditional window

material expected to rise

• first growth premium wood

becoming scarce

• PVC costs rising with the

price of petroleum

• aluminum costs rise with

higher energy costs to
process bauxite Toronto Community House, Toronto, ON

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Economics

• Windows are the single

most expensive item in a
new construction home.

• strength of fiberglass
window frames allows for
larger openings

• minimize heat loss, use

solar heat gain to have a
net energy gain

Madison Condo, Hamilton, ON

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Standards

• AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440
– Standard/ Specification for
Windows, Doors and Skylights
• AAMA 305 – Voluntary
Specification for Fiber Reinforced
Thermoset Profiles

• AAMA 502 – Voluntary

Specification for Field Testing of
Newly Installed Fenestration
Products

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AAMA Air Leakage Resistance

Low air leakage advantages:

•energy efficiency and comfort

•air infiltration brings in airborne

sound transmission (noisier
interiors) City of Hamilton Environmental Laboratory, Hamilton, ON

•reduced dust entry from exterior

means reduced housekeeping

•reduced pollen and pollution entry

The Evergreen Brick Works in the Don Valley, Toronto, ON

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AAMA Water Leakage Resistance

Effects of water penetration:

•deterioration of structure

•mold development

Waterloo North Hydro, Waterloo, ON

AAMA Standards:

•testing to resist “tear-drop” of water leakage under test pressure

to match the project’s design pressure climatic location, while
being pummeled with the equivalent of 8" of water per hour

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AAMA Structural Performance (Wind Load
Resistance)

Uniform Structural Load (Blow-out)

•tests the total window at 150% of design pressure (50% built-in

safety factor

•reported at highest level the window passed prior to destruction

Marriot Courtyard, Mississauga, ON Delta Hotel, Guelph, ON

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Summary of Qualities

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Thank you for your time

This concludes The American

Institute of Architects
Continuing Education Systems
Course www.inlinefiberglass.com

QUESTIONS ??

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