Hanson hollowcore wall panels are ideal for use as wall cladding panels for commercial and industrial buildings. They are generally used as a cladding panel fixed to a steel portal frame in either a vertical or horizontal configuration.
Their great advantages are speed of construction, durability and a choice of exposed aggregate or machine-trowel finish ready for painting. In addition, there are the inherent advantages of the panels being cast in our factory, away from your building site, where they are stored until needed.
DETAILS
Their general features are :
Dimensions - Panels are a nominal 1200 mm wide by 150, 200 or 250 mm thick. Lengths are cut in accordance with the shop drawings for each project. Lengths should be kept within the maximum recommended by us (see Design Data).
The tolerance on length is +/- 10 mm. Panels are cut with a diamond saw which cannot be allowed to cut through to the surface of the steel casting beds and hence the end cuts are rough along the off-form edge.
Service Openings - Standard 820 wide personnel doors which fit into the 1200 module are available. Various size window openings can be cut to order but a width of 1200 is recommended for economy.
Penetrations or other service openings may be precut to order or can be cut on site. Roller door openings are best designed in during the drafting stage with panels cut to size prior to delivery.
Gable End and Corner Panels - Panel end cutting can be angled for gables and panels are cut longitudinally to make narrow width closing panels. Corner panels are made with a matching exposed aggregate or smooth finish on the exposed edge.
Panel Finish - Panels may have a range of exposed aggregate finishes on the outer face or be provided with a flat machine trowel finish suitable for painting with a high build paint after normal surface preparation. Various aggregate colours are available and off white cement is used as appropriate.
The inside face is smooth off form and is usually left untreated, although it can be painted after normal surface preparation.
Panel Properties - Hollowcore panels have excellent insulation, acoustic and thermal properties. The actual values of these properties depend on the panel cross section being used.
Environmental Impact - Prestressed hollowcore panels make very efficient use of concrete and steel and so consume far less raw materials than conventional reinforced concrete. All waste concrete from the hollowcore operation is crushed by Hanson for reuse.
Fire Resistance - Fire resistance levels of 90:90:90 to 240:240:240 covering structural adequacy, integrity and insulation are available in all panel sizes.
Joints - Joints between panels are a nominal 10 mm wide and are sealed with a two-part polyurethane sealant placed against a closed-cell backing rod. Internal joints can also be sealed if required.
Limitations - Hollowcore panels are an industrial product which is manufactured very economically. They are limited in size and shape by the capacity of our slipform machine. It is very important for customers to understand the limitations of the process and to select other precast concrete products where the desired shape or finish cannot be achieved with hollowcore.
