
Thermastructure XT, Corp.
has been producing and marketing a lightweight structural insulated
system (panels) for over 20 years. Since 1976, the panels have been
marketed under various names, like RADVA Panels, Wallframe, and Thermastructure
steel-framed EPS panels. You can use them for foundation walls, floors,
exterior and interior walls, as well as ceilings and roofs. The panel
is designed to perform four functions in one high-tech step: structural
framing, insulation, sheathing, and vapor barrier, which decreases labor
costs and increases the speed of construction. Since then, the product
has been refined and is marketed as ThermaSteel, but it's also referred
to as Thermastructure Panel.
In 1995, Anguilla, an island of the British West Indies, took a direct
hit from Hurricane Luis. A million dollar transmitter was housed in
a commercial building constructed with this system. During the storm,
in which winds peaked at over 175 mph, some water leaks occurred around
the door (which is to be expected), and one of the walls suffered impact
damage when a 40-foot container sitting on the ground some 15 to 20
feet away was picked up and thrown into the side of the building. After
the container was removed, the only damage was to the corner of the
building, and the two corner panels were later replaced. A thorough
inspection yielded no other signs of structural damage.
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