Material One has many unique properties. These contribute to its strength, durability, weight to strength ratio, nontoxic, ease of manufacture and its ability to comply with many of the necessary test requirements of the construction industry, specifically those in regard to performance in fire and performance under impact.
Material One has a low toxicity both in its component parts and in its manufacturing process. Its potential uses are wide-ranging and could effectively replace much GRG, GRC and GRP in many of the situations where those materials are now used, both internally and externally. In comparison with GRC, Material One offers much greater versatility as a panelized cladding system in that the manufacturing tolerance can be much tighter.
Special or ‘one off’s’ units can be easily produced alongside standard run and if site tolerances have not been strictly observed the panels can be ‘humoured’ to fit and made good on site. Of great significance is the material’s high strength to weight ratio which allows for much lighter fixing systems and sub grids.
All these attributes contribute towards further potential savings having started with a material which has already cost advantages over alternatives.
Material One is wholly resistant to chemical attack and possesses a high resistance to ultraviolet degradation. It can therefore be used in situation where other materials would suffer.
Material One can overcome many of the problems associated with GRP, a material that is becoming less favoured by specifiers because of its inherent toxic fume and dense smoke emissions in fire and its poor performance after long exposure to ultraviolet.
Material One Surface Finishes
Material One should be viewed as a matrix in which a variety of filler materials can be incorporated, either to enhance mechanical performance or for the sake of appearance.
It is possible with Material One to include any non-reactive filler up to, and in some cases exceeding 200%. This allows a great deal of freedom when deciding upon encast and ex-mould finishes.
An extensive and impressive range of finishes has been produced. These include a variety of metals (bronze, brass and copper and stainless steel), pigmented materials imitating terracotta, brick and earthenware, and encast stone finishes from white marble through to dark granite, Portland and Bath stone. It is thus possible to create a finish to meet the architect’s or designer’s specification rather than, as is usual, the designer or architect having only two of three established finishes from which to make a choice.
The standard of finishes that can be produced is extremely high both in their resemblance to the materials that they are imitating and in the quality of the surface finish.
A wide variety of finishes can either be incorporated into the material as a facing in the mould where this is going to be backed up by a lamination or other composite foam material or they can be included in the mix if the material is being used as solid cast. The method of manufacture obviously varies from situation to situation depending upon the design.
Recent developments include reproduction of hardwoods, through in-mould finishes, in both light and dark shades, such as oak and mahogany, rosewood and sycamore.
A range of fine textures and colours can be further produced. These include leather cloth through this specialised process. Reproduction marble finishes are available that closely resemble a range of natural marbles. In this case ‘dry’ production process, Material One is filled with marble dust and coloured with stable liquid pigments. The surface is then buffed to produce a deep shine.
Design
Material One’s excellent weight-to-strength ratio means that when used as a lamination the designer is allowed greater freedom to produce large panels incorporating, if required, complex and fine detail. When this is considered in combination with the ease of fixing and calculation of load, Material One can be seen as
a major step forward in pushing back the boundaries of design limitation.
Maintenance
The surface finish of Material One is extremely durable and will withstand aggressive use (shopping trolleys, floor cleaners, etc.). For public areas the material can be treated post-mould with anti-graffiti coating which allows for the removal of paint, crayons, pens, etc. In normal maintenance conditions the material can be simply washed with detergents and water or, if required, with stronger substances such as solvents, with no detriment to the surface finish.
