Vitracore G2, a non combustible bonded aluminium cladding panel from Fairview, is engineered and built for the future, with its test results demonstrating industry-leading performance.
Fairview cladding products are tested for high performance, energy efficiency and minimal maintenance in the Australian Standards AS4284 Test. Vitracore G2 has been tested on two substrates to AS4284 with impressive results, offering the pinnacle of industry compliance and resilience across weatherproofing, fire safety and corrosion resistance.
Let’s take a closer look at Vitracore G2’s performance capabilities.
Fairview’s Vitracore G2 is a bonded aluminium panel solution, comprising a 0.7mm face skin, 0.5mm back skin and a non-combustible profiled core. It is a high-performance façade option available without the limitations of 3mm solid. The lightweight nature of Vitracore G2 panels aids in installation procedure and efficacy, reducing overall construction cost. Providing an almost limitless range of colours and finishes, including the option of customisable graphic panels, Vitracore G2 is the decisive solution to high demand and industry requirements.
A recent independent FEA (Finite Element Analysis) analysis has shown that Vitracore G2 offers 70% greater resistance to out of plane buckling compared to 3mm solid aluminium.
In this configuration, the core of the G2 is what gives it its unique characteristics of being light and strong. The core is profiled 0.3mm aluminium, expanded to 2.8mm. Working like a honeycomb structure to increase the strength of the panel.
This combination of skins on a profile core works in a similar fashion to an I-Beam. The skins carry axial compressive and tensile stresses whereas the core sustains shear and prevents buckling of the facings under compressive loading.
Three tests conducted on the G2 demonstrate how the core has been engineered for performance, ensuring a flat, rigid, and durable cladding product that is ideal for any environment.
Point Load Bearing
Vitracore G2 was independently tested to assess its performance against point loads applied to the surface of the panel. In testing the point load capacity of G2, areas of the test panel were sequentially loaded by a way of different sized blocks. The imprints of the blocks can be seen on photo 1 below.
Photo 1
Table 1 shows the force required to create the point load deformation as seen on the image above.
Table 1
This test demonstrates the G2 ability to resist a deformation of its surface when a large load is applied to it. The core of the G2 allows for a lightweight cladding panel with enough internal support to ensure a rigid surface, strong enough to withstand significant loads.
Point Rigidity
The structural properties of the Vitracore G2 have been independently tested to determine the bending (load and displacement characteristics) of the panel.
Using AS 2269.1 as a test method, several Vitracore G2 panels were load tested to determine load and displacement properties. This was compared to a solid 3mm panel for comparison with remarkable results.
Table 2
Table 2 shows the results of G2 and a solid 3mm aluminium cladding product.
At just 50% of the amount of aluminium of a 3mm solid panel, Vitracore G2 was able to withstand over five times the load before failure. Vitracore G2 also demonstrated far greater deflection characteristics before failure.
The result is a product that is:
- Half the weight of a solid aluminium, and
- Five times the load with only 20% of the deflection
Lamination Strength
Vitracore G2’s core is the fundamental component that allows for a lightweight yet strong cladding panel. The core works in combination with the skins to resist tensile, shear and compressive stresses; the bond that holds the three components together is critical to the unique characteristics offered by the G2.
The G2 undergoes a peel test at the production facility. A sample from each batch produced is subjected to the peel test to ensure the strength is maintained and the product performs as designed.
The peel test is designed to test the strength of the bond between the three aluminium substrates that form the G2. Testing is conducted following the test methodology using ASTM D903. Diagram 1 shows the methodology of this test.
Diagram 1
Under this test, the face skin is peeled off the core material over the length of the sample to determine the average force required to peel the skin off the core. Table 3 shows the results obtained from batch testing of production stock prior to shipping.
Table 3
The result showed significant bond strength between the skin and the profiled core – enabling the G2 to perform strongly at resisting the forces that can be applied to a cladding panel over its life.
Vitracore G2 Advantages
Lightweight – The profiled core of the G2 is the powerhouse of this strong and rigid cladding panel.
Allowing the G2 to be half the weight of 3mm solid aluminium panels and close to half the weight of standard mineral core panels, the profiled shape of the core acts as an egg carton to sustain shear loads and prevent buckling of the facings under compressive loading.
The lightweight nature of the panels improves fabrication and installation efficiency allowing for a smoother and quicker completion of the project.
- Machinability – The hollow sections of the core provide strength without all the weight – the air-filled core means it can be easily and quickly cut with a long blade life unlike solid core products, or solid aluminium requiring coolant and slow cutting speeds. Less material to be cut or disposed, or dust from the core that needs to be extracted from the building and product.
- The outstanding surface flatness is enhanced with a high quality PVDF coating system, which provides optimum resistance to weather and industrial pollutants and comes in an unlimited range of colours, as well as a selection of natural finishes.
- 100% developed and manufactured by Fairview, Vitracore G2 is the same as traditional aluminium composite panel (ACP); however, the advanced technology of the core is constructed from a complete aluminium structure rather than from a combustible material.
- The technology of the core allows continual production, providing an exceptionally consistent and cost-effective product.
- Vitracore G2 can be easily and accurately installed by a pre-made cassette system, requires minimal maintenance, and comes with excellent long-term performance.
Vitracore G2 is the perfect engineered solution for any cladding application.
Download Fairview’s new eBook about bonded aluminium panels, fire safety and benefits of Vitracore G2.
