Technical Guide Ver2.0

7/30/2019 Technical Guide Ver2.0

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The Royal Building System

TECHNICAL GUIDE

Version 2.0

The ULTIMATE Concrete Forming Technology

Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited

www.rbsdirect.com


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The Royal Building SystemTechnical Guide

Version 2.0 - July 1999

Copyright 1999, Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Royal Building System

1.2 About The Technical Guide

2. MATERIALS

2.1 Polymer

2.2 Concrete

2.2.1 Concrete Take-off

3. CODE APPROVALS AND TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS

4. PRODUCT PERFORMANCE

4.1 Weatherability of Royalloy B

4.2 Fire Performance of Royalloy B

4.3 Fire Performance of Concrete-Filled RBS Walls

4.4 Acoustic Performance of Concrete-Filled RBS Walls

4.5 Energy Performance

4.6 Indoor Air Quality

4.6.1 Off-Gassing

4.6.2 Mold & Mildew

4.7 Termites

5. STRUCTURAL TESTING


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Copyright 1999, Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited

6. STRUCTURAL DESIGN

6.1 RBS Wall System as a Non-Structural Formwork

6.2 RBS Wall System as a Structural Wall Assembly6.2.1 Concrete Strength

6.2.2 Wall Openings and Concentrated Loads

6.2.3 Wall Lintels

APPENDIX A Wall and Lintel Design Tables in Metric Units

APPENDIX B Wall and Lintel Design Tables in Imperial Units

Copyright 1999 Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means withoutwritten permission from Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited.

The Royal Building System is a registered trademark of Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited.Royalloy is a trademark of Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited.RBS DIRECT! is a trademark of Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited.

AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc.


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Copyright 1999, Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited 1-1

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Royal Building System

Welcome to the world of Royal BuildingSystems (Cdn) Limited, an innovativequality-driven building technologiescompany. Since the introduction of TheRoyal Building System in 1992, Royalhas received global recognition for itsapproach in providing innovativesolutions to the residential, commercial,industrial, institutional, agricultural, andconstruction sectors.

The Royal Building System is apatented, proprietary concrete formingtechnology that combines advancedcomposite materials, leading-edge extrusion processes and concrete. The result ispermanent and attractive structures that can be easily constructed in any climate. TheRoyal Building System utilizes a superior form of extruded, reinforced polymercomponents with characteristics that surpass the performance criteria of conventionalbuilding materials.

The polymer components used in The Royal Building System will not decay ordeteriorate over a life expectancy that can be measured in decades. The System alsorequires no painting, resists ultraviolet radiation and does not support combustion.Furthermore, The Royal Building System is highly durable, virtually maintenance free,impervious to weather, and extremely energy efficient.

The Royal Building System is also environmentally friendly as the polymercomponents are recyclable, energy efficient and non-toxic.

Put it all together, and you can see that The Royal Building System offers completedesign flexibility in an innovative building technology that is easy to maintain, friendly tothe environment and built to last. Whether you are a contractor, designer, architect orengineer, we believe you will find interesting solutions for your next project.

Building SOLUTIONS for a Better World


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1.2 About The Technical Guide

This Technical Guide has been prepared by Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited as atool to assist builders, contractors, engineers, and architects in understanding and

designing structures using The Royal Building System technology. It is a part of ourcontinuing effort to provide current and practical information to users of The RoyalBuilding System.

The Technical Guide provides information on the following aspects of The RoyalBuilding System:

Material Properties

Code Approvals

Product Performance

Structural Testing

Structural Design

In addition to the Technical Guide, the following guides are also available to assist indesigning and building your projects using The Royal Building System technology.

Design & Software Guide

Typical Details Guide

Construction Guide

Although every effort has been made to ensure that all the information provided in theTechnical Guide is factual and that the numerical values are accurate and consistentwith current engineering practice, Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited does notassume any liability for errors or oversights resulting from the use of informationcontained in this guide. Anyone making use of the information provided in these guidesassumes all liability arising from such use. All suggestions for improvement of theseguides will be given full consideration for future revisions.


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2. MATERIALS

The Royal Building System (RBS) consists of extruded rigid polymer components that

serve as a formwork for concrete walls including load bearing walls, non-load bearingwalls (i.e., curtain walls), shear walls, wall lintels, retaining walls, and foundation walls.The extruded components slide and interconnect together to create a concreteformwork that remains in place after the concrete is poured and cured.

The RBS wall components are extruded in three widths as identified in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1: RBS Wall Systems

Wall ThicknessWall System Overall Concrete Core Insulation

1

RBS4 100 mm (4") 95 mm (4") 0

RBS6 150 mm (6") 145 mm (6") 0RBS8i 200 mm (8") 139 mm (6") 54 mm (2")

2.1 Polymer

The primary material used in the design of The Royal Building System isRoyalloy B. Royalloy B is a rigid polymer (polyvinyl chloride-based) compositematerial that has been specifically blended to produce a unique set of propertiessuitable for the weatherability and performance of The Royal Building System.

The physical properties of Royalloy B were established based on the very detailed

requirements specified by the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC). Tomeet CCMC's requirements, a comprehensive program of tests was conducted.

Chemically, Royalloy B is a complex composition of polyvinyl chloride resin, acrylicmodifiers, waxes, lubricants, tin stabilizer (lead stabilizers are not used), ultraviolet rayprotectant, and smoke and flame suppressants. The resulting compound has a cellclassification of 1 20023 32 0040, as per ASTM 4216.

Materials properties of Royalloy B are shown in Table 2.2.

1

The RBS8i wall system is pre-insulated with 54 mm (2") of polyurethane insulation. The insulationcavity is on the exterior side of the wall and protected from the interior with the non-combustibleconcrete core.


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Table 2.2: Materials Properties of Royalloy B

Property ASTM Test Method Code Requirement2

Results

Specific gravity D792 report value 1.47

Heat deflection temperature D648 > 70 C 75 C

(load 1.82 MPa) annealed at 65C > 158 F 167 F

Coefficient of linear expansion D696 < 6 x 10-5

cm/cm/C

5.8 x 10-5

cm/cm/C

< 3.3 x 10-5

in/in/F

3.2 x 10-5

in/in/F

Shrinkage (1/2 hr @ 82 C) D3679 max 3 1.3

Ash content D229 report value 25

Tensile strength D638 > 37.7 MPa 40.0 MPa

> 5500 psi 5750 psi

Tensile modulus D638 > 2800 MPa 3725 MPa

> 377000 psi 540200 psiElongation at yield D638 report value 2.5 %

Elongation at break D638 report value 127 %

Flexural strength D790 report value 70.9 MPa

10280 psi

Flexural modulus D790 report value 3537 MPa

513000 psi

Hardness (Rockwell) D785 report value 102

Hardness (Shore D) D2240 80 5 81

Notched Izod impact resistance D256 > 53.4 96.1J/m

> 1.0 1.8 ft-lb/in

Drop dart impact D4226 report value 4982 J/m

(Procedures A & B) 1.12 in-lb/mil

2

Unless otherwise noted, these are the CCMC requirements for The Royal Building System.


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2.2 Concrete

The second most important material used in the design of The Royal Building Systemis concrete. Concrete comprises more than 90% (by mass and volume) of the RBS

Walls. Concrete with the following minimum specifications should be utilized:

Minimum 28-day compressive strength 20 MPa (2900 psi)

Maximum aggregate size 10 mm (3/8"), p-gravel

Minimum slump 115 mm (4 ") at the point of discharge

Concrete does not segregate in the RBS Walls due to the inner webs of the BoxConnectors and Panel components, which act like an elephant trunk and thereforeprevent the free-fall of heavier aggregates. Honeycombing should not occur ifconcrete is placed correctly with a specified slump of 115 mm (4 "). Concrete does

not normally need to be vibrated. However, a rubber mallet may be used to tap thesides of the walls to ensure that the components are completely filled with concrete.

2.2.1 Concrete Take-off

The theoretical quantities of concrete for various RBS Walls are shown in Table 2.3(Metric units) and Table 2.4 (Imperial units). Note that the actual quantity of concretemust be adjusted for wall openings, wastage, and specific project conditions.

Table 2.3: Concrete Take-off (Metric Units)

RBS4 RBS6 RBS8i

Square Metre of Wall Area

Per Cubic Metre of Concrete 11.1 m2

7.2 m2

7.5 m2

Cubic Metre of Concrete

Per Square Metre of Wall Area 0.0903 m3

0.1385 m3

0.1336 m3

Table 2.4: Concrete Take-off (Imperial Units)

RBS4 RBS6 RBS8i

Square Foot of Wall Area

Per Cubic Yard of Concrete 91 ft2

59 ft2

61 ft2

Cubic Yard of Concrete

Per Square Foot of Wall Area 0.0110 yd3 0.0169 yd3 0.0164 yd3


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3. CODE APPROVALS AND TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS

The Royal Building System has been approved in the USA and in over twenty

countries worldwide including Argentina, Canada, China, Japan, and Mexico.Numerous technical papers and engineering reports have also been produced. Thefollowing is a brief summary of the major code approvals and technical papers:

BOCA The Royal Building System has been evaluated by BOCA-ES inaccordance with the BOCA National Building Code (BOCA-ES Report No 94-57).

CCMC The Royal Building System has been evaluated by CCMC inaccordance with the National Building Code of Canada (CCMC EvaluationReport 12536-R).

BMEC The Royal Building System has been authorized by the Building

Materials Evaluation Commission (Ontario) to be used as non-load bearing wallsin commercial and industrial applications, with unlimited building area (BMEC

Authorization #A1997-21).

OBC Ruling of the Ontario Minister of Housing, in accordance with OntarioBuilding Code (Ruling No. 95-01-20-(12536-R)).

1999 The Royal Building System: Thermal Performance, EnergyConsumption, and Code, a technical report prepared by Trow ConsultingEngineers and reviewed by Dr Eric Burnett, Director, Pennsylvania HousingResearch Center (Trow Report No T99-01).

1998 Penn State Research Report No 51. Ranked the RBS8i Wall System asthe best foundation wall system out of 8 different products evaluated.

ASCE 1997 Technical Paper presented at the Annual Conference of AmericanSociety of Civil Engineers in Minneapolis.

ASCE 1996 Technical Paper presented at the Annual Conference of AmericanSociety of Civil Engineers in Washington DC.

Also as detailed in Section 5 of this guide, numerous structural tests have beenconducted on the Royal Building System. Based on these tests, Royal has

demonstrated compliance of The Royal Building System with the design loadsof the BOCA National Building Code (BOCA), the Uniform Building Code (UBC),the Standard Building Code (SBC), the South Florida Building Code (SFBC), andthe National Building Code of Canada (NBCC).


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4. PRODUCT PERFORMANCE

4.1 Weatherability of Royalloy B

Royalloy B has been specifically designed to resist fading and discoloration due toweathering. Accelerated weathering tests (Table 4.1), as well as outdoor weatheringtests (Table 4.2) have been conducted.

Table 4.1: Weathering Properties of Royalloy B Accelerated3

Property Units ASTM Test Method Results

Yellowness Index YI D1925 + 2.15

YI E313 + 1.87

Color Retention (Hunter Units) E D2244 + 0.98

L D2244 - 0.34a D2244 + 0.01

b D2244 + 0.92

Drop Dart Impact % Retention D4226 97

Table 4.2: Weathering Properties of Royalloy B Outdoor4

ASTM Results

Test Arizona Chicago Florida

Property Units Method 6 months 1 year 6 months 1 year 6 months 1 year

Yellowness Index YI D1925 1.16 0.09 - 0.35 - 0.18 - 0.16 - 0.49

YI E313 0.98 0.19 - 0.26 - 0.16 - 0.13 - 0.39Color Retention E D2244 0.54 0.48 0.18 0.93 0.64 0.49

(Hunter Units) L D2244 -0.19 0.12 - 0.08 - 0.89 - 0.60 - 0.26

a D2244 - 0.05 - 0.15 - 0.04 - 0.01 - 0.01 - 0.03

b D2244 0.50 0.12 - 0.15 - 0.02 - 0.16 - 0.25

Drop Dart Impact % Retention D4226 88.1 81.3 100.0 100.0 92.7 96.0

Notes:

ASTM D1925 discontinued in 1995Color changes are in Hunter units

YI change in yellowness index

E total color change

L change in lightness/ darkness direction

a change in red/ green direction

b change in yellow/ blue direction

3

2000-Hour accelerated weathering tests conducted in accordance with ASTM G53.4

Outdoor weathering conducted in accordance with ASTM D1435.


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4.2 Fire Performance of Royalloy B

The fire performance of Royalloy B is shown in Table 4.3. The testing was conductedto satisfy BOCA, CCMC, and other code approval agencies. Note that for reference

and comparison purposes the properties of wood are also shown.

Table 4.3: Fire Performance of Royalloy B

Fire Performance Test MethodCode

Requirement5

Results Wood

Self-ignition temperature ASTM D1929 min 343 C (US) 480 C 208-2646

650 F 896 F 406 507

Flash-ignition temperature ASTM D1929 none 460 C 2605

none 860 F 500

Rate of burn ASTM D635 10 mm/sec 0 NA

0.394 in/sec 0 NA

Maximum extent of burning ASTM D635 max 25.4 mm(US)

12.4 mm NA

1.0 in 0.49 in NA

Flame spread ASTM E84 max 25 (US) 19 100

ULC S102.2 < 150 13 NA

Smoke Development ASTM E84 max 450 (US) 261 380

ULC S102.2 report value 75 NA

Flash Fire Propensity (time to flash firein seconds)

Footnote 6 none None 34 117

5

CCMC requirements for The Royal Building System, unless otherwise noted.6

White Pine, Hildo, C.J., Flammability Handbook for Plastics, Third Edition, 1982, Published byWestport Conn.

7Red Oak, Hildo, C.J., Flammability Handbook for Plastics, Third Edition, 1982, Published by WestportConn.


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4.3 Fire Performance of Concrete-Filled RBS Walls

RBS walls are a composite wall system having a structural base of noncombustibleconcrete. In accordance with the definition provided in Section 703.4.2 of the

International Building Code (final draft), RBS walls are considered noncombustible.Note that similar definitions are provided in the BOCA and UBC codes as well. Thus,the fire resistance rating of RBS walls would be similar to that of a concrete wall.Nonetheless, to confirm that the polymer webs do not impact the fire resistanceperformance, RBS concrete-filled walls have been tested and evaluated for fireresistance. Additionally, RBS walls have also been exposed to various fire tests forevaluation of performance of the exterior face of the walls. Following is a summary ofthe full-scale fire tests conducted:

CAN/ULC S101, Standard Methods of Fire Endurance Tests of BuildingConstruction and Material(Equivalent to ASTM E119). Based on this test the fire

resistance rating of RBS has been confirmed. The ratings are shown in Table4.4.

CAN/ULC S101, 15-minute remain-in-place test. This test allows the RBS wallswith external insulation and stucco finish on the exterior face to be used asexterior walls in noncombustible construction.

CAN/ULC S134, Standard Method of Fire Test of Exterior Wall Assemblies. Thistest method provides an assessment of fire spread, vertically and horizontally, onthe exterior face of non-loadbearing exterior wall assemblies. This methodevaluates the performance of the cladding of a wall from fire exposure resultingfrom a post-flashover fire in a compartment venting through an opening in the

wall.Table 4.4: Fire Resistance of RBS Walls

Wall System Overall Thickness Concrete CoreThickness

Minimum FireResistance

RBS4 100 mm (4") 95 mm (4") 45 minutes8

RBS6 150 mm (6") 145 mm (6") 2 hours9

RBS8i 200 mm (8") 139 mm (6") 2 hours8

8

Based on Engineering study and the fire test described in footnote 9.9

Based on the fire testing conducted on a vertically reinforced (10M bars at 333 mm o/c) andhorizontally reinforced (10M bars at 333 mm o/c) RBS6 wall assembly; the test was conducted atULC (Underwriters Laboratory of Canada) in accordance with the Canadian Standard CAN/ULC-S101-M89 (equivalent to ASTM E119).


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4.4 Acoustic Performance of Concrete-Filled RBS Walls

Almost all building codes require that walls separating dwelling units from each other orfrom public or service areas have a Sound Transmission Class (STC) of not less than

50 (or 45 if field tested). STC is established in accordance with ASTM E90, StandardTest Method for Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss ofBuilding Partitions and Elements. Whereas field testing is conducted in accordancewith ASTM E336, Standard Test Method for Measurement of Airborne Sound Insulationin Buildings.

The acoustic testing of the RBS Walls was conducted in accordance with ASTM E336.Based on this test, the sound transmission of The Royal Building System issummarized in Table 4.5. A FSTC rating of 45 is considered equivalent to a STC ratingof 50.

Table 4.5: Sound Transmission Rating of RBS Walls

Wall System Overall Thickness FSTC Rating Equivalent STC Rating

RBS4 100 mm (4") 48 54

RBS6 150 mm (6") 47 53

RBS8i 200 mm (8") 53 58


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4.5 Energy Performance

Three major factors affecting the thermal performance of a wall system are thermalbridging, air tightness of theenclosure, and thermal mass. The combined effect of

these factors is generally not considered when comparing the thermal performance of abuilding system. Normally, a simple R-value is quoted. Studies have shown that thesimple comparison of quoted R-values is not an appropriate method of comparing thethermal performance of different building systems. This form of overly simplisticevaluation is neither correct nor fair for all systems that employ thermal mass andthermal insulation to their advantage.

Thermal Bridging is caused by wood or steel members, especially in light-frameconstruction. These members can act as a thermal bridge causing heat flow to short-circuit. Unlike The Royal Building System, framed systems can suffer from severethermal bridge heat loss, especially at corners, windows and partitions. For instance, a

2 x 6 wood framed wall with a drywall interior finish and vinyl siding can be shown tohave a nominal R-value of 21.5 (using R19 batt). When the extra thermal bridginginherent in framing around doors and windows is accounted for, ASHRAE10 considerssuch a wall to have an R-value of 13.7. Therefore, a 2 x 6 wall system would not meetthe requirements of the ASHRAE standard for residential buildings in colder regionssuch as Michigan, or North Dakota.

Air leakage through the building enclosure can be a major source of energy loss,

approximately 30% to 50%. Airtight buildings use far less energy through the buildingenvelope. The RBS walls provide a tighter building envelope compared to manyconventional building systems, without the use of an additional air barrier. For instance,

RBS4 wall system (4" concrete-filled wall) has an air leakage rate of 0.020 L/(s m

2

) at apressure differential of 75 Pa. This is the same level of airtightness required from a6 mil thick sheet of polyethylene when used as air barrier. However, this is much better

than the tightest air barrier system with an air leakage rate of 0.05 L/(s m2) required bythe National Building Code of Canada.

Thermal mass effect in RBS walls is provided by the thermally insulated concrete.This thermal mass effect provides for significantly lower space-conditioning energyconsumption when compared to lightweight wall systems with the same nominal R-value. In some climates, the effective R-value of an RBS wall will be twice that offramed wall insulated to the same nominal level.

10

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, is an internationalorganization of 50,000 persons with chapters throughout the world. The Society is organized for thesole purpose of advancing the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning andrefrigeration for the public's benefit through research, standards writing, continuing education andpublications. ASHRAE writes standards that set uniform methods of testing and rating equipmentand establish accepted practices for the HVAC&R industry worldwide, such as the design of energyefficient buildings.


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Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have also investigated theeffect of thermal mass on annual energy consumption in a range of US climates.Employing the same representative, one-story ranch-type house, the ORNL researchersmodeled the space-conditioning energy consumption over a typical year for houses withboth lightweight and massive walls. The base house in all cases had a lightweight roof

assembly insulated to R30. The contribution of air leakage was assumed to be thesame for all homes.

Table 4.5: Whole-House Mass Benefits of RBS Walls in Various Climates

ORNL Estimated Equivalent R-value for:

City

R12 Walls1

(RBS4 or RBS6 + 2" ofEXP)

R14.5 Walls1

(RBS4 or RBS6 + 2 "EXP or RBS8i)

R19 Walls2

(RBS4 or RBS6 + 3 "of EXP)

Atlanta 25.3 30.6 41.7

Denver 22.5 27.3 35.9

Miami 26.4 29.1 47.3

Minneapolis (similarto Toronto) 17.9 21.7 28.5

Phoenix 30.8 37.1 47.7

Washington (similarto Vancouver)

21.6 25.9 35.5

1. The ORNL values are based on a wall with " drywall, 4" of solid concrete, and R12 exteriorinsulation (total R-value of 13.0). The RBS4 or RBS6 walls with 2" (steady-state R12) or 2 "(steady-state R14.5) of EXP (extruded polystyrene) sheathing or RBS8i walls with 2

1/8" of integrated

polyurethane insulation (at least steady-state R14.6) have slightly more or less exterior insulation andinterior thermal mass.

2. These ORNL values are based on a wall with 1/2" drywall, 6" of solid concrete, and R16 exteriorinsulation. The RBS4 or RBS6 walls with 3.5" of extruded polystyrene sheathing have slightly more

exterior insulation and the same or slightly less interior thermal mass.


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4.6 Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

In recent years, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has become a serious concern, especially dueto off-gassing and mold growth in houses and schools. The resulting poor IAQ has

serious health implications. Epidemiological studies from the U.K., the Netherlands,Sweden, and Canada have consistently shown negative health effects associated withdampness and mold. In children, symptoms most commonly associated with moldinclude respiratory problems, aches and pains, diarrhea, and headaches. In adults, thesymptoms can include aching joints, nausea and vomiting, backache, blocked nose,and breathlessness.

As discussed in the following subsections, The Royal Building System does notcontribute to poor IAQ, but further enhances the IAQ by providing a building system thatdoes not off-gas and that is mold and mildew resistant.

4.6.1 Off-Gassing

Testing and chamber studies11 have been conducted to assess the Indoor Air Quality ofThe Royal Building System homes12. The objective was to assess the contribution ofvolatile organic compounds (VOC), or off-gassing, associated with the extruded PVCbuilding components to the concentration of the total VOC (TVOC) found in the indoorair.

Based on the testing and analysis, the following was concluded:

The average TVOC concentration found in three model homes was less than

0.3 mg/m3

. This is significantly less than 1.0 2.0 mg/m3

typically found inoccupied houses and offices.

Chamber studies indicated that in the worst case scenario (a house built usingthe RBS system and occupied only one month after the building componentswere extruded representing the maximum amount of off-gassing from the new

material), the concentration of 0.04 g/L (mg/m3) would contribute less than 15%to the TVOC found in the model homes. Note that the concentration of 0.04mg/m3 is reaching the limit of analytical detection.

The off-gassing from the extruded Royal Building System components is

significantly less than the off-gassing associated with conventional buildingproducts such as: natural wood, laminated wood, particle board, various wallscovering, etc.

11

Chamber testing of the extruded RBS building components was conducted in June 1997. For acomplete report, please refer to Alara Report #9736, dated August 18, 1997

12Indoor air-quality tests were conducted in January, 1997. For more details, please refer to AlaraReport #9701, dated February 11, 1997.


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No health hazards or discomfort has been associated with the TVOC levels found in thethree model homes.

4.6.2 Mold and Mildew

The growth of biological pests is assisted and promoted by wet building materials suchas gypsum wallboard and wood. These conventional building materials get wet throughabsorption of water from high indoor humidity (condensation caused by thermalbridging), through moist air leaking through the building envelope and depositing itsmoisture before exiting the envelope, or simply by rain/ground water penetrating theinterior of the building.

The Royal Building System does not promote or allow the growth of mold and mildewas moisture does not penetrate the interior, and because the polymer surface does notabsorb and store moisture. Even high indoor humidity levels do not damage the interiorof the building, as the polymer surface of the wall is moisture resistant and vapor

impervious.


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4.7 Termites

Termites are wood eating insects that live in organized communities. There are twobasic types of termites, those that live entirely in wood, and those that can tunnel into

the ground, also known as subterranean termites. The latter is the most destructiveinsect to the structure of a building. Each year in North America, termites cause billionsof dollars of damage to buildings. According to University of California PestManagement Guidelines, termites are the most destructive wood-destroying insects inthe USA. At least 1% of the housing units in the USA require treatment each year forthe control of termites. As shown in the map below, more than half of the USA isinfested with termites. Termites are beginning to appear in the colder climates of theNorthern USA and Southern Canada. Recognizing this problem, building codes arerequiring protection against termites to be considered in the design of foundation walls.

Figure 4.1: Termite Infestation Probability Map

Prevention is one of the three major ways of protecting against termites. The other twobeing remediation (treating soil with termiticide, a chemical control) and suppression(this method aims at killing some or all of the members of a colony).

Copyright 1998, International Code Council (ICC), Falls Church, Virginia. International One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code/1998. Reproduced with the permission of the author. All rights reserved.


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Prevention can be achieved by proper design and the selection of a termite resistantmaterial that is not prone to cracking and that does not contain concealed entry pointsfor termites to enter the building. Conventional materials and construction methods,specifically wood framing, have not been able to achieve effective prevention. Similarly,cracking of concrete foundations (concrete block and cast-in-place concrete) providesconcealed entry points for termites.

All of these problems, which lead to termite vulnerability, are effectively eliminated byThe Royal Building System. Furthermore, the System remains impregnable overtime. Even if settlement or seismic activity causes cracking of the concrete, the cracksare never accessible to termites as all of the concrete is uniformly encased in thedurable polymer shell.


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5. STRUCTURAL TESTING

The Royal Building System is a result of many years of research and development.

Considerable testing has been conducted both "in-house" and through third parties.Royal has retained the services of several independent accredited testing laboratories,technical experts, and product evaluation agencies, to conduct numerous testingprograms on various aspects of The Royal Building System and to prepareengineering and evaluation reports.

Testing on The Royal Building System has been conducted in many countries aroundthe world, including the USA, Canada, Argentina, Guam, Japan, and China, for localapprovals and performance evaluation of the System. Following is a brief list of some ofthe structural tests conducted:

Gravity load testing (simulating snow loads),

Pressurization testing (simulating high wind loads),

Lateral load testing (simulating earthquake loading), and

Testing of two full-scale prototype houses (to establish performance of all walland roof members and their interconnections).

Based on the above testing, Royal has demonstrated compliance of The Royal BuildingSystem with the design loads of the BOCA National Building Code (BOCA), theUniform Building Code (UBC), the Standard Building Code (SBC), the South FloridaBuilding Code (SFBC), and the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC). These testsdemonstrated that The Royal Building System performs extremely well in high windsand has excellent seismic response, with failure, if any, being localized and with little orno debris. Note that concrete is reinforced by the polymer shell, which also providesconfinement for the concrete during extreme seismic activity.


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6. STRUCTURAL DESIGN

The RBS wall systems are composed of cored box connector and panel components.

The components are interlocked and filled with concrete to form a monolithic wall.Vertical and horizontal steel reinforcing bars are added, as required, for additionalstrength and stiffness. The wall components are extruded in three widths: 100 mm (4"),150 mm (6"), and 200 mm (8"), The RBS8i wall system is pre-insulated with 54 mm (21/8") of polyurethane insulation.

The RBS walls can be designed using two different methods:

RBS wall system is used as non-structural stay-in-place formwork

RBS wall system is used as a concrete-filled structural wall assembly

6.1 RBS Wall System as a Non-Structural Formwork

If the polymer shell of the RBS wall system is considered to be a non-structuralcomponent of the wall, the RBS wall system provides a stay-in-place formwork andprovides a finished wall. Under this scenario, one can conservatively ignore thesignificant contribution of the polymer shell of RBS wall to the strength of the wall andconcrete is reinforced by the addition of steel reinforcing bars.

Thus, the structural design of the walls is performed in conformance with local buildingcodes and local concrete design standards. For instance, in the USA, the applicabledesign standard is ACI 318, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete.

In Canada, the applicable design standard is CSA Standard A23.3, Design ofConcrete Structures.

When designing slender walls, second-order analysis should be performed, consideringmaterial non-linearity and cracking, as well as the effects of member curvature andlateral drift, duration of the loads, shrinkage and creep, and interaction with thesupporting foundation.

A suggested software program to perform this analysis, is PCA-WALL, StructuralAnalysis and Design of Slender Concrete Walls, developed by the Portland CementAssociation.


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6.2 RBS Wall System as a Structural Wall Assembly

If the polymer shell of the RBS wall system is considered to be a structural componentof the wall, the RBS wall system provides the formwork, the wall finish, and the

reinforcement for the concrete. The use of the polymer shell as a structural componentto reinforce concrete is a new concept that is not presented in existing designstandards. Royal Building Systems (Cdn) Limited has performed extensive testing tostudy the interaction between the polymer and the concrete. The results of the testingindicate that the polymer has a significant capacity to act as tensionreinforcement for the concrete. The compression stresses in the wall are resisted bythe concrete and the tension stresses in the wall are resisted by the polymer.

The structural design of the wall is performed in conformance with empirical designmethods that are suggested based on the testing. The empirical methods are used tocalculate the factored resistance values for use in Limit States Design or Load

Resistance Factor Design (LRFD). The values for Working Stress Design or AllowableStress Design (ASD) are calculated by dividing the factored resistance values by 1.5.

The dead load factor is 1.25 (0.85 for load reversal); a factor of 1.5 is used for live,earthquake, and wind loads.

The following equations are provided such that calculation can be performed in metricor imperial units. However, units cannot be mixed. Please decide on the preferred unitsystem and stay consistent throughout the entire design process.

When using the LRFD approach, the factored moment resistance (in metric or imperialunits) is calculated using the following equation:

Mr= (0.8)(0.5) (Fu)(Sx) .................................................................................. (1)

0.8 is the permissible stress factor for temperature/load duration of the polymer0.5 is the resistance factor of the polymer (strength reduction factor)Fu is the ultimate tensile strength of the polymer in MPa or psiSx is the section modulus of the polymer in mm

3 or in3

The factored shear resistance (LRFD) is calculated as follows:

Using metric units

Vr= (0.2)(0.6)( c'f )(Ac) x 10-3

[kN]............................................................ (2m)


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Using imperial units

Vr= (2.408)(0.6)( c'f )(Ac) [lbf] .................................................................... (2i)

0.6 is the resistance factor for concrete (strength reduction factor)

f'c is the 28 day specified strength of concrete in MPa or psiAc is the area of concrete in mm

2 or in2

The factored axial load resistance (in metric or imperial units) is calculated as follows.

Pr= (0.45)(0.6)(fc)(Ac)(1-(t32

L8.0c )2), for an eccentricity

Technical Guide Ver2.0

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