Ther Overall Process
The overall process from the manufacture of the Gypcrete wall panels to
their final erection to form load-bearing walls for a building project is
generally as follows:-
- Using the Gypcrete wall panel design guidelines
the walls are analysed by a suitably qualified structural engineer and
the Architectural and Engineering drawings prepared indicating plan
layouts, cross-sections, reinforcements, setdowns and edge details;
- Whole Gypcrete wall panels are manufactured in
the factory in a single panel twelve metres long by three metres high
[12,020 mm X 3050 mm] and delivered to the licensed Gypcrete wall panel
distributor in bulk quantities up to 900 square metres per load;
- Based upon the contractual design drawings the
distributor prepares full cutting schedules including panel elevations
and transportation- stillage load sheets;
- Using a numerically-controlled table-mounted
saw the distributor cuts the panels to dimension including openings for
doors and windows;
- The distributor installs galvanised steel metal
closures to the panel ends and openings where required;
- Between five and eight such 'processed'
Gypcrete wall panels are loaded on to a transport-stillage in which they
are held vertically to maximise the transportable volume;
- Several full stillages, often containing up to
500 square metres of ready-to-install Gypcrete wall panels, are loaded
onto a semi-trailer for transportation to the building site;
-
The stillages are unloaded, positioned
and stabilised on prepared flat ground near the
construction face in readiness for erection.
The Erection Process
-
After completion of the foundation or the
concrete suspended floor onto which the Gypcrete wall panel
is to be positioned, the builder's surveyors establish
and mark all main grid lines;
-
Using the Architectural layout drawings the trained Gypcrete wall
panel erection crew marks out the walling positions
in reference to these grid lines;
-
For the first floor the concrete foundation is drilled and starter bars epoxied into
place in the positions and to the spacings indicated
on the engineering drawings [for subsequent floors starter
bars extend from the panel below;
-
Weighing up to five tonnes the laden stillage containing the
cut Gypcrete wall panels selected for erection is then
lifted by crane onto the concrete floor or
foundation prepared to receive the panels;
-
One by one, and by crane, the cut Gypcrete
wall panels are decanted from the stillage and placed
into their final position, propped and then connected
in accordance with the installation guidelines;
-
To construct the next suspended floor spanning between the load-bearing Gypcrete wall panel, formwork
is installed and propped after which it is used
as staging to pump the concrete into the
cells of the Gypcrete wall panel;
-
Whilst still plastic, starter bars are placed
in the concreted cells in readiness for the
next floor of Gypcrete wall panels;
-
Slab reinforcement
is placed on the formwork and the concrete
poured for the next suspended floor.
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