Features of Rapidwall

The mechanism of Rapidwall is a boon to the construction industry which is now burdened with high labour cost, overheads, environmental recoil, delayed time lines, open space harsh working environment and safety concerns.

Since Rapidwall is pre built in factory atmosphere, quality is standard; working atmosphere is better and above all highly consistent with strict monitoring.

Major raw materials of Rapidwall which are Gypsum, water are sourced in Sultanate of Oman. This helps us to achieve a very high localization percentage also of the fact that it is a full Omani owned company.

• The Rapidwall system provides a cost competitive alternative to conventional building methods by removing the majority of on-site work
• The factory produces large single-spanning lightweight wall elements that are easily and speedily erected.
• A 12 meter by 3 meter by 124 millimeter Rapidwall panel weights approximately 1.5 tons compared to a similar size concrete panel that would weigh 10.5 tons.
• As a load-bearing walling element Rapidwall has an installed cost of about half that of precast concrete and the finish of Rapidwall is superior to an equivalent off-form, precast-concrete or inside wall panel.
• Depending on the wall layout, a Rapidwall panel when concrete filled onsite, can support between twelve and twenty storeys thus eliminating the need for columns and floor beams.

Conventional building materials like concrete have high thermal conductivity and low thermal resistance.   Conventional concrete roof and walls radiate heat inside the building.  Heavy electrical energy is to be used to maintain indoor comfort level.  There will be high electric energy for heating the indoor during winter. In contrast Rapidwall panel have low thermal conductivity and high thermal resistance. A comparative research study by Mohd Peter Davis et al in 2000 in University Putra Malaysia, Selangor, found that in summer indoor temperature of Rapidwall Panel building is cooler by 5 to 6 degrees Celsius as compared to concrete building (2. The high thermal resistance of Rapidwall will keep interiors cooler in summer and warmer in winter, saving substantial recurring energy use.

Rapidwall has outstanding fire-resistant properties making it an ideal building material for use in dwellings in bushfire prone areas as well as in apartment construction where fire-rated party walls are required. Rapidwall is rated at one, two and four hours when empty, insulated and concrete filled respectively.

The system allows for virtually any architectural style, ranging from low cost housing to high quality luxury residences and from simple warehousing to high quality offices or hotels.

The panels are cellular in form and produced on a flat bed table to a finished size of 12m by 3m by124mm thick. It has significant flexural strength and has the lowest embodied energy rating of any load-bearing building system presently available in the world. A waterproofing system is added to the mix to make it suitable for internal or external use.

Radipwall is lightweight, (only 40kg/m² or approximately 12% of the weight of a concrete or brick wall) and is stronger than conventional materials. Furthermore, it is load-bearing and can be used for external and internal walls as well as for roofs or floors in combination with reinforced concrete cavities.

Rapidwall is a system that has been proven in exhaustive scientific testing to withstand considerable loads and is therefore ideal in earthquake prone areas; can be constructed to withstand high winds, such as cyclones and hurricanes; uses natural gypsum and is recyclable; can be used in load bearing buildings of up to 15 storeys; is ideal for repetitive design construction and can be erected in a fraction of the time of other building methods

The unique formula that goes into Rapidwall means that it can be used both internally and externally, little preparation is required and external walls can be finished with paint, render or any architectural cladding style. Furthermore, onsite assembly of the precision designed and engineered components assures a high quality end product as little finishing work is required.

The simple methods of on-site fixing means Rapidwall can be worked with standard tools and little or no special training is required its suitability for multi-storey and the simpler ‘systems’ design and manufacturing methods results in lower on site labour requirements.

At only 124mm wide, when compared to hollow block framed construction Rapidwall provides up to 10% more usable internal floor space of a building of comparable external dimensions.

Rapidwall brings in sustainable development through alternative materials.

Building materials that:

• Are energy efficient
• Have little or no CO2 emissions
• Are strong & durable
• Can be constructed quickly
• Are resistant to natural disasters like earthquakes, cyclones and fire
• Can be produced at a cost to meet needs of masses and
• Have the ability to be recycled

And, of course sustainable development means we also need to have an eye on environmental considerations.

Conventional walling materials such as fired clay bricks, solid and hollow concrete blocks, tilt-up concrete panels; timber frame, external steel cladding and steel frames have a detrimental effect on the environment. They are high energy users; they deplete valuable agricultural land, cause environmental pollution, deplete forests and water and cause high CO2 emissions.

Even though these conventional materials will be around for a very long time there are now serious questions being asked by every government about the impact these products have on the environment and on climate change.

And it’s not a question of whether you personally believe in climate change or not, most people do agree that reducing carbon emissions will have a beneficial effect on the environment.

“There is a ripple effect of climate change. Climate change doesn’t take place in isolation and it doesn’t just affect the environment. Climate change has an impact on health, poverty, and demographics. The poor are most likely to be adversely affected.( HBR Article)

A massive transformation will take place as we transition from a high to a low-carbon world. This transition will surpass any economic event ever experienced. It will also present opportunities including making buildings more energy-efficient; buildings that currently cause 20% to 25% of CO2 emissions. The transition from a high-carbon economy to a low-carbon economy will be the most significant economic transformation in history. It will be as significant in scope as the industrial revolution and as fast as the technology revolution.”

Designed and developed in Australia in the early 1990s, Rapidwall was awarded the prestigious "2009 Global Gypsum Product of the Year" award and was recognized as a "Good Practice" by the United Nations Habitat business awards for sustainable urbanization.

Rapidwall buildings are a new type of construction to which conventional structural theories and design codes are   not   applicable. Therefore, extensive research work has been undertaken across the world, to gain a better understanding of the structural behavior of Rapidwall and the associated building system with a view to developing design guidelines. A comprehensive investigation that  included about 120 experimental tests and theoretical studies was  completed at the University of  Adelaide and the University of  South Australia in  2002, and structural design theories and guidelines were developed based on  this investigation

Large-scale experimental tests, similar to those conducted in Australia, have also been undertaken in India at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. The Indian tests also included six full- scale shake table model tests simulating two-story houses.  In China, large-scale experimental tests similar to those in Australia and India have been completed at Tianjin University and Shandong Construction University. A full-scale five-story Rapidwall  building was  constructed for a destructive test at Shandong Construction University ,  and an  in-situ, non-destructive dynamic  test was  conducted in 2008 on a six-story Rapidwall building  in  Tianjin .  the five story building tested at Shandong Construction University no visible structural cracks or other distresses were observed in conditions equal to a zone 8 earthquake These Chinese tests were part of a combined Australian-Chinese test program aiming to develop Chinese design guidelines for Rapidwall construction.

Gypsum is the primary raw material for the manufacture of Rapidwall.

In formulating Rapidwall building panels, the main ingredients are plaster and water supplemented with relatively small amounts of other materials to obtain excellent water resistant and strength properties. 

The other raw materials consist of retarder, a water proofing agent, polymers, consistency modifiers, release agents and fibre glass rovings. 

These ingredients are sourced through the petrochemical, mineral and vegetable oil industries and are all supplied with comprehensive Material Safety Data Sheets for safe and environmentally responsible use. There are no animal products required or used.

Rapidwall is continuing with research and development on raw materials and additives to obtain even better performances within strict ecological guidelines, whilst maintaining quality and recycling status as top priorities.

China outlawed the use of clay bricks in 2002 because of the damage caused by the mining of clay and because of the pollution caused by firing the many thousands of kilns. So important does China view this issue, they now operate in Beijing, a “Ministry of Walling” with the sole responsibility of finding and introducing new types of energy efficient and environmentally friendly walling products.

The Government of India has arrived at a similar conclusion in regard to the use of Rapidwall, and production started two years ago.

The single panel Rapidwall system serves as both the internal and external wall and eliminates the need for bricks, blocks, timber and steel wall frames and plasterboard linings.

The lowest energy embodied building product

"Rapidwall panels are the lowest embodied energy building material available on the world market."

Quote from thesis by Robert Omahen Faculty of Economics, University of Regensburg, Germany © 2002.

Embodied energy is the energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a building, from the acquisition of natural resources to product delivery, including mining, manufacturing of materials and equipment, transport and administrative functions.

Adding all the energy components together from gypsum mining, manufacturing panels, transporting to site and constructing a building, Rapidwall buildings are low energy consumers.

Even when concrete and insulation are used to fill cavities in the panels to provide insulation for single storeys, and strength for multi storeys, the embodied energy of Rapidwall buildings is substantially less than other buildings.

Studies have been carried out on a series of alternative building products and Rapidwall is less than 50% of these materials.

Rapidwall has been acknowledged by the World Bank to be eligible for carbon credits, which we understand, to be the first building material to achieve such recognition.

• With Rapidwall, door and window openings are cut in the factory according to building design requirements.
• The partial off-cuts can be used in other parts of the building project, or returned to the plaster manufacturer for recycling.
• If not recycled, off-cuts and miscellaneous remnants of panels remaining after installation are biodegradable after pulverizing.

• In the final stages of moulding and forming Rapidwall building panels, excess plaster slurry is screeded from the surface of the panels. This material is collected by the operators, placed in containers and recycled by the plaster manufacturer and/or supplier for reuse in the process
• The wet mixer is washed after each panel is mixed and formed, and the wash water is recycled and used again.

All raw materials are carefully selected to avoid toxic and hazardous substances in the process. Plaster (CaSO4, 0.5H2O) is the main raw material which is made from naturally occurring or industrial gypsum. It is a fully biodegradable material when pulverized finely and water is added, forming gypsum.

Plaster 

Gypsum plaster is the main raw material used for making Rapidwall building panels and is produced by calcining natural gypsum rock or industrial waste gypsum with the chemical name of calcium sulphate dihydrate (CaSO4, 2H2O). Natural gypsum is mined, transported from a local source and converted into plaster by local manufacturers. The chemical name for plaster is calcium sulphate hemihydrate (CaSO4, 0.5H2O). Gypsum and plaster are both slightly soluble in water and are considered non-hazardous substances.

Glass Fibre Rovings(E glass)

Glass Fibre rovings are used for reinforcing Rapidwall building panels. The rovings are cut into lengths during panel production and are wetted directly into the plaster slurry during moulding operations. Fibre glass handling and cutting are considered non-hazardous activities. The fibreglass is non respirable.

Retarders are classed as food grade quality

Further information regarding raw materials used in the production and manufacture of Rapidwall or Rapidflow plasters and material safety data sheets (MSDS) are available on request from Rapid Building Systems.