How to protect fibreglass components in construction
Working outside in construction can mean handling key components in difficult situations prior to installation. When a major Texas wind farm considered how to protect fibreglass components in construction – namely the 30 meter long fibreglass turbine blades – they found EPS blocks the perfect solution.
Wind generation in Texas is an important industry – leading the nation in wind power production. It generates more than double the wind power than that of the next state – California. Texas has a self-contained power grid, suppling most of the state’s major cities and wind power can supply up to one third of that need. Construction of high-performing wind turbines is therefore a major and important task for the state and the companied involved. The shape and the surface of the huge blades are fundamental to the turbine’s performance. They are usually made from fibreglass and need to be protected once on site.
When the large fibreglass blades arrive on site at the building of the latest turbine, the construction team have a number of tasks: inspection, preparation and occasionally trimming of the blades. To do this effectively the blades need to be at worker accessible height yet also on a cushioned surface that will not damage the blades. Several large EPS foam blocks perform the task of holding the blades in position perfectly; providing cushioning without scratching.
Universal Foam Products can produce EPS blocks to exact sizes required for such construction projects and deliver to site. For similar reasons of protection and to avoid damage, EPS blocks from Universal Foam Products are also used to support boat hulls in dry docks. Repairs are more easily carried out and boats are stored without damage.