RM Products: Material testing on fiberglass modular building design

Project goal: RM Products has requested CARI assist with conducting material testing on a new panel design, as well as conduct wind and snow load testing on the full-size building model.

What was done: Georgian developed a 3D model of the structure, ran finite element analysis to determine strength of materials due to wind forces and snow loads, a destructive test using the Instron tester to determine wall strength, a fixture panel flange strength test and a pull test on flanged components built into the panel.

What was achieved: RM Products started with a modular fiberglass building design. It consists of panels made from pre-form fiberglass, which is assembled to form the building. The panels are light weight, easy to assemble, and incredibly strong. RM Products has developed a new panel design that incorporates polyurethane foam tightly positioned between two sheets of fiberglass. This new design has increased strength of the panels and added insulation properties, while still maintaining the low-weight properties of the original design. Preliminary testing was conducted to measure various forces and loads, prior to ASTM standards testing.

Testimonial: “The opportunity here is tremendous,” he said. “This is a good place to do business. Having Georgian College and Lakehead University in our backyard is a fantastic resource.” – Randy Chotowetz, RM Products

Read the full article: College capabilities help local firm with global plans.

For more information about RM Products, visit their website.