Polyfoam (Pty) Ltd, the leading applicator of Polyurethane Spray Foam Insulation in Africa, has successfully completed several projects in recent months, which involved the efficient insulating of chicken broiler houses, various agricultural processing, and storage facilities throughout southern and eastern Africa.
According to Willie Swiegelaar, managing director of Polyfoam, it was the successful completion of these contracts that led to the company being awarded a further multi-million rand project for the fourth Quarter of 2010, and has subsequently led to the company tendering for projects as far afield as Zambia and Nigeria.
"Our client at one of the largest chicken broiler houses in South Africa was very specific about the fact that the project should be executed without any disruption to current operations and production," says Swiegelaar. "It was therefore the obvious choice to select Polyurethane Spray Foam, due to its significant versatility and ease of application," he says.
The project deliverables also specified that world-class materials with a minimum lifespan of 25 to 30 years, that would prevent the infestation of insects should be used, as well as materials that would provide optimal insulating properties, and prevent condensation in the broiler house due to vapour caused by the chicks breathing, and heating by means of steam generated heat. Furthermore, Polyfoam (Pty) Ltd had to ensure a capitalisation recovery of the investment within two to three years, due to energy and feedstock savings.
The project was completed within in four months and over 56 000m2 of product was applied at a rate of approximately 800m2 per day.
The scope of the project included the following:
- Removal or clean-up of existing insulating materials
- Spray application of Polyurethane Foam with high pressure reactor
- Replacement of IBR roof sheeting
Swiegelaar goes onto explain that spraying broiler houses with polyurethane assists with effective climate control and subsequently decreases the mortality rate of chicks caused by extreme climate changes. The houses are kept at even temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius. There is also a proven energy cost saving on boilers and heater costs used in broiler houses during winter periods, and cooling of broiler houses during summer periods.
"Polyurethane also controls condensation on the inside of the broiler houses due to the unique character of Polyurethane Spray Foam that allows water vapour permeation and eliminates the deterioration of the roof structure as a result of rust formation."
The main advantages of the application of Polyurethane spray foam are:
- Polyurethane Spray Foam can be applied to virtually any substrate and is applied in situ with high pressure reactor machines on site.
- There is no need for bulky items being transported as the material is supplied in drums and after application, only the empty drums needs to be removed from site.
- Polyurethane has a low weight and therefore places very little additional weight bearing stress on the structure. It also forms an integral part of the structure and therefore enhances the structural integrity of the building.
- The cost of the Polyurethane application plus the energy savings advantages that it offers are typically recovered within two to five years on larger projects
Contact: Willie Swiegelaar
Tel: 011 887 8538
Email: willie@poly-foam.biz
