ADVANTAGES OF BUILDING WITH POLYSTEEL FORMS(r)

CONSTRUCTION

• Polysteel(r) is lightweight and easy to handle on the job. One 6-pound Form creates the same amount of wall area as 140 pounds of concrete block.
• Fewer man-hours are required to erect a Polysteel® wall than for conventional concrete, wood-frame or concrete block walls.
• Polysteel Forms® eliminate the need for, and cost of, buying, stripping, cleaning, transporting and storing reusable forms.
• Concrete can be poured into our insulated Polysteel Forms® at temperatures as low as -15 degrees Fahrenheit without adding special chemicals.
• Polysteel® requires 25% less concrete than conventional forming methods, while providing up to 50% stronger concrete per square inch.
• Polysteel® eliminates the need for additional insulation and the labor cost of installing it.
• Polysteel® provides the fastest method of constructing a fully-insulated concrete wall, shortening total construction time.
• Polysteel Forms® greatly exceed standard building requirements.

STRUCTURAL SECURITY

• Polysteel Forms® are filled with reinforced concrete that will not be eaten by wood- eating termites, ants, etc.
• The stability of a concrete-filled Polysteel® wall makes Polysteel® a superb building system for earthquake zones and hurricane-force-wind areas.
• Polysteel® walls are bullet resistant.

HEATING & COOLING

• Polysteel® walls provide a thermal mass of 56 lbs per square foot with the 6-inch Forms and 76 pounds per square foot for the 8-inch Forms.
• The tongue and groove design of Polysteel Forms® minimizes heat loss through insulation joints.
• Polysteel® walls minimize outside air infiltration, leaks, and drafts.
• Polysteel Forms® create a super-insulated concrete wall which reduces heating and cooling costs by 50 to 80 percent.

COMFORT

• Polysteel® walls minimize dust infiltration, allowing furniture to stay clean longer.
• Polysteel Forms® minimize mildew and the damp smells of normal basements.
• Polysteel® structures provide much warmer floors and more comfortable homes.
• Polysteel® walls create a sound barrier that virtually eliminates outside noises.

ADDITIONAL ADVANTAGES

• Fire insurance rates on Polysteel® structures are lower than those for conventional, wood-frame, buildings.
• Polysteel® homes and other Polysteel® buildings will appraise higher than those constructed with conventional wood framing.
• Polysteel Forms® result in a cleaner and safer environment.

Polysteel Forms® enable builders to give their customers the most structurally secure and energy efficient home that money can buy!

An American Polysteel Form® is one of the most environmentally friendly building materials you can use today. From the initial manufacturing process through decades of energy- saving performance in the field, Polysteel Forms® provide a variety of benefits to our environment.

• No CFC's (Chloroflourocarbons) are used during the manufacturing process. The release of CFC's has been linked to the destruction of the Earth's protective ozone layer and an increased incidence of skin cancer (see below).
• The structural strength of Polysteel® buildings comes from reinforced concrete - portland cement, sand and gravel of which the Earth has in abundant supply. This directly reduces the use of lumber for construction, thereby helping to save the world's forests.
• The thermal mass and expanded polystyrene insulation of concrete-filled Polysteel Forms® creates structures that are super energy efficient. This energy efficiency minimizes the amount of fuel burned for heat, saving our oil and gas reserves, reducing air pollution and the "greenhouse effect", the cause of atmospheric warming.

THE OZONE LAYER
Scientists studying the Earth's atmosphere believe that the ozone layer which shields us from the sun's ultraviolet radiation is being destroyed by CFC blowing agents. Unfortunately, many extruded polystyrene products use CFC's in their manufacture. It can be recognized by its fibrous appearance and is found in:

• Extruded polystyrene insulation products which are usually colored to differentiate them from other rigid insulation. "Blue Board" and "Pink Board" are examples of this type of product.
• Extruded polystyrene disposable containers (e.g., drinking cups, hamburger cases)
• Packaging filler materials, such as foam "peanuts".

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) products DO NOT USE CFC's in their manufacture. EPS is easily recognized by its unique appearance - thousands of tiny white beads fused tightly together. It is found in:

• American Polysteel Forms®
• Expanded polystyrene insulation commonly known as "bead board".
• Ice chests, molded packaging materials, etc.

Conclusion: USE OUR FORMS AND SAVE THE OZONE!!!

INDOOR POLLUTION
Buildings constructed with Polysteel Forms® are as friendly to the interior environment as they are to our global well being. Because the air infiltration into a Polysteel® house is only 25% that of a conventional wood-frame house, the leakage of outside air pollutants, pollen and dust into a Polysteel® home will also be only 25% by comparison. Consequently, the adverse affects of both noise and air pollution are significantly minimized, or eliminated, for the inhabitants and users of a Polysteel® structure, creating a comfortable and secure atmosphere for those who may be sensitive to chemicals and allergies.

• Polysteel Forms® do not contain CFC's, HCFC's, formaldehyde, asbestos or fiberglass.
• Polysteel Forms® do not produce any odor or fumes after four to six weeks from the date of manufacture. The pentane gas used to expand and mold our expanded polystyrene is driven off during the manufacturing process. The residual off-gassing of any remaining pentane in our finished Polysteel Form® products does not occur, except at insignificant levels.
• Laboratory analysis of the expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) used in our Form has demonstrated that no breakdown of any of the EPS components occurs at temperatures below 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The structural strength and stability of Polysteel® reduces cracking in foundation walls and basements, thereby minimizing the leakage of radon gas into homes and other buildings.
• Polysteel Forms® meet or exceed all national building fire code requirements with a flame spread of much less than 25 and a smoke development of much less than 450. In a fire, Polysteel Forms® are less toxic than most common building and insulation materials, including wood. In an interior fire, the interior EPS in our Polysteel® wall can produce 5,420 Btu's per square foot of heat, which is much less than the 10,000 Btu's per square foot produced by the wood in a 2 X 4 frame house. When burned completely, expanded polystyrene gives off water vapor, carbon dioxide, and some soot or ash - the same as paper. The fire retardant contained in our expanded polystyrene is brominated aliphatic hydrocarbon, which is stable below 392 degrees Fahrenheit.
• As for noise pollution, a Polysteel® wall, with a 1/2" drywall interior veneer and an equivalent exterior attached, creates a barrier with a sound class 48, which virtually eliminates outside noise.

A fresh air exchange system should be considered for all tightly built houses, including Polysteel Form® homes. The addition of an electronic air filter to remove the remaining airborne pollen and other pollutants will result in an indoor environment that is second to none.

Many of our customers and product dealers have asked us to explain the reasons for the unusually high level of comfort they have experienced in homes and offices built of our Polysteel Forms®. These people tell us that this feeling and comfort level cannot be duplicated in buildings constructed of conventional materials. We believe that there are several factors that contribute to this special feeling.

First, and foremost, is the overall effect of massive concrete walls encapsulated within high density expanded polystyrene insulation. The human body is a heat generating machine which continuously gives off heat. The ASHRAE Handbook (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers) states that, even when people are sedentary and inactive, they give off about 340 BTU's of heat per hour. Although the air absorbs a small amount of this body heat, the majority of the heat radiates outward until a solid mass is encountered. If the amount of mass is small, such as a wood frame wall, the heat rapidly moves through to the other side. If the wall is insulated, the heat moves through more slowly. If the mass is large and cold, such as in a cold, uninsulated concrete wall, the body heat will be immediately absorbed. By allowing this radiant heat to escape through the structure, all of these wall types will have the effect of "drawing" heat away from your body, making you feel chilly and uncomfortable. In a Polysteel® wall, the body heat loss is offset by the heat being emitted by the warm, massive, insulated concrete wall. This balance creates a stabilizing effect on the interior environment, leaving you with an unequaled sense of comfort and well being.

The second factor related to comfort is the temperature difference between the floor and ceiling. The ASHRAE Handbook states: "A person may feel thermally neutral for the body as a whole, but might not be comfortable if one part of the body is warm and another cold" (Page 8.20). In buildings constructed of conventional materials, the temperature difference between the floor and ceiling will range from 5 to 10 degrees Farenheit. By comparison, the temperature difference from floor to ceiling in a Polysteel® building is typically less than 2 degrees Farenheit.

A reduction in reactions to respiratory allergies is the third comfort factor in a Polysteel® structure. The effects of hay fever, asthma, and other airborne allergies can be greatly alleviated as a direct result of the reduced leakage of outside air, which brings dust, pollens and other pollutants. Tests have shown that the infiltration and leakage into a Polysteel® building is one fourth (1/4) that of conventional walls. In fact, the reduced air leakage of a Polysteel® home or office, used in conjunction with properly installed fresh air exchangers and electrostatic air filters, can result in the best possible living environment available for respiratory allergy sufferers.

The fourth element contributing to the unequaled comfort of a Polysteel® home is quietness. The combination of massive concrete encapsulated within high density expanded polystyrene provides a superior barrier to the sounds and noises of the outside environment. This creates a cocoon of peacefulness in which to live and work.

Other factors which contribute to the high degree of comfort within Polysteel® walls are; the elimination of air drafts, so common in wood or steel frame houses; the feeling of physical security resulting from being surrounded by impenetrable steel-reinforced concrete walls, and, finally, the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you are living or working in the most energy efficient and environmentally favorable home or office available. All of these elements combine to create a unique sense of comfort and well being in a Polysteel® building that is unlike any other feeling you will experience in a man-made structure.

Reference: 1989 ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, Chapter 8 - Physiological Principles, Comfort and Health. Published by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia.

TOXICITY
These toxicity test results compare the total sum of toxicity factors (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and poisonous chemicals) found in the smoke of burning materials as compared to the smoke from burning red oak.

Material	Sum of Toxicity Factors
Polysteel Form®	20
White pine	50
Red Oak	100 (the standard)
PVC (poly vinyl chloride)	360
Wool	390
ABS (plastic pipe)	280
Urethane (rigid)	290

US Testing Co Report No 03298

FLAME SPREAD
The distance flame spreads from the igniting flame during a 10-minute fire exposure under controlled test conditions in a test tunnel. The results of the test are compared to the flame spread on asbestos-cement board and the flame spread on an untreated red oak floor under similar fire exposure.

Material	Flame Spread
Asbestos-cement board	0
Polysteel Form®	10 ft.
Untreated red oak flooring	100 ft.
Maximum accepted by billing Codes	75 ft.

SMOKE DEVELOPMENT
The amount of smoke developed during a standardized burning test in a test tunnel. The results are compared to the smoke developed by burning an asbestos-cement board and the smoke developed by burning a red oak floor under similar fire conditions during a 10-minute period. The amount of smoke development is determined by the light absorption percentage of the smoke using a photoelectric circuit operating across the test furnace flue pipe.

Material	Smoke Development
Asbestos-cement	0
Untreated red oak flooring	100
Polysteel Form®	Less than 300
Maximum accepted by Building Codes	450

Flame spread and smoke development test procedures according to ASTM E84-81a and similar to the following: UL-723, ANSI No 2.5, NFPA No 255, and UBC 42-1.