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industrial & municipal fiberglass fabrication

Glass-Steel, Inc. custom designs and fabricates baffle wall systems for use in Clearwells, Chlorine Contact Chambers, Flocculation Basins, Aeration Chambers, Mixer Basins, etc. Glass-Steel, Inc. baffle wall systems are all fiberglass systems utilizing NSF-61 certified pultruded components. Fiberglass baffle walls are usually lower in cost than clearheart redwood with stainless steel angle supports, poured in place concrete, aluminum, or stainless systems. Our fiberglass columns are less expensive than poured in place concrete, aluminum, or stainless of comparable strength.

Fiberglass of course will not rot, rust, or corrode and is virtually maintenance free. Fiberglass is lighter than most other materials and less costly to install. Our baffle wall system and components allow us to build framed door ways into the system for access to equipment when equipment needs to be maintained. Because all of our components are Strongwell’s EXTREN products, we have a vast range of structural configurations we can use to accommodate special design considerations. Our support columns are generally a 6” x 9” x 5/16” tubular column or a 6” x 18” x 5/16” tubular column, but we also can utilize I-Beams 18” deep, 24” deep, or even our 36” double web column. Our base connection is generally a 7” x 3-1/2” x ¾” angle with a glass configuration and corner radius designed to maximize the effective strength of the component.

Glass-Steel, Inc. has installed numerous systems over the last several years and is constantly designing new components to improve the flexibility of the system and improve the cost effectiveness of the system. The following sketches give a few standard details currently being used but they in no way reflect our entire capability of options for these products.

3.70 lbs./linear foot (12" baffle panel)
6.52 lbs./linear foot (24" baffle panel)

For a printable PDF version click the file below:

The baffle panel system is designed around EXTREN pultruded fiberglass products. The EXTREN product line has been around for over 40 years. Current composite designs have been fine-tuned from this vast experience in laminate design. Fiberglass pultrusions are anisotropic in physical characteristics by nature of the process and by loading requirements. In normal structural applications, we design the laminates to exhibit greater strength in the lengthwise direction than in the crosswise direction. In small compact parts such as round and square bar, we use no transverse reinforcements. This allows our longitudinal values to soar to 6.0 x 10 6 Modulus of Elasticity and 100,000 psi tensile strength. The glass content on these parts is 70%. When parts become wider and thicker, the glass content drops to 50% to allow for glass to be placed in the transverse direction also. Because this glass must overlap glass in the longitudinal direction, it takes up more space and reduces the amount of glass reinforcement that can be placed into the part. Not providing any or little transverse reinforcements in a wide part can cause a laminate to crack during rough handling or when stresses are unexpectedly placed on the laminate in the transverse direction.

We are capable of altering our standard panel laminate design to a higher glass content and therefore attaining higher longitudinal properties. However the buyer should be aware of the potential consequences of neglecting transverse properties.

The load tables in our brochure indicate the deflection values of our standard laminate which is a 50% glass content part as indicated in the lab test (also included). Higher glass content parts would result in lower deflection values.

The two chart sets displayed are for non-fixed ends and fixed ends. On non-fixed ends, the panels are set between the guide angles loose for ease of potential removal or adjustment. The deflection charts for fixed ends are based on the guide angles being fixed to the wall or column in a continuous manner. Then the panels are stacked and screwed to the guide angles to attain fixity of the ends against little or no rotation of the members relative to each other. The angle between intersecting members is virtually unchanged under the design load because the deflections are so low (L/D < 360) under most loads.

Most design loads are for when the structure is empty of water (when wind loads are used) or when the structure is being loaded or unloaded with water (when differential head is used), otherwise during operation loads are approximately equal.

Clearwell baffle Wall in round concrete tank at St. Cloud, FL

Interior close up showing batten strips over seams

Baffle Wall Brochure

BAFFLE WALL SYSTEMS

Rear View of access door

Access door in Baffle Wall showing hinge connection on opening side

Fiberglass baffle walls in Clear Well at St. Cloud, FL

Trickling filter at Leavenworth, KS using baffle panel in vertical position with batten strips over seams

Exterior close up showing attachment