INFORMATION FOR ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS FROM JOHN R. SCHAFER, OWNER OF
SCHAFER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, AND DEVELOPER OF THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURAL
FIBERGLASS STEEPLES: ALL OF WHICH HAVE WITHSTOOD EVERY HURRICANE, INCLUDING
HUGO.........................
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HAVING BEEN IN THE COMPOSITES FABRICATING
BUSINESS FOR OVER 64 YEARS, AND AT THE SAME LOCATION FOR 59 YEARS IN THE
DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF QUALITY FIBERGLASS PRODUCTS, WE WISH TO INFORM
YOU OF THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR METHOD AND PRODUCT FROM OTHERS ON THE
MARKET........ STRUCTURAL F.R.P. CONSTRUCTION IN STEEPLES HAVE UNITIZED
STEEL BASE FRAMES. THIS IS OPPOSED TO OLD FASHIONED TOWER FRAMES WHICH ARE
COVERED WITH THIN SKINS OF F.R.P. AND ARE NOT LOAD BEARING OR SELF
SUPPORTING, AND WILL IN TIME DROOP DOWNWARD UNDER SUNLIGHT AND HEAT OVER
THEIR STEEL FRAMES TO CRACK AND LEAK: ALSO, THEY DO NOT
WITHSTAND WINDS OR ICE LOADS VERY WELL. CONSEQUENTLY, THE THIN SKIN F.R.P.
STEEPLES ARE NOW BEING REPLACED BY STRUCTURAL F.R.P. COMPOSITES AT AN
INCREASING RATE. WE ARE ALSO MANUFACTURERS OF THIN SKIN CHOPPER GUN
PRODUCTS IN OTHER ITEMS WHERE
APPLICABLE....................
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.........THIN SKIN STEEPLES ARE USUALLY
MOLDED BY CHOPPER GUN AND THE CLAM SHELL METHOD WITH A VISIBLE FLANGED
SEAM RUNNING DOWN TWO SIDES. MANY GIVE TROUBLE DUE TO FLEXING BY WIND OR
BY HAIL STONES OR JUST ICE BUILDING UP HEAVY ON ONE SIDE DURING ICE
STORMS. ON THE CONTRARY FOR STRUCTURAL FIBERGLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (S.F.R.P.)
STEEPLES MOLDED AND FABRICATED WITH STRUCTURAL PANELS, ANGLES, CHANNELS,
I-BEAMS AND RODS WHICH ARE LAMINA-WELDED INTO ONE INTEGRAL UNIT,
BECOMING COMPLETELY S.F.R. P. UNITIZED WITHOUT JOINTS
STRUCTURAL F.R.P. STEEPLES DO NOT HAVE SECTIONAL PARTS THAT ARE BOLTED TOGETHER,
NOR DO THEY HAVE RIVETS, SCREWS OR SEALANTS TO WEAR OR RUST OUT OVER
TIME. POSITIVELY NO WOOD PARTS ARE USED AS THIS WILL ROT AWAY WITH THE
TWICE A DAY SWEATING OF THE INTERIOR...
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THE S.F.R.P. STEEPLE SYSTEM IS
ACHIEVED BY UNITIZING ALL ELEMENTS INVOLVED INTO A SINGLE UNIT. THE
STEEPLE BECOMES .A BOX BEAM ITSELF AND CAN BE MADE
IN ONE PIECE UP TO
52 FEET LONG
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES UNDER ASTM METHOD STANDARDS SHOW
THAT WE
AVERAGE A MINIMUM OF 40,000 PSI PER .250 THICKNESS IN ALL
STRENGTHS THIS IS 5 TO 10 TIMES STRONGER MATERIAL THAN IN THE
STANDARD THIN SKIN F.R.P. SYSTEM ..................
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