Due to the current health alert situation caused by the biological agent that causes COVID-19, it has become essential to install new temporary health/residential spaces, suitable both for treatment, diagnostic tests and for the temporary accommodation of people in situations of exclusion.

As a result of this recent need, multidisciplinary spaces (such as sports centers or fairgrounds) are being adapted in a matter of days to house this type of temporary facility. Therefore, in order to adapt these centers to their new uses, materials that are quick to handle and at an adjusted cost are needed that can be used as temporary division elements and provide the installation with:

• Opacity, stability of the set and adjusted cost
• Easy handling and quick dry assembly
• Resistance to cleaning agents

Our FO03 (Foamed PVC Flat Plates) and FO06 (Rigid PVC Multilayer Flat Plates with Foamed PVC Core) are optimal materials for this purpose, as they are characterized by:

Opacity, stability of the set and adjusted cost

With both PVC supports, we guarantee user privacy, an indispensable requirement in these uses, since both are opaque materials with a soft and uniform surface.

Regarding the stability and the cost of the solution of the set, both materials do have differences:

• FO03 (Foamed PVC flat plates)

With this support we will need a structure that gives stability to the whole, so we could make bulk-like partitions (with perimeter frame+vertical uprights and metal sockets) and FO03 separator core. This solution requires more assembly time and since it has metal stiffening elements, the cost of the final partition increases.

• FO06 (Rigid PVC multilayer flat plates with foamed PVC core)

In this case, we are talking about a self-supporting proposal, without the need for metal structures to support the partition.

FO06 sheets can be milled and machined quickly and economically, and the assembly of these dividers will be done in a mechanical way, some multilayer PVC pieces are inserted with others to give rigidity to the solution. So there is no need for mechanical fasteners or any type of metal profile to stiffen the assembly.

With this solution, everything from simple partitions to rooms can be created very quickly and at a very competitive cost, since being a lightweight material, the pieces can be handled by a single person alone.

Example room solved with FO06

Example dividing element with FO06

Easy and quick dry assembly

As they are temporary solutions for urgent assembly, a material that is easy to transport, light weight and easy to machine is required. Therefore, priority is given to all those solutions that can be done dry without the use of silicones or other sealing materials or pastes.

Both PVC plates allow cutting with blade tools, machining and milling, important not to use laser cutting with these materials.

In addition, in the case of the FO06, it allows us to make V-slits that allow folding at angles of 90º in the cold, thus speeding up our work when carrying out the assembly.

In general, FO03/FO06 plates can be fixed, although we must take into account the possible thermal expansion due to changes in temperature in the environment. The attachment can be dry by screwing and nailing or wet by means of silicones and chemically compatible adhesives.

Resistance to cleaning agents

This type of facility undergoes continuous cleaning processes with aggressive cleaning products, in order to guarantee as far as possible the safety of workers and other users. Therefore, it is necessary for the support to withstand these disinfection processes. Both plates, being composed of PVC, perform optimally against the action of a wide variety of chemicals.

Most detergents can be used to ensure the cleanliness of these surfaces, including ethanol (ethyl alcohol)

It is very important to avoid contact with acetones, ketones, ethers and aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons as they could alter the properties of the material causing a change in weight (generally increase) and volume due to chemical attack.