A sample structure, clad with Nu-Wall, was subjected to racking displacement (as would be expected to occur during an earthquake) forcing the shape of the structure into that of a parallelogram.
The test procedure involved incrementally increasing the amount of displacement up to a maximum of ±72mm, with inspection of the cladding made at each increment. At ±48mm displacement, some slight deformation occurred to the ends of four of the cladding boards, due to compression of the vertical dimension of the sample structure. No further damage was observed throughout the remainder of the testing and no components failed or became detached from the structure.
At the conclusion of the testing, the cladding appeared to remain fully serviceable apart from the slight damage referred to previously. The results of testing met the requirements of an Importance Level 4 building, on which Nu-Wall was specified.
Nu-Wall cladding boards are fixed to a building’s structure independently of each other, with no penetration by the fasteners used. This permits movement of the material relative to the structure, enabling the cladding to achieve the results observed during testing.
Copies of the test report are available on request.