best material i can use for 66000mm x 6000mm Sign?

[Phill Fenton]

That is some size of sign. It’ll probably be visible from outer space just like the great wall of China. What building is it going on? Are you sure it’s 66M x 6M and not 6.6M x 6.0M in which case Dibond as in Robs demo is probably Ideal.

Be sure to post some pictures if you get this job, and good luck. 😀

[Neil Kelly]

Thanks Phill,

Yes the size is spot on Its on a large warehouse by a Motorway. Il be sure to post some pickys if it goes ahead.

just not sure what to make it out of (?)

[Robert Lambie]

look at alucolour neil. its almost the exact same material as di-bond and comes in various colours.. the reason i say is you are a group member so im guessing you should be able to get a better deal on the materials from europoint. if not, let me know and ill see if i can get you it cheaper through the online shop. 😉

[Arnie]

I personally think a few more clues would help.

1 what kind of cladding are we talking about??
2. roughly what is the client (or may i be direct) the design guru thinking of achieving. You may laugh. Ive had them all from abseiling down unfolding banners to unfolding them from parachuting from the sky.

No there is nothing wrong with a sign that big. But i dont personally think any rigid structure is correct, ie dibond etc. Reason. What are you going to attach, fix etc each panel too the cladding. (its only CLADDING, a building surface or substrate, not nescarrily a stucture)

The major problem is your fixings. There is alot of posts about the correct concepts of wind resistance and blow outs, but it all about suck outs that you must consider. Any large surface will ack like a spinneker and suck you along. Read some of the last posts about this.

This thing! if happens should possibly be a flexiface or mesh structure and take great careful in consulting with this client

Remember these are only my personal opinions, cheeeeeerrrrssss

I think this is a great thread of how people would tackle this???

Arnie

[Robert Lambie]

Hi arnie
The sign if fixed to cladding will use cladding screw/bolt fixings. Purposely for fixing direct. Sheets can be fixed in two ways but will do just as good with only one. Silicone and bolt fixings or just bolts.
They lay completely flat and are fixed through the face. Not by trim etc so blowouts wont happen.
Large banners etc work yes! But can come down just as easy if not fixed right. A huge banner of this size is like a sail in the wind. Flapping about with the wind riding up the spaces in the cladding, if it rips in one place you stand to loose the lot, as the rip will continue.
Unless fixed onto some sort of pulley system it will be equally hard to keep secure, straight and completely flat.
dont get me wrong,What you have in mind may be right, as to what I have in mind with regards to your solution.
a great example of a huge banner is the one next to the motorway passing birmingham..
I have a sign that ill try take a picture of tomorrow.. It’s on cladding and is about 3 metres deep by about 70 metres..(not as big but big) The signs stretch across the front of an old football stadiums cladding face and has been there about 4 years to-date and never a single problem with it. “Touch wood” I fitted it in one shift from a cherry picker using the same method I have used in my demo in the demo area.
if it is plasticol cladding then vinyl takes to it very well. but does mean applying flat then slitting and placing strips between the spaces. again i have used this method and works very well… but can take time.

[Neil Kelly]

Thanks Robert

for the detail’s in your last post I am sure this is the way to go, im going to make my recomendations and get the client to refer the structural implications back to the architect for his imput on loadings to the cladding face. (to cover my ****) when you fixed this type of sign before did you get fixings into the steel frame work ( valley ) or just into the sheet cladding ( peak ) also do you have pictures of the 3 m x 70 m sign
and would you mind me using them as an example of this type of work to show the client.

Regards Neil…

[Robert Lambie]

hi neil
the fittings only hit the high ground and not into the steel frame.
you will probably find that the architects would advise using these screws anyway.
they have rubber washers also to allow movement/play in the panels.
ill load the sign i did tonight, ill make sure i get a picture today.
by all means, use it for refferal.. its high but will give you an idea of what was done.
i would suggest maybe printing some of the close up shots of my demo in the demo area too just to show the screws etc.
when drilling these screws home use a cordless if possible. a power drill is a bit too powerful and can sometimes thread the metal.

[Robert Lambie]

hi neil
below is the job i spoke about. took a distant picture of the job on the passing today.
i was a bit out on the first size i gave, i said 3m deep by 70 metres. its more like 40-50 metres, but is 3 metres deep. the reason i said 70 was because we are doing the black panel at the top shortly. i took the measure of it and thats close to 70 metres long from memory. as you can see the old one below is not spanning the complete length.

anyway…
this sign as i said before was fitted in one day. using the method/fixings i have shown in the demo area. this was only fixed by the screw bolts not silicone & screws.
if you look close you will see the building actualy steps out about 18 inches then returns further along.
the material i used in this picture was not rynabond but plasticol metal. rynabond, di-bond or alu-colour is lighter, thicker and stronger i would imagine. much easier to work with. so i would go with one of those as i since..

oh yes.. and none of the other signs are ours 😉

[Neil Kelly]

Thanks Robert
its great to see a working example of the finished sign Il be sure to let you know how things progress.

Neil…..

[Robert Lambie]

thanks neil
hope all goes well for you & if you manage, please take a picture for us all to gasp at! 😛 😉

[Phill Fenton]

Neil – Don’t forget to include a message on the sign for any extraterrestrial readers – something like “Earth welcomes Alien Friends that come in peace (but kicks ass any trouble makers 😉 )” and “Sponsored by Diet Coke”

[Kevin Flowers]

Hi all
just been asked to quote for something similar and all of the above is a great help, but just a couple of questions. (Q1) How do you join the panels or do the joints always fall on the high ground, or do you have to cut the panels so all the joints then fall on the high ground. (Q2) What is the bolt spacing and do you bolt through panel center etc.

Kevin

[Robert Lambie]

check out the demo in the demonstartion area mate, theres pictures of it being installed and what fixing to use & more to use…