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Geo-Illusions: Synthetic Rock Features by Amy Johnson
Artistry, fantasy and heavy-duty craftsmanship converge in creating natural-looking artificial environments from synthetic rock panels. Applications range from animal habitats to luxury homes, with parks, restaurants, shops and hotels in between. There seems to be no limit to the creative possibilities of this medium.
Synthetic rock panels have several advantages over natural stone. On a large scale they are obvious. A 40-foot zoo environment or a backyard cliff would be nearly impossible to install using heavy stone, even if the materials could be found. But the weight advantage also applies on a smaller scale, say with a garden wall.
Jim Jenkins, president of Synthetic Rock Solutions and owner of training consultancy JPJ Technologies Inc. in Sheridan, Ore., has installed both. He says that stone installed on a building facade weighs in at about 21 pounds per square foot. Cultured stone installed with mortar weighs about 15 pounds per square foot. But the fiber reinforced cement composite panels he manufactures in thicknesses from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch weigh a mere 7 pounds per square foot. And they create a monolithic structure, as opposed to segments created by natural or cultured stone.
They may be thin, but these panels have strong relief. And they may be light, but they are strong. Jenkins says his panels deliver 12,000 psi of compressive strength.
Another significant advantage over natural stone comes during installation. An experienced mason with a tender may be able to lay 40 to 50 square feet of stacked stone wall in a day. In contrast, a comparatively inexperienced workman can install 600 square feet to 800 square feet of synthetic rock panels in a day.
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