Expansion & Contraction

Thermal expansion and contraction must be considered when designing with ALPOLIC®. To calculate thermal expansion/contraction, use the following equations:

Thermal Expansion/Contraction (inches) = 12 x Cth x ΔT(°F) x L(feet)

Cth = Coefficient of thermal expansion (13 x 10*) Add superscript of -6 after 10.

L = Length of ALPOLIC panel

ΔT = Ta – Ti where Ta is the actual temperature and Ti is the temperature when ALPOLIC was fabricated or installed. A positive ΔT indicates expansion and negative ΔT indicates contraction.

Thermal Expansion/Contraction Per Foot (inches)

ΔT	10	20	30	40	50	60
4, 6mm	0.0016	0.0031	0.0047	0.0062	0.0078	0.0094
ΔT	70	80	90	100	110	120
4, 6mm	0.0109	0.0125	0.0140	0.0156	0.0172	0.0187