Shear Panel Building Material

Abstract

A shear panel building material that includes a first facing membrane, a core matrix disposed on a face of the first facing membrane, and a semi-rigid or rigid material attached to the core matrix. The core matrix can include microspheres having a size of about 200 microns to about 800 microns, sodium silicate, and ethylene vinyl acetate. In one aspect, the shear panel is substantially free from glue and cement.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A shear panel building material comprising:
 a first facing membrane;   a second facing membrane;   a rigid material situated between the first facing membrane and the second facing membrane, said rigid material being self-supporting; and   a core matrix disposed between said first and second facing membranes, said core matrix including:
 from about 25 wt % to about 60 wt % of microparticles based on wet formulation, 
 from about 20 wt % to about 36 wt % sodium silicate, and 
 from about 2 wt % to about 6 wt % of a vinyl acetate, 
   wherein the rigid material is held in place with respect to the first and second facing membranes by the core matrix.