In response to new UK Government building regulations, CSM (UK) Ltd has developed the solution for fire compliant concrete sandwich panels using Thermomass® and mineral wool insulation.
For 20 years, CSM (UK) Ltd has helped customers in the UK and Ireland design and build concrete sandwich walls using the Thermomass® system. Over this period, there has been a sizeable growth in the use of Thermomass® concrete sandwich panels by the pre-cast concrete industry, caused notably by the increase in architecturally designed structures in concrete across multiple sectors, assisted by the speed of construction, certainty of cost and programme and a drive to achieve the greater energy efficiency that Thermomass® provides.
Following the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017, the UK Government decided to act and ensure future high-rise projects built in England were fire safe. As of 21 December 2018, The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2018 came into action, whereby the UK Government has banned combustible materials within external walls on new high-rise buildings in England. According to the regulation, relevant buildings must be above 18 metres tall and contain dwellings, an institution or a room for residential purposes, excluding rooms in “a hostel, hotel or boarding house”, stating that all construction elements within should be classified with an A2- s1, d0 or A1 European Fire Classification, the highest rating possible.
Such an amendment could have immediately posed a threat to the concrete sandwich panel industry who, at present, rely on thermal insulations such as Polyisocyanurate (PIR), Graphite Expanded Polystyrene or Phenolic insulations, all of which all fall short of the European Fire Classifications required.
However, considering these new regulations andrisks, CSM (UK) Ltd, supplier of the Thermomass® System in the UK and Ireland, has collaborated with mineral wool insulation manufacturers, to supply to the pre-cast industry with the solution to achieve an A1 European Fire Classification in concrete sandwich panels, for exclusive use as the thermal insulation in Thermomass® concrete sandwich panels.
Thermomass® is the market leading fixing forconcrete sandwich panels, having supplied more than 80 million m2 worldwide without a single failure. Customers choose Thermomass® for many reasons, notably because all panels are thermally broken, delivering 100% thermally efficient insulation which eliminates interstitial and surface condensation, no projects require scaffolding and all panels have superior acoustic and fire properties, including a four-hour fire resistance when tested in accordance with BS EN 1364-1: 1999.
The solution CSM (UK) Ltd has developed with mineral wool manufacturers is a non-combustible stone wool insulation made specifically for concrete sandwich panels. This insulation is made from molten mineral stone, a renewable and plentiful naturally occurring resource, providing panels with not only the benefits of Thermomass®, but also the compression resistance required for concrete pouring, increased vapour resistance to ensure a low U Value panel and, most importantly, an A1 European Fire Classification.
CSM (UK) Ltd are considered by our customers not as suppliers, but partners in their business, ensuring an unparalleled quality of service and expertise in the concrete sandwich panel industry. Following the new regulation coming into force we acted fast to ensure our customers could continue to succeed. Now, we can supply them with a cost effective regulation compliant solution, specifically designed for the Thermomass® System to continue to exceed their expectations for durability, energy-efficiency and award winning attractive building designs.
