New façade is no trouble at the mill thanks to Knauf Insulation
Knauf Insulation’s Rocksilk mineral wool is
putting a new face on a former industrial building, now used by
University of Derby staff and students. Building façade specialist,
Parry Bowen, is incorporating the Knauf Insulation product in
spandrel panel glazing to achieve the required U-values at the
University’s Britannia Mill site.
Parry Bowen is refurbishing three buildings on
the site by installing new façades constructed utilizing a Schüco
unitized curtain wall system.
The Rocksilk Universal
Slab RS260 has been produced for Parry Bowen in 135mm and 160mm
thicknesses so that only one layer of insulation is needed in the
glazing panel – giving savings in both material cost and
manufacturing time.
The advantage of Rocksilk over other
insulation materials is that it combines excellent thermal and
acoustic insulation in one non-combustible product. Its open
cell structure traps still air, which not only makes it a high
performance thermal insulator, it also absorbs vibrations, which
contributes to the acoustic performance of the structure. And, in
contrast to rigid foam insulation boards, when the faces of cut
Rocksilk slab are installed they knit together, so there are no
gaps in the thermal and acoustic barrier therefore maximum
performance is ensured.
In terms of fire protection, Rocksilk has a Euroclass A1
classification to BS EN ISO 13501-1, the highest classification
possible. It is completely non-combustible and will not produce any
toxic smoke or contribute to the spread of a fire. It is completely
free from CFCs and HCFCs and is rated as having zero global warming
potential (GWP) and zero ozone depletion potential (ODP). For
public buildings such as this, superior fire performance was
crucial – and by specifying non-combustible materials such as
Rocksilk Universal Slab, the University of Derby has also acted in
accordance with guidance offered by the recent Building Bulletin
100: Design for fire safety in schools.
A further benefit for the customer was that
Knauf Insulation was able to provide the insulation in bespoke
thicknesses and with a water-repellent silicone treatment.
For this project, Knauf Insulation supplied
the insulation via the specialist distributor Encon, which in turn
supplied it to MDL Fabrications. MDL cuts the slab to produce kits
of made-to-measure insulation components for each façade panel and
supplies these to Parry Bowen as required, in line with the build
programme.
Matthew Holmes of Parry Bowen says that it
specified Rocksilk Universal Slab not just because of its
properties but also because of the company’s relationship with
Knauf Insulation.
“We choose to work with reliable suppliers and
have a strong, long-term trading partnership with Knauf Insulation
based on quality and reliability,” he says.
For more information on Knauf Insulation’s
products please visit http://www.knaufinsulation.co.uk/
ENDS
Reference:
RU103209