FAQs

Product

Building Regulations

Fire Safety and Performance

Sustainability

What insulation core does Eurobond use?

Rockwool, a non-combustible stone wool product providing a fire rated solution and total fire resistance is manufactured using diabase rock, a naturally occurring raw material found in abundance around the world but sourced in the U.K. The unique characteristics of this stone wool mean the insulation and firestopping products possess inherent fire resistance - they’re non-combustible, can withstand temperatures in excess of 1000˚C and come with a top Euroclass A1 rating.

Rockwool stone wool also delivers superior thermal, acoustic and sustainable performance, giving you the ultimate 4 in 1 solution.

What is the difference between stone wool and plastic foam PIR?

Firstly, unlike plastic foam PIR cored composites, stone wool panels do not and never have contained any greenhouse gasses that have global warming potential. The widespread use of now banned blowing agents like CFC’s in plastic foam PIR insulation has contributed immeasurably to climate change as the blowing agents had ozone depleting potential and damaged the ozone layer.

New generation plastic foam composites use the more acceptable blowing agent, pentane. However, pentane is a highly flammable material and is classed as a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC). VOC’s cause photochemical smog which damage crops and increase the incidence of asthma and other respiratory complaints

The flammability of the blowing agent can be explained with it’s links to the family of chemical compounds such as methane, propane, butane and octane.

Stone wool, manufactured from naturally occurring diabase volcanic rock, offers superior fire performance and is truly non-combustible and relies upon trapped air to attain thermal properties

Plastic foam PIR has various levels of fire performance. Although plastic foam PIR composite panels are capable of passing insurance industry tests they fail once the flash point (the lowest temperature at which a combustible material can be ignited in air) has been reached. Stone wool continues with the same consistent performance and protection that was achieved in the same conditions. Companies such as LPCB and FM Global have precise details of approved formulations and regularly audit manufacturers facilities to confirm compliance and hold a database of composite panel performance that highlights the effective and superior performance of mineral wool composite panels.

What does ‘ecosafe’ mean and why don’t Eurobond composite panels have this?

‘ecosafe’ is a term used by some PIR manufacturers who are trying to term their products as being ’environmentally friendly’. The term ‘ecosafe’ is nothing more than a play on words and a branding tool – it does not mean, for example, that one product is more recyclable or less damaging to the environment than another. PIR panels are not 100% recyclable due to the waste elements of the foam insulation. PIR panels are also made from petro-chemicals which, in essence, are not ‘ecosafe’ due to the fact that they are using non renewable resources.

Quite simply, Eurobond panels do not use the ‘ecosafe’ term as it is misleading. Eurobond state that their products, by comparison, have a lower environmental impact and only use renewable resources for the face and cores of the panel. All of Eurobond’s products offer zero Ozone Depleting Potential and zero Global Warming Potential. All PIR contribute to global warming because of their blowing agents.

What are the min/max thickness of Eurobond panels?

Internal = 75mm/100mm/125mm/150mm/175mm/200mm (on request).
External = 75mm/86mm/100mm/125mm/135mm/150mm/175mm.

What module sizes are available for Eurobond panels?

Internal Firemaster = 1150mm/1100mm(export)
External Europanel =  300mm to 120mm
External Rockspan = 600mm/900mm/1000mm/1150mm/1200mm

What steel finish and colours ranges are available?

Corus PVDF, HPS200 Ultra, Prisma, White Foodsafe, Performa White polyester.
Colour ranges available on request.

What are our pricing bands?

Cost by the square metre although pricing model calculations are dependant on specification and quantity. Call our sales team on 02920 776677 or email sales@eurobond.co.uk for more detailed information.

What are our lead times?

These are highly efficient due to our high calibre manufacturing process. However, every project is different and as a result our lead times are dependant on specification, quantity and production schedule. Call our sales team on 02920 776677 or email sales@eurobond.co.uk for more detailed information.

What recent changes have been made to Part B of the Buildings Regulations Act?

For non-domestic buildings, the key changes include a new requirement to ensure occupiers are aware of their buildings fire protection measures. This will enable occupiers to assist with preparations of fire risk assessments under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order regime. Fire Certificates no longer carry any legality and instead owners and occupiers of offices, factories and other places of business now have a legal obligation for identifying and minimising potential fire risks. Failing to do so could result in criminal liability action where a fire has resulted in death or injury. However, it is likely that liability could be traced to the architect, developer or other specifiers even though those elements were installed in compliance with Approved Document B. One way to achieve this is to ensure the materials specified are non-combustible.

Section B4 of the Regulations, stipulates that external walls and roofs must have adequate resistance to the spread of fire over the external envelope. When selecting an exterior cladding system, attention should be paid to the insulating core material, as this is where the difference lies in terms of resistance to fire.

With this in mind, it is possible to question the use of PIR plastic foam cores in cladding systems on the basis of fire resistance. When compared with stone wool insulation, PIR plastic foams can pose a higher risk in the event of a fire, as the material is combustible. Stone wool will not ignite, burn or contribute to the spread of fire. The levels of fire resistance for PIR cores are only valid if the system has been installed correctly and well maintained. In addition, even if the system has been well fitted, in the event of a fire the steel faces will eventually bow, causing the panel joint to open and expose a core that will ignite.

Why use a stone wool cored composite panel over a plastic foam PIR composite panel?

The Fire Safety Order for the first time officially recognised the risks associated with combustible composite panels. The accompanying guides on fire risk assessment and fire precautions state: “The potential for fire development involving mineral fibre cores is less than that for panels containing polymeric cores. Therefore, in areas where there is a considerable life risk, it may be appropriate to consider replacing combustible polymeric panels.”

According to BRUFMA (British Urethane Manufacturers Association) PIR will ignite at around 450°C whereas atone wool will not as it is non-combustible and made from stone. With temperatures hitting 900-1000°C in a typical post-flashover room fire, the risk of fire spread is therefore very real, if combustible cored panels are in use.

I have seen video footage of small room fire tests with PUR, PIR and stone wool. Flames were coming out of the door within seconds on the PIR and PUR tests. Is it true that it is because a paper faced panel was used?

This is untrue. The flames were not coming out of the doors within seconds because a substitute panel face was used. The tests were conducted in such a way as to represent a real life fire. The same fixings, panel faces and stitching was used as would have been on any new build, if not better. The flames occurred due to the flammable nature of plastic foam PIR panels. Both contain manmade chemicals and use blowing agents which makes the panel’s core combustible. Stone wool cores are manufactured using naturally occurring and abundant diabase rock as well as by-products from other industries considered waste. The materials have been chosen for their non-combustible properties and, as a result, do not require any fixing or stitching to seal the panel in all but he highest performing situations.

Why is the distinction between combustible and non-combustible cores now such a focus?

It all comes down to confusion in the market place in relation to the level of fire protection that is actually achieved by the different types of composite panel available. Indeed, some manufacturers will claim they offer ‘non-combustible’ building systems based on the premise that when first exposed to fire they will not burn immediately which is extremely misleading. Additionally, the only universally recognised standards for fire performance in this sector aren’t fully understood and do little to help the confusion.

Many specifiers look towards Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) LPS 1181 testing when assessing the contribution to fire growth of different composite panels. However, just because a system meets LPS 1181 testing this certainly doesn’t mean is it non-combustible.

In addition, few realise that there are actually two grades of LPS 1181 – Grade EXT-A and Grade EXT-B (Ext-A being superior as Ext-B does not satisfy the requirements for fire resistance) .  In fact, recent research by Eurobond found that less than 15% of specifiers looked for Grade EXT-A specifically when assessing fire performance despite this being an extremely important differential.

For a truly non combustible panel architects and specifiers should be looking to specify a product that has LPS1181 Grade EXT A and LPS 1208 (tested to BS EN 476 Part 22).

What is the difference between stone wool and PIR in terms of their recyclability?

The BRE Green Guide has been devised to offer guidance to specifiers on the relative environmental impacts of over 250 elemental specifications (www.bre.co.uk/greenguide).

Mineral wool is 100% organic and the steel panel façade is made from iron ore, making all Eurobond products 100% recyclable. This means that a straightforward ‘cradle to cradle’ approach can be adopted when specifying a Eurobond product, allowing virgin materials to be created from old products.

PIR plastic foam products present a more complex route to partial recycling due to the blowing agents used in production. All PIR plastic foam cored panels made pre-2003 contain either CFC’s or HCFC’s as the blowing agent. These blowing agents must be captured and removed via a fridge-recycling plant – a costly and time-consuming process allowing separation of the steel faces from the insulation core. Despite this separation, the insulation core always goes to landfill.  On top of this, plastic foam PIR panels are made from petro-chemicals which are non-renewable natural resources.

Newer generation PIR plastic foam panels, using pentane as a blowing agent, can be recycled using a conventional shredder.

Why use sustainable products?

Buntland’s definition of sustainable development sums this up succinctly:

“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (www.bream.org)

In essence we need to use sustainable products so that future generations can have the resources to meet their needs. If the construction industry continues to be the largest consumer of natural resources (within the UK) and continues to only reuse or recycle half of the waste from this sector, then it will contribute to the depletion of finite natural resources. Eurobond’s products, because of their ability to be 100% recycled, have a high recycled content as an element of the  materials used to make them are the same ones that are recycled to make virgin product

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