22 February 2008 17:06pm

Ticking All the Right Boxes

Environment, Sustainability, aesthetics, europanel

When it comes to specifying exterior composite panel systems for the construction of storage facilities, there are many issues to consider. Richard Wigley, Marketing Manager for Eurobond, discusses how to ensure a building design will meet modern demands.

A fire at a self storage facility can have the most devastating affect, due to the personal nature of the goods stored inside. It’s therefore crucial that any building design addresses, in particular, fire spread. When specifying composite cladding systems, this is why fire performance is often the defining factor that has the most impact on the final decision

Understanding the true level of fire performance afforded by a product is vital and part of this process is to delve a little deeper into what manufacturers say about their products and what they actually mean.

Some manufacturers will claim they offer 'non-combustible' composite cladding systems based on the premise that when first exposed to fire they will not burn immediately - which can mislead specifiers. Not helping the situation is that the only recognised standards for fire performance in this sector aren't fully understood.

Many look towards the 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 does not mean it is non-combustible.

Helping to confuse matters further is a lack of awareness of the different grades of LPS 1181: Grade EXT-A and EXT-B. Recent research by Eurobond found that less than 15% of specifiers looked for Grade EXT-A specifically when assessing fire performance, and yet it is a key differential when trying to determine which composite cladding panels to specify.

If a manufacturer’s product only refers to Grade EXT-B - this is purely a 'reaction to fire' test with no measure of 'fire resistance.' For a product to truly offer protection in relation to ‘fire resistance’ rather than just ‘reaction to fire’ , a composite cladding system needs to resist the transfer of heat from the exposed to unexposed face and retain its integrity whilst being subjected to the conditions of a real fire.

This is tested under Grade-A, which involves the system not only undergoing the basic LPS 1181 test, but also demonstrating its fire resistance in accordance with BS476 Part 22, the standard for the Methods for Determination of the Fire Resistance of Non-Loadbearing Elements of Construction.

BS476 Part 22 simulates the post-flashover stage of a fire through to a fully developed fire, sustained for the duration the test. This is crucial in determining a composite cladding system's true fire performance, as once a fire is fully developed it is likely that the steel faces will bend and the most vulnerable component - the insulation core, will be exposed. Finding out how that core would then react should therefore be paramount.

Composite cladding panels that have been manufactured using a non-combustible core such as mineral wool, for example, will never ignite in the event of a fire, as the material is made of stone and will not burn. The composite panels therefore contribute no additional risk of fire spread or smoke.

In comparison, plastic foam cored composite panels such as PIR/PUR will ignite at around 450C and 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 composite panels such as these are used.

This distinction between combustible and non-combustible cores formed the basis of the decision by The Big Yellow Self Storage Company to use Eurobond’s Europanel Lite panels as the cladding of choice for its Edmonton depot and around 19 other planned buildings around the country.

The decision was based on the Europanel Lite's fire rating – manufactured from a non-combustible stone wool core, and tested to BS476 part 22, LPCB Grade EXT-A and Grade EXT- B and FM Global standards the panels help limit the spread of flames in the event of a fire, providing up to 4 hours fire resistance.

Insuring against fire is a minimum requirement for any facility that is a member of the Self Storage Association. According to David Scanlon, Partner, at the Mountford Pigott Partnership the reason for the specification at Big Yellow was simple: “Premiums in the reinsurance market increased some years ago for properties using cladding with PIR or PUR cores. It therefore made sense to specify fire resistant products from the outset that meet with insurers’ requirements and don’t penalise clients in the long term.”

In addition, aesthetics are often an important element of the product choice. For high profile storage facilities such as Big Yellow, clean, uninterrupted facades are often a requirement. Older storage facilities can also benefit from refurbishments with composite cladding panels, the use of which can enhance a tired exterior with an eye-catching and updated look.

The Europanel system offers a secret fix joint detail, and consistent, high quality architectural flatness for improved aesthetics as an additional benefit. True design flexibility is possible as modules are available from 300mm -1200mm in 5mm increments, enabling feature bands to be provided in relatively small quantities.

In terms of environmental impact, recycling and reuse of building materials is now high on the construction industry's agenda. Many manufacturers claim the 'recyclable' badge but few have proved their products to be truly recyclable; whereby all component parts can be genuinely reused to make the same products again. Europanel has already undergone successful trials showing that it can be part of a closed-loop recycling process, in that both the steel and mineral wool can be re-processed to make a new product.

Anyone with the responsibility of specifying composite panels for a storage facility has a duty of care to ensure building materials meet the requirements of the building. When it comes to composite cladding systems, those manufactured using a mineral wool core, such as Europanel, provide the highest levels of fire safety, low environmental impact and modern aesthetics. All in all, they tick the right boxes for any self storage facility.