21 August 2009 11:40am

Rockspan Gives Stansted it's Wings

LPCB, LPS 1181, Non combustible, fire performance, rockspan extra

Our Rockspan Extra external composite wall cladding has been used in the expansion of Stansted airport, one of the main international gateways to the UK. Specified for its unrivalled fire performance credentials and low environmental impact, Rockspan Extra was an essential element in this project as the airport continuously endeavours to increase safety for the 20 million passengers who use the airport each year.

Rockspan Extra’s structural integrity offers improved spanning capabilities, achieving spans in excess of 6 metres, a key attribute of all our external panel systems. This reduces the need for secondary steelwork, allowing the rapid construction of a weather tight building and the early commencement of internal works, ultimately reducing labour time and minimising costs.

Ray Bunn, Operations Manager of Specialist Contractor Praters, commented on the decision to use Rockspan Extra: “We chose Rockspan Extra because of the excellent non-combustible properties of its stone wool core. Fire safety is vital in a high-profile airport such as Stansted as you have to consider the large volume of people that pass through it’s doors each day. The Rockspan Extra system is also quick and easy to assemble, which minimised disruption to passengers and facilitated their quick return back into the terminal.”

As is usual with all our composite panel systems, Rockspan Extra has a non-combustible stone wool core which ensure its fire credentials meet the highest level of performance in both LPCB and Factory Mutual insurance based fire tests. It has a Grade Ext-A rating from the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB) LPS 1181: 2003: Part 1: Issue 1, the most commonly recognised and referenced standard relating to the fire performance of composite panels. It is important to recognise that unqualified references to or association with LPS 1181 together with the use of words such as ‘firesafe’ does not confer non-combustible properties to a plastic foam PIR panel.

Our cradle-to-cradle approach to production means that all of its composite panel systems have a carbon footprint that is significantly lower than an equivalent PIR plastic foam cored panel. Designed to be part of a closed loop recycling process, both the steel facings and stone wool insulant can be easily recycled into virgin product, with no loss of material.