Avoiding Tall Tales – Transparency is Paramount
21/11/24
With the Building Safety Act providing more stringent requirements for higher risk occupied buildings, there is a growing demand for fire rated external wall breather membranes. When specifying fire rated products, it is crucial for the supply chain to adopt a collaborative approach. As Jim Smith, Head of Technical at Glidevale Protect explains, it is through early engagement with material manufacturers that specifiers can understand which products best meet the specific requirements of the project.
Understanding Both the Fine Detail and Big Picture
It was against a backdrop of ever evolving Building Regulations and safety legislation for developments above 11 and 18 metres that we developed our latest product - Protect FrameSafe FR – a flame retardant external wall breather membrane.
Protect FrameSafe FR features an intricately woven glass fibre fabric with a uniquely developed waterproof and fire resistant coating to help improve the fire performance of the overall wall structure. Following independent third-party testing against two industry recognised methods as specified in BS EN 13501-1:2018, it achieves a Class A2-s1, d0 rating. This means it exceeds the requirements detailed within the Building Regulations for all countries within the UK and in Ireland.
We went above and beyond the current regulations by carrying out the same independent fire tests on Protect FrameSafe FR both free hanging and as part of a system with laps sealed with Protect FR tape. For the system tests, the membrane was mechanically fixed to a substrate comprising a Class A1 rock fibre insulation substrate and separately, with a low-density Class A2 plasterboard. The same Class A2-s1, d0 reaction to fire rating was achieved in all cases.
Continuous Product Development
Having been developed for use on the external side of the frame to integrate with facade wall structures, Protect FrameSafe FR benefits from strong UV stability to withstand exposure up to six months, making it perfectly suited to high rise developments. We have also recently expanded the range with the launch of our new Protect FrameSafe 5000 FR external wall membrane, an unprinted version of FrameSafe FR that achieves the same Class A2-s1, d0 reaction to fire.
Protect FrameSafe 5000 FR has no printed logos to the external face of the membrane, making it ideal for use on open joint facade wall structures and rainscreen cladding applications where gaps are used as part of a design feature. It has been subjected to robust testing with artificial, accelerated UV ageing for 5,000 hours followed by heat ageing at 70oc for ninety days, in accordance with EN 13859-2. The result of the aged testing showed no significant impact on tensile strength and elongation as well no change to the membrane's W2 watertightness rating to BS EN 13111.
Fire classification reports for Protect FrameSafe FR are available on request and our technical team is on hand to support specifiers at every stage.
To find out more call 0161 905 5700 or email technical@glidevaleprotect.com
Source: Tall Buildings Magazine - Issue 6 by Radar Communications - Issuu