510m² of structurally insulated wall panels using WALLTITE® spray foam insulation as its core have been used to provide an airtight solution to an apartment block in West Street, Rochford. The energy efficient solution provided a U value of 0.18 Wm²/k which far outstripped the client’s recommended requirement of 0.33. Wm²/k. As well as exceeding the new Part L requirements for insulation, this solution will provide future occupants with significant energy savings.
The project comprises six, two bedroomed apartments built over two storeys with a Sainsburys Local on the ground floor. In line with the sustainability process, many materials were manufactured off site to ensure a speedy construction programme as well as alleviate congestion due to limited access.
The structurally insulated panels for this project were manufactured by Benbrook Enterprises in Belfast. The timber frames were sandwiched together using WALLTITE® spray foam insulation from BASF Polyurethane UK. The purple closed cell foam expands to fit the frame and cures quickly to provide an airtight solution which will prevent heat loss in the walls. A vapour control layer and breather membrane was then applied.
It took just eight hours to spray the panels for the whole apartment block. The complete panels were ready by the end of the second day, this included the process of cutting them to size for quick installation on site.
The finished panels were then craned on site and erected the same day. They were set out on a sole plate laid and fixed together to form the internal wall structure. A 25mm baton was then applied to work as a service void followed by plasterboard.
Speed of installation was also critical on this fast track project as the client needed the panels to be erected in minimal time so that first fixings could commence on time. Jim Kirk of Gilbert-Ash said, “The lightweight construction enabled the panels to be lifted onto site quickly and erected at an impressive speed, ensuring completely watertight envelope.”
He added, ‘We were impressed with the U value that these insulated panels achieved and the ability to construct off site was an added bonus as access was very restricted due to the project’s location on a main road in the heart of the town.”
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