There’s
nothing quite so striking in a city skyline as those soaring, glass
facades, reflecting the changing sky and bringing the buildings to life.
But these constructions are complex
and demand solutions that allow aesthetic design, safety and ease of
install to be combined without compromise.
Whether
refurbishing an existing structure or developing a cutting-edge,
contemporary new build, the way architects incorporate glass facades
into building design can create iconic
constructions. Supporting these glass curtain walls are the spandrel
panels between floors, which hide unsightly structural elements and
auxiliary necessities. Where in the past architects may have had to
compromise design to ensure this zone performs well,
with Speedpanel A2® Glass, beauty, safety, performance and ease of
installation all work as one.
Currently
unique on the UK market (UK Patent Application No. 2201665.3),
Speedpanel A2® Glass is the result of years of careful development,
creative collaboration and rigorous testing.
Designed to address the needs and concerns of both specifiers and
installers, the benefits of our glass-faced, fire-rated, insulated
spandrel panel offer peace of mind at every stage of a build – from
design and specification through to installation and building
occupancy.
Safety
Since December 2018,
Approved Document B of the Building Regulations, under B4 External
fire spread, Regulation 7 has required that external walls of ‘relevant
buildings’ over 18 metres can only be constructed with materials
achieving a European Class A1 or A2-s1, d0 rating
in accordance with BS EN 13501-1. This includes non-vision window
spandrel panels.
When
working with a built-up system, each individual component must be tested
and certified for fire performance. However, this only tests how
components act in isolation, whereas
a real fire situation requires the whole system to work together to
prevent the fire from spreading. We test Speedpanel A2® Glass as an
entire unit through independent testing with
Warringtonfire, enabling specifiers to feel confident in the performance of the product as a whole.
Whilst
traditional built-up spandrel systems involve multiple layers of
internal facings, insulation and rainscreen protection, requiring
complex assembly onsite, Speedpanel A2® Glass
comprises a complete unit, pre-assembled and sealed in the factory.
Composite panels use adhesives to bond various materials together, which
can make achieving the required A2-s1, d0 fire rating a real challenge,
as many adhesives feature solvents, isocyanates
or PVC, all of which are highly flammable. We worked with Henkel
Loctite to create a specially developed adhesive that meets all our
demands, including fire classification and grab strength, enabling the
Speedpanel A2® range to obtain that all important A2-s1,
d0 classification.
Ease of installation
By
manufacturing our glass spandrel panels as single, pre-insulated units,
there is no assembly required on site. From our experience installing
through our parent company,
Speedclad,
we’ve seen that over-torquing, screw-threading, incorrect
layering and mis-cut insulation are all common issues that arise during
onsite assembly of built-up systems. These errors can potentially
compromise thermal efficiency, fire performance and the
lifespan of the installation, which in turn undermines the performance
of the building.
Challenges
on a construction site mean it is often difficult to also ensure
consistent quality, especially on high-rise structures with different
aspects of the build being carried
out simultaneously. In the development of Speedpanel A2® Glass as a
glaze-in system, we worked to directly address these issues of assembly.
By taking this approach in a factory-controlled environment, many of
the problems prevalent with built-up systems are
prevented before products ever reach site.
It’s
impossible for those designing and specifying for a building to be there
at every step to ensure that the final construction reflects the
intended design and performance. As
a single-component, factory-engineered solution, Speedpanel A2® Glass
can remove much of the margin for error, ensuring reliable specification
and preventing many errors brought about by on-site panel assembly,
maintaining the integrity of the curtain wall.
Beauty
Creating
safe, high-performing buildings should always be the priority – and yet
creating beautiful buildings is also incredibly important. Aesthetics is
one of the principal aspects
considered in architecture. A building’s visual appeal considers the
combined effects of many different elements, including its shape, size,
balance, unity, decoration and context. Architectural beauty has evolved
over the centuries but always played a central
role in shaping how we respond to our built environment – whether at
home, work or out for leisure.
Glass has
long been a popular material for enhancing the beauty of a building,
allowing natural light to flood internal spaces and creating vibrant
exteriors that reflect and change
with the surroundings. In glazed curtain wall facades, the external
finish of the spandrel zone can visually either interrupt or unify the
glazing. Speedpanel A2® Glass facilitates either kind of architectural
vision, offering a modular solution finished in
toughened glass that can be coloured in any shade on the grey-scale
spectrum.
This can
be especially important with remediation work. Retrofitting suitable
spandrel panels into an existing structure is an essential safety
measure to ensure that all buildings,
not just new developments, are safe environments to live and work in.
The flexibility afforded by Speedpanel A2® Glass modular units offer the
potential to visually transform a building, or to seamlessly maintain
the existing design. The pre-manufactured nature
of these panels allows building designers to still uphold excellent
thermal and fire performance without compromising the aesthetic vision
of the structure.
Download the technical data sheet for Speedpanel A2® Glass or
specify directly on NBS Source.
