ROCKWOOL insulation has been specified and installed on a landmark project in the centre of Manchester, providing two new tower blocks with a façade system that ticks all the boxes: fire prevention, thermal insulation and an aesthetically pleasing external appearance.
The Cambridge Street development includes two and three bedroom apartments, built to alleviate Manchester’s growing population. Originally a vacant brownfield site, the project will provide 282 residential flats in a highly accessible location within Manchester’s City Centre.
Although the location is one of the development’s biggest selling points, it presented a challenge for the construction teams. As well as abiding to the local surroundings, the contractor required an insulation solution that complied with all building regulations, including a U-value of 0.18 W/m²K, and would withstand external elements to ensure a quick and undisruptive installation phase.
The materials also had to conform or exceed the regulation for limited combustibility defined in section B4 of Approved Document B External Fire Spread.
Due to ROCKWOOL RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB being approved by the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) as an acceptable solution for projects above 18 meters, Manchester-based building contractor, Renaker Build specified 13,000m2 of 125mm RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB.
“As a project manager, I have to make many decisions each day, but specifying RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB for this project was one of the easiest decisions I had to make,” comments Pete Cregeen of Renaker Build.
“We had a strict technical specification to meet, which RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB effortlessly achieved. I am most impressed with the company’s streamline route to fire compliance with Approved Document B and fire safe solutions for high rise buildings over 18m. In comparison to other insulation solutions, there was no alternative.”
As a fibre based product, RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB can be amalgamated to slot into very tight spaces, leaving no empty gaps and achieving optimum thermal performance. It features a dual density insulation board that incorporates a robust outer surface and a resilient inner face.
By compressing the primary fleece onto the top 50mm of the insulation, the product can be used, unprotected, in conditions of severe climatic exposure, including strong wind and rain, as experienced at high altitudes. In addition, the RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB requires fewer fittings compared to other standard stone wool slabs, minimising installation time.
“We are delighted with the ease of installation and the speed at which we could erect the building’s rainscreen,” comments Pete. “ROCKWOOL goes beyond supplying the product and provided fantastic support. Designated technicians were regularly on site during the planning stages and are readily available throughout the installation phase to ensure satisfactory product installation. This additional service provides invaluable support for our men during construction.”
Based in the city centre of Manchester, the final appearance of the building was crucial in the design and specification stage. ROCKWOOL insulation can be easily rendered to accommodate the project’s strict aesthetic requirements using a wide range of available aesthetic tissue faces.
