Reducing the risk from fire is an increasingly important issue in the building industry. The features of the Rockpanel A2 board bring a fresh dimension to facade cladding design; combining high levels of fire safety with the broadest range of aesthetic finishes and RAL colours available on the market from a single manufacturer.
Established for their durability, versatility and variety, the standard ‘Durable’ Rockpanel boards already achieve European fire classification B-s2, d0 (in accordance with EN 13501-2). Applied on an aluminium or steel supporting structure and fixed with blind rivets, the premium ‘A2’ boards meet the requirements for European fire class A2-s1, d0, and can be classified as non-combustible according to national building regulations.
The low maintenance, optimum performance grade boards are available in the solid colour ‘Colours’ range, iridescent ‘Chameleon’ range, elegant ‘Woods’, lightweight 'Stones' and modern ‘Metallics’. All finishes are colourfast and multi-dimensional (with the exception of the Woods range), so can be hung in any direction without affecting the aesthetics.
Standard wood cladding is popular because of its warm and natural beauty, but it is of course also combustible. Having the A2 grade available in Rockpanel Woods range allows specifiers to design buildings with all the pleasing appearance of natural wood, whilst giving a ‘peace of mind’ that the risk of fire spread across the facade can be significantly reduced.
Although Rockpanel is more lightweight than other board materials, and can be easily worked on site, it is manufactured from the natural stone; basalt, which makes it extremely durable, weather resistant and strong, as well as providing inherent fire resistant properties. In the A2 (FS-Xtra) grade all of the attributes of the original boards are there, but the fire performance is amplified, purely through its stone wool fibres, without the need for additives.
A2 boards can easily be identified and distinguished from standard Rockpanel boards by their greater thickness of 9 mm and 11 mm. This thickness also carries additional benefits, allowing greater spans to be achieved, providing even better performance in wind loads, and can result in cost savings for the back construction.
Rockpanel A2 facade cladding is particularly suitable for applications where high levels of fire performance are desirable or mandatory, such as high rise apartments, schools, hospitals or care homes. Along with all the known qualities of the standard Rockpanel range, using A2 boards can help to meet building regulation requirements, potentially keep insurance premiums low, and contribute towards protecting both life and property, for relatively little additional cost.
With sustainability at the heart of all Rockpanel board materials and manufacturing processes, architects and specifiers can be assured that their environmental credentials match their fire performance, meeting cladding requirements and providing all round design performance in a single package.
