FIRE SAFETY
Case study
Grange University Hospital, Cwmbran, Wales
The Grange University Hospital is a new £350 m hospital in Cwmbran, Wales. This state-of -the-art facility forms part of a wider strategic plan which will see Aneurin Bevan Health Board significantly modernise its health service provision. Originally known as the Specialist Critical Care Centre, the 471-bed facility brings together more than 40 complex and more acute services onto one site and will serve over 600,000 people per year.
As a major healthcare project, main
contractor Laing O’Rourke commissioned Central Roofing South Wales Ltd to design and install the roofing and cladding systems – with ROCKWOOL providing the solution to meet the architect’s non-combustible specification. The site was operational in November
2020, much earlier than a previously announced date of 2021. This is due to construction programmes being accelerated to ensure the facility could be partially opened as a Nightingale (COVID- 19) Hospital, if needed.
The challenge Plans for the Grange University Hospital were finally given the go ahead in October 2016, with Central Roofing South Wales Ltd working to a façade design which specified PIR insulation on the external of the steel frame structure. By the time construction started in
July 2017, the architect upgraded the specification to non-combustible insulation. This left Central Roofing South Wales Ltd with the challenge of updating the design while minimising impact on the building footprint. In addition to fire protection
considerations, the building design also demanded that a U-value of 0.18W/m K be achieved in the through-wall construction. The use of non-combustible insulation was also a key requirement for areas of the flat roof, particularly in critical areas above compartment walls. Central Roofing South Wales Ltd highlighted that non-combustible insulation was needed to insulate the metal deck profiles. This was to provide effective protection in the event a fire started inside the building. As the architect upgraded the insulation specification to be non- combustible, the design had to be updated while minimising impact on the building footprint.
The solution Central Roofing South Wales Ltd revised the façade insulation design to incorporate dual-density stone wool insulation, which delivers acoustic, thermal and fire performance all in one solution. BBA certified, once installed the robust outer surface of the slabs, in combination with a factory applied water
repelling agent, acts to resist rain ingress during construction. For the firestopping, approximately
25,000 penetration seals were installed throughout the scheme.
The result The transition from PIR insulation to stone wool insulation is traditionally associated with an increase in wall thickness. However, leveraging intelligent system design with our expertise enabled Central Roofing South Wales Ltd to deliver a non-combustible façade build-up with just a 100mm increase in wall depth. “The Grange University Hospital is one of the largest projects we have delivered as a business. It proved a critical success factor that we could continue constructing the façade without having to protect the insulation as this saved us valuable time on-site – enabling us to complete ahead of schedule,” said Tony Davies, managing director, Central Roofing South Wales Ltd.
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