Insulation Feature


Insulation


Reducing fire risk across the entire building envelope


Will Wigfield from ROCKWOOL UK explains why above ground level amenities such as roofs, balconies and terraces need greater consideration to mitigate fire risk


F


ire safety is critical in any home but has a particular significance and complexity when it comes to high rise residential structures. With limited land to house our growing population, building up rather


than out is a logical way to provide a suitable quantity and quality of affordable homes amidst the space constraints of urban life. Yet designing, building and maintaining high rise homes needs careful consideration; especially as outdoor living spaces become increasingly commonplace. While balconies and roof upstands of ‘relevant’ buildings fall within the scope of the combustible ban, meaning they must be constructed of materials rated


Euroclass A2-s1, d0 or better, neither mid-level flat roofs nor terraces count as “specified attachments” in Approved Document B (ADB), and therefore are not subject to the same heightened fire safety requirements.


HEIGHTENED RISKS It is important to note however, that if a mid-level flat roof system with combustible insulation becomes engaged in a fully developed fire, there could be dangerous consequences. Not only could the combustible material act as a fuel source to potentially attack the facade above, it may


www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMMAugust/September 2022 | 49


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