The importance of choosing Rockwool A1 Euroclass Fire Rated materials

Where a building is over 18m (11m in Scotland and possibly soon to be the whole of UK), Building Regulations state that, by law that all materials used in the external fabric of a building should be ‘non-combustible’ materials. The combustibility of any given product is determined by its Euroclass Fire Rating with only A1 & A2 Euroclass Fire Rated products qualifying as ‘non-combustible’ and therefore compliant with regulation.

The BS EN 13501-1 fire rating classification of products comprises of three ratings

1. Euroclass Fire Rating –How combustible is a product, classifications of products rate from A1 down to F with A1 being the best (non-combustible) and F being easily flammable
2. Smoke Emission Rating –How much smoke will a product produce once burning? Ratings are classified from s1 to s3, with 1 being the lowest and 3 being the highest
3. Production of Flaming Particles/Droplets Rating – will the product produce hazardous droplets/particles once burning? Ratings classified and measured from d0 to d2, with 0 being the lowest to 2 being the highest

Why choose Rockwool Limited products?

Rockwool Limited, a market leading manufacturer of A1 non-combustible Rock Fibre core insulation products. Choosing Rockwool products gives peace of mind to the specifier that products selected have the very best in class (A1) fire rating.

Rockwool products not only offer very good reaction to fire and thermal performance, the fibrous materials also provide excellent acoustic properties. Rockwool RWA45 and Rockwool Flexi Slab are products for use internally, within partitions, ceilings and floors. The high density fibrous slabs contributes to both adding mass to the structure but also absorbing sound transmission.

Furthermore, Rockwool is a breathable material with water repellent properties reducing the risk of bacterial growth and mould within the construction.

In What applications can Rockwool be used?

Rockwool manufactures products for many different applications, insulations for use within the external fabric and also internal of the building. Rockwool recently marketed an innovative new tool, the Rockwool Interactive City. The Interactive City assists architects, specifiers, developers and contractors in finding the most suitable, compliant product for the correct application.

The Interactive City shows many different scenarios in which Rockwool products can be used. Products such as Rockwool Roll for insulating lofts, Rockwool Hardrock for flat roofs, Rockwool Soffit Slab for use insulating concrete soffits, Rainscreen Duo Slab for external walls in conjunction with SFS frames and sheathing boards, Rockwool Cavity Insulation for traditional brick / block cavity walls and so on. The Interactive City allows the user to simply identify and select the application which then identifies the most appropriate Rockwool product. Further technical information should be sought to be certain products meet all required criteria and in Galaxy Technical Services, we have a team ready to assist with all aspects of Building Regulation compliance and meeting target u-values