New flame-retardant membrane for the construction market
Fire safety should be a top priority when planning any type of construction. The risk of a fire spreading can be greatly reduced by choosing flame-retardant material in walls and ceilings. Walki has introduced a new flame-retardant membrane for the construction market.
The need for a more flame-retardant material was identified at Walki a few years ago, and the company stepped up the innovation efforts to meet this demand. Then the tragic fire accident at the Grenfell tower happened in June 2017, intensifying fire regulations. The building regulations amended by the UK government, that came into force in December 2018, bans the use of combustible materials in the external wall of buildings over 18m in height. The construction of the external wall, along with specified attachments, must be investigated by the Local Council Building Control and, where necessary, work must be carried out to ensure they only contain materials achieving European Class A2-s1, d0, i.e. it must be non-combustible.
In December, Walki’s Wall Tight FR G A2 underwent extensive testing and received the Euro class A2-s1-d0 standard.
“In other words, our membrane has been proven non-combustible”, says Juho Hyytiäinen, Business Line Manager, Construction Membranes at Walki.
Based on non-combustible material
The Wall Tight FR G A2 is a unique vapour barrier that ensures fire safety for construction assets and people in case of rescue or evacuation operations.
Walki has worked on developing the product for over two years. The membrane is based on lacquered aluminium layers laminated with strong glass fabric.
“Both aluminium and glass fibre are non-combustible, ensuring that the vapor barrier has a good fire resistance”, explains Hyytiäinen.
The choice of material also ensures that the membrane is cost-efficient compared to other options on the market.
The Walki Wall Tight FR G A2 can be used in walls and ceiling as a construction membrane, preventing heat radiation and moisture transfer.
Ideal for public buildings
Thanks to its non-combustible nature, the Walki Wall Tight FR G A2 is ideal as an internal vapour barrier in public buildings such as schools, hospitals, shopping centres and restaurants.
“In warmer places, such as Dubai, the vapour barrier can be used externally as protective sheathing in high rise buildings”, says Hyytiäinen.
The membrane will primarily be launched in the UK, but is also available for other markets. Fire safety is important all around.