At Knauf Insulation we have both the expertise and the solutions to help specifiers navigate issues of fire safety in educational buildings.
Firstly, the priority must be that fire does not start in the first place. Hazardous areas such as kitchens, generator rooms, storage areas or teaching laboratories must be made fire safe.
Secondly, preventing the spread of fire is critical to ensuring evacuation plans can be carried out rapidly and safely.
This means the effective compartmentation of key areas with fire rated walls, ceilings, and doors, paying attention to service installations and any other details that could jeopardise the compartmentation.
The performance of the façade in case of fire is also important to ensure a safe evacuation, the effective intervention of the fire services and prevent the external fire spreading to adjoining buildings or areas. Providing a high-performance façade is an excellent way to maintain high levels of fire safety throughout the building’s service life.
Knauf Insulation’s fire-safe solutions
“Knauf Insulation produces a wide range of non-combustible (A1-A2) and high-performance solutions for all building applications including Rock Mineral Wool and Glass Mineral Wool rolls and slabs,” says Amaya.
“Our non-combustible solutions do not contribute to the spread of fire, nor to the increase of temperature in case of fire and they do not produce any smoke or burning droplets.”
The purpose of fire-rated systems is to contain fire and guarantee a safe evacuation of occupants and provide safe areas for firefighters during an intervention.
Ensuring essential areas are protected from fire can be key to quickly restoring the use of a school after a blaze has been extinguished.
Fire resistance of up to 180 minutes
A strong example of Knauf Insulation’s commitment to fire safety is our Tektalan® Wood Wool that combines Wood Wool with Rock Mineral Wool. It provides excellent fire-resistant properties with outstanding thermal and acoustic performance. Comprehensive international fire testing has shown that structures using Tektalan A2 panels achieve a fire-resistance of 180 minutes.
Tektalan does not produce dangerous burning droplets and hardly any smoke during combustion, contributing to the visibility and the tenability of the building area in case of fire.