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Tue March 19 2024

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Stone wool insulation passes cladding fire tests

29 Aug 17 The Building Research Establishment has completed the seventh and last of its large-scale fire safety tests that were commissioned by the government in the wake of June’s Grenfell Tower blaze.

This is what the cladding system looked like after the fire test, following removal of ACM panels
This is what the cladding system looked like after the fire test, following removal of ACM panels

The final test was of a wall cladding system consisting of aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding with a limited combustibility filler (category 1 in screening tests) with stone wool insulation. It passed.

The government’s expert panel said that the results showed that this combination of materials could be compliant with building regulations guidance BR 135 when installed and maintained properly. While government has not been informed of any tall buildings over 18 metres in England using this particular combination of materials in their wall system, but it could offer a possible solution for some buildings with other cladding systems that have been identified as a fire hazard through the previous large-scale tests.

Fire test report: DCLG BS 8414 can be downloaded here.

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