Significant Project Protected by Cafco
15/02/2002
The entire structural steel element (more than 47,000 square metres) of Green Side Place, the new office and leisure development in Edinburgh, has been fire protected with various materials selected from the portfolio of products developed by Alfreton based passive fire protection material manufacturer Cafco International.
Two individual installation contractors, subcontracted by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, used three Cafco products on two separate phases of the project. 20,000 square metres of Cafco’s Mandolite CP2 and Mandolite HS3 were spray-applied by RD Fire Protection during the first phase of construction and 27,000 square metres of Cafco TD Board was installed by Mitie McCartney Fire Protection, during the second phase. Mandolite HS3 was primarily used in the basement areas where a tougher finish was required to tolerate the possibility of physical tampering.
Both Mandolite CP2 and Mandolite HS3 are single pack factory-controlled premixed materials, based upon vermiculite and Portland cement. They are simply mixed with potable water on site, spray applied and cure to form monolithic coatings with the ability to withstand the thermal shocks imposed in the event of a high intensity cellulosic fire. Although low in density, both are highly durable and will not crack or spall when subject to mechanical impact. Mandoite CP2 is able to accept some exposure to weather elements experienced during construction and Manolite HS3 is normally used for off-site applications. Both materials are easily reinstated locally when additional fixings are required. During application, after curing and even in the event of a fire, neither material will release toxic or hazardous fumes.
Cafco Board is an inexpensive, lightweight mineral wool material capable of giving structural steel, concrete, ductwork and timer structural integrity for up to 240 minutes in fire conditions. The system has six different fixing methods to facilitate fast-track fixing, including the pateneted ‘Cafclip’ system, and since the board provides a degree of water resistance, installation can proceed before the building is watertight. The scrim cloth, or aluminium foil faced board, can be easily cut to the required shape on site and will also impart acoustic and thermal insulation properties. It is manufactured in sheets of 2,400mm by 1,200mm and in thirteen thicknesses between 20mm and 110mm.
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