About the project
Cladding is being replaced on a flat block in Nottingham’s Hockley after it was found to contain similar insulation material as Grenfell Tower. Klasse G-board has been chosen as part of the re-clad project, especially for its A1 fire-rated, fully non-combustible properties.
An investigation carried out by officials in September 2020 found that the Castle Exchange block of flats in Broad Street was “clad with a combination of unsafe cladding systems which require replacement”. The existing cladding has been removed to enable the removal of the combustible polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation. Similar insulation material was found on Grenfell Tower, which caught fire in 2017 claiming the lives of 72 people.
Nottingham City Council has reassured those living in taller buildings (18 metres or over) in the city that since the fire at Grenfell it had been taking action to help keep them safe.
Councillor Linda Woodings, portfolio holder for planning, housing and heritage at Nottingham City Council, said: “The safety of our residents and leaseholders, whether living in high-rise council apartments or privately rented ones, continues to be of the utmost importance to us…Following the Grenfell tragedy, we acted swiftly to establish which buildings might be at risk and to engage the cooperation of the building owners and developers, for them to put plans in place to start replacing any suspected unsafe cladding”.
Where Klasse Fit In
The green light was given to replace the cladding on Castle Exchange in early 2022, with work beginning shortly after to remove the dangerous insulation materials.
Klasse has worked closely with the project contractors to supply the right external sheathing board for the task.
Castle Exchange is made up of five large blocks housing 119 residential units. One is an eight-storey apartment block constructed in a steel frame with curtain wall cladding and an aluminium system.
Klasse G-board has been extensively tested and boasts over 90 minutes of fire protection in the BS EN1364-1 tests and is suitable for structures over 18 metres in a through-wall system.
To ensure a fast and safe installation, our light, high-density gypsum-based G-board was chosen as the stand-out product for the job.
G-boards’ high-density design allows for easy handling, cutting and installation minimising the use of power tools and making a safer working environment for installers.
It boasts impressive pull-through strength and high-impact resistance, mitigating fire, wind, and installation damage. Water-resistant with a 12-month exposure guarantee, it is also able to withstand the great British weather during installation works.
G-board has an extremely stable substrate and will only enlarge by fractions of a millimetre when humidity increases. This means the boards can be installed flush. The board is also designed to be ‘vapour open’ allowing moisture trapped with a wall to easily escape.
Sources:
CBP Architects
https://cbp.co.uk/fifteen-blank/castle-exchange-nottingham/
Nottingham Post
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/similar-cladding-grenfell-tower-being-6556018