ROCKWOOL delivers specialist fire protection solution for Grange University Hospital

The Grange University Hospital is a £350 million facility located in Cwmbran and forms part of a wider strategic plan which will see the Aneurin Bevan Health Board significantly modernise its health service provision.

Originally known as the Specialist Critical Care Centre, the 471-bed facility will bring together more than 40 complex and more acute services at one site and serve over 600,000 people every year.

The site is operational from this month, which is much earlier than the previously announced date of 2021. This is due to construction programmes being accelerated to ensure the facility could be partially opened as a Nightingale (ie COVID-19) Hospital if deemed necessary.

Plans for the Grange University Hospital were finally given the green light back in October 2016, with Central Roofing South Wales Ltd working to a façade design which specified PIR insulation on the exterior of the steel-framed structure. By the time construction started in July 2017, the architect BDP had upgraded the specification to non-combustible insulation. This left Central Roofing South Wales Ltd with the challenge of updating the design while also minimising the impact on the building footprint.

In addition to fire protection considerations, the building design also demanded that a U-value of 0.18W/m²K be achieved in the through-wall construction. The use of non-combustible insulation was also a key requirement for areas of the flat roof, particularly so in critical areas above compartment walls.

Central Roofing South Wales Ltd highlighted that non-combustible insulation was needed to insulate the metal deck profiles. This was to provide effective protection in the event that a fire started inside the building.

Effective firestopping

ROCKWOOL has worked with main contractor Laing O’Rourke and passive fire protection contractor Optimum to ensure effective firestopping throughout the critical care centre. Approximately 25,000 penetration seals have been installed throughout the construction project using certified products from the popular ROCKWOOL FIREPRO range.

In point of fact, ROCKWOOL has supported Central Roofing South Wales Ltd in delivering non-combustible insulation for critical areas of the external envelope. While the façade benefited from the installation of ROCKWOOL RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB in the through-wall build up, ROCKWOOL HARDROCK Multi-Fix Dual Density was laid on the metal deck roof areas to ensure regulation compliance.

Tony Davies, managing director of Central Roofing South Wales Ltd, stated: “The Grange University Hospital is one of the largest projects we’ve delivered as a business. It proved a critical success factor that we could continue constructing the façade without having to protect the insulation as this saved us valuable time on-site, enabling us to complete works ahead of schedule.”

Importantly, Davies added: “It’s only a matter of time before the Building Regulations stipulate that non-combustible insulation should be used in all building facades and not only those above 18 metres in height. Working with ROCKWOOL on this project was a gamechanger. They gave us the support we needed, from design through to installation, to deliver a healthcare building that we know is not only safe, but also one that will create a comfortable interior environment for visitors, staff and patients alike.”