One of Europe’s most environmentally responsible companies, Spanish paper and packaging group SAICA, is using EcoTherm’s energy saving PIR board to insulate the 15,000m2 flat roof of its new £290 million recycled paper mill in Trafford, Greater Manchester. EcoTherm Eco-Fix thermal roofboard, which has a lambda (λ) value of 0.022W/mK, is fixed above steel roof deck to form a ‘warm roof’ construction with a Fatra waterproof membrane above.
Eco-Fix insulation board is faced with aluminium foil on both sides for improved thermal resistance. The low emissivity surface of the reflective foil can cut radiation heat transfer across an adjoining space. Like all EcoTherm’s insulation solutions, Eco-Fix has a lightweight rigid PIR foam core that offers the highest insulation values from the minimum thickness of material, and provides a cost-effective means of reducing a building’s CO2 emissions and achieving Part L compliance.
The Eco-Fix insulation is being installed by cladding and roofing specialists FK Roofing Services (FKRS) of Manchester. As one of EcoTherm’s made-to-order products Eco-Fix can be specified to suit the insulation demands of each project. Bespoke Eco-Fix roofboards for the recycled paper mill are being supplied by SIG Insulations in thicknesses of 85mm, 95mm and 120mm. The roof design also called for an area of tapered boards which are factory-formed to a slight fall to prevent rainwater collecting where the flat roof butts up to a parapet wall. “This is the first time we’ve worked with EcoTherm’s PIR insulation and we’ve been very happy with the quality of product and service so far,” says FKRS Design Manager, Chris Burgess. “The roofboards are lightweight and easy to handle, which makes our job straight forward on site.”
The roof of the recycled paper mill is being constructed with the insulation above the deck and vapour control layer. This keeps the metal deck ‘warm’, thereby reducing the risk of condensation forming as moist air rises from the occupied space below.
SAICA’s new paper mill incorporates state-of-the-art green technologies, including a dedicated combined heat and power station to generate clean energy. Due for commissioning in 2012, the new plant will be one of the world’s most advanced recycled paper mills, capable of producing around 400,000 tonnes a year of 100% recycled container board.
As part of the firm’s commitment to environmental responsibility they specified construction design and materials with equally high green credentials. In addition to satisfying the thermal requirements of the latest Building Regulations, all EcoTherm boards are CFC and HCFC free, offer zero ozone depletion and have an indefinite service life. The PIR insulation boards complement the roof’s environmentally-friendly single-ply roofing system from Fatra UK, which is ISO 14001 accredited and fully recyclable.
Click here to download a copy of this article in MS Word
Click here to download a large size image used in this article