Bringing together more than eight
decades of technical industry
experience, fire glass experts
Pyroguard have completed an
ambitious testing programme in
partnership with Aluprof a new,
cost-efficient, non-insulated, slimline
fire-resistant glazing system for the
UK and European market.
Following two years of collaboration,
the new MB-45EW framing system
has been developed and rigorously
tested for applications where non-
insulated screens and doors are
required. A first for the UK market,
the slim system exceeds the current
ratings of E30 and EW requirements
with additional radiation reduction.
Suitable for internal applications,
the framing system also offers a
smoke-proof screen arrangement with
doors, compliant with EN13502-2.
Pyroguard Integrity Plus glass is the
first fire glazing tested and certified
for the new system delivering El 15
and EW30 fire performance along with
1B1 impact protection.
Wojciech Brozyna, Managing Director
at Aluprof UK, commented: “As we
strive to deliver a solution which
is effective, cost-efficient and
aesthetically pleasing to suit the
needs of specifiers today, we had to
overcome several challenges. The
expertise of Pyroguard has been
invaluable and by combining our
efforts throughout the testing phase
we have created a solution which
exceeds current safety requirements
to deliver advanced protection.”
“Glazing often plays a vital role
in modern buildings, but meeting
functional safety requirements
needn’t come at the expense of
aesthetics,” says Vince Crook,
Technical Director at Pyroguard.
“By collaborating with Aluprof,
we’ve been able to develop a fully-
accredited and certified framing
solution which utilises the key
characteristics of our high-performing
products – namely design and
1B1-classified impact protection, in
addition to essential EI 15 and EW30
safety requirements.”
In what is believed to be a first for
the industry, the cap-less, fire rated
curtain wall system MB-SR50N EI
EFKT has recently been specified
on a refurbishment development in
Manchester. The project, known as
‘The Core’, is located at 24-30 Brown
Street in Manchester city centre.
Originally built in the mid-1980s
as the headquarters for law firm
Halliwells, the building, also formerly
known as St James’s Court, has
been given an £8 million overhaul
to replace the facade and re-fit the
internals. The Core comprises 48,000
sq.ft of office space over six floors
including a new 7,500 sq.ft roof-
top extension. It is this new upper
floor that proved a challenge for
the architects PRP as the planners
insisted on parts of the new facade
would need to be fire rated due to
the proximity of other buildings and
future developments.
A fire rating of EI60 was required on
part of the new cap-less, curved glass
facade on the top floor. Aluprof’s new
system, MB-SR50N EI efekt, enabled
the architect to have a cap-less fire
rated system whilst at the same time
seamlessly blending in with areas
which did not require a fire rating.
Dan Holden of facade specialists Casu
111
Consulto who designed and installed
the facade takes up the story, “We
were going down the route of a steel
system for this project until we were
introduced to this new system by
Aluprof. To achieve a cap-less fire
rated curtain wall system is a big
development for the industry, but to
be able to have the fire rated system
on one side of a mullion and non-fire
rated on the other side in a seamless
transition, is truly impressive.”
With the old heavy red brick facade
removed and window openings
made much larger, the new office
development has been finished to
shell to allow tenants to customise
their space, following the trend
for more individually designed
workspaces. The central light-well
has been opened up and windows
enlarged to further add light into all
floors.
The project team for the
refurbishment, managed by OBI,
included PRP Architects, Russells
Construction, Tier Consult as
structural engineer, and REDS, M&E
advisor.
Serving the whole of the UK and
Ireland, Aluprof UK’s head office
and warehouse facility is located
in Altrincham, Cheshire. Aluprof
systems are increasingly being
specified on a wide range of
residential and commercial projects
across the UK. Systems are designed,
fabricated and installed by selected,
specially trained local companies, to
ensure each fabricated product meets
Aluprof’s exacting standards.
Further information is available on
the company’s website at
www.aluprof.co.uk and specialist
advice is available directly from
Aluprof’s UK head offices on
+44 (0) 161 941 4005 or from
their London office, based at the
Business Design Centre, Islington,
on +44 (0) 207 288 6415.