Rockpanel & fire safety

Stone has protected mankind since the stone age. From rain, wind and other weather influences, but also from fire. Of course, times have changed. Due to many factors, including greater use of synthetic materials in construction and furnishing, fires today develop more than six times faster than in the 1950s. Typical modern rooms now can take less than five minutes from ignition until “flashover” engulfs the room in fire, compared to 29 minutes for typical rooms in the mid-20th century. *Source

Fire safety is therefore now more important than ever, and although the world has changed, the strengths of stone are still the same. As Rockpanel products are made of stone wool fibres from the volcanic stone basalt, they have a built-in fire protection which is not dependent on (toxic) fire retardants. The material can naturally withstand temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, is durable and retains its level of fire performance during its entire lifetime. For Rockpanel, fire resilience comes naturally. It is therefore an excellent building material to include in a building where the highest standards in fire safety are demanded.

Of course, no chain is stronger than the weakest link and the complete design and construction of a building consists of many factors that all play a part in fire safety. It is therefore essential for architects and contractors to be aware of the risks and interactions between all these factors. Fire safety is determined by the total engineering, construction and condition of a building, so we recommend conducting thorough research on how to create the most firesafe building. During our free Lunch & Learn CPD sessions, we can tell you more about fire safety in facades.