Vaughan Way, Leicester

The Vaughan Way development in Leicester features state-of-the-art apartments above a two storey car park. While this gives residents the best of both worlds – city living and parking in a limited footprint – it represents a challenge for developers in the form of thermal bridging.

Most car parks feature open walls to allow adequate ventilation of exhaust fumes, so the separating floor must be well insulated to prevent warm air from the flats escaping into the car park below. With this in mind, main contractor Winvic approached Knauf Insulation for advice on the best insulation to specify in order to achieve the specified U-value of 0.2 W/m²K.

Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team conducted U-value calculations to determine the thickness of Soffit Linerboard required. They then worked closely with Winvic to provide technical advice to ensure all design considerations were addressed.

Soffit Linerboard is a robust Rock Mineral Wool slab. It is a high-performance thermal insulation and offers excellent sound absorption to provide high levels of sound reduction; something residents will appreciate when their neighbours are parking below.

Soffit Linerboard is also non-combustible, with an A1 Euroclass Reaction to Fire Classification, essential to comply with changes to the building regulations, as Vaughan Way will be more than 18m tall when complete.

Soffit Linerboard is one of more than 40 Rock Mineral Wool insulation products produced at Knauf Insulation’s Queensferry plant. It is manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, Knauf Insulation’s unique bio-based binder that contains no added formaldehyde or phenol. It is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable, and is less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binder, so it is more environmentally-friendly.

Products made with ECOSE® Technology are soft to touch and easy to handle. They generate low levels of dust and VOCs, and have been awarded the Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort.

The insulation was delivered direct to site by distributors Encon in Nottingham and was installed by sub-contractors L Reynolds.

From the additional warmth, to noise reduction and improved safety, adding Soffit Linerboard to the separating floor between the car park and flats will make city living even more pleasant for the residents of Vaughan Way.