Siderise Group

Products used: CW-FS | Perimeter Barriers and Firestops for Curtain WallingWhen it came to providing a proven range of fire protection solutions for a revitalised building in London highlighted by a sweeping and technically ambitious curved façade, Siderise was able to meet the challenge with its CW-FS curtain wall fire stop system.

The distinctive, semi-elliptical shape of the new 90m high glass and steel office building at 70 St Mary Axe in London required proven passive fire protection and acoustic solutions that could fit with the unique curved frame. Leading manufacturer of fire, acoustic and thermal insulation products, Siderise, met the challenge.

Standing tall in a prime location at the entrance to the Salford Quays – one of Greater Manchester’s most vibrant and prominent media and culture hubs – Anchorage Gateway is here to make a statement. The 250,640 sq ft, 29-storey residential high-rise, completed three months ahead of schedule, is set to be the tallest residential brickwork building in the UK.  Yet, behind this traditional brick façade finish is a design that demanded a modern approach to diverting moisture from the cavity to the outside of the building, using construction methods far more efficient than the conventional. Key information Completion date September 2023 Sector Residential Developer Cole Waterhouse Main Contractor Domis Construction Façade Contractor Kinlan Brickwork Delivery Architect Jon Matthews Architects  Products used Siderise CT Cavity Tray  Design and specification Representing the gateway entry point into Salford Quays, the build-to-rent (BTR) Erie Dock Apartments (Eda) development replaced a vacant four-storey office block of 1990s construction with a building designed to offer a truly contemporary residential experience. Hosting 290 apartments of various sizes and private amenities such as co-working spaces, a fitness studio, a screening room, and more, it was important that the building’s exterior reflected a feeling of home and community, giving it a sense of place in this rapidly developing part of the city.  The building’s L-shaped footprint is emphasised by the use of stepped massing, with the slimmer block extending to the top of the building and external rooftop terraces at the crown of each ‘block’. Each elevation is constructed from pale-coloured brickwork, supported by an SFS System and concrete core works, giving the building a solid and striking, yet clearly domestic feel in an area dominated by glazing and cladding.  Moisture management is a fundamental element of any masonry construction, and cavity trays must be installed to ensure that any rainwater entering the wall cavity through the external brickwork is directed away from the inner structure, reducing the risk of internal damp and mould. Main contractor, Domis Construction, and brickwork contractor, Kinlan, had previously been using the traditional approach comprising metal cavity trays. However, in their search for a more efficient method that could improve the speed and cost of delivery without compromising on quality, they came across Siderise CT Cavity Tray.  After carrying out their due diligence, the team engaged the Siderise Site Services to deliver training onsite, which included a benchmark installation. It was then that Domis Construction and Kinlan realised the huge labour and time-saving benefits Siderise CT Cavity Tray could offer and that ‘it did what it said on the tin’. The factory-engineered system was subsequently trialled on a section of another Salford project before being put forward to the fire consultants and building control officers for the high-rise Anchorage project.  The CT Cavity Tray achieves an A2-s1, d0 reaction to fire classification to EN 13501-1, is BBA certified and can comply with NHBC, LABC and Premier Guarantee warranty requirements.  David Ashworth, Project Manager, Domis Construction: “Siderise CT Cavity Tray has been a gamechanger for us. We’d been using traditional all-metal cavity trays, site-formed and pre-formed. Even though we’d used Siderise Cavity Barriers and Firestops before, we were somewhat unsure about this single-fix tray and insulation combo at first.   Nevertheless, we researched the product, confirming that it met regulatory compliance criteria and seeing the potential benefits in terms of time saving ability, labour cost reduction, and scaled-down site complexities associated with specialist tools, equipment, and segregated workshop areas for onsite fabrication.”  Installation and inspection Over 3,200 units of Siderise CT Cavity tray were used on the project, helping to realise installation benefits that carried real value for the project. On previous projects where traditional cavity tray solutions were used, the installation teams would need to share masts with the bricklayers on a 50/50 circa ratio. This meant that the bricklayers would take longer to complete their job, due to the time it would take to form and fit the cavity trays, as well as other products, ahead of them.   By using the pre-engineered Siderise CT Cavity Tray, which combines a flexible aluminium tray with non-combustible insulation, the installation team was able to install this lightweight element much faster with just a cutting knife and sealing tape for joining at details such as corners or windows. The requirement for specialist equipment, isolated onsite workshop zones, vast site storage facilities, soldering, sealants and installing insulation as a separate fix and was eliminated, enabling them to free up mast usage, with an estimated ratio of 70/30 in the bricklayers’ favour, speeding up the build programme.   David Ashworth, Project Manager, Domis Construction: “Working with our brickwork contractor, Kinlan, the Siderise Site Services team came down and delivered an in-person practical training programme before the install and it was during this in-depth session that we started to realise the operational advantages it would have. They have also been supporting us continually on the build, checking how we are installing their product and giving us any advice necessary to ensure a top-class delivery.”  Summary Anchorage Gateway demonstrates, with tangible evidence, how traditional building methods can be improved using modern products that have been engineered and tested to meet the demands of contemporary construction, allowing the creation of beautiful brickwork buildings without sacrificing on speed or quality of build.  

To meet the passive fire protection requirements for a new 27 storey high-rise student accommodation in the centre of the thriving Welsh capital of Cardiff, Siderise, leaders in the development of fire, thermal and acoustics insulation solutions, has provided cavity barriers and firestops as part of the curtain walling system.

For a groundbreaking and prestigious residential building in the very heart of fashionable Knightsbridge, the levels of engineering innovation led to SIDERISE being the obvious choice for developing an acoustic material that could offer exceptional sound transmission performance at one of the noisiest junctions in London.

An architectural masterpiece in Dubai Marina setting a new global benchmark.Standing at 365m, the high-rise development is set to become the world’s tallest hotel, containing 1,042 luxury suites and serviced apartments set across 82 floors.IntroductionThe award-winning, sculpture-like design has been conceived to embrace the benefits of vertical living, with a glass curtain wall façade offering panoramic views across the city, whilst its gently curved form reflects the ever-changing daylight. To ensure this striking design achieved the necessary passive fire safety, specifying a fully tested and certified perimeter fire barrier system solution from an experienced manufacturer was vital.Design and specificationThe skyscraper’s beautifully curved unitised glass façade presented an interesting challenge when it came to specifying suitable passive fire protection. In accordance with the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code, the curtain wall elevations required a perimeter fire containment system, comprising a firestopping system installed continuously between the floor slab edge and spandrel panel at each floor and included protection to the spandrel zone. This solution also needed to have proven its fire resistance performance in achieving a challenging 2 hour minimum (EI 120 or FT 120) fire rating. What’s more, the specification called for the use of perimeter firestopping seals that could maintain their integrity around the curved elements of the design, and that would be able to continue providing the required fire resistance should sections of the façade collapse. It also stated that any firestopping assembly should be procured from a single manufacturer that had a minimum of three years’ experience in the market.With over 50 years’ experience in the development, manufacture, and supply of passive fire protection products, Siderise were ideally placed to meet the project’s strict criterion and its enhanced perimeter fire barrier system was specified from the outset.The chosen system uses CW-FS Curtain Wall Firestops to provide 2 hour fire resistance for floor-to-floor horizontal compartmentation and zone-to-zone vertical compartmentation at each partition and curtain wall interface. This was supported with a single layer of CW-FB Curtain Wall Fireboard to provide the required 2-hour fire resistance to the spandrel and vertical mullions at each building level. The UAE Fire and Life Safety Code compliant system designs for this project was based on two tested and certified systems, one to EN 1364-4: 2014 and the other ASTM E 2307.The EN 1364-4 test included movement cycling of CW-FS Firestop to EAD 350141-00-1106 before fire testing to demonstrate that the perimeter fire barrier will be able to withstand the constant deflection of the façade due to forces such as wind and occupancy loads acting upon it. The product easily accommodates this movement thanks to its unique pre-compressed vertical-fibre stonewool Lamella construction. This also makes it ideal for ensuring integrity within the curved elements of the construction as its compression allows it to fit tightly against the floor slab and curtain wall, even in areas with an inconsistent void gap.Installation and inspectionInstallation quality is fundamental to the performance of passive fire protection products. To ensure this is achieved, our UAE technical team along with GIG’s site services team conducted site installation training. This included constructing a façade mock-up assembly for each fire rated design to clearly illustrate how to properly install the spandrel protection system and demonstrate the expected standard of work to identify the corrective actions that need to be taken before sign-off by the project consultant.

For what is one of the world’s most spectacular and busiest entertainment venues, the £125 million SSE Hydro in Glasgow required an acoustic solution that could deliver consistent high-quality sound for music and sport events within the arena bowl. Leading manufacturer of fire, acoustic and thermal insulation products SIDERISE met the challenge.

When the 2012 Olympics design team wanted a third party accredited firestop, with tested high acoustic performance, to close the movement cavity between the rear of the facade and the partitions and floor slabs, SIDERISE was their only choice. For London’s most prestigious event they demanded that performance levels for the Athletes Village not only met, but exceeded the criteria demanded by Building Regulations ‘Approved Document E’.

For what is one of London’s tallest residential towers, Siderise, leaders in the development of fire, thermal and acoustics insulation solutions, has provided cavity barriers and perimeter fire seals as part of the glazed curtain walling system for the Landmark Pinnacle Tower.

One St. Peter’s Square in Manchester provides 268,000 sq ft of office space in the heart of the central business district. The building has been designed to meet the extremely exacting demands of a BREEAM Excellent’, Grade A’ compliance. SIDERISE was instrumental in helping to achieve the required acoustic performance both horizontally and vertically though investigation and treatment of the potential weak points. This included a significant upgrade to the curtain wall mullions.

Twice the height of any other building in Cyprus, the ONE Tower commands the skyline of Limassol. Sitting on the palm tree lined seafront close to both the city’s bustling business district and its quaint old town, the new development offers 83 luxurious residences, leisure and commercial opportunities set across 37 floors. Its award-winning curved design reminiscent of a yacht’s sail, stands at 170 m high which, coupled with its coastal location, presented a unique set of passive fire requirements for its facade. Key informationCompletion dateSummer 2020SectorResidential | Retail | LeisureEnd clientPafilia Property Developers Ltd.Main contractorArabian Construction Company (ACC) | JV Partners | Joannou & Paraskevaides Group (J&P Group)Facade contractorGlassline Industries LtdArchitectWKK ArchitectsDistribution PartnerDPS TechnoIndustrial Ltd Products usedSiderise RH Horizontal Cavity Barriers for Ventilated CladdingSiderise RVG Vertical Cavity Barrier (galvanised mild steel brackets)Siderise OSCI Open State Cassette Insert DesignThe sheer height of the tower meant it was vital to ensure the facade construction contained adequate passive fire protection, complying with local regulations and ensuring ongoing safety throughout the building’s lifetime. After working with our products and our Cypriot distribution partner DPS for a number of years, facade contractors Glassline specified a combination of open state Siderise cavity barriers and cassette inserts. The RV vertical and RH horizontal cavity barriers are designed to allow the facade system to maintain airflow and drain away any moisture within its construction but, in the event of a fire, rapidly close the ventilation gap to create an effective hot smoke and fire seal. Both products achieve Class A1 to EN 13501-1 and provide 120 minutes fire integrity. The barriers are complemented with the use of OSCI Cassette Inserts which are Class A2 rated. All these products have undergone rigorous third party testing to ensure dependable performance. These include single product tests and testing as part of a large-scale system, such as BS 8414 (1&2) and NFPA 285, demonstrating their performance within a complex, high-rise cladding system such as that used on the ONE Tower. For more detail about the standards the products meet, please visit the individual technical data pages. In addition to providing straightforward passive fire protection, the stonewall lamella core of the RVG vertical cavity barriers allows them to accommodate the natural movement associated with rainscreen facades. This is especially important on this exposed seafront project. It is also for this reason that the cavity barrier brackets were specified in robust galvanised steel, protecting them from corrosion caused by the sea air.InstallationAll Siderise products are designed to be easily installed— a key benefit on this large-scale project, enabling it to be finished to a high standard without compromising the project timeline. The RV vertical barriers and then the RH horizontal barriers were cut to the correct size and installed by Glassline using Siderise galvanised steel brackets and foil tape. Where the two products met, they were simply tightly abutted, and the joints sealed with foil tape to ensure continuity of intumescence and therefore fire protection. The OSCI cassette inserts were then fitted as part of the cladding system, installed directly behind the cassette panels and in parallel and centrally aligned to the RVG and RH cavity barriers. This helped to simplify detailing and ensure the ventilation gap met the project requirements. Technical support and site services were provided by our partner DPS throughout the design and installation process, in-keeping with the Siderise ethos of standing by the side of our customers to deliver optimum results.Final CommentsCreated in collaboration with a number of renowned international and local firms and suppliers, ONE Limassol Tower not only stands as a symbol of the city’s exciting future, but also of what can be achieved when diverse skills, expertise and vision are brought together. The selection of tested Siderise products chosen for the project will help to ensure that the building remains a safe and beautiful home and landmark for the people of Limassol for many years to come.Image copyright (C) Pafilia www.pafilia.com 

Edinburgh city centre’s landmark £750m mixed-use Quartermile development is benefitting from a highly effective curtain wall façade sound reduction solution thanks to Siderise.

Luxury residential and hotel units set in two contemporary high-rise towers.Situated in the iconic district of Downtown Dubai, the Vida Dubai Mall development offers a mixture of luxury residential and hotel opportunities set within two strikingly contemporary high-rise towers. IntroductionStanding tall at 55 and 38 storeys, the project makes the most of its prime location with a gleaming curtain wall façade system that allows for floor-to-ceiling views of the surrounding city, including Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain. To protect the buildings and its inhabitants whilst ensuring code compliance, a fully tested and certified perimeter fire barrier system solution was vital.Design and specificationIn line with the stringent requirements of the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code, the unitised curtain wall required a protected spandrel solution comprising a firestopping system installed continuously between the floor slab edge and spandrel panel at each floor, which included protection to the exposed vertical aluminium mullions in the spandrel zone. This solution needed to have proven its fire resistance performance in achieving a challenging 2-hour minimum (EI 120 or FT 120) fire rating. The design and specification set out to find solutions from experienced manufacturers— a requirement that was also part of the of the September 2017 draft of the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code that had not long been released. Whilst exploring several wet-apply two-part systems, which contained components from different manufacturers, it was found that these solutions could not comply with all elements of the Code requirements, nor could they provide a complete and holistically tested protected spandrel solution. To resolve these issues, aluminium façade contractor, Zebian, suggested an enhanced perimeter fire containment solution from Siderise. The specified system featured CW-FS 120 Curtain Wall Firestops for floor-to-floor horizontal compartmentation and single layer of CW-FB Curtain Wall Fireboard countersunk to the reverse of the insulated spandrel panel along with additional strips applied over exposed mullions.Additionally, closed state CH-CB Horizontal Cavity Barriers and RV Rainscreen Vertical Cavity Barriers were selected for the non-ventilated rainscreen façade system used on the rear of the building to ensure this element was appropriately passive fire protected. CW-FS was also used for room-to-room vertical compartmentation, sealing the junctions between the apartment units and for separation between public and non-public spaces to ensure compartmentation was in line with code requirements, whilst also helping to reduce noise transmission.  Installation and inspectionWith installation quality critical to the performance of passive fire safety products, it was vital that the solution was fitted by competent installers who understood the specific requirements of both the project and the products— so much so that this was part of the stipulations of the architect’s specification.To ensure this was achieved, Siderise provided clear detailing and onsite training to its experienced installation partners, General International Group (GIG), on the installation of the full spandrel protection system. This was further supported by onsite inspections by technical service engineers, who produced detailed reports with visual evidence that performance-critical aspects of the installation had been carried out to a high standard and per Siderise recommendations. This included checking the products were installed in the correct direction (vertical fibre orientation), the right level of compression had been achieved, and any joints were tightly abutted and taped. 

Products used:EW | Cavity Barriers and Firestops for Masonry External WallsBB-CB | Balcony Bracket – Cavity Barrier Siderise has provided a proven range of cavity barriers and an innovative new balcony bracket for a residential building located within a new sustainable community in north London.A landmark 64-acre regeneration project taking shape near Finsbury Park, Woodbury Down will feature over 5500 new homes and community facilities whilst maintaining a sustainable approach to development.Working with Berkeley Homes and façade contractor Swift Brickwork on Block B of the development, Siderise provided a range of fire compartmentation solutions including both the EW cavity barrier formasonry walls and the new BB-CB Balcony Bracket – a ready-to-fit cavity barrier solution offering 2 hours fire resistance, which addresses the complex detailing where a balcony interacts with the building envelope,and allows for simple abutting of the EW products to provide continuity of the cavity barriers.The ongoing and long-term collaboration with Berkeley Homes led to Siderise recommending both the EW cavity barrier to seal the gap between the inside of the floor slabs and the exterior brick façade, and also the new BB-CB balcony bracket - cavity barrier, the first time this innovation has been installed in balcony applications.Siderise developed the innovative ready-to-fit BB-CB solution for balcony applications in order to speed-up the installation and provide a tested fire compartmentation solution for an area where high workmanship skills were required.In addition to the bespoke technical support and guidance provided throughout the project, the Siderise Inspection App offered the developer an efficient way to effectively inspect, record and seamlessly audit the quality of their installation work on this residential building throughout the contract. By capturing the relevant information on a standard smartphone or tablet device, Swift Brickwork was able to highlight any issues in need of a resolution and ensure 100% quality assurance on the installation of the cavity barrier system.