Kingspan helps transport London Bridge Station into the future

The Kingspan OPTIM-R Flooring System has been installed as part of the £1bn refurbishment of London Bridge Station.

The system was specified in two retail units, due to its optimal thermal performance. This allowed the floor construction depth to be minimised, providing an even transition for shoppers entering from the concourse.

London Bridge Station is currently one of the busiest railway stations in the country and a rising number of passengers led to the station building being redesigned by Grimshaw Architects.

The new building now contains the largest concourse in the UK, with a radius surpassing the pitch of Wembley Stadium.

Some of the retail units constructed on the lower concourse were situated directly above uninsulated platform space.

As such, specifiers required an insulation solution which could provide the required thermal performance in a slim thickness — avoiding the need for a step-up from the outer concourse.

With an insulation performance up to five times that of commonly used insulation materials, Kingspan OPTIM-R vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) provided a clear solution.

Kingspan OPTIM-R panels have a microporous core which is evacuated, encased and sealed in a thin, gas-tight envelope.

With this design, the panels achieve a declared thermal conductivity of 0.007 W/m.K. The VIPs were installed as part of the Kingspan OPTIM-R Flooring System.

OPTIM-R flex infill strips of the same thickness are also supplied with each system, to fill awkward gaps and to allow penetrations in the insulation layer.

The Kingspan OPTIM-R Flooring System was specified in a 25mm thickness, which was fitted above a 3mm rubber crumb layer.

Despite the slim build-up, the outstanding thermal performance of the OPTIM-R Panels ensured the units met their U-value target.

20 – 40mm thick Kingspan OPTIM-R panels are also certified under the demanding BDA Agrément scheme.

This independent certification is accepted by NHBC and the LABC and confirms that the products will perform as expected when installed to Kingspan Insulation’s recommendations.

This can help accelerate projects through the procedures and approvals process thus reducing project costs.