Sign up: 
Sign up:
Sign up:
Fire-resistant DensDeck® Roof Boards by Georgia-Pacific, are helping to increase the performance of the solar panel flat roof system of IKEA Bangalore.
The roof provides an on-site source of renewable energy, in line with IKEA’s global sustainability policy. DensDeck® Roof Boards were specified in cover board position to enhance the robustness and improve fire resistance of the low slope roof build-up. The roof protects the 42,600 square metre store with an estimated footfall of seven million customers a year.
The store stocks over 7,000 products, includes a 1,000-seat restaurant and a supervised children’s play area. It is IKEA’s third store in India and directly employs around 800 people, with a further 1,500 providing various support services.
The 12.7 mm thick DensDeck® Roof Boards were chosen as a critical part of the solar panel flat roof specification. The gypsum core boards with glass mat facers were installed above PIR insulation and provided a firm, flat and homogenous substrate for the white Everguard TPO 60-mil membrane. The roof assembly was installed over a 0.7mm gauge D64 TATA profiled metal deck.
It was decided early in the project’s planning stage that cover boards would be required for the solar flat roof installation. The aim was to increase the resilience of the solar panel roof system add an extra layer of fire resistance.
The 5,000 square metre roof of the IKEA Bangalore store houses 450-500 solar PV modules with each one ballasted to keep them firmly in position. All this weight, along with that of other heavy equipment, such as HVAC units and ducting, introduced a static load that meant two layers of 60mm BMI Everguard PIR insulation placed over the metal deck needed additional protection from compression. Resistance to the dynamic load imposed by increased foot traffic during regular maintenance and inspection visits and impact resistance was also a consideration.
The cover boards helped introduce an increased layer of fire resistance into the roof build-up in line with the project’s FM requirements. FM Approval offers global third-party testing and verification services covering a wide range of properties. These include testing for fire resistance and in many cases, projects are required to be specified with flat roof systems that are FM approved.
Ashok Ninan, Managing Director at BMI Group India, explains: “We were looking for a fire-resistant roof cover board to meet the fire requirements of the project and one that would provide a rigid substrate to protect the insulation from compression.
“We chose DensDeck® Roof Boards over other fire-resistant roof cover boards because they are non-combustible, with a Class A fire rating, and have greater compressive strength and impact resistance.”
DensDeck® Roof Boards were installed in stages over 12 months and Ashok commented that using the fire-resistant flat roof cover boards brought also the benefit of speeding up the roof completion.
“Laying the TPO membrane onto the smooth and sturdy surface of the DensDeck® Roof Boards gave the installers confidence in the application process knowing that a good bond would be achieved, and the insulation below would be protected,” he comments.
After seeing DensDeck® Roof Boards in action on the new IKEA store in Bangalore, Ashok was asked if he would consider using them on other projects. The reply was emphatic: “Yes definitely. We are already talking to consultants about DensDeck® Roof Board and including it in our standard specifications.”
Contact the company for more information on DensDeck® Roof Boards and DensDeck® Prime Roof Boards. It is happy to discuss how the range of roof and cover boards can help achieve specific performance requirements and speed up the installation of your low slope commercial roof system. Email [email protected] for more.
Georgia-Pacific Building Products
133 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta
GA 30303
(USA) 1-800-225-6119
Vent-Axia has supplied its CIBSE award winning Sentinel Apex for the ventilation of ECO MEP’s highly-efficient commercial office environment in Ashford, Kent
Posted in Air Conditioning, Articles, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning - HVAC, Posts
Architectural ironmongery and security products supplier, Strand Hardware, highlights the pivotal role that safety plays in the built environment
Posted in Architectural Ironmongery, Articles, Doors, Health & Safety, Posts, Windows
Senior Architectural Systems is going the extra mile to reduce the carbon footprint generated through the transportation of its products by supporting the use of UK-sourced closed-loop recycled aluminium
Posted in Aluminium Products, Articles, Doors, Posts, Windows