Versatile CREANOVApanel provides fire protection for new hospital unit

7 Sep 2015

Knauf’s aesthetically versatile, gypsum CREANOVApanel has been specified for the entrance to the Women & Children’s Unit at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, Shropshire.

The panel was chosen to continue the theme of the external feature cladding into the atrium. The CREANOVApanel system enabled a laminate to be applied to the gypsum base.

The feature cladding and CREANOVApanel internal lining, together with a projecting bay on the southern side of the building, identifies the full height glazed facade which forms the entrance to the Women & Children’s centre.

The board’s fire resistant properties as well as its decorative function also recommended it for use in the two storey entrance.

The panelling also meets the Health Technical Memorandum as it is Class 0 for surface spread of flame. Health Technical Memorandum 05-02 states that lining for circulation space must meet either the European Standard B-s3, d2 or the UK Class 0 standard for spread of flame.

Versatile fibre panels

The CREANOVApanel boards were chosen to continue the theme of the external feature cladding into the atrium.

Consisting of a gypsum fibre panel, CREANOVApanel finished surfaces can be a digital print, continuous pressure laminate (CPL) or high pressure laminate (HPL) coating, real wood veneer, lacquered or paint.

The boards can be curved (enables three dimensional shapes to be formed), perforated or micro-perforated to achieve any acoustic performance or supplied with a magnetic whiteboard surface.

The panels are suitable for areas of high traffic due to their high density and high impact resistance.

The digital print boards are available in either a uniform or standard finish, whilst the HPL board is available in either a single colour or wood finish.

The CPL boards are supplied in standard coating of white/grey, silver/grey, anthracite and beech/maple, and the boards featuring real wood veneer are available in maple, birch, beech, oak, ash and walnut.

The lacquer boards are suppled in clear lacquer, but are also available in RAL and NCS colours on request. All the boards can be supplied in bespoke finished as required for individual projects.

Outstanding fire protection

Developed for interior walls and ceilings, Knauf CREANOVApanels are suited for applications subject to strict fire regulations.

The panels are Formaldehyde-free (a chemical compound linked with health problems) and are non-combustible and deliver high-grade fire resistance: under EN1350 the panel was classified as A2 – s1, d0, meaning that it made no contribution to fire, produced no smoke or flaming droplets or particles.

Standard board sizes are 12, 16, 18 and 25mm thick and measure 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 1.5, 1.2 and 0.6m long and 600mm wide. Other thicknesses and sizes are available on request.

For the Princess Royal Hospital project, the CREANOVApanels were used alongside a number of Knauf products, including the Fire Panel, Impact Panel, Performance Plus for humid environments and a Knauf Sound Panel and standard plasterboard.

Used in conjunction with Knauf proprietary products such as Knauf Joint Filler and MP Finish, the system offers fire resistance of up to 90 minutes and sound insulation of up to 63dB Rw.