ECO INSULATION FOR NEW SCHOOLS IN SHEFFIELD

Knauf Insulation’s Polyfoam^® ECO Floorboard Extra was specified for an ambitious project by Sheffield City Council to create two new primary schools for the City, with expert assistance from Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team. Helping to reduce carbon emissions and deliver an excellent thermal performance, Polyfoam ECO Floorboard Extra is strong enough to withstand the design load of the schools’ flooring itself, the weight of furniture and the occupants of the buildings.

Encon Insulation Ltd, the leading independent UK distributor of thermal and acoustic insulation, worked closely with Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team and supplied around 3300m² of Polyfoam ECO Floorboard Extra to BAM Construction.  

Paul Fisher from Encon Insulation Ltd, commented: “By working with Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team, they were able to provide us with in-depth product information and U-value calculations, to help us determine which products were appropriate for this project. After a lot of consultation and designing, we realised that Polyfoam ECO Floorboard Extra would be most suited for this construction as it can provide a U-value of 0.20 W/m²K, a thermal conductivity of 0.033W/mK and was suitable for almost any floor construction.

Alan White, Design Manager at BAM Construction, commented: “Installing an insulation product that was highly resistant to moisture absorption and could provide a line of defence against moisture penetration from the concrete slab was particularly needed for this project. Knauf Insulation’s range of XPS products, including its Polyfoam ECO Floorboard Extra, exceeded all these points and ensures long-term viability of the flooring build up.

“What’s more, as XPS is a lightweight material it meant that installation was very quick and easy, which resulted in us coming across no problems and keeping on track in order to complete the projects on time.”

Additionally, from an environmental perspective Knauf Insulation’s Polyfoam ECO Standard and Extra range is the only range of extruded polystyrene products to be independently assessed and certified by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to achieve a Green Guide rating of ‘A’, allowing installers and end users to have the utmost confidence that the products provide a sustainable solution.

Knauf Insulation’s XPS Polyfoam ECO Floorboard Extra benefits from a ‘closed cell’ construction, which results in a rigid and very stable internal structure– ideal for this project where 466 pupils will occupy the building along with desks, chairs and educational equipment.

The schools are named as Oasis Academy Watermead and Oasis Academy Fir Vale and will be run by Oasis Community Learning; one of the largest multi-academy sponsors in England. 

For more information please visit www.knaufinsulation.co.uk