More than three years after the Grenfell Tower blaze in London, which sparked a global debate about flammable cladding on buildings, a UAE-based company has launched the Gulf region’s first government approved non-combustible aluminum composite panels (ACP).
Alucopanel Middle East, a unit of Dubai-based Danube Group, said the new panels are particularly recommended for building projects where a very high level of fire protection is prescribed, such as high-rise skyscrapers, schools, hospitals and shopping malls.
“In case of fire incidents in any buildings, Alucopanel A1 will never contribute to fire at all, thanks to the new A1 core technology,” the company said in a statement.
Dubai Civil Defence has certified the panels for installation on building facades, making Alucopanel the first civil defence-certified A1 grade ACP in the world, it added.
In June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West London, causing more than 70 deaths.
The fire spread rapidly due to the building’s cladding and burned for about 60 hours before finally being extinguished, sparking concerns worldwide about the use of combustible cladding.
In June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower block of flats in North Kensington, West London
Rizwan Sajan, founder and chairman of Danube Group, said: “The Alucopanel A1 grade aluminum composite panel is the most advanced and most effective non-combustible high quality ACP product that will reduce fire spread in buildings. This will significantly improve the fire safety record of buildings and structures covered by A1 ACPs.”
He said the A1 is a significant improvement from the existing A2 ACPs in the market, adding that fire is the biggest cause of accidents in high-rise buildings in the world. The UAE has the highest number of skyscrapers in the world after China, US and Japan and also hosts 18 of the world’s tallest 100 towers.
Rizwan Sajan, founder and chairman of Danube Group
“Architects, designers, consultants, structural engineers, developers and contractors now have a choice to change the building industry by recommending and installing the highest fire-retardant non-combustible A1 ACPs in building façade that will change the building industry and make buildings, automobiles more safe in future,” said Sajan, whose Danube is the Middle East’s largest building materials supplier.
The launch comes as the global ACP market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of (CAGR) of 6.9 percent to $8.8 billion by 2022, according to Markets and Markets, a market intelligence provider.
Increasing the application scope of lightweight aluminum composite panels in the construction industry for insulation is projected to drive the market over the forecast period.
Follow us on
