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Building Fabric Meets Sustainability Requirements
24 August 2005

The sustainability, insulation performance and structural integrity of Excel Building Solutions TRADIS panels were the principal reasons for the panels being specified by Falkirk Council for the construction of a new primary school extension in Bo'ness, Falkirk.

The extension to Deanburn Primary School was designed to accommodate 440 pupils in a structure featuring high levels of sustainability and energy efficiency.  In addition to sustainable technology features such as heat recovery, a wind turbine and grey water recycling, the fabric of the school was specified to minimise impact on the environment.

Used as infill sections in the steel frame superstructure of the 2,400 m² school building, the TRADIS panels needed to be self-supporting up to 5m high, enabling them to be used for both the single and two storey wall sections.

Manufactured offsite, the TRADIS panels are based on an engineered timber 'I' beam frame, sheathed externally with Panelvent sheathing board and internally with Paneline. Warmcel 500 insulation, which is manufactured from recycled newspaper and has the lowest embodied energy of all mainstream insulation materials, completely fills the internal void created, producing ultra high levels of thermal insulation.

For the 200 mm deep wall panels used for Deanburn Primary School, a U value of 0.15 W/m²K was achieved.

The carefully balanced combination of component materials in the TRADIS panels ensures that any moisture that gets into the structure (which happens in any inhabited building) always migrates to the external side of the structure where it is harmlessly expelled to the atmosphere.  This action, known as Enhance Vapour Transfer or 'EVT', ensures that interstitial condensation does not occur, thereby protecting the timber structure throughout the lifetime of the building.

The lightweight of the structure also minimises the foundation requirement for the school, again reducing impact on the environment.

Externally, the school extension was clad in a combination of architectural masonry, render, Trespa panels and red cedar cladding.  The roof coverings comprise green sedum roofs, PVC single ply membrane and Speedeck Speedzip systems.

Excel Building Solutions is a division of Excel Industries Limited, based in Rhymney, Gwent and is the UK’s leading supplier of innovative building solutions.  The company manufactures high performance insulation products, Warmcel 500 for walls and Warmcel 300 for lofts; along with high performance sheathing boards: Panelvent and Paneline; and Sarket roof sarking.  Together, these components combine to form the high performance EVT Technology Solution for walls, floors and roofs and the factory-produced TRADIS range of wall panels, floor cassettes and roof plates.  In addition to building solutions, Excel manufactures a range of speciality fibres for road making and diverse industrial applications.