Top Gear’s ‘Hamster’ tests the fire performance of mineral wool

This week on BBC 2 Richard Hammond’s series entitled Engineering Connections looked at the world famous Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art in Bilbao designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. In the program the ‘Hamster’ as he is know by his colleagues on Top Gear visits the building described as the 'greatest of our time' to find out which engineering connections made it possible. These included eggs [lightweight shell structures] and volcanoes [mineral wool to protect the steel structure in a fire].

To find out how mineral wool protects a building he conducted his own fire test using Rockwool insulation fixed to a metal sheet. You can see this near the end of the programme. It is available on BBC I-player http://bbc.co.uk/i/snkxs/?t=41m15s

He was convinced and could see why the designers of the Guggenheim chose mineral wool to protect the structure from fire.

If Rockwool is relied upon to protect the iconic Guggenheim building – Eurobond panels with a Rockwool core should be first choice and will guarantee top of the range fire performance.

The complete programme is available on BBC Iplayer - http://bbc.co.uk/i/snkxs/. Broadcast on: BBC HD, 7:10pm Sunday 30th May 2010 / Duration: 50 minutes - Available until: 8:59pm Sunday 20th June 2010

May We Introduce

Eurobond are delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan Stephens and Nicola Franks

Nicola, a keen sports enthusiast and mother of two, has joined the Internal Sales team. She brings with her 9 years of extensive customer and sales experience from her previous positions at Sheffield Insulation and Minster Insulation & Drylining.

Richard Wigley, Business Infrastructure & Marketing Manager for Eurobond says “I am confident that Nicola’s comprehensive experience will enable her to blend seamlessly into the team, her commitment and enthusiasm will be a great boost to the company”.

Jonathan a recent graduate from the University of Wales in Cardiff has just been appointed as the latest member of the Eurobond Technical Department. Having worked throughout his education Jonathan has gained a great insight into the construction industry and is keen to extend his comprehensive training within the department.

“We are very happy to have someone with Jonathan’s background and experience onboard”, said Gavin Rees Technical Manager of Eurobond. “Jonathan brings a fresh insight and new skills into the department and is quickly becoming a valuable member of our team.”

Fire Breaks Out in Welsh School

Each year around one in 20 schools experiences a fire with nearly 60 per cent of school fires being started deliberately. Building Bulletin 100 (BB 100) is a landmark publication in improving fire safety in schools, providing both a design tool and a management aid clearly showing how the requirements for life safety, enshrined in the Building Regulations, can be met in the design of a new school or an extension.

BB 100 differs from previous fire safety guides in that it stresses the importance of protecting the fabric and building envelope of schools and clearly warns about the risk of using combustible materials in cladding.
Archbishop McGrath RC Comprehensive is the latest Welsh School to suffer from the damaging affects of fire. The 700 pupil school hit the headlines earlier this month when 50 firefighters were called to tackle a blaze that had broke out within the school's Technology department. Starting at 3am on Wednesday 17th September, fire crews from Bridgend and neighbouring valleys were drafted in to contain the flames and prevent them spreading throughout the school.

Thankfully the fire was successfully extinguished however the cause of the blaze has not yet been established. The devastating effects are already being felt with the school facing thousands of pounds worth of damage and dozens of pupils losing valuable coursework and assignment materials.

The local council has recently granted the school planning permission to relocate to Brackla, which is due to open in September 2011. Designed by HLM Architects the dynamic building features Eurobond panel systems throughout the external envelop (pictured above).

Eurobond has long championed the use of non-combustible materials in composite cladding panel systems and the company’s external cladding systems, Europanel and Rockspan, are increasingly being specified for their superior fire performance. Both panel systems have a Rockwool stone wool core, which is non-combustible and will not ignite in the event of fire, nor contribute to fire spread or smoke emissions.

For further information on the recent Fire at Archbishop McGrath RC please click here

PM Congratulates Eurobond

At a recent South Wales Dinner held by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the PM and his wife expressed their delight at the continuous achievements of sister companies Eurobond and Euroclad during one of the manufacturing & construction industries most troubled years.

Eurobond and Euroclad, represented by their Group Non-Executive Director, Nick Williams, were praised for their outstanding success and progress in the development of environmentally responsible, fire resistant products that were helping to increase standards and awareness throughout the construction industry at a time when many other companies are struggling to stay afloat.

Welsh manufacturing has been particularly hard hit during the recession, as companies across the country cut spending and reduce workforce. With an annual fall in UK manufacturing of 12.4 per cent in 2008, the biggest downturn in forty years, the Prime Ministers recent acknowledgment is testament to the high quality and work ethic of both Welsh companies in difficult times.

Based in Cardiff, South Wales, we have grown from a small manufacturer supplying to the food processing industry, into a national organisation supplying to a multitude of industries across both private and public sectors. The company now employs 80 people at their headquarters in Cardiff and turns over more than £20 million a year, providing solutions for a range of applications from data centres to schools.


Euroclad, established in 1981, has become the largest independent supplier of profiled metal roof and wall cladding in the UK. Situated alongside Eurobond at their Cardiff Business Park, it has more than three decades of experience manufacturing steel and aluminium roof and wall cladding. Continuous investment and development has resulted in the company expanding to provide a wide range of products for a variety of industries.

Nick Williams, Group Non-Executive Director, said: “We are delighted to receive this commendation from the Prime Minister, which recognises the hard work and effort put in by all the staff here at Cardiff in producing products of the highest standard.”

Eurobond extends commitment to Ireland

As the leading manufacturer of composite wall panels, we are delighted to announce the addition of Gerard Clarke to our regional sales team. Gerard is the new National Sales Manager for Ireland, confirming our commitment to the Irish market, and our ambitious growth plans in the country.

Responsible for developing and maintaining clients in the Irish market; Gerard brings with him a wealth of experience gained from 10 years within the industry and a variety of excellent academic qualifications.

Gerard’s skills have developed through extensive business development roles within the façade and offsite construction sector of the industry. With a background in construction theory as well as solid knowledge of the Irish market, the move to Eurobond was a natural progression in his career.

Gerard commented: "I am delighted to become part of Eurobond's ambitious growth strategy for Ireland and I’m looking forward to developing our close relationship with Rockwool Ireland.

“Now is the right time to develop relationships with the key stakeholders in the industry and draw their attention to the benefits of Eurobond’s products, especially the importance of fire safety and how the specification of the correct insulated panels is instrumental to ensure life safety and business continuity in the event of a fire.”

Lynn Davies supports Eurobonds pledge for Safer Schools

I am delighted at the Government’s recent announcement to increase the continuing investment within UK schools and educational buildings. Having spent the majority of my working life involved in education and sport I realise the substantial impact such a scheme can have on the community and the education of our future generations.

It has become increasingly important to maintain and renew the buildings and infrastructure of schools throughout the UK; children respond well to an attractive, safe learning environment built around their needs. Many educational buildings once considered state of the art throughout the 1960s and 1970s are now in urgent need of repair, unable to comply with stringent UK standards.

Unfortunately recent figures released by the Arson Prevention Bureau have shown a dramatic rise in the number of UK schools encountering arson attacks; for many the damage has been devastating, causing vast disruption to students, teachers and local communities. The increase has identified the need for prevention methods to be factored into building design. As such a number of design guides have been published to enhance property protection and life safety.

Continuous development within product manufacturer and construction regulations ensures that educational builds throughout the UK are designed and built in accordance with these new guidelines. Building Bulleting 100 and Zurich Municipal guides are two of the most influential publications to incorporate design guidance on fire safety with schools. Eurobond Laminates, a South Wales manufacturer produces a range of non combustible stone wool core composite panels that comply with such guidelines.

I am particularly passionate about Eurobond Laminates due to the array of benefits their panel systems offer, aside from the reduction in installation time and secondary steel work; the panel systems also offer an aesthetically pleasing, architecturally flat finish thanks to their stone wool core. The core provides a fire rated solution that bares little impact on the environment and superb acoustic and thermal performance, a distinct consideration in school building design.

The overall success of this Government scheme will depend on harnessing the capacity of major suppliers such as Eurobond, the Prime Ministers acknowledgement of their success and committed to fire protection in major public buildings is recognition of their 25 years of experience with the construction industry and appreciation of the valuable contribution their systems have within schools environments.

Green Dragon Level 3

Eurobond are pleased to announce that Eurobond Laminates along with our sister company Eurobond Doors are now certified to Green Dragon Level 3 Standard. Green Dragon is a multi-step environmental management system to help cut down our impact on the environment.

There are seven elements to this third level of the Green Dragon Standard. These elements build upon the basic steps taken in previous levels to build a more advanced environmental management system. They include:

Register of Environmental Impacts
The Statement of Environmental Impacts prepared in Level 2 is replaced with a more comprehensive analysis of the organisation's impact on the environment.

Evaluation of Significant Impacts
The environmental impacts of the organisation need to be evaluated to determine the significance of impact on the environment.

Pollution Prevention Plan
Potential areas of risk to the environment should be identified and steps taken to minimise those risks.

Objectives & Targets
Objectives & Targets should be set to improve the organisation's impact on the environment.

Monitoring Environmental Progress
Environmental improvements need to be monitored to ensure the organisation remains on target.

Carbon Data Collection
Data on energy use needs to be collected and the quantity of Carbon Dioxide released by the organisation calculated.

Environmental Statement
The organisation may decide to publish a brief statement of their environmental activities and performance.