Fire Retardant ACP Panels and Why Are They Important

Concrete, steel, and wood is the preferred material for the majority of buildings sprawling through the cities. These buildings, whether residential or commercial, need to demonstrate excellent safety and fitness to preserve human lives during physical distress. Fire is one such threat that takes away thousands of lives in almost the countries annually and results in property damage piling up to billions of dollars. So the question is, do we have fire retardant building materials that can preserve the precious human lives? The answer is fire retardant ACP Panels or Aluminum Composite Panels. We will discuss Kamala Mills Tragedy to explain the benefits of Fire Retardant ACP Panels clearly.

On 28 December 2017, a fire broke out in the famous compound of Kamala Mills in Mumbai. Kamala Mills housed restaurants and pubs in the building floors, and the place was a hotspot for people who enjoy the nightlife. There were two pubs associated with the fire that resulted in the death of 14 people (Official figure) and seriously injuring dozens of others. The pubs were 1Above and Mojo’s Bistro.

At 12:22 am past midnight, the violent fire spread to both the pubs and to save their lives the guests started running. A few moments later, the wooden rooftop caught fire and collapsed. As per the investigative reports, this event was a significant factor in increasing the death toll. Investigators later revealed the pointers which lead to this weird incident and loss of precious lives. These were:

Kamala Mills fire incident case study reveals that had the building premises contained ACP panels at crucial places like rooftops, exits, and walls, the fire would have kept from spreading. Apart from that, the lack of fire safety equipment in the two pubs is another reason for the rapid spread of the fire.

Aluminium composite panels or ACP Panel consist of three layers; Two external layers are made up of thin aluminium sheet, while the middle layer is made up of a low-density core. The low-density base is usually made up of Polyethylene foam.

Due to the ‘sandwiched’ foam layer between two aluminium sheets, this type of panel is known as the ‘Sandwich Panel’ or ‘Sandwich Structured Composite.’

Sandwich panels or the Aluminum Composite Panels possess many excellent properties and characteristics suitable for constructing a safe building. These are:

Aluminum Composite Panels have different thermal conductivity values. These values depend on the sandwich material of the core. ACP panels are often poor conductors of thermal energy, meaning that they do not conduct heat very well.

This characteristic is due to the design of the board itself. The gap between the two outer layers minimises the thermal bridges, hence the poor thermal conductivity.

Aluminium composite panels display great strength, rigidity, structural integrity, and reduced weight when used in buildings.

Aluminum Sandwich Panels are not fire retardant. To get fire-retardant aluminium composite panels, you’ll have to consult your vendor/dealer. Fire retardant ACP panels are similar to any other sandwich panel regarding design. The only difference lies in the use of ‘Fire Retardant Core Material’ and the thickness of the external aluminium sheets.

All these superior physical characteristics of the panels make them an excellent option to give a beautiful finish to the exteriors and interiors of the building.

Viva is an industry leader in providing high-quality Aluminum Composite Panels for buildings. Also, having worked on multiple national and international projects, Viva aims to be an industry leader in providing fire-retardant ACP panels to keep any fire hazards at bay.

Our unmatched quality and finish of the sandwich aluminium fireproof panels have helped us earn the trust of global construction players. Additionally, we hold expertise not only in manufacturing but also in fire retardant ACP panels with Aluminum, FR, and PE cores.

Use fire-retardant ACP panels in houses, commercial premises, and other civil construction finishing. Nevertheless, a wise step taken today can save a lot tomorrow.