Alucopanel, a UAE home-grown Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) brand, has launched the region’s first government approved A1 non-combustible grade ACP, particularly recommended for building projects where very high level of fire protection is prescribed, especially high-rise buildings or schools, hospitals, shopping malls etc
Dubai Civil Defence has certified Alucopanel A1 ACP for installation on building façade. This makes UAE – made Alucopanel the first civil defence-certified A1 grade ACP in the world.
“Alucopanel is a UAE home-grown brand, and its products are all made in the UAE. Today we are proud to announce that this UAE home-grown ACP brand has received Dubai Civil Defence certificate that paves the way for its manufacturing, distribution and installation in buildings, industries and other application,” Rizwan Sajan, founder and chairman of Danube Group, said. “It is a UAE trademark registered brand and carries the UAE brand identity. As a UAE-based industry, we are proud to be part of the UAE economy.
“The Alucopanel A1 grade aluminium 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.”
What is non-combustible A1 ACP?
The non-combustible A1 ACPs (A1 ACPs) are fully non-combustible and do not produce any smoke in the event of fire, offering an ideal sustainable alternative to façade cladding materials.
Based on the performance, ACPs are classified as A1, A2, B, C, D, E and F. A1 being the highest rating signifying non-combustible materials. The A1 rating is the strictest fire rating standard in the world that validates a product’s non-combustible nature. This makes it an ideal choice in the development of high- rise buildings. For a trusted, quality proofed foundation, these are the products one should look out for.
The A1, a more advanced and a much safe product, is a significant improvement from the existing A2 ACPs in the market. Fire is the biggest cause of accidents in high-rise buildings in the world and in the UAE, which has the third highest number of skyscrapers in the world after China, the USA and Japan. The UAE also hosts 18 of the world’s tallest 100 towers, including Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest structure.
“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 safer in future,” said Rizwan Sajan, whose Danube is the Middle East’s largest building materials supplier.
The UAE, UK and the world have suffered a spate of fires in its high-rises in recent years. The reason for the blazes, building and safety experts say, is the combustible core used in ACP cladding. The new A1 non-combustible core will rest the risk of rapid spread of the blaze.
Fire incidents on an average killed 43,200 people per year in 23 years, from 1993 to 2016, according to a research report on 39 cities worldwide conducted by the Centre of Fire Statistics, 2018. Experts say, unless the old buildings are retrofitted with non-combustible core cladding the danger of fire incidents remains high, causing material damage to the building structures as well as lives.
Alucopanel A1 ACP Certification
Alucopanel A1 is manufactured in a quality-controlled and regularly-audited factory. The auditing has been undertaken under three separate product and quality control schemes including ISO 9001 QMS Certification provided and audited by SGS Middle East.
Fire Testing and Certification was carried out by Thomas Bell-Wright International, a Dubai-based certification body accredited by UKAS, GAC, IAS and EIAC who was engaged in auditing of Alucopanel A1 manufacturing and sampling for reaction to fire test EN 13501-1:2018 and Self and Flash Ignition fire test ASTM D1929-16 on its core material as well as full-scale façade fire propagation test according to NFPA 285-2019 required in the latest edition of UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice.
After successful results, Alucopanel A1 received product certification No. TBW0300647 on 30 September2020. It received external wall facade system certification No. TBW0300672 on 17 December 2020 and obtained Dubai Civil Defence approval on 3 January 2021, making world’s first Civil Defence-Approved External Wall Façade System having Euroclass A1 core ACP.
