This White Paper discusses the test results and performance data of ALPOLIC™ NC / A1 DtS Non-Combustible Composite Cladding manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd In Japan. Independent testing and analysis has been performed by NATA-Certified ExcelPlas Labs who are specialists in the compositional analysis and testing of polymers and polymer composites.
The truth and safety of world-class aluminium composite panels
Aluminium composite cladding is an umbrella term for a range of cladding products, and the flammable component responsible for the cladding fires was the 100% polyethylene core at the centre of the cladding. For a cladding product that provides excellent thermal performance, along with a host of other desirable characteristics, designers and specifiers should opt for a mineral core aluminium composite cladding solution.
Victorian Government bans high-risk flammable cladding for multi-story buildings
We at Network Architectural would like to applaud the Victorian Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne’s decision to ban the use of high-risk, flammable aluminium composite panels for use as external wall cladding for all multi-storey developments for the future.
The line has now been drawn in the sand. Aluminium Composite Panels MUST HAVE a core material of greater than 93% inert filler (inert content) by mass in external cladding as part of a wall system for Type A or Type B construction in Victoria.
ALPOLIC™ by Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd in Japan has developed the new ALPOLIC NC Non-Combustible Mineral Core Aluminium Composite Material that achieves all of the safety requirements that have been recently implemented in Victoria.
- Core material composed of greater than 95% inert filler (inert content) by mass
- Non-Combustible laminas as t ested to AS1530.1
- Fully compliant to Australian Standards through DtS Pathway (C1.9) for use wherever non-combustible materials are required
- 20 year FULL Cover Warranty (incl. rectification costs) direct from globally trusted manufacturer (ALPOLIC™ by Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd)
- Manufactured in Japan with proven world class quality control
- Proven coating durability in Australian conditions for over 30 years
- Significantly less CO2 emission in manufacture than any alternative compliant aluminium façade material
- Significantly less heat transfer than any alternative compliant aluminium façade material
Keep an eye out for this world leading cladding on a building near you.
Are you using the right wall sarking on your building?
One question we often get from Contractors and Builders about sarking is: am I using the right wall sarking on my building?
It’s a good question, especially because the Australian legal requirements have changed over the last few years. It’s important to ensure that you’re using the right one for your construction project.
Here’s a guide to provide you with some assistance.
What is wall sarking?
Wall sarking is a flexible, pliable membrane which acts as a ‘wall wrap’ (which it is sometimes called) to help protect against the elements and provide greater insulation.
What wall sarking do you need?
It depends on what Construction Certificate has been approved for your project.
There are two main certificates that determine which wall sarking you require.
1. 2016 Construction Site Certificate
If your project has a 2016 Construction Site Certificate, then you require a sarking product that is suitable for use in a non-combustible external wall construction in accordance to National Construction Code (NCC) 2016, Volume 1, Building Code of Australia (BCA) Amendment 1 Section C1.9.
Generally speaking, this applies to projects where the application for a construction certificate was lodged prior to the 1st of May 2019.
Wall sarking suitable for use in a non-combustible external wall is a heavy-duty wall wrap made up of a layer of woven glass fabric with aluminium foil laminate designed to provide protection against water and offer insulation properties in commercial wall applications.
In all Construction Sites with a 2016 Certificate, the sarking must comply with the ‘deemed to satisfy’ requirements of BCA 2016 Amendment 1 Clause C1.9.
For these requirements, you should check out the Bradford Thermoseal Firespec, which you can order through Network Architectural here.
Thermoseal Firespec
View the datasheet for Thermoseal Firespec here.
You may also find this chart useful in determining which product is best suited for your project:
2. Construction Site Certificates post 1st May 2019
As of the 1st of May 2019, all Construction Certificates approved in accordance with the NCC 2019, now have new exclusions for sarking-type materials.
Clause C1.9 (e) (vi) states that sarking-type materials which do not exceed 1mm in thickness and have a Flammability Index not greater than 5, may be used where a non-combustible material is required in Type A and B construction.
This permits you to select wall sarking options that have more of vapour permeable membrane to address condensation issues such as mould because it allows walls to ‘breathe’. This ensures that condensation does not present a risk to building occupants.
For this kind of project, the below products are ideal, which you can order through Network Architectural here.
Enviroseal RW
View the datasheet for Enviroseal RW here.
Enviroseal CW
View the datasheet for Enviroseal CW here.
You may also find this chart useful in determining which product is best suited for your project:
Do you want to know more about wall sarking products?
Just like you, we believe in using high-quality building materials which are compliant, safe and cost-effective. At Network Architectural, we stock all of the wall sarking products you need for your project.
The above information is just general. You can find the full technical sheet here.
If you would like more personalised assistance about wall sarking or you would like to place an order, contact us today on 13 71 75 or send us a message.
Our team of building supplies and architectural experts will be happy to help.
The 6 questions to ask about warranties on Cladding Products
Cladding products are commonly used in building and construction projects to provide a protective layer over the material underneath.
The most important decision comes down to selecting which cladding product is right for your project.
The first thing that builders, architects and construction professionals look at is the degree of thermal insulation, weather resistance and overall appearance each option offers.
However, the warranty is often overlooked.
It’s just as important to consider the warranty and what it includes when making your choice because cladding is a long-term decision.
Here are the 6 questions you should ask (or perhaps insist on) in relation to cladding warranties when selecting cladding products for your project.
1. Who is providing my warranty?
There are many products on the market where the local agent or distributor provides your cladding product’s warranty. This may seem fine but what if they go out of business tomorrow, next week, next month or next year? Or what if they change their business name or discontinue to stock cladding lines?
How will you make a claim?
You need to make sure you get a manufacturer’s warranty. This should include the actual warranty as well as ALL of the details of the manufacturer, so you know who to pursue if you need to make a claim.
2. Where does my warranty come from?
It’s always a good idea to use products where the warranty is being provided by a “reputable” manufacturer who has a record of standing behind their products.
All manufacturers have problems from time to time but the manufacturers you want to deal with are the ones who stand behind their products, stand behind their agents and distributors, and ultimately stand beside you if there is ever a problem.
Ask yourself this question: Am I confident that the manufacturer of my product will stand beside me to resolve any problems I may have?
3. What does my warranty include and exclude?
Make sure your warranty does not include a number of exemption clauses in the fine print that end up making it not worth the paper it is printed on.
While it may seem daunting, take the time to read the warranty just so you’re not caught unawares about where its limitations are.
4. Do I need to keep records of cleaning and maintenance of panels to maintain my warranty?
Most warranties will insist on keeping records of your cleaning and maintenance procedures for the life of the warranty. If this is not done you can void your warranty.
However, NOT ALL manufacturers insist on this though so make sure you do your homework on this issue and comply accordingly.
It’s worth the effort in the end.
5. Do the products I am using have 100% traceability?
All cladding products should have permanent identification marking (not stickers) on their products so that they can be 100% traceable back through the production process (as referenced by the new Australian Standard 5344).
Sadly, this is not always the case and there are many products sold into the Australian market that fall short of this basic “good practice” manufacturing.
100% traceability will assist the manufacturer in identifying any issues they may have with the supplied product and makes it easier to claim.
6. Should I get a sample copy of the warranty before I place my order?
Absolutely – yes!
It is your right to see a copy of the ‘typical’ warranty document that will be available at the end of your project.
It is also your right to raise any questions or concerns you may have with this document BEFORE you place any orders.
You SHOULD NOT accept an agents or distributors warranty. This is potentially worthless when it comes to making a claim. INSIST on a manufacturers warranty and INSIST on getting ALL the manufacturer’s details BEFORE you place any orders.
Be very careful if your supplier does not, or will not, provide this information.
How to ensure you’re getting the right warranty.
If you’re concerned about your Cladding warranty, it’s best to choose a trusted and well-established supplier of cladding products. Network Architectural provides a large range of cladding products, all backed by large and reputable companies who provide manufacturer warranties. For further information on our cladding offers, please contact our office on (02) 8316 5000, or visit our website.
Celebrating 20 years of fire safety with ALPOLIC™
This year marks the 20-year anniversary of ALPOLIC™ Fire Safe panels in Australia, and we’re sure that our team at Network Architectural are not the only ones celebrating.
Why?
ALPOLIC™ by Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd showed great foresight in introducing an FR core ALPOLIC™ panel 20 years ago, which is a fire-retardant panel composed of two aluminium skins and mineral-filled fire-retardant core.
More recently ALPOLIC™ by Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd went one step further with Fire Safety and removed all the polyethylene out of the core and introduced their new ALPOLIC™ NC (non-combustible) panel with a 100% mineral fibre core (ZERO Polyethylene).
Safety first always
Fire is always a potential danger in construction and, if you recall the unfortunate events of the Grenfell Tower blaze in West London, the rapid spread of flame that engulfed the whole building was attributed to the use of aluminium composite panels with a 100% polyethylene (highly flammable) core.
The concern today is that there are thousands of high-rise apartments and other buildings that also have the same highly flammable core material within their panels, which could pose a serious risk. This same core type was also attributed to the “near-miss” fire in the Lacrosse building in Melbourne’s Docklands in 2014.
A quick history
To give everyone a bit of background, the original ALPOLIC™ panel was released into the global market in 1972, and since then, has been used for architectural applications such as external facades and interior claddings, roof coverings, and ceilings of hospitals, schools, aged care facilities, high rise office buildings, airports etc.
However, in 1999, due to the growing fears about fire and flammable risk, globally recognised multi-national company ALPOLIC™ by Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd Chemical Corporation developed a new fire-retardant version which they named ALPOLIC™/fr.
ALPOLIC™/fr was introduced to Australia in 1999, where our partner brand, SGI Architectural, secured the exclusive distribution rights to the product. Upon recognising the importance of fire resistance in building materials, both ALPOLIC™ by Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd and SGI Architectural made the responsible and safety-conscious decision to only promote and sell the new ALPOLIC™/fr material into the Australian Construction Market from that point on.
However, unfortunately, competitors to ALPOLIC™ in Australia continued to flood the market with the dangerous 100% PE filled core aluminium composite panel, as it is a cheaper option than the FR grade material.
Since 1999, Network Building Supplies and Network Architectural have partnered with SGI Architectural, and to this day, the fire-retardant ALPOLIC™//fr is still one of our most popular products.
In 2019 ALPOLIC™ by Mitsubishi Chemical Infratec Co., Ltd released their new ALPOLIC™ NC (non-combustible) panel specially designed for the new tougher standards introduced into the Australian market. The ALPOLIC™ NC contains 100% Mineral Fibre with ZERO Polyethylene within the core. Recent testing to the AS1530.1, EN1350-1 A1 Classification and AS5113 (large scale façade test) show that the new ALPOLIC™ NC is the safest aluminium panel in the world today.
Which brings us back to why we are celebrating!
20-years is quite the milestone, especially when it comes to fire safety. As the exclusive distributors of ALPOLIC™ in Australia, we’re celebrating 20 years of ALPOLIC™ supplying Fire Safe Aluminium Composite Cladding into the Australian Construction market – leading the way since 1999.
ALPOLIC™ complies with all the current Australian standards and offers the most extensive panel and paint warranty within its class.
Network Architectural are proud exclusive national distributors of the ALPOLIC™ range of products and are committed to ensuring fire safety is a priority in all applications across our industry.
We’re sure everyone in the architectural, building and construction industries will agree with the importance of fire safety and will join us in celebrating the 20 years of ALPOLIC™ Fire Safe panels into the Australian market.
Here’s to many more years to come!
Do you want to know more about ALPOLIC™?
Just like you, we believe that using building materials which improve safety and lower potential risk on construction projects is a priority.
Our ALPOLIC™ range of products is a perfect example on how to achieve this.
Stick with the brand name you can trust for all of your construction needs.
If you have any questions or would like to know more, contact us today on (02) 8316 5000 or send us a message at info@networkarchitectural.com.au
Our team of building supplies and architectural experts will be happy to help.