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Dating from the early 1700s, when it was first used for farming, the Cascina Merlata district of Milan recently underwent a major urban regeneration project. Now home to some 12,000 residents, it offers ample services, schools, green spaces, and sports areas. Alpac was involved in this ambitious project as the supplier of fire prevention products that complied with new Italian legislation, the most substantial part of which relates to the regulation of façade materials and relative fire prevention standards. On July 7, 2022, Ministerial Decree 04.30.2022 came into force, which contains fire safety provisions for the external walls of buildings. Alpac’s response was PRESYSTEM® Mineral Wool, a cladding material that guarantees high acoustic and thermal performance. The product is a heat-insulating, non-combustible, and fire-resistant block system that’s also a sustainable fireproofing solution. Its high safety levels and ability to limit the spread of a façade fire are the result of the use of materials such as mineral wool and fiber cement. It has the A2-s1, d0 fire rating.
An innovative solution for window openings, PRESYSTEM® Mineral Wool is a patented, prefabricated system that makes it possible to seal windows in one process, thereby standardizing and simplifying operations on site. This reduces the likelihood of mistakes and delays, with consequent savings in both costs and times. In addition to its soundproofing performance, PRESYSTEM® Mineral Wool provides thermal insulation in both winter and summer, along with excellent breathability.
PRESYSTEM® Mineral Wool has been tested according to UNI EN 1364-1, achieving EI 90 fire resistance. These results confirm the key role played by the product’s single block design in guaranteeing adequate fire safety levels for façades.
Mineral wool was chosen as the insulating material for the project because of its circularity. A fibrous mineral-based product, it not only contains up to 50% recycled materials but can also be reused at the end of its life. The product is also chemically inert, and free of corrosive and carcinogenic substances. The mineral wool panels used in the project for thermal and acoustic insulation and fire protection, are biosoluble and produced by spinning molten rock materials into fiber.
All these properties make PRESYSTEM® Mineral Wool a key element in the construction of eco-friendly buildings using sustainable materials with low environmental impact.
More info: alpac.it/en/
All images courtesy of Alpac
