Type of works: design, manufacture and supply of Europanel Extra composite wall panels.
Eurobond’s Europanel Extra composite panels were specified for the Grundon Waste Management Plant in Lakeside, Colnbrook, the new state-of-the-art plant is the major part of the £160-million redevelopment of an existing waste processing facility. Energy from Waste technology is a form of recovery producing renewable energy and is complimentary to high levels of recycling. It can help deliver a reduced carbon footprint and improves resource efficiency, while helping local authorities to meet landfill diversion targets forming an important part of waste management strategies.
Near Heathrow Airport, it is the first such scheme to be granted planning consent since the Government announced its new Waste Strategy in May 2000. The Colnbrook plant will process 440,000 tones of waste each year producing enough electricity for 30,000 households. The scheme comprises of a incinerating facility and a 380sqm visitor centre. Due to the nature of its operation fire safety was a key focus throughout the buildings design. Eurobond panels were incorporated into the design as an integral element of the buildings fire-engineering performance. Manufactured using a non-combustible stone wool core, Eurobond’s Europanel Extra was able to provide a fire-resistant building envelope, with symmetrical fire performance.
Europanel provides up to 4 hours fire resistance from both external and internal sources of flame. The panels will assist in the containment of fire, and will not contribute to the spread of flames throughout the building. The processing plant has been sculptured to blend with its surroundings, the curved roof and neutral colours echoing the landscape whilst helping to minimize air resistance.
Eurobond panels were also incorporated into the visitor centre, a small single-storey structure sited on a nearby lake which is accessed from the bank by a retractable gangway. The building is circular with glazed walls giving panoramic views of the lake and back towards the plant itself. A centrally supported deck will create the impression that the building is hovering weightlessly over the water.
The Europanel system offers high performance and aesthetically pleasing finish thanks to its secret-fix joint detail. The unique design flexibility offered by Europanel offered architects the ability to match project requirements exactly; with panel modules available in 5mm increments between 300 to 1,200mm.