The new 18 metre regulations have come into play this year, alongside several additional regulations that affect the way we will create building structures in the future. With everyone working towards meeting the Net Zero emission targets while looking at the safety aspects of buildings, these new regulations introduce a lot of new considerations for architects to take into account.

While thermal breaks are an imperative part of any large building structure to ensure energy efficiency, they are included within the building envelope which is where these new rules come into play. The Government has published amendments to Building Regulations in England restricting the use of combustible materials in the external walls of certain buildings over 18m in height. The restrictions apply to the external walls and specified attachments for residential blocks of flats, student accommodations, care homes, sheltered housing, hospitals and dormitories in boarding schools with a storey above 18m in height.

Thermal breaks have officially been made exempt from these regulations. The benefits they provide outweigh the materials they’re made from, and as they’re usually incorporated within the building envelope, the position they’re found in means their combustibility isn’t a direct threat if a fire has already broken out.

Should a fire occur and the flames penetrate the walls of a building to the extent where it reached the thermal breaks, the damage would already be too severe to undo. For this reason, they have been carefully studied and the benefits they provide mean they are still able to be specified in buildings over 18 metres.

As long as the thermal break products assist in the building meeting other key regulations in terms of energy efficiency, they can be included within any sized structure. This is another key reason why thermal breaks should not be overlooked and their importance has to be considered when it comes to any genre of building.

To find out more about Armatherm thermal break products and how they can be specified for your project, get in touch with one of their team of experts by calling 01274 003033, emailing info@armatherm.co.uk or visiting https://www.armatherm.co.uk/contact-us/