Tolkewitz school campus, Dresden

High-performance insulation and fire protection for a new school building in Dresden

This project included installing thermal insulation and fire-rated pipe insulation, using CLIMCOVER Lamella Mat and U Protect Pipe Section Alu2.

Our expert teams worked on a project for the largest school building in the Saxon capital, in the Tolkewitz district of Dresden. The entire area of the new building is an impressive 46,500 m² and the usable floor space of the two school buildings is 11,400 m². With our high-quality insulation, we provided contemporary thermal insulation and reliable fire protection for these areas. 

"The dimensions in this building complex are really impressive. In the process, we encountered long corridors and hallways, but also complex configurations, such as supply shafts with very limited space," explains Mathias Spichtinger, project manager at Isoliermontage Rakow from Lichtentanne/Ebersbrunn, the contractor responsible for the insulation of all heating and sanitary pipes as well as the drinking water and rainwater drainage pipes.

In order to minimise heat loss in the complex network of pipes that runs through all parts of the building, all supply pipes (around 9,100m) and ventilation ducts were fitted with high-performance insulation.

Thermal insulation of pipes and fire penetrations with one and the same material

To insulate the pipework, the team used U Protect Pipe Section Alu2. Thanks to their low thermal conductivity of 0.035 W/(m*K), the pipe sections meet the requirements of the GEG (a regulation in Germany describing minimum requirements regarding energy use of new and renovated buildings) in all insulation thicknesses. In addition to their excellent thermal properties, the aluminium-laminated insulation is the perfect solution for fire protection. 

They are non-combustible (Euroclass A2L-s1, d0 according to EN 13501) and have a melting point of > 1,000 °C. The advantage: U Protect Pipe Section Alu2 can be used for both sectional insulation and for fire-rated pipe penetrations. This is a very practical and cost-effective solution that allows installers to complete the work "without changing materials and at the same time ensure the required fire protection", as said by Mathias Spichtinger.

Non-combustible pipes up to a diameter of 200 mm and combustible supply pipelines up to an outer diameter of 110 mm can be routed through building components with U Protect Pipe Section Alu2 in R90 or R120 constructions.

Our pipe sections offer also important benefits in terms of installation. They are made of the lightweight stone wool ‘ULTIMATE’ and weigh up to 50% less than traditional stone wool. 

The low weight makes a huge difference when working overhead during ceiling installations. Also, compared to competitor products, the pipe sections are supplied at an efficient length of 1.20 m, so 20% more pipework is insulated in one work step, speeding up the construction process.

U Protect Pipe Section Alu2 are simply layed around the pipes. Then the aluminium laminations are bonded vapour-tight at the joints and butt joints. Afterwards, the pipe sections only need to be fixed with binding wire or aluminium adhesive tape. 

Insulation of ventilation ducts with lamella mat

A total of around 5,400 m² of duct area was insulated with CLIMCOVER Lamella Mat, which is also non-combustible and particularly flexible to process. These lamella mats made of glass wool have a lamination with a vapour-blocking, highly tear-resistant aluminium mesh foil and can be used as versatile all-rounders for thermal and sound insulation.

"All ventilation and air-conditioning ducts as well as a circulation system for heat recovery were insulated with 50 mm thick glass wool," reports Mario Schneider, specialist planner for building fire protection and Sales Area Manager at ISOVER. 

As with all large construction sites, it was necessary to insulate a number of surfaces in the shortest possible time. Thanks to the format of the lamella mats of 600 mm in width and a length of 5,000 mm, the tight schedule was easily met.

The flexibility of the CLIMCOVER Lamella Mat makes it ideal for irregular surfaces and different cross-sections, with its standing fibres ensuring uniform insulation thickness and compressive strength. The insulation can be cut to the desired length and width with a simple insulation knife before being placed around the ventilation duct. 

The different actors of this project:

• Asset Owner: STESAD GmbH, Dresden 
• HVAC Specifier:    GESA Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Dresden 
• Installer: Isolierung- Isoliermontage Rakow, Lichtentanne/Ebersbrunn