ROCKWOOL® provides a peaceful stay for guests to the new Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express hotel at London Heathrow Terminal 4
The Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express hotel at London Heathrow Terminal 4
Noise pollution is an inevitable fact of life at busy airports and is of particular concern to nearby hotels. Thanks to a pioneering approach from ROCKWOOL, that is based on acoustic performance test data and use of its BBA-approved A1- rated RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® insulation, the new Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express at London Heathrow Terminal 4 will be providing visitors with a peaceful stay when it opens later this year.
ROCKWOOL’s RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® insulation boards provide high levels of sound attenuation and thermal performance
Minimising external noise from the UK’s busiest airport was a major factor for this 750-room, dual-branded hotel. To this end, Grove Developments, the construction division of The Arora Group, challenged ROCKWOOL to achieve a significant Rw 58dB sound reduction within the facade system used on the development. Using test results from its Rainscreen Acoustic Reference Guide, and working closely with subcontractor SD Samuels, ROCKWOOL was able to demonstrate the exceptional performance capabilities of its 150mm RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB®. As a result, 5200-square-metres of the product was specified for the project.
Installation of RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® insulation boards
Made from stone wool, and suitable for a range of external cladding systems, RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB is a non-combustible, dual density insulation board that provides a robust outer surface and a resilient inner face. It reduces noise intrusion in multiple ways. Soundwaves that try to pass through the air trapped within its fibrous structure get absorbed by friction as the individual fibres move back and forth. In addition, the random orientation of the fibres makes it difficult for sound to find a path from one side to the other. The top 15mm layer of each board is manufactured at a higher density than the rest, changing its acoustic impedance so that sound is reflected at the interface between the two layers.
RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB has an A1 Euroclass fire classification and is therefore non-combustible. It is also highly resistant to wind and rain during construction, as well as requires a minimal number of fixings. At the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express, the product was tightly butt-jointed, delivering a U-value of 0.20 W/m2K and minimising heat loss that could otherwise arise from gaps between the boards.
To download a copy of the Rainscreen Acoustic Reference Guide please click here
