Projects use Duplicor prepreg panels with highest Euroclass B fire performance without fire retardants for reduced weight, CO2 footprint in sustainable yet affordable roofs, high-rise facades and modular housing.
As explained in CW’s 2019 tour article, Holland Composites (Lelystad, Netherlands) has been developing composite solutions in architecture and construction for decades. The company’s first project, an energy-efficient 6 × 3 × 3-meter (l, w, h) modular housing unit for universities called Space Box, was an instant success, selling thousands of units. The company went on to complete a variety of high-profile projects, fabricating and installing composite roof structures and façades, including its Raficlad system of translucent composite panels that can be made in any color and incorporate visual fibers, logos or even dried organic matter.
But Holland Composites’ founders, Pieterjan Dwarshuis and Sven Erik Janssen, could see the industry needed a better solution than the carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and resin-infused glass fiber panels they had been using. “We faced a serious challenge with these composites in the mainstream building market because the polyester, phenolic and epoxy resins we were using are considered toxic materials,” explains Janssen. “It’s very difficult now to put these into buildings. The industry is instead looking to more natural and bio-based materials. The other issue is that these petroleum-based resins burn.”
“We were always struggling with getting the fire performance right with composite materials,” agrees Eric van Uden, managing director of Solico Engineering (Oosterhout, Netherlands). His company has provided structural engineering for Holland Composites construction projects since 2005. “We could use highly filled fire-retardant [FR] resins, but they were very costly. Because they had lower properties, we needed a lot of kilos of resin.” This then increased weight and demanded more structural support.
Now, however, Holland Composites is proposing what Janssen calls a game-changing solution: Duplicor bio-based, fire-resistant composites. “We’re using a plant-based resin with a mix of possible fibers depending on the application,” he explains. “And we no longer use PIR [polyisocyanurate] or EPS [expanded polystyrene] foams in sandwich construction, but just recycled PET foam.” The latter, he concedes, is not bio-based, “but it does help to remove plastics from the environment. Duplicor is durable, it actually stores CO2 and it is a solution to build with less material. More and more tenders in the building industry are being awarded not only on price, but also on the environmental impact of the materials and process that you use.” And, he adds, “Duplicor is affordable.”
Read the full article at CompositesWorld.
Aan de rand van het Dakpark in Rotterdam realiseert Slokker Bouwgroep het project Kop Dakpark: een nieuw woongebouw dat stedelijk wonen combineert met groen, ruimte en leefkwaliteit. Het project vormt een markante entree naar het park en draagt bij aan de verdere ontwikkeling van Delfshaven als aantrekkelijke woonomgeving.
Voor Woonzorg Flevoland realiseert QBIX een moderne woonzorgomgeving waarin comfort, duurzaamheid en leefkwaliteit centraal staan. Het project is gericht op het creëren van een toekomstbestendige zorgomgeving, met oog voor zowel bewoners als de directe leefomgeving.
De ambitie om duurzaam te verbouwen leeft breed in de bouwsector. Energiezuiniger, circulair en toekomstbestendig bouwen wordt steeds vaker als uitgangspunt genomen; juist ook bij renovaties. Maar in de praktijk blijkt duurzaam bouwen vaak complex, zeker als het gaat om bestaande gebouwen die niet ontworpen zijn voor de normen van nu. In die zoektocht krijgt bio-composiet materiaal een steeds grotere rol.