Firefly® Phoenix Curtain Specified To Protect Medway Logistics Warehouse

Part of an international supply chain and logistics business, a vast warehouse in the Medway area of Kent enclosing almost 380,000 sq. ft. of storage space, has had its fire performance upgraded by a regular FIREFLY® customer utilising the manufacturer’s Phoenix barrier material together with the recently launched 180 ablative batt and ancillary products to create a curtain running around the building perimeter.

The work at the Noatum Logistics ePort warehouse on the Isle of Grain was carried out by Essex based T and R Fire Protection over a five-week period earlier this year, with its operatives using a variety of access approaches to attach the lightweight Phoenix barriers to roof purlins and floor beams. FIREFLY®’s high temperature adhesive and special staples were used to secure the 150mm overlaps between lengths of the Phoenix material, as well as to secure the curtains to the lengths of steel angle and heavier section Unistruts.

The Site Manager for T & R Fire Protection, Tom Port-Smith, commented: “While we regularly put forward FIREFLY® systems for a variety of applications as our ‘go to’ manufacturer for fire compartmentation, in this case the clients, Noatum/Dexion actually specified Phoenix on the basis of having successfully used it for past projects.  We get good technical support from the company whenever we need special details and the installation at the Medway premises went smoothly with the barriers being attached right around four floors and a walkway across a total distance of 600 metres.” 

Andy Greenwood, the Technical Sales Manager for FIREFLY®, explained how the relatively short Phoenix fire curtain offers a form of compartmentation in such situations: “A 300mm fire break, around the perimeter of a warehouse, is a standard fire safety measure.This means the 300mm wide band of fire-resistant material is used to separate different sections of the building – which typically house large amounts of flammable material - helping to contain a fire and prevent it from spreading. This is crucial for both life safety in allowing time for evacuation, and property protection: limiting damage and loss to the area where the fire starts.”

Manufactured from woven and non-woven glass, the FIREFLY® range is designed to optimise resistance to flame and smoke as well as offer heat protection in a wide range of scenarios.  The barriers are easy to install horizontally or vertically using a full selection of FIREFLY® ancillary products to ensure a fully tested and certified installed system.  www.tbafirefly.com 

ROCKWOOL Strengthens Commitment To Leadership In Fire Safety With New Product Range

Construction product manufacturer ROCKWOOL has announced the first products to launch from its new global centre of excellence for fire-stopping at Hams Hall, Birmingham. Renowned for its Euroclass A1 non-combustible stone wool insulation, the company has used its deep fire expertise and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to develop a new in-house fire-stopping range including coated batt, sealants, collars and wraps.

Industry-leading standards 

In line with the company’s commitment to industry-leading practice, the new FirePro range has been tested and classified to the most recent fire resistance standards (including BS EN 1366-4, BS EN 1366-3 and BS EN 13501-2) that will become mandatory in 2029, ensuring the range is ready a full four years early and helping customers to get ahead and future-proof their specifications. For added assurance, FirePro’s testing has also been third party audited and certified for safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance by independent certification body UL-Solutions.

“At ROCKWOOL, we don’t just meet fire safety standards – we help drive best practice. That means advocating for tough, easy-to-apply regulations and approaches that reflect the real risks facing modern buildings,” explains Ben Peach, Product and Technical Solutions Director at ROCKWOOL Ltd. “We’re always looking ahead and helping our customers to navigate change, which is why we’ve tested and classified the new FirePro range to the latest fire resistance standards – so our customers can specify with confidence.”

By developing the range in-house and managing the product line from conception to delivery, ROCKWOOL is also perfectly positioned to pursue ongoing innovation and drive industry-leading performance and sustainability.

Specialist support for customers

The first products in the new FirePro range will be available to order from 2^nd October 2025, with the company’s specialist fire and specification teams on hand to assist customers with bespoke technical and project support.

“Customers need access to expert resources to specify with confidence,” says ROCKWOOL Ltd’s Head of Fire Protection & HVAC, Matt Jones. “That’s why we’ve launched the FirePro range with our specialist teams on hand as well as a robust package of technical literature. This includes a new interactive Fire-stopping Standard Details Guide that provides easy access to safety-critical standard details to support specification and installation.”

New Training Academy coming soon 

To further support industry partners as they adapt to changes driven by the Building Safety Act, ROCKWOOL plans to open a specialist training academy at the Hams Hall site this winter. Providing clients with the opportunity to experience product demonstrations and learn best practice installation techniques for ROCKWOOL’s fire-stopping, HVAC and fire protection products, the company expects to welcome a range of visitors from installation contractors and specifiers, to fire service personnel who are working to assess and safeguard public safety.

The academy will complement ROCKWOOL’s existing e-Learning platform and furthers the company’s work to support skills and competence in the built environment. More details will be available shortly to those seeking to book a training session at the new Midlands facility.

www.rockwool.com/uk

Siderise Accelerates Passive Fire Protection Installation With New Made-To-Measure Precision Cut Strip Service

To accelerate installation and enhance precision of its passive fire protection, Siderise has launched a new advanced Cut Strip Service — delivering ready-to-install, digitally sized cavity fire barriers and firestops for building façades. This innovative offering eradicates cutting onsite, reduces waste, and improves safety, helping contractors to achieve faster, more accurate, and more cost-effective installations. This marks a bold step forward in Siderise’s mission to ‘Go Beyond, contributing to safer buildings.’

Cavity barriers and firestops are often supplied in slab form for cutting to size onsite. However, through this new service, contractors can choose to have any Siderise CW, EW, RH and RV products pre-cut on Siderise’s high-speed, automated production line to meet their exacting project requirements. This results in precision-cut products that have been digitally sized and manufactured under strict quality control measures, ensuring consistent quality and mitigating the safety risks and inefficiencies of onsite cutting.

But this isn’t just about convenience. Using this service can save considerable time, effort and labour – therefore associated costs. To ensure contractors and project managers see these benefits in their project’s bottom line, the Cut Strip Service has been carefully and competitively priced so that its cost is negated by the savings made from a more efficient installation process and reduced waste. Siderise has developed the Cut Strip Service in direct response to growing demands for improved quality control in construction products, while also addressing global challenges related to site efficiency, safety, and the implementation of sustainable waste management practices on construction sites.

Gavin Rees, Chief Operating Officer at Siderise explains more:  “The Siderise Cut Strip Service exemplifies our ‘Customer First’ and ‘Strive for Betterment’ values. Pre-cut passive fire protection products offer major advantages on all kind of projects—whether it’s ensuring consistent quality across large projects, reducing site waste to meet ESG goals, or speeding up installation. By automating this process, we’re making it a standard offering across all product ranges, with unmatched lead times, cost efficiency, and confidence in product precision.”

Additionally, using pre-cut strips may help installation teams better demonstrate alignment with project plans and drawings— an important consideration for projects in regions with strict building safety and compliance regimes such as the UK. The Siderise Cut Strip Service is now available for all projects around the world,  alongside standard slab supply. For more information, please contact salesteam@siderise.com  www.siderise.com