Sandwich Panels and Combustible Insulation

Risk profile

Sandwich panels with cores made of polyurethane, polystyrene or other combustible plastics are widely used in industrial and warehouse construction because of their good insulating performance and fast installation. In a fire, however, flames can spread within the concealed core between the thin metal facings at very high speed, largely hidden from firefighters and difficult to combat. Combined with a steel-framed structure, the risk of collapse also increases.

Measures

Non-combustible cores (mineral wool) are available to reduce this risk; where combustible cores are used, properly executed joints, tested fixing systems and complementary protection measures such as sprinklers or compartmentation become decisive. In existing buildings, the core composition is often undocumented and must be established by opening a panel or obtaining manufacturer information.

Insurance relevance

Buildings with combustible sandwich panels and no compensating protection measures are considered an elevated risk in property insurance and are frequently subject to conditions, sublimits or premium loadings. Core composition is therefore a standard checkpoint in every risk survey of industrial and logistics properties.