Hebel PowerFloor+ is a lightweight, cost effective alternative to concrete or Bondek flooring allowing builders and specifiers to create additional levels in a building and not being limited to weight restrictions.
The lightweight structure of Hebel PowerFloor+ panels is an ideal alternative flooring material due to the panels consisting of 150mm steel-reinforced aerated solid concrete floor panels.
Designed to be a superior floor solution not only through the acoustic and thermal properties Hebel offers, PowerFloor+ also provides the feel of a firm concrete floor at a significantly lower cost due to the lightweight material making installation easier and quicker. PowerFloor+ is not affected by weather during the construction process ensuring minimal delays.
Each PowerFloor+ panel is reinforced with corrosion-protected steel mesh so that once laid the panels fit tightly together to create a smooth floor. Hebel PowerFloor+ is a structural flooring panel that is designed to create a composite, diaphragm action floor that creates a solid feel eliminating the bounce and flex of timber sheet flooring, and the superior thermal performance is ideal for suspended floors on sloping sites.
Owen Dixon Chambers West vertical expansion in Melbourne was designed by Gray Puksand and built by Kane Constructions using Hebel PowerFloor+ to add additional floors to the building. Using Hebel PowerFloor+ instead of alternative building material has meant the client was not restricted to adding just two floors and has been able to increase the floors to four, effectively doubling the gross floor area of the project without additional stiffening to the existing structure required.
The lightweight construction of Hebel PowerFloor+ has meant that work has been able to be implemented without any disruption to business operations. Whilst comparable with Bondek cycle times the Hebel PowerFloor+ enables faster fit-out commencement.
According to Kane Constructions, Hebel PowerFloor+ is a material they would recommend for future projects due to the ease of the construction and installation process.
Hebel PowerFloor+ can be easily be transported and freighted to CBD locations and installed by on-site tradesman. Not limited to commercial sites, Hebel PowerFloor+ can be used in residential flooring to create a more affordable option to concrete floor. The acoustic properties provide a reduction in foot traffic noise and the fire rating of Hebel means it is an ideal material for homes in high risk fire zones.
Fire rating of bounding walls
While smoke detectors are provided to alert the occupants of a fire within an SOU, it is necessary to fire rate the bounding walls between adjoining units and between units and the corridor to restrict the spread of fire from the SOU of origin. The BCA requires a minimum fire rating of 60 minutes (FRL -/60/60) which is deemed sufficient time to allow occupants of the building to self-evacuate and for the fire brigade to enter the building and undertake search and rescue operations and to extinguish the fire.
These walls inherently contain penetrations for services including water, sewerage, electrical and ventilation services which require specialised and tested systems designed to restrict the spread of fire and smoke in the event of a fire. It must be remembered that the entry door is also a penetration in a fire wall which is usually treated by the provision of a fire door.
Wall and penetration solutions must be compatible
Compatibility of the wall substrate with tested or accredited penetration treatments is absolutely critical in order to prevent the spread of both fire and smoke through these bounding walls. Penetrations that are treated with non-compatible, untested or substituted products are more than likely to fail in a fire event.
Hebel is a product that has been extensively tested with a variety of penetration products from different manufacturers – readily available solutions for standard and common penetrations expected within a building. For this reason, along with the speed of construction and excellent acoustic performance, Hebel internal wall systems are the preferred choice of many builders and designers for residential apartment bounding walls.