Wall Cladding (Part 3) - The Science Behind Aluminium Cladding

By A Lee,
Business Development Manager
Lee Wall Cladding & Roofing Pte Ltd
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When it comes to wall cladding, there is a wide range of materials used - from metallic (eg. aluminium, stainles steel, aluminium composite) to mineral-based ones (eg. stone, granite, marble, concrete).

The focus of this post will be on aluminium cladding - one of the main materials that Lee Wall Cladding & Roofing Pte Ltd uses for its numerous projects.

From our earlier post, you would have read about aluminium composite panels and their classifications. 

Aluminium composite panels are formed by two layers of aluminium sheets sandwiching a core. The core is essentially the crux of it all! Polyethylene is 100% flammable and as a core, there is a possibility that heat from an external fire could conduct to the core causing the panel to deform and for the fire to spread further due to ignition of the core.​ (See graphic below)

Aluminium composite panels (Source: Sydney Morning Herald, Jamie Brown)

Often, the core is made up of a higher percentage of fire retardant (70% or 90%) which is added to the polyethylene core to prevent its melting and ignition and to meet the fire rating.

However, it is possible to have the best prevention when the core is made of non-combustible aluminium instead. In that way, the aluminium core may take the shape of a honeycomb structure, which makes such aluminium composite panels extra strong and non-combustible. Alternatively, pure aluminium panels can be used too, depending on the thickness and availability.

Feel free to contact us at Lee Wall Cladding & Roofing Pte Ltd for a discussion on fulfilling your buildings' cladding needs.

​Credits: Sydney Morning Herald (www.smh.com.au/national/what-is-cladding-and-why-it-is-used-on-buildings-20170615-gwrir6.html) 15 June 2017.