The Ytong Compact 20 firebreak solution at the heart of the spectacular Steel project in Saint-Etienne

Spectacular architecture with a contemporary and graphic design, Steel wants to become a benchmark in terms of town planning, by reinventing the entrance to the city. The site has fallen behind with the COVID-19 crisis and its delivery is scheduled for September 2020.

The client Apsys, winner of the competition organized by EPASE (Etablissement Public d'Aménagement de Saint-Etienne) is at the origin of this daring project which combines 52.000 m² of retail space - with nearly 70 brands, restaurants and leisure - and 37.000 m² of green spaces. Visible from the motorway bypass, thanks to its unique and gigantic recycled aluminum mesh roof that hugs the Saint-Etienne urban landscape, the future Steel shopping center wants to offer a unique living space.

Designed in a landscape and environmental approach, this project aims to be responsible in terms of energy consumption, with an insulation target for commercial spaces 20% higher than the Thermal Regulations in force, and aims for environmental certifications such as BREEAM * Very Good (in design), BREEAM * In use (in operation) and the Biodiverticity label.

On this type of ERP, the regulations relating to fire protection are very demanding. In particular, it provides for specific construction provisions to limit the spread of fire and smoke.

Among the materials and technical solutions chosen for this exceptional site, Xella fire protection solutions were chosen for the partitioning of commercial cells and technical rooms. The site's partner companies - Civez, Sopreco and Chenaud Bâtiment - which are used to installing cellular concrete, have favored the Ytong Compact 20 block. Its high fire performance, its physical and thermal properties, its lightness and its ease of use. poses were decisive assets. No less than 550 m3 or nearly 2800 m2 of Ytong fire-resistant separating walls have been installed in the various commercial areas of Steel.

* (Building Research Establishment Environment Assessment Method)

Ytong fire walls
The choice of high fire performance

According to the very strict specifications of the Steel yard in terms of safety, and to comply with fire regulations, it was necessary, for the partitioning of the various businesses, to separate fire walls of 2 hours to heights of up to 8 m. Under the advice of the Xella technical service, the contractors opted for the Ytong Compact 20 block with fire resistance EI240.

Thanks to its thermal properties, its excellent results in terms of fire resistance up to 16 m in height, it perfectly responded to the constraints of the site.

The best reaction to fire

The Ytong Compact 20 block is classified A1 “non-combustible materials”. It will not fuel the fire and will limit the spread of flames. In addition, it does not emit toxic smoke or gas, and does not deform under heat.

The best fire resistance

Ytong Compact 20 aerated concrete limits temperature rise in rooms adjacent to:

• 30 ° C after 1h30
• 70 ° C after 4 hours

The advantages of lightness and ease of installation

On large-scale sites such as Steel, where the surfaces to be partitioned are very important, the choice of material is very important for the assembly of the walls. Easy to install, handle and cut, Ytong fire-resistant separating walls in cellular concrete are a real time-saving solution. With 6,4 blocks per m², they ensure faster installation.

Ytong blocks are among the lightest on the market. And the lightness of the material is crucial, as Eric Chenaud of the Chenaud Bâtiment company emphasizes. “We worked on one of the signs of the Steel shopping center for which we installed 250 m² of Ytong Compact 20. Its low weight (93,5 , XNUMX kg / m²) made it possible to respond to the linear overload constraint of the separating walls on the slabs. "

An environmental response

Steel is a project that aims for numerous certifications such as BREEAM and the Biodivercity label. The Ytong Compact 20 fire-resistant separating wall fits perfectly into this logic since it is a healthy material. Ytong Compact 20, whose FDES sheet is available on the INIES database, is partly manufactured from recycled materials (up to 25%) in ISO 14001 certified production units.

A sustained presence of the Xella technical service

Present at each phase, from the prescription to the design office to site monitoring for implementation, the Xella technical department supported and guided the various stakeholders in this extraordinary site.

As evidenced by Julie Correia Sales engineer Xella “We worked with the project manager with our design office to define and validate with him the best technical solutions in terms of fire, thermal and mechanical performance according to the specifications . We have also supported the partner companies Civez, Sopreco, Chenaud Bâtiment, etc. on the technical and pricing offer so that they can develop the DCE (Business consultation file) and respond to the call for tenders as well as possible. We were also there to ensure with them the follow-up of site in the stages of installation, so that the product is implemented according to the rules of the art. Finally, we were there for our distribution partners, to answer their questions. "

Xella fire protection solutions present in many prestigious references

The high technical, mechanical and environmental performance of Xella firebreak construction solutions have been decisive in many reference projects, as astonishing as they are prestigious.

Thus, nearly 4.000 m² of Ytong Compact 20 partitioned the shops and restaurants of the Lillenium shopping center in Lille, 8.500 m² of dividing walls Ytong Compact 15 and Ytong Compact 20 were installed in the Muse shopping center in Metz , 11.200 m² of Ytong Compact 20 in the Open Sky shopping center of Plaisirs…

So many projects where fire resistance, ease of installation, lightness of the material and technical support have made the difference.

A wide range of fire protection solutions

For fire protection, Xella offers a range of high performance fire partitions and separating walls with numerous PVs from 1h30 to 4h and with a fire stability height of up to 16 m.

• Tile 7 and Tile 10 partitions
• Masonry chained with:
  • Ytong Compact 15/20
  • Module block 20
• Reinforced masonry with:
  • Ytong Compact 15/20 with Ytofor frame
  • Maxibloc / Gigabloc 15/20 with steel frame HA10