Drywall systems used in apartment development

Knauf Drywall has reported that its drywall systems and Aquapanel tile backer have been used by Roseville Plastering in the development of a Birmingham apartment building.

The development has 271 one- and two-bedroom apartments and penthouses, all with separating and partition walls of Knauf Drywall systems.

Bathroom walls incorporate Knauf Aquapanel as a tile backer around baths and showers.

Designed by the Weedon Partnership, the development is being built by Laing O'Rourke for residential developer Crosby Lend Lease.

The 10m wall rising from the ground-floor concierge area is a conventional twin-frame acoustic partition built on the edges of the upper floor slabs adjoining the stairwell.

Knauf Drywall's technical team assisted in the design, which includes normal construction with deflection heads between the slabs.

Two frames of 70mm Knauf C studs, with 50mm insulation between them, support two layers of 12.5mm Knauf Soundshield on both sides.

The outermost layer of Knauf Soundshield, facing into the stairwell, covers the outer edges of the slabs, but includes a 25mm movement joint as a design feature at each level.

Stuart Curran of the Weedon Partnership, said: 'To cope with differential movement caused by securing the walls to the superstructure, a number of jointing solutions were introduced.

'This has produced horizontal shadow gaps at each floor level - with the added benefit of preventing the wall from becoming too imposing and discreetly breaking its verticality into more manageable parts.

Using Knauf Drywall systems sourced through Sheffield Insulations, Roseville Plastering also built separating walls for apartments with a twin frame of 70mm Knauf C studs, with two layers of 12.5mm Knauf Soundshield on each side and a 50mm Knauf Rocksilk RS33 insulating quilt in the void.

This 300mm Robust Detail E-WS-1 construction provides in excess of 45dB airborne sound reduction - avoiding the need for on-site acoustic testing - and 60 minutes' fire resistance.

Internal partitions are built with a single layer of 12.5mm Knauf Soundshield on a 70mm Knauf C stud, with a 25mm Knauf Acoustic Partition Roll insulation quilt in the void.

This construction gives 40dB airborne sound reduction between rooms, and has a 30-minute fire rating.

Window walls are lined with two layers of 12.5mm Knauf Wallboard on 50mm Knauf I studs.

The 12.5mm Knauf Wallboard is also used as part of Knauf C-form II suspended ceiling system.

To ensure that the tiled finishes are not compromised by splashing, bathrooms are constructed with Knauf Aquapanel as tile backer around baths and showers.

For protection against damage from condensation over a prolonged period, Knauf Sound Moistureshield is used for other walls in the bathrooms and in the open-plan kitchen areas.

Elsewhere in the building, 12.5mm Knauf Denseshield is used for a durable lining to stairwells and corridors.

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