Siderise passive fire protection install on historic Manchester redevelopment

Siderise has provided a suite of masonry and rainscreen passive fire protection products for Waterhouse Gardens —an exciting five-tower development on the historic former Boddington Brewery site in the heart of Manchester’s city centre. 

Named in homage to architect Alfred Waterhouse, designer of the Manchester Town Hall, the vibrant new neighbourhood by developer Salboy will provide 556 high quality homes, luxury amenities, and 31,000 sq.ft of commercial and retail opportunities, set across five towers ranging from 10 to 26 storeys. The design predominantly features a traditional brick finish creating a timeless aesthetic that sets the modern urban development firmly within Manchester’s varied architectural landscape. The towers are joined with decorative rainscreen elements to create a sense of cohesion across the site. 

Siderise was brought in by main contractor Domis in the early design phase to address the passive fire protection and drainage requirements for the external walls . With a fire performance requirement for 2-hour fire resistance on all towers, Siderise EW-FS120 Firestop, EW-CB30 Cavity Barrier and CT Cavity Tray were specified for the masonry elevations, and Siderise RH25 120 Cavity Barrier for the rainscreen elements.  

This systemised approach provides effective compartmentation and moisture management with products sourced from a single supplier to ensure complete compatibility. Additionally, the Lamella insulation core of the EW Cavity Barriers enables them to be friction-fitted within the cavity to wet brickwork without compromising the stability of the wall structure, helping yield significant advantages in build program speed and sequencing. It also allows for the cavity barrier to be fully penetrated by masonry supports, whilst maintaining its fire resistance. Incorporating these into the design from the outset, and having the benefit of full masonry support penetration, helped to save significant money and time, as the team could omit including concrete up- and down-stands from the slab edge. 

Siderise also provided technical support throughout the design and construction process. This included supporting the Domis design team to develop their own set of standard details for this and future projects. Its Site Services team supported façade contractor Kinlan Brickwork and LDG Contracts with Product Information Training and ongoing site visits to provide detailing advice and inspections to check the installation was progressing as intended. This continual correspondence allowed any issues, particularly relating to the interfacing of the products, to be resolved early in the build programme ensuring a consistent quality level across the large development. Additionally, in between visits, the installation team at Kinlan were able to self-audit their work via the Siderise Inspection App.