Stone wool reaches new heights
The challenge of improving fire safety at 2,950 metres called for stone wool’s unique properties
Since 1963, the Eibsee Cable Car has taken up to 500,000 annual visitors to the summit of Germany’s highest mountain, Zugspitze. However, after many years of plans to replace it, in 2017 extensive renovation and extension work for the 2,950-metre-high cable car station finally took place.
The conversion included a fire protection upgrade to existing steel construction components, and the challenge of delivering and installing materials on a mountain top made the choice of insulation crucial for Hasenauer Architekten – the architects for the project.
It quickly became clear that insulation boards made from stone wool were the natural choice since they are non-flammable, can withstand temperatures above 1000oC and work to contain fire and its spread. What’s more, they are very light to transport and can be cut easily and precisely on-site. This was an important requirement since the steel components in need of fire protection were not always consistent in size and shape.
An area of around 1,200 m2 has now been given excellent fire protection using Conlit Steel Protect Alu boards, which were brought in by cable car to the mountain and unloaded by cranes. The work of fixing the boards took place amongst hundreds of visitors per day, so the high speed of installation was a huge advantage. The low weight advantage made fitting boards overhead easier too.
Now visitors arriving on the new Zugspitze cable car are fully protected against fire for decades to come, due to the long-term fire resistance and robustness of stone wool insulation.
Project location
Bergstation Zugspitze
Germany
