Application

Insulated Roof, Wall & Ceiling Panels

A conventional roof needs a sheet, a separate insulation layer, a vapour strategy and a ceiling — four trades, four programme items, and a thermal envelope only as good as its worst junction. A factory-laminated sandwich panel collapses that into one element: weatherskin, insulation core and finished internal face bonded in the factory and laid in a single pass. This application sits at the roof plane and at envelope/internal wall and ceiling planes, where the panel must simultaneously span between purlins under wind and imposed load, deliver the SANS 10400-XA total R-value, and present a washable, condensation-resistant internal surface.

Size this assembly Request a spec or quote

What it must achieve

Performance targets

Roof / ceiling assembly — minimum TOTAL R-value

3.7 m²K/W

SANS 10400-XA:2021

Applies in ALL climatic zones under XA:2021. The only relief is Zone 5H (humid sub-tropical coastal — Durban, East London), which retains 2.7 m²K/W provided the roof is ventilated. The older XA:2011 zone-specific values (1:3.7, 2:3.2, 3:2.7, 4:3.7, 5:2.7, 6:3.5) are superseded — do not design to them.

External wall — deemed-to-satisfy route

No added insulation required

SANS 10400-XA

Double-skin (cavity) masonry OR a plastered single leaf ≥140 mm is already DEEMED-TO-SATISFY. Never justify a wall panel on an XA-compliance argument for such a wall — the reasons to panelise there are speed, hygiene, washability or a lightweight self-supporting envelope, not thermal compliance.

Lightweight / non-qualifying wall — minimum TOTAL R-value

≥ 0.35 m²K/W External walls with a SURFACE DENSITY LIGHTER THAN 270 kg/m2 (light steel frame, timber frame, drywall, sandwich panel) must reach a minimum TOTAL R-value of 2.2 m2K/W in energy zones 1, 2, 6 and 7, and 1.9 m2K/W in zones 3, 4, 5 and 5H (SANS 10400-XA:2021, ch.3). And any walling with metal sheet, metal studs, metal tracks or metal battens fixed to each other SHALL have a thermal break. The 0.35 m2K/W figure applies to MASONRY types not covered by the standard provisions - it is NOT the lightweight-wall bar.

SANS 10400-XA

This R-value floor applies only where the wall does not meet a deemed-to-satisfy masonry description (LSF, framed or sandwich-panel walls). Even the thinnest 50 mm panel clears it comfortably; on lightweight walls the binding constraint is normally fire and structure, not thermal.

Reaction-to-fire — Euroclass

B-s1,d0

SANS 53501-1 (EN 13501-1)

A reaction-to-fire classification (contribution to fire growth, smoke, flaming droplets). It is NOT a fire-resistance rating and must never be expressed in minutes. Where the regulation calls for a fire-resistance period (SANS 10400-T / SANS 10177-2), a separately tested assembly is required.

Structural — load / span

Per the ITT-calibrated LiteSpan load/span design tables

SANS 54509 (self-supporting double-skin metal-faced insulating panels)

Span is a function of thickness, skin gauge, single- vs multi-span support, design wind uplift and deflection limit. No single headline span figure applies — size the panel from the ITT-calibrated load/span design tables.

The insulated panels build-up, layer by layer — The same build-up, in the order it goes together. Generated from the assembly data this page lists below, so the drawing and the words cannot disagree.

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Where it goes

The assembly

Section through the insulated panels assembly

External skin — coated steel (Chromadek or equivalent)
Insulating core — factory-bonded
Internal skin — coated steel (the finished ceiling face)
Fixing plane at each support
Supporting structure — purlins / rails on steel or timber

Layers listed outside → inside. The section is drawn to show the ORDER of the layers and where the Technopol product sits in it; the band widths are not to scale.

What each layer is doing — 5 layers, full detail

External skin — coated steel (Chromadek or equivalent) — Roll-formed profiled steel forming the weatherskin. LiteSpan roof: 990 IBR (exposed valley fix) or 990 Standing Seam (concealed clip); 990 mm cover width in both cases.
Insulating core — factory-bonded — Standard core is FRCel fire-retardant EPS (λ 0.0352 W/m·K, manufacturer-declared). PIR or Stone Wool on request. The PU bond to both skins is what makes the panel structurally composite and lets it span between purlins.
Internal skin — coated steel (the finished ceiling face) — The internal skin IS the ceiling. No separate ceiling board, brandering or skim, and no ceiling void to insulate separately.
Fixing plane at each support — IBR: 3 valley-fixed 14×125 Class-4 sealed tek screws per support. Standing Seam: one 1.2 mm GALVANISED clip per support, 2 screws per clip, seam closed over the clip so no fastener pierces the weather plane.
Supporting structure — purlins / rails on steel or timber — Purlin centres are set FROM the load/span table, not assumed. The panel is the structural deck; secondary steel is designed around the chosen panel thickness.

Which products, and why

The products that do this job

Product

LiteSpan IBR & SS Roof Panels

The primary roof element: factory-laminated 990 IBR or 990 Standing Seam sandwich panel that is sheet, insulation and ceiling in one lay. The only insulated panel on South Africa's national reaction-to-fire register (B-s1,d0, IT 24-06-00029).

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Product

LiteSpan Ceiling & Wall Panels

The wall and ceiling variant of the same sandwich system — double tongue-and-groove interlocking boards for envelope walls, internal partitions and fixed ceilings where a washable steel face is required. Also the route to a Stone Wool core where a non-combustible core is a project requirement. The panel a cold store is built from. LiteSpan with a Stone Wool core: an A1 non-combustible core, and on the tested 100 mm non-load-bearing wall a fire-resistance rating of FR60 with the joint riveted - FR30 with the joint unfixed. Technopol supplies the panel; the cold-store specialist designs the room.

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Product

PolyCool & SuperCool

The lightweight non-structural alternative: foil- or uPVC-faced EPS ceiling/insulation board fixed below-truss, over-purlin or across-beam under an existing sheet roof. It is a ceiling element, not a structural deck.

View product →

Product

Panel Doors

Matching insulated door leaves so the door does not become the thermal and hygiene weak point in an otherwise panelised envelope.

View product →

The numbers

Performance data

Every test report and certificate behind these figures is held by Technopol and is available on request.

18 figures, full data

Property	Value	Standard
Core thermal conductivity, λ (FRCel EPS)	0.0352 W/m·K	Manufacturer-declared
U-value at 125 mm	0.252 W/m²K	SANS 54509 Initial Type Test
Installed R-value by panel thickness (50 / 75 / 100 / 120 / 150 mm)	1.6 / 2.3 / 3.0 / 3.6 / 4.4 m²K/W	Derived from the ITT-declared λ
Core density (tested panel, measured apparent)	21 kg/m³	SANS 54509 Initial Type Test
Panel mass at 125 mm	≈12.5 kg/m²	SANS 54509 Initial Type Test
Core compressive stress at 10% deformation	0.110 (= 110 kPa) MPa	SANS 54509 Initial Type Test
Core shear strength	0.077 MPa	SANS 54509 Initial Type Test
Core shear modulus, G	3.188 MPa	SANS 54509 Initial Type Test
Bending resistance M_u, mid-span (125 mm panel)	11.1 kN·m	SANS 54509 Initial Type Test
Load / span capacity	Per the ITT-calibrated LiteSpan load/span design tables	SANS 54509
Reaction-to-fire — LiteSpan panel, 150 mm (Chromadek + EPS)	B-s1,d0 Euroclass	SANS 53501-1
Reaction-to-fire — FRCel EPS core (20DV, 60 mm)	B-s1,d0 Euroclass	SANS 53501-1
Fire-resistance — NuClad LiteCore LSF wall, LOAD-BEARING	FR60 (E/I/R 60) minutes	SANS 10177-2
Fire-resistance — Stone Wool core panel walls (100 mm wall FR60 fixed / FR30 unfixed; double-studded firewall FR120; all non-load-bearing)	FR60 (fixed joint) / FR30 (unfixed joint); FR120 double-studded firewall minutes	SANS 10177-2
Panel geometry — cover width / thicknesses / max length / min pitch	990 mm cover (IBR and Standing Seam); 50 / 75 / 100 / 120 / 150 mm thick; up to 12 m long (on request); min pitch IBR 5°, Standing Seam 3° (≈1.5° mechanically-seamed, on request) mm / degrees	Manufacturer specification
Stone Wool core thermal conductivity, λ	≤0.035 W/m·K	TS EN 12667
PolyCool / SuperCool board R-value (by thickness)	PolyCool 1.27@35 / 1.69@50 / 2.40@75 / 3.00@100; SuperCool 1.60@50 / 1.87@60 / 2.30@75 / 2.95@100 m²·K/W	Derived
Quality management certification (company)	ISO 9001:2015	ISO 9001:2015 (EQCSA, SANAS C22)

Size it

LiteSpan load/span design check by our engineers — the design-table tool itself is an internal Technopol aid (with the XA compliance checker as the thermal cross-check)

The only correct way to size a LiteSpan panel is against thickness, span condition (single/multi-span), design wind uplift and imposed load. Send us those four and we return the permissible purlin spacing. The tables are calibrated to the SANS 54509 Initial Type Test (OTH-T-2309-04). Then confirm the thickness you land on actually reaches the required TOTAL roof/ceiling R-value using the SANS 10400-XA checker at ../../technical/xa-compliance/ (3.7 m²K/W in all zones; 2.7 only in Zone 5H with roof ventilation). Choose the core first at ../../technical/core-comparison/ (EPS vs PIR vs Stone Wool), quantify purlin-line and eaves losses at ../../technical/thermal-bridge/, and generate the clause at ../../technical/spec-writer/.

Open the tool → Write the spec clause

On site

Installation

The full installation sequence — 12 steps

Confirm the panel thickness against BOTH the XA total-R target for the zone AND the ITT-calibrated load/span table for the design wind uplift. Thickness is a thermal AND a structural decision — never pick it on R-value alone.
Set purlin/rail centres FROM the load/span table before fabricating the secondary steel. Do not fix purlin centres first and then hope a panel spans them.
Check the pitch: 990 IBR requires a minimum 5° roof pitch; 990 Standing Seam requires 3° (≈1.5° achievable with mechanical seaming, on request). Below these the profile is outside its specification.
Order panels to length wherever possible — up to 12 m on request. A single full-length panel eliminates the end-lap, which is the most common leak path and thermal bridge in the roof.
IBR fixing: 3 screws per support, valley-fixed (through the pan, not the crest), using 14×125 Class-4 sealed tek screws.
Standing Seam fixing: one 1.2 mm GALVANISED clip at every support with 2 screws per clip, then close the seam over the clip. Any specification calling for a 0.8 mm clip is out of date and must be corrected to 1.2 mm.
IBR end-laps: minimum 150 mm lap supported on a flat bar giving at least 50 mm bearing; alternatively a butt joint over a support with a 1.2 mm galvanised jointing plate.
Handle and store panels on edge, dry and covered. The skins are thin and the composite action depends on an intact core-to-skin bond — a crushed edge is a permanently weakened panel.
Never allow solvent-based sealants, bituminous products or solvent-thinned coatings to contact an exposed EPS core edge — they dissolve it. Use only EPS-compatible sealants at cut edges and penetrations.
Seal every cut edge, penetration and joint. In cold-room and high-humidity work the vapour-tightness of the joint IS the design — an unsealed joint condenses inside the core.
Keep panels clear of flues, chimneys, hot pipework and concentrated heat sources, to the separation required by the project fire strategy. FRCel EPS is fire-retardant TREATED, not non-combustible — all EPS is combustible.
Where SANS 10400-T calls for a fire-RESISTANCE period in minutes, do not rely on the B-s1,d0 reaction-to-fire class. Specify a separately tested assembly and confirm the backing test is currently in validity.

The limits

Where not to use this

A material specified for the wrong job fails you, then us.

Where the regulation demands a fire-RESISTANCE rating in minutes (occupancy separation, fire wall, escape-route enclosure) and a plain EPS-core sandwich panel is proposed

A plain EPS-core panel has NO fire-resistance rating. B-s1,d0 (IT 24-06-00029 / IT 23-08-00009) is a reaction-to-fire class only — it describes contribution to fire growth, not how long the element holds back a fire, and can never be quoted in minutes. Fire resistance on this range comes from a Stone Wool core (FTC 20-011: FR60 fixed / FR30 unfixed; FTC 20-119: FR120 firewall). PIR carries no fire-resistance rating at all — a 100 mm PIR 40 panel FAILED its SANS 10177-2 test.

→ Use the NuClad LiteCore LSF wall system (FT 24-003, FR60 load-bearing, in validity to ~2029) or a plastered LiteCore system, or commission a project-specific SANS 10177-2 test on the exact build-up. Never substitute a reaction-to-fire class for a fire-resistance rating.

Immediately adjacent to flues, chimneys, boiler breechings, kilns or sustained high-temperature ducts

All EPS is combustible — the FRCel grade is fire-retardant TREATED, not non-combustible. EPS also has a service-temperature ceiling of roughly 80 °C; above that it softens and shrinks away from the steel skin, and the composite action is lost long before there is any fire.

→ A Stone Wool core panel (A1 non-combustible core) with a properly detailed non-combustible separation and adequate clearance, designed to the project fire strategy.

Specifying 'LiteClad insulated panel' as the roof or wall element

SCOPE ERROR — LiteClad is NOT an insulated panel. The profiles (IBR Wide 990, Corrugated 990, Standing Seam 282/495, ClipClad 270, DutchClad 293 wall-only) are BARE 0.5 mm PPGL/PPGI roll-formed steel, laid as a weatherskin OVER a SEPARATE continuous external EPS layer on top-hat rails or battens. They are not factory-laminated to a core and must never be called composite, sandwich or insulated panels. The 0.5 mm steel adds negligible R-value.

→ For a one-lay insulated roof, specify LiteSpan (a genuine factory-laminated sandwich panel). For a rainscreen over a separate continuous EPS layer, specify LiteClad and size the EPS thickness as an independent design input on the continuous-insulation (EIFS) page. NuClad is the only steel-faced EPS composite board in that family.

As the insulation in an inverted / protected-membrane / ballasted roof, or anywhere the panel sits below the waterproofing or in standing water

An inverted roof needs insulation that survives permanent water exposure with minimal long-term moisture uptake and can be ballasted. A steel-faced sandwich panel is a finished roof element with cut core edges — it cannot be buried under a membrane, and moisture drawn into an exposed core edge destroys both the λ and the skin-to-core bond.

→ A purpose-graded EPS board specified for inverted/warm-roof duty on the inverted-roof application page — not a laminated panel.

Proposing a wall panel to 'achieve XA compliance' on a masonry cavity wall or a plastered single leaf ≥140 mm

Those walls are already DEEMED-TO-SATISFY under SANS 10400-XA — no added insulation is required for compliance. Selling a panel on a thermal-compliance argument there is a false claim.

→ Specify the panel on its real merits (hygiene, washability, speed, lightweight self-supporting envelope, cold-room ΔT). External walls with a SURFACE DENSITY LIGHTER THAN 270 kg/m2 (light steel frame, timber frame, drywall, sandwich panel) must reach a minimum TOTAL R-value of 2.2 m2K/W in energy zones 1, 2, 6 and 7, and 1.9 m2K/W in zones 3, 4, 5 and 5H (SANS 10400-XA:2021, ch.3). And any walling with metal sheet, metal studs, metal tracks or metal battens fixed to each other SHALL have a thermal break. The 0.35 m2K/W figure applies to MASONRY types not covered by the standard provisions - it is NOT the lightweight-wall bar.

Roof pitches below the profile minimum — under 5° for 990 IBR or under 3° for 990 Standing Seam

Below the minimum pitch the profile's water-shedding and lap performance falls outside its specified envelope; capillary action and wind-driven rain drive water back through side- and end-laps.

→ Standing Seam at 3°, or mechanically-seamed Standing Seam down to ≈1.5° on request. A truly flat roof needs a membrane system, not a profiled panel.

Sustained long-term compressive loading, or leaving an unfaced EPS edge permanently exposed to UV or to solvents

EPS creeps under sustained load: long-term compressive design must be limited to the 1%-strain design limit, NOT to the 10%-deformation strength (0.110 MPa / 110 kPa), which is a short-term test value. Unfaced EPS also degrades under prolonged UV, and is dissolved outright by solvents, bitumen-based products and solvent-thinned coatings.

→ Design sustained loads against the 1%-strain design limit (use the geofoam design checker for load-bearing EPS), keep all cut core edges faced and sealed, and use only EPS-compatible sealants and coatings.

Citing Agrément SA 2020/609 in support of a LiteSpan (or LiteClad, Terraco, geofoam) specification

Agrément SA 2020/609 covers the LiteCore Building System ONLY, and only as a NON-LOAD-BEARING wall. There is no Agrément certificate for LiteSpan, LiteClad, Terraco, geofoam or anything else in the range, and a product certificate is not a company credential.

→ Specify LiteSpan on its SANS 54509 Initial Type Test (OTH-T-2309-04) and its reaction-to-fire report (IT 24-06-00029). Cite Agrément 2020/609 only for the LiteCore Building System as a non-load-bearing wall. Company-level certification is the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system.

Where it has been used

Project references

LiteSpan Ceiling & Wall Panels

Greenhouse Construction – Swiss Project

Agricultural / greenhouse

LiteSpan IBR & SS Roof Panels

Managers Unit (Finished Product)

Residential / unit

LiteSpan IBR & SS Roof Panels

5 Adam Close, Stratford

Stratford · Residential

LiteSpan IBR & SS Roof Panels

Pest Control Business Park

Rustenburg · Commercial

LiteSpan IBR & SS Roof Panels

PvdW

Residential / agri

LiteSpan Ceiling & Wall Panels

LiteSpan EPS

All 54 project references →

Questions

Specifier FAQ

How thick a panel do I need for SANS 10400-XA?

Under XA:2021 the roof/ceiling assembly must reach a TOTAL R-value of 3.7 m²K/W in every zone — the sole relief is Zone 5H (humid sub-tropical coastal: Durban, East London), which keeps 2.7 m²K/W provided the roof is ventilated. Against the CALCULATED installed R-values derived from the ITT λ of 0.0352 W/m·K (50 mm: 1.6 / 75: 2.3 / 100: 3.0 / 120: 3.6 / 150: 4.4 m²K/W), only the 150 mm panel clears 3.7 on its own; 120 mm at 3.6 is marginal and needs the surface and cavity resistances of the actual build-up counted to close the gap. Run the real build-up through the XA compliance checker rather than reading the panel R-value in isolation.

What span can a LiteSpan panel achieve?

There is no single answer. Span depends on thickness, skin gauge, single- vs multi-span support, design wind uplift, imposed load and the deflection limit accepted. Use the ITT-calibrated load/span design tables and design against the actual wind and imposed load.

Is LiteSpan fire rated?

LiteSpan holds a B-s1,d0 reaction-to-fire classification to SANS 53501-1 (report IT 24-06-00029, in validity to ~2029, covering the 150 mm Chromadek + EPS panel), and it is the only insulated panel on South Africa's national reaction-to-fire register. That is a REACTION-to-fire class — how the material contributes to fire growth, smoke and flaming droplets. It is NOT a fire-resistance rating and cannot be expressed in minutes. If the fire strategy needs an FR30/FR60/FR120 period, a plain EPS-core panel does not provide it.

Is LiteClad an insulated panel?

No — this is the most common specification error in the range. LiteClad profiles are BARE 0.5 mm PPGL/PPGI roll-formed steel: a weatherskin laid OVER a SEPARATE continuous EPS insulation layer on top-hat rails or battens. They are not factory-laminated to a core and must never be called composite, sandwich or insulated panels. The 0.5 mm steel contributes negligible R-value, so the EPS layer thickness is an entirely independent design input. NuClad is the one steel-faced EPS composite board in that family.

Can I switch to a PIR core to improve fire performance?

Not on a fire-resistance argument. PIR carries NO fire-resistance rating in this range — a 100 mm PIR 40 panel FAILED its SANS 10177-2 test. PIR is available on request for its thermal performance, but if fire is the driver the honest answers are a Stone Wool core (A1 non-combustible core) or the NuClad LiteCore LSF wall system (FT 24-003, FR60 load-bearing, in validity). Compare all three cores on the core-comparison tool before committing.

Does the Agrément certificate cover LiteSpan?

No. Agrément SA certificate 2020/609 covers the LiteCore Building System ONLY, and only as a NON-LOAD-BEARING wall. There is no Agrément certificate for LiteSpan, LiteClad, Terraco or geofoam. LiteSpan is specified on its SANS 54509 Initial Type Test (OTH-T-2309-04, Omega Test House) and its reaction-to-fire report (IT 24-06-00029). Technopol's company-level certification is the ISO 9001:2015 quality management system.

Do I need a wall panel to make masonry walls XA-compliant?

Almost certainly not. Under SANS 10400-XA, double-skin (cavity) masonry OR a plastered single leaf ≥140 mm is DEEMED-TO-SATISFY — no added insulation is required for compliance. Only lightweight or otherwise non-qualifying walls must demonstrate a total R-value, and the Specify a wall panel for hygiene, speed, washability, cold-room duty or a lightweight self-supporting envelope — never on a false XA-compliance argument. External walls with a SURFACE DENSITY LIGHTER THAN 270 kg/m2 (light steel frame, timber frame, drywall, sandwich panel) must reach a minimum TOTAL R-value of 2.2 m2K/W in energy zones 1, 2, 6 and 7, and 1.9 m2K/W in zones 3, 4, 5 and 5H (SANS 10400-XA:2021, ch.3). And any walling with metal sheet, metal studs, metal tracks or metal battens fixed to each other SHALL have a thermal break. The 0.35 m2K/W figure applies to MASONRY types not covered by the standard provisions - it is NOT the lightweight-wall bar.

What fixings does the Standing Seam profile use?

A 1.2 mm GALVANISED clip at each support, with 2 screws per clip; the seam then closes over the clip so no fastener penetrates the weather plane. A 0.8 mm clip appears in some older documents — that figure is WRONG and must be corrected to 1.2 mm in any specification. The 990 IBR profile is fixed differently: 3 valley-fixed 14×125 Class-4 sealed tek screws per support.

How do I detail an IBR end-lap?

Either a minimum 150 mm end-lap supported on a flat bar giving at least 50 mm of bearing, or a butt joint over a support using a 1.2 mm galvanised jointing plate. Better still, avoid the lap entirely — panels are available up to 12 m long on request, and a single full-length panel removes the most common leak path and thermal bridge in the roof.

Insulated Roof, Wall & Ceiling Panels

Performance targets

The assembly

The products that do this job

LiteSpan IBR & SS Roof Panels

LiteSpan Ceiling & Wall Panels

PolyCool & SuperCool

Panel Doors

Performance data

LiteSpan load/span design check by our engineers — the design-table tool itself is an internal Technopol aid (with the XA compliance checker as the thermal cross-check)

Installation

Where not to use this

Project references

Greenhouse Construction – Swiss Project

Managers Unit (Finished Product)

5 Adam Close, Stratford

Pest Control Business Park

PvdW

LiteSpan EPS

Specifier FAQ

Ready to specify?

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