Frequently Asked Questions

Fire-rated insulated sandwich panels for cold rooms, freezers, food-processing plants and fire/occupancy-separating walls. The fire-critical version uses a non-combustible StoneWool (basalt mineral-wool) core (100–120 kg/m³, Euroclass A1) between Chromadek or NuClad steel skins, joined with interlocking "Crocodile Connector" channels and stainless-steel rivets. This StoneWool panel wall was fire-tested to SANS 10177-2 (FR60 with fixed/riveted joints), but that report has lapsed and is being revalidated — it is a test-on-file result, not a current rating, so confirm the current fire-resistance status with us for a rated cold-room or separating wall. Lighter, lower-cost PIR or FRCel EPS cores are also available where a full fire-resistance rating is not required, and matching insulated cold-room doors complete the envelope.

The StoneWool core is basalt mineral wool at 120 kg/m³ (also 70/100/150 grades), classified A1 non-combustible to EN 13501-1, with a thermal conductivity λ ≤ 0.035 W/m·K, a declared R of about 2.86 m²·K/W at 100 mm, a maximum operating temperature of 760 °C and a melting point above 1000 °C. Compressive strength is ≥45 kPa at 10% deformation and water-vapour diffusion resistance is very low. These properties suit the hygienic, washable, fire-separating and temperature-extreme demands of cold stores, freezers and meat/food plants.

Geofoam is engineered, ultra-lightweight EPS structural fill — density about 1% that of soil (typically 10–30 kg/m³) — supplied as large closed-cell blocks that one or two people can lift. Because gravity and lateral earth-pressure loads are proportional to fill density, replacing soil with geofoam dramatically reduces settlement, bearing demand and lateral thrust, allowing lighter foundations. It is used in road and rail embankments over soft soils, bridge approaches (eliminating the "bump at the bridge"), retaining-wall and buried-structure backfill, slope stabilisation and void fill. It is specified internationally to ASTM D6817 / D7180.

Geofoam grades (EPS 12 to EPS 30, mapped to ASTM D6817 types EPS 12–EPS 46) are selected to the design load, and several grades can be combined on one project — stronger blocks in high-stress zones, lighter grades elsewhere — to minimise cost. The key design rule is to work to the compressive resistance at 1% strain (the elastic limit), never the 5% or 10% values, because those are past yield and cause permanent deformation and creep. Blocks are placed dry with no compaction, field-cut with a hot-wire cutter or saw, and staggered/offset to avoid continuous joints. Because the foam is buoyant, provide adequate surcharge cover and control groundwater, and protect it from hydrocarbons with a compatible geomembrane where needed.

Geofoam EPS is combustible; fire-retardant (FR) grades reduce fire spread from a small ignition source but do not make it non-combustible, so it must not be exposed to open flame and needs fire-watch procedures near hot works during construction. In service it is normally protected under soil, pavement, a slab or a geomembrane, which also handles UV and hydrocarbon exposure. As a bonus, EPS geofoam also provides incidental thermal insulation (λ about 0.030–0.038 W/m·K), useful for frost-heave mitigation and insulating buried structures. Rigid FR EPS achieves a Class B-s1,d0 reaction-to-fire classification.

LiteClad® (and its NuClad® ceiling variant) is an insulated metal cladding system — an EPS core bonded to a pre-painted steel profile, delivering insulation and a finished architectural surface in a single lightweight layer. Technopol describes it as "EIFS in metal": external thermal insulation with a durable metal weatherskin instead of a plaster render. It comes in seven roll-formed profiles (Standing Seam narrow/wide, IBR Wide, DutchClad, ClipClad, Corrugated and NuClad) in eight standard pre-painted colours.

LiteClad uses a 0.5 mm pre-painted steel skin over an EPS core, available as standard EPS or FRCel® fire-retardant EPS on request, with a core λ of about ≤0.038 W/m·K and compressive strength ≥70 kPa. Indicative installed R-values are roughly 1.62 (50 mm), 2.95 (100 mm) and 4.40 (150 mm) m²·K/W; the NuClad ceiling board is offered at 40/60/100 mm. The core service range is about −40 °C to +75 °C, and boards are laminated with a two-component PUR adhesive rated ≥80 kPa pull-off.

On industrial and commercial façades, cold-room walls, agricultural buildings (including poultry and piggery houses), warehouses and food-processing facilities, and as retrofit over-cladding on existing walls. Roofing-rated profiles (Standing Seam, ClipClad, Corrugated, IBR Wide) also suit roofs, and the NuClad board is used as a one- or two-sided insulated ceiling for garages, offices, hospitals, clinics, schools and retail/warehouse ceilings. Fixing is by concealed clips or hidden wafer screws (Standing Seam, ClipClad, DutchClad, NuClad) or visible roof screws (IBR Wide, Corrugated).

LiteCore is Technopol's Agrément South Africa-certified lightweight walling system (certificate 2020/609, amended March 2021): cast blocks of a strong, low-density EPS-beaded foamed-cement matrix, made partly from recycled EPS. It is used as a non-load-bearing infill wall within a conventional concrete or steel frame, then plastered with a lightweight polymeric render and mesh for a familiar "touch-and-feel" finish at much lower wall mass. Blocks are 1200 mm long × 340 mm high, in 100 mm or 150 mm widths, laid with thin-joint polymeric mortar using hand tools.

Thermally, a 150 mm brick gives R greater than 2.2 and the wall system about R2.4, and it is marketed as SANS 10400-XA and SANS 204 compliant. On fire, the combined light-steel-frame + LiteCore + NuClad wall assembly (NuClad LiteCore) has been independently tested to SANS 10177-2 and achieved FR60, load-bearing (E/I/R 60, report FT 24-003, valid to ~2029); the block system is additionally marketed as SANS 10400 Part T compliant and as not contributing to the spread of fire. (Any "up to 120-minute" figure is a marketing position, not a current test result — the tested, currently valid rating is the FR60 load-bearing wall above.) Independent acoustic modelling (Acusolv Report G1476) rates the panels at R_w 45–48 dB depending on build-up.

Under Agrément certificate 2020/609 (amended), LiteCore is certified as a non-load-bearing wall for single- and multi-storey buildings in all regions of South Africa, across a wide list of SANS 10400 occupancy classes — schools (A3), places of worship (A4), commercial (B2/B3), industrial (D2/D3), shops and stores (F1/F2/F3), offices (G1), dormitories and dwellings (H2/H3/H4) and institutional uses. Multi-storey application requires a competent engineer to take responsibility for the structural frame. LiteCore blocks are always used as infill within a structural frame, never as the load-bearing structure itself.

Yes. LiteCore holds Agrément South Africa certificate 2020/609 (an Innovative Construction Product Assessment, amended March 2021) as a non-load-bearing wall for single- and multi-storey buildings in all regions of South Africa, across a broad range of SANS 10400 occupancy classes. Agrément certification is South Africa's official fitness-for-purpose assessment for non-standardised building products, so it is our strongest publishable trust signal. Buyers can verify the live status of the certificate at agrement.co.za.

Our LiteSpan StoneWool (mineral-wool core) panel. The StoneWool core is a Euroclass A1 non-combustible material with a melting point above 1000 °C and a service temperature to about 760 °C, so it is used where fire performance is critical — cold rooms, food-processing plants, hospitals, clean rooms, and fire-compartment/separating walls. It also adds sound absorption. EPS gives a higher R-value per millimetre and lower weight and cost, so the choice is EPS for thermal-and-economy and StoneWool for non-combustibility, fire-resistance ratings and acoustics.

LiteSpan® is Technopol's flagship insulated composite sandwich panel: two Chromadek (or similar) coated-steel skins factory-bonded to an insulating core, giving roof/wall/ceiling, insulation and a finished, washable surface in one element. It is made in roof profiles (990 IBR and 990 Standing Seam) and wall/ceiling profiles (1145 mm tongue-and-groove), with core depths of 75/100/125/150 mm (50 mm and custom on request). Its differentiators are an independent SANS 54509 (EN 14509) structural type-test — rare in the local market — and a B-s1,d0 EPS core, making it the only insulated EPS panel of its kind on South Africa's reaction-to-fire register.

Two. The standard FRCel® EPS core is light, high-R and cost-effective, classified B-s1,d0 reaction-to-fire (a current SANS 53501-1 classification) — used for general insulated roofs, walls and washable ceilings. The StoneWool (mineral-wool) core is non-combustible (Euroclass A1, a material property) and is chosen for fire-rated, food-processing, cold-room, hospital and clean-room walls and ceilings; StoneWool walls were tested to SANS 10177-2 (FR60 fixed-joint, FR120 double-studded firewall), but those fire-resistance reports have lapsed and are being revalidated, so treat them as test-on-file rather than current ratings and confirm the status with us. EPS gives more R per millimetre and less weight; StoneWool gives non-combustibility and acoustics.

The maximum unsupported (free) span depends on core depth: 75 mm ≈ 2.5 m, 100 mm ≈ 3.0 m, 125 mm ≈ 3.5 m and 150 mm ≈ 4.0 m, based on an allowable factored load of 1.6 kN/m². Full allowable-load charts (by core depth, span and single/double/triple span, for both downward pressure and wind uplift) are published in the LiteSpan brochures. Because a wind-uplift case can govern, the final span must be confirmed by a competent engineer for your building and site.

Both are insulated ceiling boards: a fire-retarded EPS core faced on one side with a decorative, washable skin, fixed directly to the roof structure so they act as ceiling and roof insulation in one. PolyCool is a white Vinyl-Foil-faced board on an 18 kg/m³ EPS core, for residential, light-commercial and agricultural ceilings. SuperCool is a more durable, high-pressure-washable 1 mm UPVC-faced board with a tongue-and-groove edge on a 15 kg/m³ core, aimed at demanding agricultural and industrial environments such as environmentally controlled broiler houses.

PolyCool is offered at 35/50/75/100 mm (in 600 and 1200 mm widths, lengths to 6000 mm), giving in-application R-values of about 1.27 / 1.69 / 2.40 / 3.00 m²·K/W. SuperCool is offered at 50/60/75/100 mm (1200 mm wide, lengths to 7500 mm), giving about R1.60 / 1.87 / 2.30 / 2.95. Both are fixed below-truss, over-purlin or across-beam on mini top hats or H-strips; SuperCool is usually fixed over-purlin with a maximum span of about 1400 mm. Choose the thickness for your climatic zone to meet SANS 10400-XA.

Both boards use fire-retarded EPS and were classified under SANS 428 via SANS 10177 flame-propagation tests — PolyCool to SANS 10177-10 (B/B1/2) and 10177-11 (B/B1/2/H), and SuperCool/Supacool to SANS 10177-11 (B/B3/Agricultural/H). Those SANS 428 certificates have lapsed and are being revalidated, so they are test-on-file results rather than current classifications — ask us for the current status before relying on them. Important restriction (unchanged): the SuperCool/Supacool UPVC facing softens and can drip molten debris under sustained fire, so it is for agricultural application only and must not be used in commercial buildings with sprinkler installations. As with all EPS ceilings, these are reaction-to-fire (flame-spread) classifications, not fire-resistance ratings, and the boards cannot be used with recessed downlighters.

PolyKey is Technopol's EPS cavity-wall insulation for double-skin (double-leaf) brick and blockwork. Precision-cut fire-retarded EPS (20 kg/m³) is built into the cavity as the outer face-brick leaf goes up, sharply raising the wall's R-value and helping meet SANS 10400-XA. It comes as plain Cavity Wall Insulation boards or as the more robust PolyKey Wall Insulation element — a tongue-and-groove interlocking board (about 340 mm high × 1200 mm long) that fills the cavity, leaves no shrinkage gaps, stops mortar bridging the cavity, and keys the two leaves together with wall ties passing through it.

Because it targets the classic failure modes of cavity insulation directly. Loose-fill and fibrous insulations can wick penetrating water to the inner leaf — EPS is moisture-resistant and will not. Board insulations shrink and leave cold-spot gaps — PolyKey's tongue-and-groove edges give continuous cover with no gaps. Mortar droppings that short-circuit a cavity are blocked because the element fills it, and the keyed installation with wall ties (installed at 2.5 ties/m²) helps tie the wall together. Indicative in-application R-values for the interlocking element are about 1.60 (50 mm), 3.20 (100 mm) and 4.84 (150 mm) m²·K/W.

EPS is a rigid, closed-cell, lightweight foam moulded from expandable polystyrene beads that are expanded with steam and fused into blocks or boards. It is roughly 98% trapped air by volume, which is what gives it strong thermal insulation at very low weight. EPS is the base material behind almost the entire Technopol range — bulk insulation sheets, laminated panels, cornices, cavity and ceiling boards, and geofoam. It is easy to handle and can be cut on site with a hot-wire cutter, hand saw or sharp knife.

FRCel® (also branded LiteCel®) is Technopol's fire-retarded grade of EPS, manufactured with a flame retardant so the material self-extinguishes and resists spreading fire from a small ignition source. It is the core used in our fire-classified panels and boards, available in density grades from roughly 12 to 30 kg/m³. FRCel is what allows products such as LiteSpan to carry a SANS 53501-1 reaction-to-fire classification. Ordinary (non-FR) EPS is used where fire classification is not required, for example some packaging and void-fill applications.

Technopol's fire-retarded FRCel EPS core is classified Class B-s1,d0 to SANS 53501-1 — the strongest reaction-to-fire class an organic insulant typically reaches, meaning limited flame spread, low smoke (s1) and no flaming droplets (d0). That said, EPS is an organic, combustible material: it must not be exposed to open flame during storage or installation, and polystyrene softens around 150 °C. For a genuine fire-resistance (compartment) rating, use our non-combustible StoneWool (mineral-wool) core panels rather than an EPS core. See the Fire section for the distinction between reaction-to-fire and fire-resistance.

No — EPS is closed-cell, non-hygroscopic and hydrophobic, so it does not wick or absorb water the way fibrous insulations do, and it does not rot, decompose or support mould growth. Long-term water absorption is low (typically under 4%), and because it stays dry it keeps its insulating value in damp conditions. This moisture resistance is a key reason EPS is used in cavity walls, cold rooms and below-ground civil fill. It is, however, attacked by petrol and organic solvents, so it must be protected from those.

EPS is chemically inert and dimensionally stable — it does not rot, corrode or biodegrade, and its dimensional change is under 1% after 7 days at 80 °C. Protected from UV light and solvents (i.e. behind a skin, render, soil or cladding, as it always is in a finished building), it has an effective service life that matches the building itself. Its thermal conductivity does not drift over time, so the insulation value you install is the value you keep. Design service limits are about 80 °C long-term and 100 °C short-term.

Yes — EPS is 100% recyclable and can be reground and reprocessed rather than sent to landfill. Technopol reprocesses recovered EPS into products such as the LiteCore walling system, which uses recycled EPS in an eco-friendly foamed-cement matrix, supporting a zero-landfill goal. Because EPS is so light, it also means far fewer and lighter truck movements than heavier materials, lowering transport emissions. (Note: EPS is a thermoset-free, remeltable foam, unlike thermoset insulants such as PU/PIR which cannot be melted back down and recycled.)

Yes. EPS insulation supports compliance with SANS 10400-XA (energy usage in buildings) and SANS 204 by adding the deemed-to-satisfy thermal resistance (R-value) required for roofs, ceilings and walls. The correct thickness and grade are selected for your climatic zone to reach the required R-value. Our EPS grades are all SANS fire-tested and are used across roof panels, ceiling boards, cavity insulation and cladding to hit the XA targets.

R-value is thickness divided by thermal conductivity (R = thickness ÷ λ), so it rises with thickness and with denser grades. As an indicative guide for flat EPS board: | Thickness | EPS 30 (λ 0.033) | EPS 20 (λ 0.035) | EPS 12 (λ 0.045) | |---|---|---|---| | 25 mm | 0.76 | 0.71 | 0.56 | | 50 mm | 1.52 | 1.43 | 1.11 | | 75 mm | 2.27 | 2.14 | 1.67 | | 100 mm | 3.03 | 2.86 | 2.22 | For our laminated LiteSpan panels the published installed R-values by core depth are 75 mm ≈ R2.3, 100 mm ≈ R3.0, 125 mm ≈ R3.7 and 150 mm ≈ R4.4 (m²·K/W). Use the online R-Value Calculator on our website for any product and thickness.

Denser EPS conducts less heat, so λ falls as density rises: | Grade | Density (kg/m³) | λ (W/m·K) | |---|---|---| | EPS 30 (EHD) | 30 | 0.033 | | EPS 24 (HD) | 24 | 0.034 | | EPS 20 (SD) | 20 | 0.035 | | EPS 15 | 15 | 0.038 | | EPS 12 | 12 | 0.040–0.045 | These are the declared maximum values at 10 °C. Lower λ means more insulation per millimetre, so a higher grade reaches a target R-value in less thickness.

Rearrange the formula: required thickness = target R-value × λ. For example, to reach R2.0 with EPS 20 (λ 0.035) you need about 70 mm; with EPS 15 (λ 0.038) about 76 mm. Pick the grade first (based on strength and cost), then set thickness to hit the R-value your climatic zone requires under SANS 10400-XA. Our R-Value Calculator does this for you for any Technopol product.

Choose by balancing three things: insulation (λ), compressive strength and cost. Higher-density grades give both better insulation per millimetre and higher load capacity, but cost more, so for a simple insulation layer a lighter grade at greater thickness is often the most economical route to a given R-value. Where the board carries load — under a screed or slab, or as geofoam fill — step up to a grade whose safe working load (at 1% strain) suits the design load. Compressive stress at 10% deformation ranges from about 60 kPa (EPS 12) up to 200 kPa (EPS 30).

No. Unlike some closed-cell foams that are blown with gases which slowly diffuse out and cause the insulation value to "drift" downward over years, EPS is expanded with air and its thermal conductivity stays stable for the life of the product. The R-value you specify and install is the R-value you keep, provided the material stays dry and protected — which its closed-cell, non-hygroscopic structure supports.

B-s1,d0 is a reaction-to-fire classification under SANS 53501-1 (the South African adoption of the European EN 13501-1 system). B means very limited contribution to fire and limited flame spread (the best class achievable by a combustible/organic material, just below the non-combustible A classes); s1 means very little smoke; d0 means no flaming droplets or particles. Technopol's FRCel EPS core achieved B-s1,d0 with FIGRA below 120 W/s, THR₆₀₀ below 7.5 MJ, and no droplets. It is a strong, independently tested fire pedigree for an EPS product.

They measure two different things and are easy to confuse. Reaction-to-fire (SANS 53501-1, and the SANS 10177-5/-10/-11 flame-spread tests) describes how much a material contributes to a fire's growth and spread — how easily it ignites, spreads flame and produces smoke. Fire-resistance (SANS 10177-2) measures how long a complete wall or ceiling assembly holds back a fire — its stability, integrity and insulation over time, giving ratings like FR30/60/120 minutes. An EPS-core panel is a reaction-to-fire product; for a rated fire-resisting (compartment) wall you need our StoneWool system.

Technopol has an extensive fire-test history, but fire test reports carry a validity window (typically five years unless revalidated). We therefore separate currently valid classifications — the only ones that should be relied on for specification — from earlier results whose reports are on file but have lapsed and are being revalidated. Ask us to confirm the current report status for your project. Currently valid (safe to specify): - Bulk FRCel® EPS (unfaced core): SANS 53501-1 → B-s1,d0 — the only rigid unfaced EPS listed on South Africa's national reaction-to-fire register (report IT 23-08-00009, valid to ~2028). - LiteSpan Panel 150 (Chromadek + EPS): SANS 53501-1 → B-s1,d0 — the only insulated panel on that national register (report IT 24-06-00029, valid to ~2029). - NuClad LiteCore LSF wall (50 mm FRCel + LiteCore brick + Chromadek): SANS 10177-2 → FR60, load-bearing (E/I/R 60) — a genuine fire-resistance rating on a load-bearing wall (report FT 24-003, valid to ~2029). Earlier results — test on file, lapsed, revalidation pending (not current claims): the SANS 428 flame-propagation classifications for the EPS ceiling/roof boards (LiteSpan ceiling, PolyCool, SuperCool/Supacool); the LiteSpan StoneWool fire-resistance walls (FR30 unfixed / FR60 fixed / FR120 double-studded, SANS 10177-2); and the Terraco EIFS Alpha façade pass (SANS 8414-2). These reports exist and the products are unchanged, but the certificates have lapsed and are being re-tested — we do not present them as current classifications. Ask us for the latest status if you need one of these.

No. Because the EPS core is combustible, EPS ceiling and roof panels must not be used with downlighters or recessed light fittings, which are a direct ignition/heat source against the core. Surface-mounted fittings clear of the panel are the safe alternative. In some school and single-storey applications the panel ends are also folded up at perpendicular joints as an additional precaution — your Technopol technical contact will advise the correct detail.

Fire-resistance (SANS 10177-2) is measured on a complete wall assembly. The one currently valid fire-resistance rating in our register is the NuClad LiteCore LSF wall (50 mm FRCel + LiteCore brick + Chromadek), independently tested to SANS 10177-2 and achieving FR60, load-bearing (E/I/R 60 — 60 minutes of stability, integrity and insulation while carrying load; report FT 24-003, valid to ~2029). Our LiteSpan StoneWool system was previously tested to FR30 (unfixed joints), FR60 (fixed/riveted joints) and FR120 (double-studded firewall), but those SANS 10177-2 reports have lapsed and are being revalidated — they are test-on-file results, not current claims, so confirm the current status with us before specifying them. The Agrément-certified LiteCore block-walling system is marketed at up to 120-minute fire performance, but the independently tested, currently valid result is the FR60 load-bearing NuClad LiteCore wall above. EPS-core panels do not provide a fire-resistance rating (a 100 mm FRCel EPS panel achieved no FRR under SANS 10177-2) — they are reaction-to-fire products only.

It depends on what you are optimising. PIR/PU has a lower λ (roughly 0.022–0.025 vs EPS's 0.033–0.045), so it gives more R-value per millimetre where space is tight. EPS wins on several honest counterpoints: it is fully recyclable (PIR/PU is a thermoset and cannot be remelted/recycled); its λ stays stable for life whereas PIR can drift as its blowing gas escapes; it is highly moisture-resistant and does not lose performance when damp; and it typically delivers a target R-value at lower cost, simply by adding thickness. Technopol's FRCel EPS also carries an independent B-s1,d0 reaction-to-fire classification. In short: PIR for thinnest-possible build-ups; EPS for recyclability, moisture resistance, stable long-term performance and cost.

Not straightforwardly. PIR is often marketed on fire performance, but both EPS and PIR are combustible organic foams, and PU/PIR can char and release dense, toxic smoke when it burns. Technopol's fire-retarded FRCel EPS is independently classified B-s1,d0 (low flame spread, low smoke, no flaming droplets) and is the only rigid unfaced EPS on South Africa's national reaction-to-fire register. Where genuine non-combustibility or a fire-resistance rating is required, neither EPS nor PIR qualifies — the correct choice is our A1 non-combustible StoneWool core.

They are complementary, and Technopol makes panels with both cores. EPS gives a higher R-value per millimetre, is much lighter, is moisture-resistant (closed-cell) and is more cost-effective — ideal for general insulated roofs, ceilings, walls and cavities. StoneWool (mineral wool) is non-combustible (A1), withstands very high temperatures, gives better acoustic performance and enables SANS 10177-2 fire-resistance ratings (FR30/60/120) — but it is heavier, absorbs more water and costs more. Choose EPS when thermal efficiency, weight and cost lead; choose StoneWool when non-combustibility, fire-resistance rating or acoustics lead.

Generally yes. EPS is closed-cell, non-hygroscopic and hydrophobic, with low long-term water absorption, so it stays dry and keeps its insulating value — a key advantage in cavity walls, cold stores and below-ground fill. Mineral wool is a fibrous, open material that can absorb water and lose performance if it gets wet, and PU/PIR can absorb moisture at cut edges. This is why our cavity-wall system (PolyKey) uses EPS rather than fibrous fill: it will not wick penetrating water across to the inner leaf.

NuWall is Technopol's cast-in-place, plastered EPS wall system, best known as an insulated side-wall solution for broiler/poultry houses (and also supplied as a lightweight interior partition). A broiler side-wall is built up from a 75 mm concrete dwarf wall at chick level, a 100 mm fire-retardant EPS core with a further 25 mm FR EPS on the outside, vertical galvanised channels for reinforcement and fast erection (spaced so ventilation windows fix between them), a concrete "bridge" to block insect ingress, and a 4 mm white or grey acrylic-plaster finish both sides for a claimed 100% airtight, insect-proof wall. It is designed to be erected with semi-skilled labour, and Technopol positions it as the most economical insulated wall for the poultry industry. NuWall's EPS core is fire-retardant (a reaction-to-fire property); there is no fire-resistance (REI) rating and no product-specific fire certificate for the assembled wall, and it carries no Agrément certificate. Pricing on request.

PolyClad is Technopol's own external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS, also called EIFS): LiteCel® EPS boards (FRCel® white or GreyCel® graphite-grey) bonded and mechanically anchored to the outside of masonry, timber-frame or light-steel-frame walls, reinforced with an alkali-resistant glass-fibre mesh bedded in Technopol's Acrylic Plaster, and finished with a 3–4 mm render, primer and paint. It adds continuous exterior insulation to new-build or retrofit walls with no significant thermal breaks, and is the own-brand counterpart to the Terraco EIFS line Technopol also supplies. On fire: the EPS is combustible fire-retardant EPS (a reaction-to-fire material), and PolyClad has no fire-test certificate of its own — the Terraco EIFS Alpha SANS 8414-2 façade pass (itself lapsed and being revalidated) and the Terraco Perma A2-s1,d0 class (a mineral-wool system only) must not be read onto PolyClad. Mineral-wool fire-stops are specified at openings and at least every third storey, and three-storey-plus work requires a rational fire design by a competent person. Pricing on request.

Acrylic Plaster is Technopol's site-applied polymer-plaster + glass-fibre-mesh render system — the sealing/finish skin used over EPS insulation (NuWall, PolyClad and EIFS build-ups) and over masonry, MgO board and metal. A cement/silica-sand dry mix (20 kg bag) is gauged 4:1 by weight with a styrene-acrylic polymer "Key" liquid (5 L), troweled in two coats over a stapled glass-fibre mesh to a smooth ~3 mm finish (about 5 kg/m² at 3 mm), in natural cement colour or white. Honest fire note: the dry cement-based plaster is non-combustible in itself, but the cured acrylic resin will burn — these are MSDS hazard statements only, not a reaction-to-fire class or a fire-resistance rating, and no SANS fire classification specific to the plaster is on file. Pricing on request.

Both are EPS roof/ceiling insulation systems (nominal 16 kg/m³ EPS) that differ in finish. CeilDeck is rigid EPS tiles friction-fitted between the bottoms of the roof rafters, above the horizontal ceiling — cut to suit variable rafter spacing and retrofittable after the ceiling is already up; added R-value is about 1.7 (65 mm) to 3.2 m²·K/W (120 mm). CeilPlast is a rigid EPS ceiling board fixed below the batten/rafter line on proprietary extrusions, then skimmed with conventional gypsum plaster over a fibreglass mesh, so it reads as an ordinary plastered ceiling while the EPS replaces both the ceiling board and the battens (about R1.7 at 65 mm, R3.2 at 120 mm). Choose the thickness for your climatic zone to help meet SANS 10400-XA. No product-specific reaction-to-fire classification is currently on file for either board (confirm the EPS grade and fire status with us); as with all EPS insulation, keep away from open flame during installation. Pricing on request.

MegaCool is a composite partition / insulated-wall board: a 1 mm white high-density UPVC facing laminated to one or both sides of a fire-retardant EPS core (15 kg/m³ standard; 20 or 30 kg/m³ on request), up to 100 mm core thickness, 1200 mm wide. The tough UPVC facing is non-corrosive, UV-resistant and high-pressure-washable, so a single board serves as a durable, hygienic, self-finished partition — used for wash-down areas and as broiler-house walls (it is the wall/partition counterpart of the UPVC-faced SuperCool ceiling board). In-application R-values run from about 1.68 (50 mm) to 3.00 m²·K/W (100 mm). Fire: the UPVC facing carries plastics-industry self-extinguishing ratings (e.g. UL 94 V-0) and the EPS core is fire-retarded, but these are reaction-to-fire / surface-flammability ratings for the components, not a fire-resistance rating, and there is no current whole-board SANS fire certificate for MegaCool. Pricing on request.

Technopol has historically held ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environmental) and ISO 45001 (health & safety) certification, and operates its manufacturing to those management-system disciplines. However, those ISO certificates have lapsed (ISO 9001 in March 2025; ISO 14001 and 45001 in March 2026) and are in the process of renewal, so we do not currently claim active ISO certification. Our historical eWASA (packaging/e-waste) registration has likewise expired and is not presented as current. Any older brochure or product artwork still carrying ISO, OHSAS or eWASA logos reflects lapsed marks, not live certification. We are happy to confirm the current certification status on request. Our LiteCore Agrément certificate (2020/609) remains active and is the certification most relevant to specifiers.

Yes. The reaction-to-fire classifications come from accredited laboratories — SANS 53501-1 (B-s1,d0) testing by Ignis Testing, and the SANS 10177 flame-propagation and SANS 10177-2 fire-resistance tests by FIRELAB. The LiteSpan panel's structural performance was type-tested to SANS 54509 (EN 14509) at an independent test house (Omega). Because fire test reports carry validity periods (typically five years), only three of our fire classifications are currently valid — the two B-s1,d0 reaction-to-fire results (bulk FRCel EPS and LiteSpan Panel 150) and the FR60 load-bearing NuClad LiteCore wall (SANS 10177-2). Earlier SANS 428, StoneWool FR and SANS 8414-2 façade results are on file but have lapsed and are being revalidated, so we do not present them as current. Copies of the relevant reports are available to specifiers and engineers on request; please ask us to confirm the current status of any report you intend to rely on for a specific project.

The main ones are: SANS 10400-XA and SANS 204 (building energy efficiency, met via R-value); SANS 53501-1 (reaction-to-fire classification — e.g. B-s1,d0 for FRCel EPS); SANS 10177-5/-10/-11 and SANS 428 (flame-spread/fire-propagation classification for ceilings and panels); SANS 10177-2 (fire-resistance ratings for wall assemblies, e.g. FR30/60/120); SANS 10400 Part T (fire safety in buildings); and SANS 54509 (EN 14509) (structural type-testing of sandwich panels). Geofoam additionally follows the ASTM D6817 / D7180 / C578 family.

Technopol manufactures in Springs, Gauteng, and supplies customers across South Africa, with delivery and logistics quoted per project depending on product, volume and site location. We have also delivered projects internationally, including cold rooms and insulated buildings in Mozambique, Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Tanzania. For large or laminated-panel orders, delivery is planned around truckload nesting and cut-to-length manufacturing, so lead time and freight are confirmed at quotation.

Contact Technopol SA sales at info@technopol.co.za or (011) 363-2780/1/2 with your product, quantities, thicknesses/grades and site location, and — for panels or walling — your building dimensions or drawings. Pricing is provided per enquiry and is not published, because it depends on grade, thickness, quantity, profile and delivery. For panelised buildings (roofs, walls, cold rooms, poultry or agricultural houses) we can quote a complete cut-length and flashing schedule from your geometry.

Yes. EPS sheets are cut to size on demand, and most products are available in custom thicknesses and — for panels — custom lengths as a function of core depth (up to 6 m for most panels, and longer for some ceiling boards). EPS density grades run from EPS 12 to EPS 30 so you can match insulation and compressive strength to the job, and cores can be specified as standard or FRCel fire-retardant. CNC hot-wire cutting and 3D milling are available for shaped pieces, void formers and bespoke profiles.