Ceiling panels are fitted with a central steel channel split by non conductive material. This adds huge strength to the panel. Pull tests were carried out with loads up to 100kg at this point and 30kg at other points. Solutions are hence available to support fire suppression pipes, cable trays etc (please ask for details).
ModuSec Panel Strength
ModuSec wall panels are very light (around 20 Kg/m2 for the standard panels), but incredibly strong. The compressive strength of the panels has been measured at almost 60,000 Kg/m2 (60 T/m2) before collapse. This means that they can be used as floor panels as well to create a sealed 6 sided box.
Note that all steel faced composite panels will eventually separate from the core under heat. This is because the steel skins expand at a different rate to core materials and can only move away from the core material. However the core material of ModuSec panels is capable of supporting the load from ceiling panels, without the steel skins. This is NOT the case for mineral wool composite panels and hence the ceilings require other perimeter support in a fire situation.
ModuSec ceilings have been tested and approved for service access to BS6399 for panels spanning up to 6m without intermediate support. The standard requires up to 0.25KN/m2 for a distributed load and 0.9KN for a point load.
The system is also approved for use with pressures of a constant ±350 Pa with a peak of 500 Pa. For pressures exceeding these we would recommend the utilization of pressure relief facilities.
Ceiling panels are fitted with a pair of strengthening steel channels connected by a non conductive plate, located centrally along the length (or at other locations if required). This gives additional strength and rigidity and offers fixing points for ceiling services. However, please ask for advice when fixing heavy loads from ModuSec ceilings. Lights, conduit etc. can be fixed directly to the steel skin of the panel.