Pratliperl® has been developed by Pratley to promote sustainability in the construction industry. “We have always been committed to sustainability and energy efficiency, especially in terms of infrastructure development and energy savings,” comments Pratley Marketing Director Eldon Kruger.

Pratliperl® is a naturally occurring mineral aggregate for plaster and screeds that can assist contractors and developers with meeting standards such as SANS 204, which specifies the design requirements for energy efficiency in buildings. The product is a perlite-based, lightweight, thermally insulating, and fireproof cement aggregate used instead of ordinary building sand.

Unlike ordinary perlites that are brittle and friable, Pratliperl® has a stronger surface structure and can be used in conjunction with cement. “The end result is a unique, eco-friendly, and lightweight building material that is both fireproof and thermally-insulating,” notes Eldon. A major benefit is a reduced requirement for air-conditioning, as structures can be kept naturally cool in summer and warm in winter.

Applications for Pratliperl® range from plaster (internal and external thermal insulation) to lightweight floors for high-rise buildings, roof decks, fire barriers, precast mouldings, fireproofing for tunnels in mines, screeds, bathtubs, underfloor heating, tile adhesive filler, bricks and boards, pizza ovens, cryogenic tanks, loose fill, a paint texturing agent, aggregate for refractory cements and as an insulating surface for molten metal.

A mere 16 mm of Pratliperl® plaster on each side of a wall provides the same thermal insulation as a double-brick (220-mm-thick) wall, essentially meaning that the wall’s thermal insulation is doubled. “This incredible insulation value translates into significant energy and cost savings in support of sustainability,” says Eldon.

He concludes: “We at Pratley encourage energy efficiency and sustainability to protect our one and only home. The use of a product such as Pratliperl® is the ideal simple step to reduce costs, save energy and ultimately unify our collective commitment to help protect the planet.”