PSS Magazine May/June 2016

May/June 2016

www.pssmagazine.co.uk

8 Advanced Tall-building Protection for ‘The Cheesegrater’ Inside this issue:

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SUSTAINABILITY IN STOCKHOLM REAPS BREEAM RETAIL AWARD

New defences hold back stormy seas

QRL puts safety first with LST radiator launch

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Cover Story:

May/June 2016

www.pssmagazine.co.uk

Advanced tall-building protection for ‘The Cheesegrater’

M a g a z i n e

See Page 8

MAY/JUNE 2016

8 ADvANCED TALL-BUILDINg PROTECTION fOR ‘THE CHEESEgRATER’ InsIde thIs Issue:

PUBLISHER: Ralph Scrivens ralph@pssmagazine.co.uk PRODUCTION: Lucy Drescher lucy@pssmagazine.co.uk ACCOUNTS: accounts@pssmagazine.co.uk

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PAPER USED TO PRODUCE THIS MAGAZINE IS SOURCED FROM SUSTAINABLE FORESTS. Please Note: No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without prior permission from the publishers. The publishers do not accept any responsibility for, or necessarily agree with, any views expressed in articles, letters or supplied advertisements.

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SUSTAINABILITY IN STOCKHOLM REAPS BREEAM RETAIL AWARD

NEW DEfENCES HOLD BACK STORMY SEAS

QRL PUTS SAfETY fIRST WITH LST RADIATOR LAUNCH

Highlights 5

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Horsham District Council secures funding to reduce vehicle emissions and cut costs

Turning cleaning ‘green’ with the first 100% natural sanitiser

7 PIONEERING CAMDEN PUBLIC OFFICES SHOWS KING’S CROSS CENTRAL HOW TO EMBED SUSTAINABILITY AT THE OUTSET

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16 The argument for Automated Parking Systems is stacking up!

23 SIKA-TROCAL ROUNDS OFF STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

PORTAKABIN ANNOUNCES MORE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

All contents © PSS Magazine ISSN 2398-3507 (Online)

pss Magazine • May/June 2016

News

City Hall refurbishment set to reduce council overheads and help efficiency

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ity Hall has undergone an 18-month refurbishment as part of Bristol City Council’s programme to work more efficiently and significantly reduce its operational costs.

The refurbishment, which has finished on time and within budget, is part of the council’s ‘invest to save’ Bristol Workplace Programme that will realise £50m net savings over the course of the programme.

The programme also includes reducing the council’s office estate from 38 buildings to two city centre hubs at City Hall and 100 Temple Street. Council running costs will be significantly reduced by managing a smaller estate of buildings; buildings no longer required will be sold realising useful capital receipts; and greater use of technology will help council staff work more efficiently and effectively.

Working closely with Historic England and conservation specialists, the refurbishment of City Hall, which is Grade II listed, has focused on maintaining the building’s historical features while updating office space and improving the building’s exterior and public spaces.

Renovation works have seen the amount of office space quadruple. Previously the

building held 500 staff, it now has capacity for 2,100 council workers. The working areas have been designed to enable greater collaboration between council teams, helping them provide efficient, quality services that meet the changing needs of the city and its citizens.

Council staff have started moving back into City Hall with more teams arriving over the next 12 months. The council’s Annual General Meeting, a key date in the council’s calendar, will take place in the refurbished Council Chamber on 31 May. Regular council meetings will be held in City Hall from July.

Councillor Craig Cheney Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “The City Hall refurbishment is integral to the council’s programme to meet challenging budget savings targets. By reducing our estate and using technology to streamline and speed up our work, we will reduce costs and can deliver better value for the city and its citizens.

“This, of course, is just one part of a much wider efficiency drive to ensure Bristol rises to the challenge of improving services while saving money.

“City Hall has been at the centre of

democracy and city life in Bristol for 60 years. It’s great to see this iconic building updated and modernised to make it fit for the delivery of 21st century local government.”

Improving City Hall’s green credentials was also a priority during the refurbishment - which began in November 2014 – with more than 90% of the waste generated during the works having been recycled.

New LED lights have been installed throughout along with an energy efficient heating system. These measures will reduce energy consumption by 80% - the equivalent of 450 tonnes of Co2 a year with an estimated annual saving of £75,000.

New facilities at City Hall will also encourage both officers and councillors to use automated and digital systems, moving toward a more paperless style of working.

The works were undertaken by a number of contractors, including local firms Alec French Architects and Collecteco.

For information, advice and guidance on accessing council services visit www.bristol.gov.uk

AUDE Launches Green Scorecard

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he Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) today launches its first ever Green Scorecard. In partnership with the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), the Green Scorecard is designed to be a comprehensive tool to help Higher Education Institutions across the UK measure the sustainability work they do, set targets and benchmark.

AUDE members have long been committed to the sustainability agenda and for many years made a significant contribution to achieving a more sustainable HE sector, so ensuring estate teams have sector-wide accurate data is important to ensure continuing progress and innovation in achieving carbon reduction and other environmental sustainability targets.

The AUDE Green Scorecard has been designed independently by ARUP based on consultation and feedback from both AUDE and EAUC members to create a fit for purpose benchmarking, management and planning tool. It has been developed with flexibility to recognise and reflect the size, location and specific individual institutional

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

specialisms. The tool will focus on topics including energy; transport; water; waste; adaptation; biodiversity and landscape; procurement and management. Online reports in these areas can be produced to aid and inform the development of estates and environmental sustainability strategies.

Trevor Humphreys, Chair of AUDE said, “We are delighted to be piloting the new AUDE Green Scorecard. As an organisation, the sustainability agenda is one of our primary area of focus; the Scorecard will give us a very effective and transparent way to set targets, monitor performance, to showcase best practice and to highlight areas where we can improve. We have worked closely with EAUC to create an objective scorecard that will grow year on year and we are excited to develop our partnership further.”

Iain Patton, Chief Executive at EAUC said, “We are pleased to have worked with AUDE to develop the new scorecard. It aims to provide the sector with assurance about the significant environmental progress that many universities have made and impetus to do more. The AUDE Scorecard will make a key contribution to whole

institution sustainability metrics which EAUC is leading” The Green Scorecard is a toolkit which will use EMR data that all universities already produce for the annual institutional HESA (higher Education Statistics Return) and so a “do once approach” has been adopted in terms of data collection. The development of the tool was via extensive consultation with 150 AUDE and EAUC members across the country, culminating in a testing programme, with nine universities piloting the system to ensure its effectiveness. The Scorecard will be reviewed on an annual basis, in order to keep the data set properly focused on the work of constituent universities.

Keith Lilley, Director of Estates and Facilities Management at the University of Sheffield commented, “We have been through a rigorous consultation programme. The purpose of using the Green Scorecard is primarily to properly reflect the sustainability work and performance of universities throughout the UK. It allows universities to see how and where they can improve.”

News

Horsham District Council secures funding to reduce vehicle emissions and cut costs

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orsham District Council has been awarded substantial funding towards the cost of providing electric pool vehicles to help drive down carbon emissions in the district.

The funds were awarded by the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV).

The low emission vehicles have been leased by the council for use by staff members whose jobs involve business travel. Electric charge points for each of the three vehicles will also be provided as a result of the funding.

The council submitted a Government bid for funding in January 2015 and was notified in October 2015 that it had been successful. It is expected to take delivery of the vehicles and associated charging infrastructure in April 2016.

Commenting on the acquisition of the vehicles Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Protection Cllr Philip Circus said: “This is an excelllent opportunity to test the viability of leasing Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV) in our fleet. The use of these vehicles reduces air pollution and very much supports the council’s commitment to being at the forefront of environmental innovations in transport.

“A fleet review also demonstrated that these vehicles would be cheaper to run than the internal combustion engine equivalents so it’s a win, win all round.”

The council is one of only 19 local authorities across the country to receive the OLEV funding as part of the Government’s Low Emission Vehicle Readiness Programme.

PORTAKABIN GROUP AWARDED £8.2M SCHOOL REBUILDING CONTRACTS

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ff-site construction specialist, the Portakabin Group, has been awarded contracts by the Department for Education to rebuild two schools in the South East worth £8.2 million.

The projects for St Bede’s Church of England Junior School in Woking and Riverview Church of England Primary School in Epsom are part of the Government’s Priority School Building Programme (PSBP), which addresses the needs of those schools in the worst condition across the country.

Both buildings will be manufactured off site at the Portakabin Group’s production centre in York and will use Yorkon advanced off-site construction solutions to create outstanding environments for teaching and learning.

The approach will also cut the build programme by half to the benefit of the children’s education and reducing disruption during construction.

Designed by Surface to Air architects, each school will have state-of-the-art education facilities to replace sub-standard accommodation in poor condition. The designs, which have been developed in close collaboration with teaching staff, will maximise natural light and ventilation, and feature two two-storey classroom wings.

These are separated by a central ‘street’ which runs the full length of the building and provides good passive supervision and zones for informal learning.

Commenting on these latest contract awards, Steve Newell, General Manager at the Portakabin Group said, “We are absolutely delighted to be appointed main contractor for these two projects. The opportunity for off-site construction to help the Department for Education improve the standard of school buildings across the UK is immense, as these projects will demonstrate.”

“Our aim is to deliver education facilities of the very highest standards which are affordable, much faster to build and that radically reduce disruption to teaching during construction. We are also making excellent use of best practice architectural design and advanced construction technology, to create fantastic new buildings for current and future generations.”

Due for completion in time for the start of the 2016/17 academic year, Riverview School will have eight classrooms for its 210 pupils and a large double height dining and sports hall. The nursery, reception and year 1 classrooms will have designated play areas directly accessible from their classrooms for ‘free-flow’ play.

St Bede’s School accommodates 240 children aged between 7 and 11. Its original school building dates back to the 1930s and is now in a seriously deteriorating state.

The new teaching facilities will include eight classrooms, a multi-purpose hall, and new hard and soft play areas. All year groups will have designated play spaces around the building, with easy access to encourage outdoor play and learning. The orientation and design of the building will help to create the best possible natural lighting for all the classrooms.

Following completion and occupation, both of the original school buildings will then be safely demolished by the Portakabin Group.

For further information about Yorkon off-site building solutions from the Portakabin Group for primary and secondary education, call 0845 2000 123, email info@yorkon.co.uk or visit www.yorkon.co.uk.

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

News

Bristol named as leading UK Smart City

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ristol has been named as a leading UK Smart City in a Huawei report unveiled this week (17 May) at an event attended by Minster for Culture and the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey, MP. Huawei, a Fortune Global 500 company and leading provider of global information and communications solutions, have compiled the first UK Smart Cities Index placing Bristol amongst the top ten in the country.

Bristol is ranked as a Leader alongside London with the remaining eight cities falling into categories as Contenders or Challengers.

The report recognises best practice from smart cities across the UK and identifies challenges that national and local government need to tackle so that cities can continue to use technology in strategic ways to benefit their citizens.

The report was unveiled at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) where Huawei and consultancy firm, Navigant, hosted a day of panel discussions and an interview with the Minister.

Led by BBC technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones, the interview reflected on the key findings from the commissioned research and explored the public policy challenges involved in delivering a smarter urban environment in the UK. Stephen Hilton, Director of Futures at Bristol City Council said: “It is a great accolade for Bristol to be ranked with London as the country’s leading smart cities. This is testament to the pioneering work of Bristol Futures, Bristol City Council and many partners within the city from business, academia and the community.

Bristol has always been distinctive when it comes to smart cities because we place citizens at the heart of our approach and often take a playful and engaging approach

to tackling serious urban challenges.

This strategy is paying off and is setting an approach that other cities are keen to learn from and develop.”

Professor Nishan Canagarajah, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Bristol, added: “It is great news Bristol has been named as a leading Smart City. Smart city technology is already being pioneered in two large city level projects, Bristol is Open and SPHERE, which is developing sensor systems to monitor health and well-being in the home.

“International leadership and excellence in communications and networks is one of the key research strengths of the University and we are working with partners in the city and region to ensure Bristol is one of the UK’s most technologically advanced cities.

This is an exciting time for the city and the University is delighted to be part of it.”

Suzanne Wilson, City Innovation Manager for Bristol City Council, also took part in a panel session on the lessons learnt from leading smart UK cities and shared Bristol’s experience and challenges in driving city

innovation. As the lead on several digital transformation projects, Suzanne also discussed the impact these have had on city operations and how local residents have been able to participate.

Suzanne said: “It is a major feat to be classed as one of the leading UK Smart Cities and to be able to meet my peers from some of the other cities included in the report. We thank Huawei who have been a strong supporter of shifting the digital agenda in the UK and enabled this event to take place.

“This is an exciting time for Bristol with several smart city projects already in place and we look forward to working with our partners to ensure the city builds on what we have achieved and deliver real benefits for the citizens of Bristol.”

The UK Smart Cities Index is available to download online at: www.huawei.com/en/ news/2016/5/UKs-leading-smart-cities

Current Smart City projects in Bristol include: •

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The Bristol Approach to Citizen Sensing is a partnership between Knowle West Media Centre and Bristol City Council which empowers local residents to use data in order to improve their neighbourhoods REPLICATE (REnaissance of PLaces with Innovative Citizenship And TEchnologies) is an EU 2020 Horizon project where Bristol, San Sebastián and Florence will look at integrating smart city solutions to tackle familiar urban problems. In Bristol this will focus on the Easton and Lawrence Hill area where smart meters and bikes will be made available to local residents.

SoLa supported 26 homes, 5 schools and an office block in South Bristol to benefit from having solar PV panels fitted to their roofs, thereby generating their own electricity to use at a lower cost

Would you like to be a Sustainability Champion of 2016?

Register NOW for the 2016 Public Sector Sustainability Awards!

For more information, and to enter, please visit www.pssawards.co.uk

Be in it to win it!

Sustainable Building

PIONEERING CAMDEN PUBLIC OFFICES SHOWS KING’S CROSS CENTRAL HOW TO EMBED SUSTAINABILITY AT THE OUTSET

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ive Pancras Square has set a benchmark to the rest of the multibillion pound King’s Cross Central development by becoming the first building to gain a BREEAM Outstanding rating for world-class sustainability. The mixed-use building developed by Camden Council is also the first BREEAM Outstanding project to incorporate a leisure centre and library as well as several floors of offices.

The new headquarters of Camden Council is not only an important urban sustainability exemplar in its own right, it has also set the bar for other buildings across King’s Cross Central, two others of which have also achieved BREEAM Outstanding ratings. The diverse and exciting project recently added to its long list of awards by being crowned the winner of the 2016 BREEAM Awards in the Mixed Use/Other category, against some impressive international competition.

For Camden Borough the project had a clear objective for the building to be the focal point of face-to-face customer access and to enhance services provided to residents. Towards this aim, Five Pancras Square brings the majority of Council services and office based staff into one place, groups them around the customer journey and helps the council collaborate more efficiently within the organisation and with partners. Despite the constrained site, spaces have been created within the building by architect Bennetts Associates to provide break-out areas to facilitate the council becoming more creative, innovative and productive.

The 20,400m2 building maximises its site footprint, providing two public swimming pools and a leisure centre catering for all ages and abilities, plus a council customer access centre, library and a café in addition to the council’s offices.

The council had a planning requirement of achieving BREEAM Excellent as a minimum, however the project team including consultant Grontmij set a goal of BREEAM Outstanding which the project achieved gaining 97.6% of the available credits.

The 13-storey building is located in a high profile position close to St Pancras International and King’s Cross station, which enabled it to score highly on transport connections within BREEAM’s sustainability criteria. The King’s Cross Central development is also served by 14 bus

routes and an 800 space bicycle park and hire facility.

The wide-ranging BREEAM sustainability assessment itself provided a key means to achieving the project goals, as a framework for identifying relevant criteria, benchmarking and establishing and agreeing many design decisions and innovations. Setting down that framework early in the project and monitoring progress on all criteria was crucial not only to ensuring the Outstanding rating was achieved, but also that increases in costs were minimised. Everyone involved in delivering the project was made aware of their role in delivering on the sustainability targets, and council staff and FM managers were educated in the building’s operation to produce long-term efficiencies via a ‘soft landings’ approach in the run up to the building’s opening in July 2014.

Environmental features focused on passive and active design principles which avoid complicated engineering solutions and associated controls, in order to enable the building to be simple and efficient to operate. Rather than overengineer facades to counteract solar gain which would be alleviated once an adjacent office building was completed, glazing was maximised to increase daylight entering the building and reduce reliance on artificial lighting.

Daylight also penetrates the building through its glazed central atrium, and a series of cut-in balconies recessed into the facade on lower floors. Angled vertical fins on the north-western elevation minimise solar gain from the late evening sun but maximise daylighting into the building.

Further passive design features include displacement ventilation, aided by high floor ceiling heights, and augmented by an underfloor supply to office floors and library. Natural ventilation is facilitated by openable windows at office levels to offset cooling requirements. High level windows are opened by the Building Management System when in natural ventilation mode or to purge heat from the building’s exposed concrete thermal mass overnight. Five Pancras Square has the UK’s first modular air-cooled chiller system to incorporate intelligent Hitachi control to achieve the capacity mix needed in order to deliver the high seasonal efficiency targets required for BREEAM Outstanding.

Heat for Five Pancras Square is provided by the King’s Cross Central district

heating network, whose CHP engines provide 72% of the site’s annual heating demand. The building also has LED fittings for all back of house lighting, extensive sub-metering, and solar PV. Further key reasons for its Outstanding rating were a commitment to minimise construction waste and divert waste from landfill, use responsibly sourced materials, and employ Life Cycle Analysis to identify internal finishes and materials with high durability and longevity.

Consistent delivery on the sustainability criteria throughout the project was assisted immensely by the inclusion of a BREEAM Accredited Professional within the team.

Regularly attending client and BREEAM progress meetings on site they helped ensure that all commitments made at design stage were being implemented throughout the construction phase. This together with proactive collaboration between client and project team saw the design stage score of 93.05% increased to 97.6% for final certification.

Councillor Theo Blackwell, Cabinet Member for Finance and Technology Policy at Camden Council said: “Working to the BREEAM standard has enabled us to deliver a fantastic new public offices and leisure complex in the heart of London.

“It is the embodiment of our commitment to a focus on long-term sustainability in the way we deliver services in the future and saves the taxpayer money every day in running costs.

“The project, which was funded by selling inefficient old buildings, is an important part of the regeneration of King’s Cross.”

For more information on BREEAM visit: www.breeam.com

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

Sustainable Building

Advanced Tall-building Protection for ‘The Cheesegrater’

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ne of the UK’s landmark buildings, the Leadenhall Building in the City of London, will be protected by industry-leading intelligent fire panels from Advanced.

Located in the heart of the City’s financial district, close to the iconic Lloyd’s Building and St Paul’s Cathedral, the 224-metre Leadenhall Building has been affectionately nicknamed ‘The Cheesegrater’ due to it unusual design. Covering 610,000 square feet, it has 45 floors of office space and delivers half an acre of public space at street level.

The building will be protected by a network of 18 MxPro 5 eight-loop panels in a system incorporating a number of the company’s AdSpecials custom built panels and interfaces. These include sprinkler and wet riser status panels, a smoke control panel and a microphone enclosure. The installation also includes five LifeLine panels for engineer and DDA paging.

MxPro is the unbeatable multiprotocol fire system. Offering real choice and flexibility, it includes two panels ranges, the EN54-2&4 approved MxPro 4 and EN54-2,4&13 approved MxPro 5. It offers four protocols, Apollo, Argus, Hochiki and Nittan and a completely open installer network that benefits from free training and technical support. MxPro 5 panels are backward compatible with existing MxPro 4 networks and include a host of features including AlarmCalm complete false alarm management.

Phil Calvey, one of Advanced’s territory sales managers, commented: “Advanced’s reputation for performance, quality and ease of use, especially where complicated cause-and-effect are required is seeing us increasingly specified in the demanding world of tall buildings and we’re delighted to be able to announce the choice of MxPro in the Leadenhall Building. It’s great to see Lifeline working alongside MxPro as it delivers a complete DDA solution with no

fees or annual contracts.”

Advanced Lifeline panels can provide a hearing impaired alert system, ESPA-compatible fire engineer paging and a staff paging solution in a single, easily installed and attractive panel. To ensure total coverage and minimal power usage, even across complicated sites, Lifeline features a variable 2W UHF transmitter. It is very simple to install, either via a relay or ESPA card connection to the fire system.

For staff messaging it requires only a power feed.

MxPro 5 panels can be used in single loop, single panel format or easily configured into high speed, 200 panel networks covering huge areas. Advanced’s legendary ease of installation and configuration and wide peripheral range make it customisable to almost any application and it is found in challenging and prestigious sites around the world including western Europe’s tallest building, The Shard. The MxPro 5 panels installed at the LeadenHall Building are among Advanced’s best performing fire systems and one of the few available approved to EN54 2,4 & 13.

Advanced’s MxPro fire systems support two new landmark technologies, the TouchControl touch screen repeater and AlarmCalm complete false alarm management system. TouchControl is a 10” HD touchscreen that offers dynamic reporting and control via a unique interface that includes Active Maps and zone plans.

AlarmCalm uses Advanced’s fast hardware, updated config software and optional loop verification devices to deliver a system that allows the false alarm strategy for any building to be quickly and easily programmed and managed, increasing safety and reducing false alarms.

Advanced is a world leader in the development and manufacture of intelligent fire systems. The legendary performance, quality and ease-of-use of its products sees Advanced specified in locations all over the world, from single panel installations to large multi-site networks. Advanced’s products include complete fire detection systems, multi-protocol fire panels, extinguishing control, fire paging and false alarm management systems.

More details can be found on the website at www.advancedco.com

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

Sustainable Building

SUSTAINABILITY IN STOCKHOLM REAPS BREEAM RETAIL AWARD

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orsplan phase 2, a commercial property with office and retail space in the Swedish capital Stockholm has taken the top prize in the Retail New Construction category at the prestigious BREEAM global sustainability awards.

Torsplan phase 2 is a mixed use office and retail space in the Hagastaden city district, previously an industrial area and now one of Stockholm’s largest and most important urban development projects. By 2025, the area will be developed into an entirely new neighbourhood with a mixture of apartments, workplaces, cultural attractions, green areas, world-leading research and highly specialised medical care. NCC is the first company to develop within the area and Torsplan is the result.

The 10 storey block features a ground floor retail space topped with nine floors of offices providing a total area of 23,000 square metres. The building has a substantial concrete facade, which provides good thermal storage capability, reducing energy use and contributing to a constant and even temperature throughout the day.

The building is heated by district heating, which produces low emissions of greenhouse gases compared to other equivalent heat distribution methods.

Energy use is further reduced with efficient LED lighting.

During the early stages of planning the project team ensured that all timber purchased was FSC- or PEFC-certified throughout the entire supply chain. This applies both for the wood used in production and built-in materials. The project achieved full credits in the categories “Management” and “Waste” due to the use of energy-efficient CTX-office cabins that use green electricity, as well as fuel-efficient vehicles and machines.

The project recycles all key waste groups except one from landfill. A waste compactor minimizes waste shipments from the building as well as a refrigerated garbage room from which waste for composting / anaerobic digestion is stored until delivery. The waste generated by each of the tenants is weighed and they are charged based on the weight. A sedum green roof contributes to local disposal of surface water and reduced load on the storm water system during heavy rainfall.

The roof also has a running track and an outdoor gym.

In a growing city like Stockholm transportation is a crucial issue and Torsplan phase 2 is located at the most trafficked highway in Sweden, which has imposed strict noise requirements. In Torsplan the metro station is integrated into the building, enabling all visitors to commute sustainably without the need of a car. However charging stations for electric cars are installed in the garage and the elevators regenerate energy.

To achieve better results than national best practice requires smart system selection, good planning and innovative solutions. For example, energy calculations show that the building will achieve lower energy use than the national best practice. Low-flow faucets are used on toilets and showers and water use is measured and monitored throughout the respective premises.

NCC chose the BREEAM certification as it is the most demanding, diverse and challenging environmental assessment method available. All of NCC’s development projects are certified according to BREEAM and Torsplan phase 2 is the company’s flagship. The first building in Hagastaden,

Torsplan phase 1, was certified to BREEAM Excellent. And using the experience gained from phase 1 the project was able to develop a more structured approach to sustainability issues at every stage.

Ann Lindell Saeby Head of Corporate Relation at NCC commented: “The fact that the building is certified to BREEAM has attracted modern and conscientious tenants who want to contribute to a more sustainable society and at the same time seek lower operating costs. A prerequisite for the initiative has been the attraction of the ambitious BREEAM certification. A year before completion 95% of the building was already leased.

“For NCC the BREEAM certification system was an obvious choice as it is the most demanding, diverse and challenging of the environmental assessment methods, which enables NCC to be on the frontier of sustainable property development. Along the way, the BREEAM certification became the tool for deepening the level of cooperation in the partnering project and it has proved that the organisation is able to live up to very high environmental goals.”

For more information on BREEAM visit: www.breeam.com

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

Sustainable Environment

Pencil Bin gets top of the class for recycling

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he new pencil bins from Leafield Environmental have been attracting a lot of attention in schools nationwide, encouraging children to recycle and volunteer to be ‘litter pickers’ according to Abbey Catholic Primary School.

The brightly coloured pencil range have been specifically for children aged 3-8 years.

Ideal for both indoors and outside, and manufactured in durable polyethylene for a long and useful life, each pencil bin has a 70 litre plastic liner inside to assist easy and clean emptying and disposal. Optional extras include: WRAP compliant recycling label, a lock, steel liner and ground fixing kit.

The range is priced from £153.00.

www.leafieldrecycle.com

Setting New Standards For Safe Drinking Water

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stimates suggest that tens of millions of buildings throughout the UK, particularly those built before 1970, still have lead pipes that could contaminate clean water going to homes, schools, hospitals, care homes and other public sector buildings.

Lead is a cumulative poison and children are particularly vulnerable as it

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PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

affects both their physical and intellectual development. There is no lead in water when it leaves the water treatment works, however lead can be picked up by the water if the service pipe is made of lead, or if internal lead pipework and lead-based soldered pipe joints are present.

The legal limit of lead in drinking water was reduced from 25 micrograms per litre to 10 micrograms in 2013. Yet, in some parts of the UK, the new standard is still not being met. Traditional solutions such as phosphate dosing and the replacement of lead pipes have proven costly and disruptive. Digging up and replacing lead pipes throughout the UK could take decades and in the meantime many people could be medically affected. Estimates put the cost of replacing all lead pipes in the UK at between £8 billion and £10 billion.

Children First Derby – a 40-year-old charity that provides care and support facilities to underprivileged families – was found, during a routine inspection, to have a lead water service line on the customers’ side.

Severn Trent Water suggested Pipe Restoration Services as its innovative pipe lining technology ePIPE could restore the lead service line with minimal intrusion and business downtime. ePIPE technology uses a lining material with a short 2hr cure time, the fastest in the industry, resulting in a quick return to normal service and little disruption.

A team from Pipe Restoration Services arrived at the Derby centre in the morning and the charity was able to resume service as usual by the afternoon, as if nothing had happened.

The ePIPE coating goes beyond legal lead limits after application and is the first lining material and process of its kind to meet the stringent requirements of both the Water Regulatory Advisory Scheme (WRAS) and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) for use of in all public water supplies.

Contact PRS on 0345 437 0394 or visit www.piperestorationservices.co.uk for more information.

Sustainable Environment

FROM RECYCLING FLOORING FOR TRAFFIC CONES TO RE-USING SOLVENTS FOR FUEL, PORTAKABIN ANNOUNCES MORE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

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he Portakabin Group, the UK’s leading modular building specialist, has announced more sustainability commitments and initiatives to help its customers further reduce their carbon footprint.

Waste streams from the manufacture of its modular buildings at its international production centre in York have been increased from 18 to 26 and now include: • Used vinyl flooring recycled for traffic cones and other plastic products • Take-back schemes for batteries, fluorescent bulbs, printer cartridges and new vinyl flooring offcuts • Waste streams for plastics increased from 3 to 5 and mastic tubes are now recycled • 5 metal waste streams for recycling different grades of steel, aluminium and copper • Waste from solvents is re-used as furnace fuel.

The Group has invested £100,000 in a new high-tech saw machine which uses advanced technology to optimise material usage, further reducing waste.

Derek Carter, Chief Executive of the Portakabin Group said, “Our objective of zero waste to landfill at our York factory was successfully achieved in 2013 – and since then we have won a number of awards for environmental excellence.

However, we are firmly committed to continually raising the bar and achieving even more improvements to our waste management processes and sustainability performance.”

“Our teams across the business are constantly looking at new ways to increase recycling, reduce waste, further improve the recycled content of our products and the re-use of our buildings when they reach end of life. This is all outstanding work which gives our customers even greater confidence in the sustainability of our approach and in the reduced carbon footprint of all of our buildings.”

Other new waste minimisation initiatives: • The Group’s 50 UK Hire and Visitor Centres now separate out paper and cardboard for recycling, and plasterboard on the larger sites • Investment in specially-designed

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containers to hold and protect components for the modular manufacturing process. These ‘stillages’ are then sent back to suppliers for re-filling, removing the need for packaging The introduction of a new reporting structure to achieve further reductions in energy consumption and waste, and demonstrating the importance Portakabin places on leadership in this area Increased use of internal education programmes to continually raise awareness of waste management best practice among staff at every level An active Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme which instigates and promotes community recycling initiatives across the Group – such as collections for local clothes banks and for the distribution of spectacles to developing countries; the donation of carpet tiles and furniture to local schools and libraries following an office refurbishment, and timber offcuts to help Portakabin volunteers transform an

area of wasteland into an allotment for local children • The extension of a programme to segregate and recycle six streams of office waste. This is now being rolled out across the whole of the York headquarters site, following successful trials • Portakabin now has compactors for general waste and bailers at its York manufacturing centre to put cardboard, soft plastics, plastic bottles and plastic strapping into bails. This reduces transportation and carbon emissions by achieving higher tonnage with each truck movement.

These latest initiatives follow a host of existing commitments, which include Portakabin sourcing its steel supplies locally. 79 per cent of the steel used in its modular manufacturing process continues to be supplied from within the UK, which is more sustainable, strongly supports British manufacturing, procures steel of the highest quality, and minimises the carbon footprint of Portakabin buildings. www.portakabin-group.co.uk

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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Sustainable Environment

Turning cleaning ‘green’ with the first 100% natural sanitiser

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acilities Managers and cleaning companies are more aware than ever of how their day to day decisions impact the environment and trying to reduce that effect is on everybody’s radar - particularly as the EU 2020 sustainability targets are now only four years away.

‘Green cleaning policies’ are being introduced with an aim for companies to be as environmentally aware as possible and Facilities Managers have more understanding of the significant impact that the purchasing of cleaning chemicals has on the environment and their staff.

Numerous chemicals are traditionally used for cleaning different areas and for a multitude of applications. These cleaning products are a major cause for concern when it comes to their impact on the environment, not only in the production phase when a large amount of energy is used to manufacture them, but also the packaging and transportation that is necessary to deliver them.

Once poured away these chemicals pollute rivers and streams and if they are non-biodegradable can end up in the food chain with the potential of causing serious illness for humans as well as impacting on the environment.

Toxins in cleaning chemicals can be dangerous to both occupants and users of buildings and to cleaning staff regularly using the products. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, cleaning chemicals can

cause dizziness, headaches, wheezing and even lung damage. These toxins can be inhaled (especially indoors when levels can be several times higher than outdoor levels), ingested through residues of chemicals left on surfaces or absorbed through the skin, particularly dangerous for those regularly using the products.

So, what are the alternatives to chemical cleaning? Do the alternatives perform as well as chemicals? Will it cost more to switch to a sustainable cleaning method?

Over the years, the cleaning industry has responded to the demand for ‘greener’ cleaning alternatives. Common misconceptions that chemicals have to be used in order to achieve high cleaning standards have been proven otherwise and there is now an array of environmentally friendly products to choose from. These include cleaners that have had hazardous chemicals removed, natural cleaning solutions and products that are made using only renewable materials.

One leading, green cleaning solution is Stabilised Aqueous Ozone a sanitiser that is 100% natural and 100% environmentally friendly.

It almost sounds too good to be true but it is quickly being adopted by leading commercial cleaning companies and is being implemented in a wide variety of settings such as EDF’s nuclear power stations, MacDonald’s restaurants, Villages Hotels and high profile commercial premises including RBS.

Stabilised Aqueous Ozone is produced by a machine called the Tersano lotus® PRO which is exclusively distributed through Green World Innovations, based in Coventry. The lotus® PRO system is installed onsite and a power and water feed is connected to it. The machine then infuses ordinary tap water with a stabiliser creating Stabilised Aqueous Ozone that cleaning staff can dispense into spray bottles, buckets or even ride on cleaning machines.

Stabilised Aqueous Ozone can then be used to clean any surface including floors, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and offices.

After four hours, the infused water turns back into ordinary tap water again and can be poured down the drain safely, without contaminating the environment.

Ceredigion Council introduced the Stabilised Aqueous Ozone system into a large civic building in Aberystwyth and as a result have significantly reduced the use of chemicals, saved time and have been disposing of less waste. With a noticeable reduction in lorries delivering cleaning products they have also reduced their carbon footprint.

Jasmine Wilson, cleaning services manager, said: “It’s been wonderful as we can use Stabilised Aqueous Ozone on all surfaces including soft furnishings and carpets meaning cleaning is so much quicker and easier as we’re only using one product rather than a range. It’s also taken an element of human error out cutting the need to measure and dilute solutions which can go wrong no matter how much training you give.”

Ceredigion Council has since ordered a further seven units to roll the system out to other buildings as well as a further five units for a new school opening in September.

By using Stabilised Aqueous Ozone, cleaning costs are reduced as chemicals don’t need to be bought, labour can be used more effectively as it is a more time efficient solution, water consumption is reduced as there is no need to rinse once sanitised and the lotus® PRO requires very little energy in order to work.

The Tersano’s lotus® PRO system ticks a huge number of environmental requirements and certainly seems to be the future of green cleaning. www.greenworldgb.com

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PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

Sustainable Environment

New defences hold back stormy seas

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illions of pounds worth of damage has been caused to properties, infrastructure and businesses by flooding over the last decade. And the risk of even more disruptive flood events is continuing to grow thanks to the combined effects of climate change, population growth and rapid urbanisation.

One such area at risk is the Fylde coast in Lancashire; its seven mile coastline is prone to high tides and fierce storms.

Maintaining sea defences along this stretch is crucial to protecting local communities and infrastructure from flooding and coastal erosion.

Blackpool and Wyre Councils have teamed up with the Environment Agency to form the Fylde Peninsula-Coastal Programme (FPCP). Its aim is protect 12,000 homes at risk of serious flooding.

With plans to shore up two at risk coastal stretches, the partnership has secured £86 million in funding to deliver one of the largest major flood defence projects in the UK. Drawing funds from both Defra and the Environment Agency, the programme will see the construction of new sea defences at two key locations; Rossall and Anchorsholme.

In Anchorsholme, the one kilometre coastal sea wall needs to be replaced between Cleveleys and Little Bispham. At a cost of £20 million the project is targeted for completion in late 2016. At present, the main north-south road is sandwiched between the sea wall and important rear flood defences. This has resulted in an inadequate defence system which is prone to flooding and often leads to disruptive road closures and health and safety risks to the public.

To combat this, the team has been tasked with the construction of a brand new concrete wall; higher and with deep steps built into it to disperse the assault of breaking waves. Combined with an elevated promenade, the new approach will significantly reduce flood risk to the area.

Pre-cast units, each weighing in at around 14 tonnes are being used to form the backbone of the defensive wall and part of our job was to find a blend of concrete to secure these in place.

However, a number of challenges threatened to hamper progress and

Mark Joel, managing director, Tarmac Building Products and Readymix unpredictable tides sought to constantly undo each day’s work. Digging started each day after the tide went out and the team had to work quickly to pour the concrete before it came back in.

We had a really small window for when we could pour so we covered the joints of the concrete with a layer of sand to try and protect them from the waves.

Each day’s work seemed to be a real battle against the clock.

Another challenge came in finding a quality aggregate that would stand the test of time. Abrasion tests, carried out by Manchester University and main contractor Balfour Beatty, identified aggregate from a quarry in Ireland as the most suitable for the job. Using this aggregate ensured that the different areas of concrete abraded at the same rate.

Getting the aggregate from Ireland to Lancashire proved to be a pretty sizeable logistical challenge. We’re used to getting deliveries from local sources that can reach us in a matter of hours. But now we have to factor in shipping the product across the Irish Sea. It can take up to five days to receive delivery of the aggregate from point of order so we have to be really careful to manage timescales effectively.

Once received, the aggregate had to be

blended before being sent to our Yorkshire laboratory for trial mixes. Technicians developed a bespoke blend of high optimal strength concrete using the specified aggregate, creating an extremely high performance mix that gains strength quickly and is especially dense and durable.

We found the properties of the bespoke mix best matched those of the precast concrete units while standing firm against the impact of the Irish Sea. After just four days of lab testing the new mix was achieving strengths of over 61N and was ready to go for a site trial. Once we’d worked through a few teething problems with pouring the concrete on an incline, we were able to complete our first pour successfully.

The next challenge for the team will be supplying concrete for the redevelopment of the raised promenade. With plans for exposed aggregate across the public walkway, a striking golden quartz blend has been ordered from Northern Scotland to boost the aesthetics of the new structure.

This project has held some real challenges for us. We’ve battled both logistics and the elements to provide a quality solution that will contribute towards safeguarding this part of the country for years to come.

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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Sustainable Environment

Free communications resources from Alupro help local authorities promote recycling on a budget

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he Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has extended its range of free resources to help local authorities encourage residents to recycle aluminium packaging throughout the year. Communications materials, including advertisement templates, animated banners and press materials, are available permanently via the media library on the Alupro website.

Alupro resources can be used to support seasonal campaigns reminding residents to recycle their Valentine’s Day chocolate and Easter egg wrappers, summer picnic packaging and Christmas party food. For the summer months new resources have been added linking recycling to major national and international events; including the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations, Euro 2016 football and, launching later in the summer, the Olympics. There are also a range of poster templates to support the Recycle Now campaign.

Alupro’s YouTube channel provides a range of short videos and animations explaining how and why to recycle different types of aluminium packaging.

Local authorities can link to, or embed, these films on their own websites and from social media channels.

Alupro Marketing & Communications Manager Diana Caldwell says: “We know that time and budgets are tight for local authorities but it’s important to keep reminding residents about what and how to recycle throughout the year; so our free materials are designed to be easy to download, adapt and use in a campaign without incurring the costs of creating and developing a campaign from scratch.

We can also help to create the artwork if necessary.”

Offering ‘off the shelf’ communications materials which can be easily adapted has proved a successful tactic for Alupro’s industry partnership programmes. For example MetalMatters, has developed an extensive a range of resources including leaflets, vehicle signage and

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PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

display materials, which enables local authorities to run cost-effective campaigns using tried and tested materials. Campaigns typically cost less than 30p per household and have proved successful in increasing metal capture rates, and returning on investment within 12 months.

The ‘You Can Leave Your Cap On’ campaign, jointly funded by Alupro, aluminium closure manufacturers and

British Glass, encourages recyclers to screw the caps back on their empty glass bottles.

Template artwork for this campaign has been used by over 25 local authorities for bottle bank and kerbside boxes, and vehicle signage for local authorities.

For further information/templates please visit: www.alupro.org.uk

Will you be a winner in 2016?

Register now at www.pssawards.co.uk

The 2015 Winners Most Sustainable Public Sector Organisation:

Most Sustainable Public Sector Project:

Platinum Award City & County of Swansea

Best Energy Management Project London Metropolitan University

Gold Award Glasgow City Council Most Sustainable Public Sector Organisation In: Government Environment Agency Local Authority City & County of Swansea Health/NHS Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust Education Coleg Cumbria

Best Waste/Recycling Project Oxford City Council Best Refurbishment Project City & County of Swansea Best Transport/Travel Plan Project Glasgow City Council Best Procurement Project Warwickshire County Council Best Water Management Borough of Lambeth

Emergency Services Kent & Essex Police Estate Services

Innovation Award Exeter City Council

Housing Association L&Q

For more information please visit www.pssawards.co.uk

sustainable OFFSITE

The argument for Automated Parking Systems is stacking up!

Jason Petsch, Director of Skyline Parking discusses the urgent need for APS in the UK The rise of the machines

Despite their futuristic appearance, Automated Parking Systems (APS) are by no means a new concept. Indeed, the earliest reference to something akin to an automated parking system was the Garage Rue de Ponthieu constructed in 1905. The system consisted of a lift in the center of the structure to move cars up one or two floors where attendants on the floors would park the cars.

It’s hard to imagine that car parking was such a problem anywhere in 1905 that anything resembling an automated parking system would be required. However, by 1900, mass production of cars was already underway in many European countries and the United States.

Rather than being disturbed by their rapidly increasing numbers, urban residents in the early 1900s viewed cars as a welcome development that would make cities better places to live. Cars were even considered as environmentally friendly and preferable to horses, their food and particularly their by-products!

A variety of types and styles of APS enjoyed wide popularity in the U.S. from the 1920s through the 1960s, however, very few were constructed over the next 40 years.

While interest in APS waned in the U.S., from the 1970s onwards more advanced systems were being developed in Europe, Asia and South America. Perhaps no country more enthusiastically embraced the APS than Japan; particularly Tokyo – with an acute shortage of land it has for many years looked at ways in which to maximise the number of cars that could be stored at any one time. In the late 1990s, Japan produced more than 100,000 automated parking spaces per year to accommodate a rapid increase in motorisation driven by its rising economy.

An age-old solution to modern day problems Today, in a world with an estimated 1.2 billion cars, there is an increasing demand

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PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

for smarter parking solutions. With the number of cars worldwide set increase to somewhere in the region of 2.5 billion by 2050, this demand and the pressure for solutions is only increasingly. No wonder that APS is back in the spotlight, and indeed seeing something of a renaissance.

Ironically, one of the drivers for looking again at APS is their positive environmental benefits - although its no longer a matter of keeping horses out of cities! APS offers numerous environmental advantages compared to multi-story parking garages and can reduce CO2 emissions by 85% or more by eliminating the need for cars to drive and idle while searching for parking spaces.

Of course, a more powerful driver still is profitability (here, happily co-existing with carbon reductions). For parking garage development, an APS offers developers the ability to offer more parking, in less space.

Construction of an APS typically requires less building materials, much less excavation volume, a shorter construction time and reduced construction disruption.

Whether commercial or residential, changing the equation in this way presents has clear advantage of being able to either make a development viable in the first place or to allow for a greater volume of saleable units elsewhere in the development.

The case for APS gains even more traction as space becomes even more of a premium in towns and cities. In the US, it is estimated that surface car parks take up land of around 4,700 sq miles – that’s roughly about the same size of Jamaica or Qatar! Clearly, land is plentiful in much of the US, however, in Europe, Japan and in US cities like New York and Boston, where land is at a premium, maximising every last piece of inner city land is vital. Again, as the density of urban development increases, so too does the pressure to find smarter parking solutions.

Alongside, the environmental and planning considerations, APS also offers ancilliary benefits such as security, an attractive offering for drivers in urban environments. Today, the perception of risk is matched by the statistics - according to the Home Office around 20% of all car crimes take place in car parks. With APS offering the equivalent of automated valet parking experience, there is an added assurance.

Indeed, a whole range of factors are coming together to make the case for alternatives such as APS more compelling than ever. Why then is it that automated parking has so far struggled to deliver on its potential, and not been more widely adopted in the UK’s towns and cities?

Why hasn’t APS taken off?

Perhaps the obvious answer is that it’s comparatively expensive. There’s no

sustainable OFFSITE denying that capital outlay costs can be high when compared to other parking solutions. However, when you consider that less space taken on car parking allows for greater returns elsewhere, for example, more residential units – then the higher initial costs can be easily offset or even used to drive a higher overall return.

Aside from the financial barrier there is also the issue of consumer acceptance, and the argument that people are simply not yet used to or ready for this kind of technology. Here too, we may be reaching a tipping point as smarter technology and automation comes to permeate ever aspects of society – with motoring no exception. From cruise control to ‘park assist’, we are increasingly getting used to the idea of a near future in which our cars drive and park themselves. People are now more accepting and trusting of the idea of automotive automation. The idea of automation stepping in completely when you park is not as alien as it once may have been.

While the tide is turning, this trust will still take some time to build and it is important to acknowledge that APS set backs in recent years have somewhat dented consumer confidence. Both here in the UK and overseas automated parking systems have been plagued by problems such as cars taking far too long to be retrieved, the wrong cars being returned, trapped vehicles, with some systems even reportedly causing damage. It’s

disheartening to hear about these failed projects, as it doesn’t help with what should be a relatively straightforward argument in favour of APS. The frustrating part is that the technology is there; it’s just not always been adopted in the correct way. The key thing to note is that there are a range of approaches and differing design philosophies and there are successful and reliable systems in operation, which are those that deploy appropriate technologies that are fit for purpose.

Conveyor belt technology Designs for APS do differ, but most consist of a combination of automated ramps, slabs, lifts and shelves, using a computerised system that parks and delivers a car like a high-tech vending machine. Yet beyond this approach is an alternative conveyor belt option, which sidesteps many of the issues plaguing APS in the past, and which offers real cause for excitement that APS is more than fit to help take on the challenges of today’s urban environments.

The advantages of roller conveyor belt systems for automated parking applications come from their simplicity and efficiency.

Without wasted motions and movement, conveyor belt systems tend to be much faster than other types of transport technologies used in APS. They also tend to utilise common “off-the-shelf” components,

which leads to increased reliability, durability and parts availability as well as lower costs and inventory.

Compared to other car parking transport systems, the conveyor belt is very simple, and has a minimum number of moving parts. It is also extremely fast moving cars since there is virtually no wasted motion and therefore is also very safe. Other systems typically waste up to 50% of their motion and operation time since they must extend or retract arms to pick up or place a car. Furthermore, unlike with other systems, the conveyor belt does not require the car be physically lifted up to be moved: the car always sits on its tires on the conveyor belt and is not touched in any other way.

While other transport systems might use fancy robotics and be more intriguing and fun to watch, the conveyor belt system offers unsurpassed reliability, durability and performance. To steal from Apple, this is APS “that just works”. And just like smartphones, or any new innovation, APS is a technology that needs a range of factors to come into play before hitting the mainstream. Technology that just works, the right market forces, the right level of consumer education. APS isn’t there yet, but as several projects in the UK have been greenlit with an APS at their heart, I think we’ve reached a tipping point. It’s a technology that’s time has come. www.skyline-parking.co.uk

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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sustainable Transport

Declaration from Ministers on Green and Inclusive Transport

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ransport that is environmentally responsible, inclusive, efficient and economically sustainable will be central to implementing the commitments made at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris in December 2015 and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Recognition of transport’s leading role comes with the duty to make the sector greener and more inclusive. Our challenge is to ensure affordable access for all and provide services for the trade and mobility on which our economies and wellbeing depend, while reducing impacts on the environment and public health.

Demand for transport is growing rapidly, with particularly strong growth coming from trade-driven freight transport and rapid or persistent motorisation in urban areas. Most of this growth is CO2 intensive. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change opens a new era of initiative to secure a low- carbon future for transport.

This will be essential to address the growing share of transport in global energy-related CO2 emissions.

A combination of advances in renewable power generation and propulsion technology, managing demand along with changes in behaviour, as well as novel approaches to rationalising mobility and land use, will be necessary to address these challenges. At the same time, exogenous factors such as changing demographics, rapid urbanisation, new trade patterns and digital connectivity need to be factored in.

Our ability to respond to these challenges and opportunities will determine the effectiveness of the shift to green and inclusive transport.

We, the Ministers responsible for transport in the member countries of the International Transport Forum, have assembled under the Presidency of Denmark to seek mutual understanding of, and orient our response to, these challenges.

Agreed by the Council of Ministers of Transport at the 2016 Summit of the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany

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We: acknowledge the dramatic increase in

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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We: agree that transport plays a central role in providing access to jobs, education, goods and services as well as opportunities for all; acknowledge the vital role of public transport, as well as walking and cycling, in delivering inclusive access while reducing the carbon intensity of the transport sector, and thus the need to prioritise policies and investment for promoting these modes; recognise the need to co-ordinate

transport and land-use planning and policies to foster social inclusion; in particular, the development of integrated transport and social housing policies that increase access to employment through proximity and affordable, high quality transport services; advise all relevant authorities and operators to intensify efforts to make transport infrastructure, equipment and services accessible to all travelers, including those with either permanent or temporary reduced mobility, in light of projected demographic change and the benefits that accessibility can bring for all travelers; promote a continued focus on assessing the economic, environmental and social benefits of inclusive and accessible transport for incorporation in project and policy appraisal; support and facilitate, wherever possible, the harnessing of new technology to make transport services and infrastructure accessible for all, from journey planning, to information provision and on-board facilities.

Transport modes serving green and inclusive growth

Promoting inclusive transport

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motorisation in countries and its impacts on climate change, air pollution, and public health, and underline the need to adjust transport operations and policies to reverse these impacts; recognise that the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals will support integration of low-carbon transport policies in national and local initiatives to reduce the adverse effects of climate change and foster sustainable development across the ITF membership; undertake actions to promote initiatives and effective mechanisms that foster more sustainable transport; encourage enhanced coordination of transport and environmental policies across ministries and among all levels of authority, in order to better promote the shift to both green and inclusive transport, through aligned, cost-efficient and coherent policies; actively support the ITF’s analytical work to help countries reduce transport-related carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency, while enhancing transport safety and security.

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We: affirm that all modes of transport play an important role in fostering greener and more inclusive growth; recognise that growth in the maritime industry highlights the need for enhanced cooperation among transport stakeholders in order to promote the protection of the environment alongside sound framework conditions for the sector through continued collaboration in the International Maritime Organization; acknowledge that the forecasted growth of aviation will require

sustainable Transport

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measures to mitigate its impact on the environment, while adapting to climate change; in this regard; support efforts to agree a sustainable aviation framework according to the decisions of the International Civil Aviation Organization. encourage efforts to foster public transport and more efficient, modally integrated forms of individual and freight mobility in urban areas to improve safety and access and reduce congestion, CO2 emissions, air pollution and noise; promote the modernisation and development of inland waterway transport to contribute to the sustainable transport of goods and passengers; recognise that investment in rail freight and combined transport can be effective in reducing the environmental impact of logistics

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chains; encourage focus on the sustainable development of international road freight transport; recognise that promoting quality transport infrastructure planning, maintenance and development contributes to transport sector resilience, mitigation of climate change impacts, as well as economic growth and social inclusiveness.

New technologies and digitalisation; enabling the shift towards green and inclusive transport •

We: welcome the benefits to transport brought by the advances of new technologies and business and labour models, as well as digitalisation in enhancing the sustainability of

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transport infrastructure and services, and providing better access to transport services for all; affirm in particular that increased connectivity and automation in the transport sector carry the prospect for enhanced benefits for safety, efficiency, the environment and access to opportunity; recognise that data is essential to the planning, provision and management of transport services and infrastructure, and that there are great potential benefits to automated data and data-sharing between the public and private sectors; acknowledge that regulatory frameworks may need to be adjusted to accommodate this new economic dynamic, while protecting personal data, public health, the environment, and ensuring other economic and social benefits.

ALPIKIX

Smart and sustainable outdoor equipment

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amien de Vernon, a French student in Birmingham since 2013, is not only young and clever, he is also extremely aware of the world around him. Since a very young age, he has been wondering how he could make it better for himself and for the others.

His entrepreneurial temper has then led him to create, at the age of 20, ALPIKIX, a start-up that imports in the UK beautiful sustainable outdoor equipment for local authorities.

Among the wide range of products offered by ALPIKIX, the EVO and Volt-Point solutions definitely stand out.

These flexible installations consist indeed in hybrid charging stations for either cars or bikes, allowing the consumer to be 100 % eco-friendly! Not only do they choose a green mode of transport, but they also charge it thanks to a renewable source of energy.

It is a fact that, further to the success of hybrid cars, there has been an increasing craze for electric vehicles in the United Kingdom for the last five years: monthly figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that electric car sales in the UK have

risen dramatically during the past 12 months.

While only around 500 electric cars were registered per month at the start of 2014, this has now risen to an average of around 2,400 per month during 2015 - with 2016 significantly outperforming the previous year so far.

As a percentage of new car registrations, electric cars now represent just over 1% of the total new car market in the UK. Moreover, major car manufacturers like Renault - Nissan, BMW or Tesla are investing hugely in this field and show statistics according to which an electric vehicle is bought every three minutes in the world. Last but not least, TFL has confirmed that every new London black cabs was to run electric as of 2018.

Electric bikes arrived in Europe a decade ago. Nowadays, 25 000 are sold in the UK each year, which represents the fastest growing sale in the British cycling sector. Commuters and elderly people are opting indeed for a sustainable way of

travelling that allows them to do some exercise with less exertion.

It is no wonder then that the EVO & Volt-Point solutions are ALPIKIX’s most successful product! No more wishful thinking, it is time to take action and live the world of tomorrow.

Both functional and aesthetic, the EVO & Volt-Point solutions can also be tailored to your needs, according to the required number of plugs and painted with your company colours.

Furthermore, they can be installed for either a simple energy supply or a rental system.

More technical information can be found on www.alpikix.com

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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sustainable Transport

Zipcar launches new fleet of 50 cutting-edge Volkswagen Golf for zero-emission driving in London In partnership with Westminster City

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ipcar, the world’s leading car sharing network, has partnered with Westminster City Council and Volkswagen UK to bring premium zero-emission driving to Londoners at an affordable price. Fifty cutting-edge Volkswagen Golf GTE plug-in hybrid electric cars are now available to Zipcar members, with 40 cars located in

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50 cutting-edge Volkswagen Golf GTE plug-in hybrid electric cars now available to Zipcar members for just £7 per hour, the same hourly rate as a petrol Volkswagen Golf

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Largest fleet of car share plug-in hybrid electric cars in London with dedicated charging points

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40 cars located on-street in the City of Westminster, with new charging infrastructure

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10 cars located elsewhere in London, including Tower Bridge and Old Oak

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Thousands of Zipcar members will be able to experience electric driving for the first time

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

Council and Volkswagen UK, premium electric vehicle driving is made truly accessible and affordable

the City of Westminster and 10 additional cars elsewhere in London, such as Tower Bridge and Old Oak. To make this possible, Westminster City Council has installed new charging infrastructure in 40 of their car club parking bays.

One in 10 UK car club members have now used an electric vehicle, up from four percent in 2014/15, according to the latest Carplus Annual Survey of Car Clubs. For those members who haven’t yet used an electric vehicle, 89% expressed an interest in trying one.

Westminster City Council residents recently named air pollution as their biggest concern, ahead of other local issues. Westminster is also bidding for funds to create a Low Emission Neighbourhood in Marylebone and recently introduced an ‘air force’ of parking marshals to educate people about the impact of engine idling.

By making the innovative Volkswagen Golf GTE available to Zipcar members at the same hourly rate of £7 per hour as a petrol Volkswagen Golf, members have another compelling reason to choose zero-emission vehicles for their urban trips. It will also mean thousands of Zipcar members will experience electric driving for the first time.

The Golf GTE offers the best of both worlds for Zipcar members so that more people can choose electric. Whether it’s for short, local trips, such as food shopping or driving a relative to a hospital appointment, pure electric driving means zero emissions in the city. For those weekends when a break from the city is needed or the summer months inspire a trip to the beach, members can be safe in the knowledge that they have the full range and efficiencies of petrol hybrid driving.

The appeal of the Volkswagen Golf GTE is that it is a technologically advanced car

with a superior engine and yet is as familiar to drive as the petrol Golf. When started, it will automatically default to electric vehicle mode. All 50 cars support Apple’s CarPlayTM and Android AutoTM so that members can enjoy phone features such as maps or music through the GTE’s in-built display.

Mark Walker, Zipcar UK General Manager, said, “At Zipcar, we are all about simple and responsible urban living. The Volkswagen Golf GTE fully supports that ethos and is ideal for our members. The combination of pure electric vehicle driving in the city and full flexibility to escape anywhere in the country, without compromise, is compelling. We believe our members will thoroughly enjoy driving this car in electric mode and will become keen advocates for electric vehicle driving in London.

Cllr Heather Acton, Westminster City Council cabinet member for parking and sustainability, said: “Electric vehicles are key to helping address pollution. Giving more people the chance to drive an electric car in London, and on a shared basis, is a big step towards creating a greener city.

“We are delighted that residents and visitors to Westminster will have the opportunity to try out these vehicles.

“Car sharing makes so much sense in central London, where a private car is not often needed.”

The Car Club Strategy for London announced last May by London Councils, GLA and TfL targeted 50% of car-share fleets to be electric vehicles by 2025.

sustainable Procurement

ICLEI: Building sustainable and innovation procurement networks for 20 years

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CLEI is celebrating its 20th anniversary of work on sustainable and innovation procurement and networking is at the core of past success and future plans in the topic. The 20 years celebration has provided the opportunity to revamp the Procura+ European Sustainable Procurement Network, and the SP Platform, an online hub for sustainable and innovation procurement where cities can meet and learn from others’ experiences, has been redesigned. ICLEI considers a strong network of engaged stakeholders as a crucial means of continuing the evolution of sustainable and innovation procurement.

In 1996 ICLEI had already been working to set the foundations for what is now a comprehensive sustainable procurement network. In the 20 years since, through its activities on sustainable and innovation procurement, ICLEI has been involved in 150 projects; organised 100 conferences, seminars and workshops; trained over 2,000 people; supported 300 cities in more than 50 countries, and saved 1 million tonnes of CO2.

It started with a survey on the purchasing practices of European local authorities. In 1998, the first EcoProcura – a Conference series dedicated to sustainable procurement – took place in Hannover, Germany. Since then, ICLEI has been involved in many different projects and initiatives related to sustainable procurement, such as the SCI Network, Sustainable Timber Action and GPP 2020.

Many ICLEI members have included sustainability criteria into their procurement policies and procedures to achieve resource efficient, low-carbon and socially responsible societies.

At the heart of much of ICLEI’s work is Procura+, a network of European public authorities and regions that connect exchange and act on sustainable and innovation procurement. The Procura+ Network has over 40 participants and exchanges regularly with over 500 further public authorities, experts and other stakeholders. The combined knowledge and experience allows participants to provide advice, support and guidance to any public authority that wants to implement sustainable and innovation procurement.

ICLEI recently launched Procura+ Interest Groups that collaborate on topics ranging from circular procurement to supplier engagement, all led by engaged network participants with a common

interest to improve their skills and knowledge. A Twinning scheme also allows direct knowledge sharing and benchmarking. The cities of Rotterdam and Oslo are currently exchanging best practices in sustainable and innovation procurement through visits and other communications.

Annual Procura+ Seminars provide an opportunity for face-to-face exchange on sustainable procurement. Participants include purchasers from all levels of governments, suppliers, policy-makers and multipliers. The next event takes place in Rome on 13 and 14 October. Procurers also stay connected through Procura+ webinars and regular news updates.

Network participants can showcase their achievements through individual profile pages on the Procura+ website.

Cornwall Council, for example, uses the platform to showcase its Responsible Procurement Policy, which includes environmental and social procurement aims. Cornwall is also leading the supplier engagement Interest Group.

ICLEI has taken its sustainable procurement networking to a global level, acting as coordinator of the Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement.

Seoul – Chair of the Network –, Auckland, Budapest, Cape Town, Denver, Ghent, Helsinki, Oslo, Rotterdam, Tshwane, Quezon City and Warsaw are the 12 cities participating in the network. The cities have committed to set ambitious and quantified targets, report on their achievements, and act as global and regional champions for sustainable procurement.

In the past year ICLEI has focused on creating and expanding regional networks for sustainable procurement and procurement of innovation across Europe.

This is part of the SPP Regions project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The regional networks are collaborating directly on tendering for eco-innovative solutions, whilst building capacities and transferring skills and knowledge through their activities. The tenders within the project will achieve 54.3 GWH/year primary energy savings and trigger 45 GWh/year renewable energy.

One of the networks in SPP Regions is Partners in Procurement Energy Network (PIPEN), in South West England. This new network focuses on three opportunities for sustainable innovation and improvement: energy in buildings, transport, and food and

catering. PIPEN members are encouraged and helped to share best practice by working together to specify similar or joint tenders; producing case studies of recent procurement activities; and running market engagement events for relevant tenders.

A related Horizon 2020 programme, CEPPI – Coordinated energy-related PPIs actions for cities, aims to build capacity in cities on how to achieve more sustainable energy solutions through a pro-innovation procurement approach. The five cities involved in this project - Birmingham, as co-ordinator, Budapest, Castelló, Valencia and Wrocław – will input into scheduled public tenders to save at least 33GWh/year and develop the capacity of public authorities.

All the work of ICLEI and its networks is brought together by the SP Platform.

Anyone can access this online hub for resources, case studies, news and events on sustainable procurement. In addition, the Procurement Forum offers an online space for discussion, idea sharing and collaboration.

As part of this 20th anniversary and to acknowledge all the work that has already been done by ICLEI and all affiliated cities and organisations, ICLEI has launched the #SPPecialists campaign via its social media.

All those involved in sustainable and innovation procurement activities are welcomed to make public their commitment by using this hashtag.

John Watt is a Sustainable Economy and Procurement Officer at ICLEI. He has a PhD in sustainable procurement and a master’s degree in Environmental Entrepreneurship, both from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Before coming to ICLEI, he worked on public sector sustainable procurement projects, including the creation of a sustainability toolkit for Argyll and Bute Council in Scotland. John also spent 18 months with North Glasgow Housing Association, leading on sustainable procurement and energy efficiency.

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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Product Showcase

Light dawns for a Cryptosporidium Problem

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tg UV Technology, the UK’s leader in ultraviolet disinfection systems, has been awarded a contract by Trant Engineering, for Portsmouth Water.

The contract covers supply and

installation of UV units for Cryptosporidium inactivation at two water treatment works: Eastergate and Westergate. Both are 20Ml/d borehole works and each site will be provided with fully automatic duty and standby atg UV UVLW 16800 20 UV reactors. The reactors, which are third party validated to US EPA UVDGM, feature atg UV’s multi-lamp, high output, ultra-efficient 800 Watt Amalgam UV lamps.

This is a new technology offering significant cost savings compared to traditional UV lamps. The contract, which is due for completion by mid-2017, will be Portsmouth Water’s first UV installation.

The required 4-log inactivation of Cryptosporidium will be achieved by a validated UV dose of 40 mJ/cm2, and this

will be maintained over the full range of works flow by monitoring UV intensity in each reactor and automatically adjusting the dose.

The atg UV UVLW range uses the very latest in Amalgam UV Lamp technology and flow efficient, in-line, L-shaped UV reactors, designed to provide optimum flow distribution and hydraulic performance.

As one of only a few available products capable of treating water with UV transmittance as low as 55%, the atg UV UVLW range offers a solution for small, medium and large capacity drinking water and water reuse projects.

For more information, please visit www.atguv.com/UVLW

atg UV units for Cryptosporidium inactivation destined for Portsmouth Water

Introducing the New Bond

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cting on intelligence out in the field, undercover fixing specialist Ancon has launched a new super-Bond, ultra-low thermal conductivity wall tie that even SPECTRE would find hard to crack!

Based on the company’s multi-award winning TeploTie with a conductivity of 00.7W/mK which virtually eliminates heat loss through thermal bridging in cavity wall construction, the new Teplo-BF basalt fibre wall tie features specially moulded safety ends that improve buildability and enhance mortar bond strength by up to 80%.

The new user-friendly design has exceptional mortar grabbing capability, making Teplo-BF particularly suitable for use with lime and other slow-drying mortars.

The Teplo-BF, like the original TeploTie which was introduced into the UK and Ireland by Ancon in 2010 and since used on a number of ground-breaking PassivHaus and Zero-Carbon buildings, is created by the setting of innovative pultruded basalt fibres in a resin matrix. This composite material provides a combination of high strength and outstanding thermal efficiency.

The ultra-low thermal conductivity, twenty times below that of stainless steel, means that Teplo-BF ties are excluded from

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PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

U-value calculations to BS EN ISO 6946, helping to minimise insulation and wall thickness, a particular benefit in modern low-energy construction applications.

Available in the same wide range of lengths and types as the original TeploTie, the new Teplo-BF wall tie is suitable for cavities up to 450mm wide and buildings up to 18 metres in height, and carry BBA and NHBC technical approvals.

Ancon Marketing Manager, Annabelle Wilson, said “Following discussions with building contractors, Ancon identified a need for a more user-friendly design, offering a more robust bond that is better suited to the general site environment, and greater versatility in the choice of mortars with which Teplo ties can be used. The new

Teplo-BF not only meets these requirements but the new moulded ends make these ties safer for bricklayers to work around too.”

“This range extension provides the market with three distinct Teplo options – the original TeploTie for new-build applications and resin-fixing into an existing structure during retrofit, the Teplo-L-Tie for surface fixing to an in-situ structural frame, and the Teplo-BF, an improved new-build cavity wall tie with high bond strength even in slow-drying mortars and moulded safety ends. Ancon’s comprehensive wall tie range includes a low thermal conductivity fixing for almost any masonry construction project.” www.ancon.co.uk

Product Showcase

SIKA-TROCAL ROUNDS OFF STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

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robust and high performance waterproofing solution has been specified from Sika-Trocal for the new £30 million state-of-the-art student accommodation at Bangor University in Gwynedd.

The St Mary’s student village development at the university has been designed by architect FaulknerBrowns and includes five new residential blocks or townhouses, along with a café and bar, sports and fitness centre, a shop and launderette facilities. For the new townhouses which are set around a ‘village square’, specialist contractor Weatherwell Roofing turned to Sika-Trocal for a cost-effective, hassle-free application.

Working with main contractor Vinci, Weatherwell Roofing installed 4,300m2 of 1.5mm thick Sika-Trocal Type S in Slate Grey at each townhouse. The entire roof build up consisted of an S-Vap 500E vapour control layer, 140mm Kingspan insulation,

and the Sika-Trocal Type S waterproofing membrane.

The versatility of the Trocal Type S waterproofing membrane ensured that any detailing, such as capping vents or curved cone features were achieved and met the architect’s aesthetic vision. To provide a neat finish, all edge cappings were made from Sika-Trocal Metal rather than standard powder coated copings.

The Sika-Trocal Type S membrane was laid over the insulation onto the timber deck and securely fastened using Sika-Trocal’s innovative laminated metal disc system. This system sees the membrane and insulation mechanically fixed to the roof in a single process, ensuring a fast installation minimising components required and reducing overall project costs.

Kristian Lewis, Weatherwell Roofing said: “The Sika-Trocal Type S membrane was ideal for the project and met the architect’s vision both in terms of

sustainability and aesthetics. The Type S membrane is a great product and offers speed and ease of installation which was key to this short build programme.”

With this impressive new student village now complete and welcoming a new intake of students, the application of the Type S waterproofing membrane has ensured a swift and efficient installation that will offer high performance and waterproofing resilience for the long term.

JANGRO ADDRESSES KEY SAFETY ISSUES WITH LATEST TRAINING MODULE

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he UK’s largest network of janitorial supply companies, Jangro, has launched a new addition to its award-winning suite of eLearning modules and is offering people the chance to receive instant access with a voucher code.

The Manual Handling module has been developed by in-house experts following calls from the industry for this subject to be added to Jangro’s hugely popular Learning Management Solution (LMS) website.

As well as explaining and demonstrating recommended techniques,

the module also explores how to plan and prepare before any handling activity and identifies different manual handling injuries.

Anyone wishing to take advantage of the instant access offer should visit http://jangrolms.net/ and add JangroMH in the voucher code section when registering for an account.

Joanne Gilliard, Operations Director at Jangro, said: “Our LMS website was developed to help employers ensure staff are fully trained in all aspects of any job they might be expected to do.

“We are constantly looking at opportunities to add further modules and take feedback from customers very seriously.

“It is vitally important for staff to understand the importance of correct manual handling.

Whether it is lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling or carrying, manual handling is common practice within the cleaning industry and something that should be

explained thoroughly and efficiently.

“This module is the perfect addition to the suite and we are looking forward to hearing feedback from customers who take advantage of this offer.”

The LMS programme originally launched in 2012 and consisted of eight different modules. Since then three new ones have been added, including Manual Handling, following feedback from customers.

Full list of available modules: • Manual Handling • Introduction to Cleaning • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Awareness • Introduction to Equipment • Kitchen Hygiene • Carpet Care • Washroom Hygiene • Floor Care • House Keeping • Colour Coding and Infection Control • Health & Safety www.jangro.net

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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Product Showcase

The Mobile Work Platform that is versatile, manoeuvrable and rock solid

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ARGES Mobile Work Platforms offer a range of working platforms designed for a wide variety of uses in both dry and wet conditions, indoors and outside.

Versatile, manoeuvrable and rock solid, it’s the work platform you need when the job demands use of both hands, making complex repairs and maintenance simpler and safer and making it easy to move on to the next job.

ZARGES Mobile Work Platforms come with either extruded aluminium alloy steps and platform, for general use, or open grid steel for added non-slip safety in hazardous environments like wet rooms.

Choose single or double sided access, with platform heights from 720 mm to 1.92 m all designed to take loads of up to 150 kg.

The platforms are reached by 200 mm treads for a comfortable ascent and each features a large, 600 x 800 mm working

platform, providing enough space for a worker and their tools allowing them to work in comfort and safety for prolonged periods.

What’s more, workers are protected by a 1 m high hand rail on at least two sides with a double sided hand rail for the steps available on most models, and mandatory for platforms with five or more steps.

ZARGES Mobile Work Platforms are easy to move, with four sprung swivel castors making it simple to handle, even in restricted spaces and they’re just as easy to secure, with strong brakes on two of the wheels so once it’s in place, it stays in place until you’re ready to move on again.

As you would expect from ZARGES, our German engineering is evident at every turn, making our Mobile Work Platforms easy to assemble and reliably strong complying with the new European Standard EN 131-7 for mobile ladders with platform. www.zarges.com/uk

Making the Connections Count Featuring the Unique Jointing System

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ingspan Timber Solutions are the UK’s leading supplier of premium performance building envelopes. All areas of the business are underpinned by a genuine commitment to continuous improvement and a professional approach to delivery.

The Kingspan TEK® Cladding Panel is an innovative Structural Insulated Panel System (SIPs) which is capable of cladding any structure - be it timber, steel or concrete. The panels are 142 or 172mm thick and consist of a high performance rigid urethane insulation core, sandwiched between two layers of 15mm oriented strand board (OSB). Each panel has a minimum width of 200mm and a maximum of 1,220mm together with a maximum length of 7,500mm.

Custom made panels are manufactured to suit each individual project requirement. For efficient crane erection, panels can

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PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

be pre-assembled prior to delivery in the Kingspan TEK® factory using TEK’s unique jointing system.

The unique insulated spline jointing system -- is what sets Kingspan TEK® Cladding Panels apart from competitors.

Kingspan TEK® Cladding Panels have a recessed edge along each perimeter which can accommodate a unique insulated joint or, where required for structural strength a C16 grade timber spline. These joints are fixed in place through the panel’s OSB/3 facings. Expanding urethane sealant is applied between the core of the cassette and the panel, tightly sealing the jointing system delivering an extremely airtight cladding panel.

The lightweight panels can enable a fast track building process which reduces construction time. A three man team can typically install 150m2 of Kingspan TEK® Cladding Panels per day, allowing follow-on trades to commence work sooner, once panels are erected and wrapped with a breathable membrane.

When combined with appropriate fenestration details and taped joints, Kingspan TEK® Cladding Panels deliver: • Highly energy efficient buildings • U-Values of 0.20 to 0.10 W/m2K or better

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Leakage levels significantly better than 5 m3/hour.m 2 • Highly airtight construction achieving air permeability of less than 3 m3/ hr.m2 at 50 Pa. • Zero ODP and low Global Warming Potential • High dimensional accuracy with zero shrinkage and minimal site waste • Construction that correspond to BRE Global Green Guide -Summary Rating A+ depending on outer cladding material The Kingspan TEK® Building System is recognised by the major building warranty providers such as NHBC, Building Life Plans and Premier Guarantee and also holds BBA and NSAI Agrément Certification. Through the company’s extensive product portfolio, Kingspan Timber Solutions’ focus is firmly on value engineering. With a collaborative culture, Kingspan Timber Solutions design, manufacture, assemble and project manage the construction of cutting-edge timber solutions across all construction sectors. www.kingspantimbersolutions.co.uk

Product Showcase

ALTRO RELIANCE 25: THE NEW NAME FOR 2.5MM SAFETY FLOORING YOU CAN TRUST

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ltro has combined two of its popular 2.5mm safety flooring ranges to create Altro RelianceTM 25 – the robust solution for tough areas.

Altro DesignerTM 25 and Altro UnityTM 25 have merged under the new name Altro Reliance 25, making it even easier to select from Altro’s product range. Altro Reliance 25 has a palette of 27 colours, giving the design flexibility with the durability you would expect from Altro’s 2.5mm safety range. It also includes Altro Easyclean Maxis PURTM technology for easier cleaning and maintenance.

At 2.5mm thick, Altro Reliance 25 safety flooring provides a supreme standard of durability. The extra 25% thickness makes it significantly more robust than 2mm safety flooring, with resistance to impact damage, mechanical and physical damage and point loading. It can cope with high levels of foot and wheeled traffic without compromising on slip resistance.

Thicker flooring dissipates the energy more effectively, making the flooring less likely to de-bond, minimising and even preventing damage to the subfloor.

It also offers enhanced chemical resistance and copes well with moisture and temperature extremes, making it perfect for areas that need to work hard under a variety of conditions.

What’s more, with Altro’s commitment to sustained slip resistance, Altro Reliance 25 keeps your risk of a slip to just 1 in a million for the lifetime of the product, which means you can trust it to continue to perform with high levels of foot and wheeled traffic.

An ideal choice for busy corridors in healthcare and education environments, as well as laboratories, clinical areas and receptions in large, public buildings, Altro Reliance 25 combines perfectly with Altro Fortis wall protection system, as well as Altro Whiterock hygienic wall cladding.

www.altro.co.uk

Moisture, Mould and Measurement Vapour Flow through Building Materials and Structures

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apour can be a big problem for buildings as it affects both the health of the building’s structure and the health of people who live or work inside.

It has been linked to dust mites, asthma, allergies and even the collapse of buildings.

To meet the regulations you need to measure the permeability of the finished system and / or that of each of the products, barriers and coatings involved.

The Versaperm VI system can do all this for you. Vapour permeability is always important, but especially so when you are developing new or improved products.

It can measure the permeability of anything from a coating of paint to a building board or vapour barrier or from an entire wall structure to a roofing or flooring system.

Products as diverse as paint, plasterboard, membranes, screeds, laminates and sealants all allow you to control the vapour flow of air and moisture throughout a building. Traditionally measuring this is expensive and may take weeks, but with the latest product range

from Versaperm it can now be done in as little as thirty minutes for some products, at the same time as being more accurate and less costly.

The equipment is typically accurate in the parts per million range, parts per billion can be achieved for some materials and vapours, and can optionally measure permeability not only for water vapour but also for CO2, hydrocarbons, oxygen and virtually any other gas or vapour.

Using products with the wrong permeability has caused products to fail, equipment to leak and even buildings to collapse.

Versaperm is a world-technology leader and offers, as well as the equipment, a fast turn-around building products lab testing

service for companies with an infrequent need for testing. Results are typically produced within 24 hours. e.mail: info@versaperm.com

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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Product Showcase

QRL puts safety first with LST radiator launch

New model offers best-ever efficiency, easy installation and simple upkeep

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brand new low surface temperature (LST) offering, designed to provide a safe, effective and efficient heating solution has been launched by QRL Radiator Group. The new NHS compliant LST casings are built to work in partnership with QRL’s market-leading hi-lo panel radiator range – matching straightforward installation and maintenance with best-ever performance and efficiency.

Available in three heights, QRL’s new LST casings ensure radiator surface temperatures stay below 43°C, making them ideal for applications catering for vulnerable people (including healthcare, education, social housing and other public buildings). As well as complying fully with NHS Safe Surface Temperature guidelines, they also offer significant flexibility of installation and feature a unique hinge mechanism for easy, low-risk cleaning and upkeep. The 800mm, 650mm and 500mm casings have been specifically engineered to work in a package system with QRL’s flagship hi-lo Round Top radiators, which offer the highest levels of efficiency and heat outputs of any panel radiator on the market.

Mike Wright, product development manager at QRL Radiator Group, says: “In line with tightening health and safety criteria, the LST market has seen marked growth in recent years. However, the challenge for the industry has always been balancing safety with heat outputs, and making sure that one isn’t sacrificed in pursuit of the other. At QRL, we’re committed to responding to rising demand with the most efficient, user-friendly products possible, so this was front of mind when we developed our new LST. “As well as meeting all-important NHS criteria, it is specially designed to work in conjunction with our hi-lo Round Top panel radiators, which feature advanced third-generation radiator technology that’s unique to QRL. In short, this means they offer better heat transfer, lower water content, and the best heat outputs available – maximising energy savings and minimising running costs for the LST system as a whole.”

The new LST offering was unveiled at the official opening of QRL’s permanent stand at The Building Centre in London

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PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

today. They are the only purpose-built LSTs on the market to feature fully retractable, forward-opening hinges that are designed to support the full weight of the casing.

As well as allowing for hassle-free upkeep and repairs, this means a standard clean can be carried out by just one person. For a deeper clean, the hinges can be fully retracted to detach the casing from the emitter altogether.

Mike continues: “Not only are the new LSTs our best-ever models in terms of safety and performance, but their unique design also allows for straightforward installation, as well as incredibly easy cleaning and maintenance. We know this is a key consideration for our customers – especially those specifying LSTs for buildings like hospitals, schools and nursing homes, where hygiene is a particular priority.”

For ultimate ease and versatility at the installation stage, QRL is also offering separately packaged casings and emitters – providing the option for the casings to be delivered and fitted at a later date (as part of a second fix). This not only allows for

simple retrofitting to existing hi-lo panels, but also means each casing is protected from costly on-site damage from first-fix activities and associated delays.

Independently tested in an EN442 accredited laboratory, QRL’s LSTs are certified to meet BS EN442 standards. They are compliant with NHS Safe Surface Temperature guidelines (max. 43˚C) when operating at a maximum flow temperature of 80˚C and a return of 60˚C, or a maximum flow temperature of 75˚C and a return of 65˚C. They come with all the components needed for hassle-free fitting and ongoing operation. This includes external and internal TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) for safe, simple temperature control, and an anti-microbial, MRSA-resistant coating for optimum hygiene. They also feature heavy-duty pencil-proof grilles that allow air to circulate effectively, while simultaneously preventing foreign objects from accessing the emitter underneath.

For more information please visit www.qrl-radiators.com/lst

Product Showcase

WAVIN LAUNCHES BREAKTHROUGH REVIT PIPING PACKAGES

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avin, the leading supplier of plastic pipe systems and solutions in Europe, announces the launch of its new Building Information Modelling (BIM) content packages for plumbing and drainage.

Built in Revit, these content packages contain intelligent assistance which help the Revit modeller to arrive very easily at a full ‘as built’. This breakthrough development makes now also possible to benefit from the time and cost savings for piping systems in BIM projects.

Participants in the building process are constantly challenged to deliver successful projects despite tight budgets, limited manpower, accelerated schedules and limited or conflicting information. BIM, amongst other benefits, aids in collision detection at the initial stage, identifying the exact location of discrepancies. The computer model visually highlights to the team where parts of the building (e.g. structural frame and building services pipes or ducts) may wrongly intersect. Detailing 100% accurate pipe design reduces uncertainty, improves reliability and simulates potential problems.

Sub-contractors or installers can add or extract information from the model before beginning construction, with opportunities to pre-fabricate or pre-assemble off-site.

Waste can be minimised on-site and products delivered on a just-in-time basis rather than being stock-piled on-site.

In BIM modelling, engineers use realistic representations of a variety of construction elements to create detailed and accurate designs. Until now mainly generic pipe systems were used in BIM projects. The limited availability of Revit piping packages and the complexity of picking the right fittings in a pipe system has been the largest hurdle to date.

Wavin has now made it extremely easy to insert pipe systems and to quickly arrive at an accurate ‘as built’ in a BIM project. An example of the patent pending intelligent assistance Wavin has added is the solution for junctions in a soil and waste system. In a waste water, system several hundred different junctions are available. Each junction can consist of a single Tee fitting or up to a combination of six fittings. Wavin has solved this most complex part in the design of a pipe system by pre-programming all available junction

options. All fittings required for the junction are often automatically inserted by just one mouse click, which constitutes a major breakthrough in BIM piping design.

Moreover Wavin makes this possible without needing to browse through catalogues, nor having detailed knowledge of the product portfolio.

Revit modellers who have tested the Wavin Revit packages confirm that they are able to arrive at full ‘as built’ more quickly and more easily without the support of catalogues and now can benefit from the time and cost savings of the BIM way of working for piping systems as well.

To support users, Wavin has created tutorials and tips and tricks videos on a dedicated YouTube channel, a downloadable training manual and training options for Revit modellers so they can quickly take full advantage of the intelligent assistance built into the newly created Revit piping packages.

The Wavin Revit packages can be downloaded from myportal.wavin.co.uk/ bim-centre from the 3rd of May.

PSS Magazine • May/June 2016

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