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March 2019
A COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS How private sector partners played a pivotal role in two urban regeneration schemes
Learning environments
Bomb-blast advice
The Fire Safety Event
How interior layouts and furniture influences students in different learning environments
What is best practice when it comes to ceilings being designed to be more resilient?
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Welcome Note Editor
Rebecca Kemp rebecca@mixedmediainfo.com
Editorial Assistant Paige Smith
paige@mixedmediainfo.com
Print & Digital Advertising Sam Ball
sam@mixedmediainfo.com
Print Design Manager Jack Witcomb
jack@mixedmediainfo.com
Digital Design Manager David Perry
david@mixedmediainfo.com
Willmott Dixon's Nick Gibb explains why adopting a collaborative working environment was a crucial part of ensuring success when increasing Lincoln's growth strategy with its new transport hub. See page 08.
Production Assistant Philip Coyle
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Jackie Dearman jackie@mixedmediainfo.com
Managing Director Sam Ball
sam@mixedmediainfo.com Publisher
Mixed Media Information
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Welcome to the March issue of PSBJ... It is often remarked that collaborations are profitable for all parties involved within a project. Being part of a team that can successfully work together to deliver results, learning and developing newfound skillsets, speeding up processes and creating smooth-sailing operations are just a few of the benefits today's public sector is switching on to when probing into the possibilities of collaborations. Take, for example, this month's Upfront feature. Here, PSBJ discovers the real advantages of two different sectors coming together to deliver several much-needed large-scale schemes. In this feature, Willmott Dixon's Deputy Managing Director, Nick Gibb, explains why adopting a collaborative working environment was a crucial part of ensuring success when the company was tasked with delivering the National College for High Speed Rail in Birmingham and the transformation of Lincoln city centre. Turn to page 08 to read up on Nick's success stories on private sector partners playing a pivotal role in public sector projects. Continuing this month's theme of collaboration, PSBJ invited Bjorn Howard, Group CEO of the Aster Group, to comment on the recent announcement of Shelter’s Cross-Party Social Housing Commission. In this article, Bjorn tells how partnerships between housing associations and councils could be the answer to meeting ambitious build rates and help build the affordable homes our nation needs. Turn to page 12 to discover Bjorn's opinion on collaboration within the social and affordable housing scene. It is with great sadness that I announce this issue as my last as Editor at Mixed Media Information. It has been a delight featuring brand-new innovations, projects and ideas that plan to change the face of the public sector, and I wish you all the best for the future. As I move on to pastures new, I'll pass you back to Mixed Media's former Editor in Chief, Hannah Woodger (whom many may previously remember as Frackiewicz). For all editorial enquiries, Hannah can be contacted via hannah@mixedmediainfo.com. I hope you enjoy this edition. Don’t forget, you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information at your fingertips via Public Sector Build Journal’s state-of-the-art app. To download your version free of charge, simply search ‘PSBJ’ on Google Play or the App Store.
Rebecca
Rebecca Kemp | Editor | rebecca@mixedmediainfo.com Follow us on Twitter:
@psbjmagazine
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Contents
06 News A round up of the latest industry updates including charity events, awarded contracts, completed projects and much more.
08 Upfront This month, PSBJ talks to Willmott Dixon’s Nick Gibb, Deputy Managing Director, about the benefits of collaborations between public and private sector partners when regenerating UK towns and cities.
12 Housing In the wake of Shelter’s Cross-Party Social Housing Commission, Bjorn Howard, Group CEO of Aster Group, argues that housing associations are ideally placed to act as strategic partners to councils.
16 Leisure Sam Spencer, Leisure Expert and Associate at Bruton Knowles, puts the leisure industry under the spotlight and asks if the public sector can do more to regenerate this division of the industry.
20 Talking Point Rob McCormack, Director of CIT (Consultancy, Investigation, Training) – an expert on CWI and EWI products – explains how the specialist is helping advise and guide clients on managing budgets and making the right maintenance and housing improvement decisions.
08 22 Education
26 Bomb-Blast & Anti-Terrorism
Eve Fitzhenry, Head of Marketing at Boss Design, explores the leading furniture manufacturer’s four key types of learning environments; learner-centred, collaborative, focused and assessment.
What is the impact if a blast event occurs and what is best practice when it comes to ceilings being designed to be more resilient? Matthew Butchard, Research and Development Manager at SAS International, investigates.
24 Flood Management The flood-damaged kitchen at Cumbria's Botcherby Community Centre has been successfully restored two years after Storm Desmond hit the county. The centre's kitchen hasn't only been restored to its former rank but has also been future-proofed against damage should disaster strike again.
28 The Fire Safety Event Held from 9 to 11th April at the NEC, Birmingham, The Fire Safety Event will welcome over 6000 industry visitors, host an impressive line-up of exhibitors and offer 60 hours of free-to-attend CPDcertified content.
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Contents
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30 Technical Focus PSBJ talks to Shackerley about its involvement in an ambitious threephase development programme that will transform further education provision and local authority services in the Greater Manchester Metropolitan Borough of Tameside.
34 Building Access, Security Solutions & Safety
A new independent living facility in Aylesford, Kent, has received the GEZE UK treatment for extra safety. GEZE RWA 110 NT window actuators have been installed throughout the three-storey facility, increasing safety for its residents.
32 Maintenance & Preservation
36 Product Showcase
Aggregate Industries’ unique Lytacrete solution has played a pivotal role in the £5m structural refurbishment of Nene Bridge in Peterborough.
A dedicated focus of industry news, products and case studies to help specifiers and local authorities make informed decisions.
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News
INDUSTRY UPDATES
Each month PSBJ rounds up the latest public sector construction updates, from new contracts to industry awards.
Pick Everard makes two senior promotions
TODD Architects delivers innovative new Omagh IPS TODD Architects has recently completed the new-build Omagh Integrated Primary & Nursery School which, combined with the adjacent existing Drumragh College, forms the first Integrated Education Campus serving the Tyrone region. TODD Architects engaged with the school’s principal, teachers and parents to create the most effective, efficient, sustainable design to facilitate flexible teaching needs and to suit its rural context. The school comprises 14 classrooms for a capacity of 420 students. Located on a greenfield site on the outskirts of Omagh town, both primary and nursery school benefit from a new access road, cycle path, car and bus parking with dedicated drop-off provision.
AIRC Architects appointed to boost Cranfield University campus The architectural practice behind the multi-award-winning Aerospace Integrated Research Centre (AIRC) at Cranfield University has designed four new buildings on the Bedfordshire campus. CPMG Architects is delivering a new agri-informatics facility, water sciences building, an extension to the existing pilot hall, and a new fire station to enhance research and learning facilities for staff, students and visitors as part of a 25-year masterplan. A ground-breaking agriinformatics facility will create a new home for the university’s national soil inventory. The £2.2m development will consolidate data and resources – including samples and maps from around the world – into a leading centre for soil science and data analysis.
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Leading independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard has made two senior promotions with both Adrian Ceney and David Harris being promoted to Partners. David originally joined Pick Everard in Leicester in 2008 as a Chartered Senior Building Surveyor and has since progressed through the ranks, being promoted to National Director three years ago before making the step to Partner this year. Adrian will also make the step up to the partnership following a three-year stint as National Director, responsible for project management across the firm. During this time, Adrian has overseen significant growth of the PM division, with Pick Everard now one of the UK’s top-20 project management firms.
1600 residential scheme to transform Southend Swan Housing Association is set to enter into a joint venture with Southend-onSea Borough Council to deliver a massive residential-led project delivering around 1600 new homes. The announcement that Swan has been recommended to enter the collaborative partnership with the council is an exciting step forward for the development which will help transform the Queensway area of Southend. Once confirmed, Swan Housing and Southend Council will get to work on developing a full masterplan for the project which is likely to be put together by 2020. Swan has been backed by the council having met its requirements – with Swan outlining its proposal for 1600 new homes with 500 of those being affordable.
LPAs need clarity on biodiversity strategy In the wake of the Government’s new NPPF and the 25-Year Environment Plan, LPAs are in need of clear strategies to tackle stringent biodiversity requirements
in their local plans. Ecological planning consultancy EPR has highlighted that with local authorities under pressure to allocate sites for housing, very few have been able to respond with local plans that have measurable targets for biodiversity. In order to help councils reconcile requirements with declining budgets and targets for housing, EPR has launched a service entitled ‘Planning for Wildlife’. The aim of the initiative is to enable LPAs to work with developers to help deliver projects that avoid or mitigate cumulative harm on habitats, and clearly provide the opportunities for biodiversity net gain that arise from housing development.
Saunders Boston Architects breathes new life into school Planning permission has been granted to Waterbeach Community Primary School to increase its learning capacity to 630 places. The design, by Saunders Boston Architects, will also improve existing facilities, marking a step towards better education opportunities for the local community. The Cambridge-based practice has provided full architectural design and lead consultant services, working alongside Kier Construction for the new development, which will include a two-storey teaching block extension consisting of 12 classrooms, a group room, an improved and extended main entrance and revised landscape and interior design. Alongside the colourful exterior, Saunders Boston Architects also designed an inspirational ‘learning street’ which will connect the classrooms and provide a moment of reflection for students between classes.
Lambeth National Autistic Society school underway Construction has started on the National Autistic Society’s secondary and sixth-form free school, Vanguard School. The school is designed specifically for children and young people from Lambeth and surrounding boroughs who are on the autism spectrum and looking to go onto further education and employment. It is scheduled to open in the second half of the 2019/20 academic year. Designed by Pozzoni Architecture for the National Autistic Society, the specialist autism school will eventually cater for up to 78 students aged between 11 and 19. The school will grow gradually, with a phased intake of students, starting with years seven and eight. As well as high-quality learning facilities, the two-storey, 2500m2 building will also contain a multi-use hall which will be shared with the local community out of hours, along with a kitchen, storage and community break-out spaces.
Curtins provides smart engineering solution for unique plane canopy Work has started on the £65m research facility for digital aviation at Cranfield University with support from the Birmingham office of built environment consultancy Curtins. The Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) will develop ways for aircraft to monitor, test and upgrade their own systems and structures, as well as looking at the future of the passenger experience. Curtins has extensive experience working within the higher education sector and is providing structural, civil and geoenvironmental services for the project. The team’s main focus has been on the creation of a large canopy that will provide protection for an aircraft whilst making it accessible and aesthetically in-line with the adjacent building.
News
growing demand for top-quality, sociable student accommodation. nmcn has been selected for the project by developer RedOak following a string of prestigious city centre residential projects.
Development to transform public services in West Suffolk Plans to unite public services with enterprise space to create a revolutionary ‘public service village’ in Bury St Edmunds have received crucial backing from local councillors. Members of St Edmundsbury Borough Council have approved an outline business case for the proposed regeneration of the 15-acre Western Way development, as well as approving funding for project partners to prepare a final business case for the £100 to £125m scheme. The council has appointed Perfect Circle – a company that delivers the broadest range of consultancy services available to the public sector – to provide full, multi-disciplinary services for this stage of the project under the national One Public Estate Programme.
TfL and Barratt get green light for affordable homes Transport for London (TfL) has announced that it has been given the go-ahead to start building hundreds of new homes – 50% of which will be at social rent levels or for shared ownership – working with Barratt London as part of its Property Partnership Framework. The development, named Blackhorse Point, will be built on a 1.8acre site and will deliver 350 new homes in Waltham Forest across six new buildings. The new homes will provide a mixture of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom properties. The development is situated opposite Blackhorse Road Station, which is serviced by both the Victoria line and London Overground. The site will also make it easier for residents to cycle with 650 cycle parking spaces.
Bisley formally launches public sector division £18m Nottingham student accommodation project gets underway nmcn (formerly North Midland Construction) has started work on an £18m student accommodation development, on Nottingham’s Talbot Street. Due for completion in April 2020, nmcn has been awarded the demolition, construction and delivery of the facility, which will comprise 331 self-contained bedrooms along with communal areas and outdoor space. The project will enhance the local area alongside existing student housing in the city centre street and help to meet the
Following its successful appointment to the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) supplier framework RM3812, Bisley has launched its public sector division. CCS brings together policy, advice and direct buying; providing commercial services to the public sector, who are tasked with delivering monetary saving and value for the taxpayer. As one of the CCS-approved suppliers, Bisley provides reassurance to public sector organisations that the high standards have been met in quality and service. In 2017, Bisley became the first organisation to cover all five lots, demonstrating its ability to enhance all varieties of workspace by providing intelligent, useful and often bespoke storage solutions to create organised environments adapted to fit any client’s needs.
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Upfront
COLLABORATION: THE CATALYST FOR URBAN REGENERATION?
Pressures on the public purse continue to increase, with local authorities and other public organisations across the UK being forced to innovate to deliver much-needed improvements to urban areas – and collaboration with private sector partners plays an important role. Dixon has worked W illmott on a number of high-profile schemes, which have seen the public sector and private partners
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come to together to deliver muchneeded regeneration to towns and cities throughout the UK. Nick Gibb, Deputy Managing Director
for Willmott Dixon, believes that working together is becoming an increasingly important element to delivering a successful project.
He said: “More and more we are seeing local authorities leading the way in terms of urban regeneration as large-scale schemes or highprofile buildings act as a catalyst for further inward investment, particularly from the private sector. A key part of ensuring success is adopting a collaborative working environment from the outset. “Take, for example, our work delivering the National College for High Speed Rail in Birmingham; we worked in close partnership with Acivico to ensure consistency of delivery and stakeholder buy-in, which played an important role in the project’s success. “We see ourselves as more than just a contractor; we offer much more to our customers than simply construction, working in consultation with them to ensure that their schemes are deliverable, whether that be assisting with securing funding or anticipating potential challenges and discussing solutions. “We work very closely not only with our customers, but also our supply chain partners, design partners and other consultants, right the
Upfront
way through a scheme. This approach ensures any issues are dealt with quickly and don’t affect the completion date – something which is incredibly important when working to strict budgets and timescales.
Transforming Lincoln city centre “Another example of where this has happened to great effect is in Lincoln. Its new transport hub, which opened in early 2018, has played a hugely important role in the city’s growth strategy by bringing an integrated and improved transport interchange to the city centre – and has encouraged investment from the private sector. “The City of Lincoln Council has been working to bring this scheme forward for more than 40 years but struggled to be able to engage with a private sector partner as many proposals fell to the wayside. By shifting the emphasis from a commercially-led scheme to one led by improvements to transport and infrastructure, the project became more viable to private sector partners and finally started on site.”
Working together to deliver results Collaboration was key to bringing this significant scheme forwards. A partnership between the council, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Department for Transport, Lincolnshire Co-Op, Network Rail, East Midlands Trains and Lincolnshire County Council, this £30m project has transformed
the south side of the city centre; however, it did not come without its challenges. In 2015, funding issues threatened the deliverability of the project and prompted an urgent revision to the scheme. Further challenges were then presented due to a complex ownership structure relating to a culvert, a river/flood alleviation
waterway running underneath the site and inaccurate drawings, along with archaeological findings as well as a difficult constrained city centre location. “Far from being a simple scheme, the Lincoln Transport Hub involved complex stakeholder engagement as well as presenting numerous operational challenges from the outset. By working
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Upfront in collaboration and partnership with not only the council but also the other organisations involved, we were able to collectively deliver a real success story for Lincoln,” added Nick. Lincoln Transport Hub completed on time, with the car park opening early for Christmas shopping during winter 2017, with the remainder opening earlier this year. Kate Ellis, Director of Major Projects at City of Lincoln Council, added: “What was incredible was that Willmott Dixon opened part of the car park earlier than expected. It’s great when you manage to get something open early because you work closely together as a team. “I want to thank everyone at Willmott Dixon for the delivery of the project, along with supply chain partners.”
A catalyst for regeneration Nick added: “Despite all of the difficulties in bringing this project forward, there is little doubt over its success for the city. Better access via both public and private transport, along with a shift from a vehicle-led area to one that prioritises foot traffic, has seen the transformation of this area of the city. “This project has, without question, spearheaded the regeneration of the south side
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of Lincoln, prompting inward investment and development and significant economic and social benefits for the city. It has been very exciting to play a part in it alongside our partners at the City of Lincoln Council.” Developments currently taking place in Lincoln include One the Brayford – an iconic waterside residential scheme being marketed by Pygott & Crone, with plans for the redevelopment of the Western Growth Corridor also taking shape. Proposals include up to 3200 high-quality new homes, a health centre and a primary school, improvements to highway links, a brand-new leisure complex and space for a new 12,000-seater football stadium as well as new railway bridges in the city centre, extended bus routes, improved and extended cycleways, and increased public space. Willmott Dixon is experienced in delivering high-profile and complex schemes across the UK, working in collaboration with the public sector and other private sector partners to ensure projects are completed on time and on budget. The contractor has recently completed work on two National College for HighSpeed Rail facilities in both Birmingham and Doncaster.
www.willmott dixongroup.co.uk
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Upfront
Housing
THE SOCIAL HOUSING COMMISSION: COLLABORATION IS KEY As politicians increasingly look to local authorities to help build the affordable homes Britain needs, Bjorn Howard, Group CEO of Aster Group, argues that housing associations are ideally placed to act as strategic partners to councils. cross-party Social S helter’s Housing Commission Bjorn Howard has worked in the housing, care and support industry for nearly 30 years and has extensive board-level experience in both executive and non-executive roles. He became Aster Group’s CEO in 2009 and has been instrumental in driving growth, including leading Aster’s successful merger with Synergy Housing in 2012. Since then, the group’s housing business has grown to more than 29,000 homes.
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recently called for one of the UK’s biggest ever social housing drives. The report, commissioned in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and led by former Labour Leader Ed Miliband among others, aims to highlight the threat to social mobility if we don’t dramatically increase the number of social rent homes in the UK. It calculated that Britain must deliver an additional three million new social housing units in the next 20 years to meet current and future need.
But the Government has done a lot already to make reaching these targets possible. A series of milestone announcements throughout 2018 have really put social housing centre stage. Last summer’s Social Housing Green Paper was the starting point for this and since then we’ve seen a consistent drive to make the housing sector work for a wider range of people. An example of this is the renewed focus on alternatives to traditional ownership such as shared ownership. The Autumn Budget saw first-time
buyers of shared ownership properties become exempt from paying stamp duty and the Government launched a consultation on how the private sector could lend its weight to supporting this more affordable model. We’ve continued to promote shared ownership as a mainstream tenure and have endeavoured to better understand the experiences of shared ownership buyers by publishing our second shared ownership report, ‘Another Way part two: Helping shared ownership thrive’.
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Housing
Shelter’s call to action and ambitious goals
Perhaps the most significant change, in light of Shelter’s call for more social housing, was the scrapping of the cap on how much local authorities can borrow to fund development on council-owned land. My view is that this presents an important opportunity to unlock land that is vital to meeting the proposed housing delivery targets. This removing of the shackles will undoubtedly be coupled with an increased expectation to deliver. In order to meet those demands, councils will need support.
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I envisage housing associations playing an important role in providing the expertise and guidance needed to ensure new social housing developments, funded by council borrowing, are delivered effectively. We’re already seeing collaboration working well through other forms of partnerships in the housing sector. We’ve experienced first-hand the value of pooling resources and combining expertise through our own joint ventures with housebuilders such as Galliford Try.
By adopting a similar ethos, councils can enlist the support of organisations that have a proven track record of delivering social housing projects, getting developments moving faster and people offered new homes sooner. It is also the case that Labour’s national leadership has been very vocal in arguing that councils should have an increasingly significant role in affordable house-building; sentiment that is already reflected in some Labour-run councils and will likely become a prevalent trend throughout 2019.
The number of households in the private rented sector increased by 1.7 million from 2007 through to the end of 2017. Shelter’s call to action requires a similar rate of growth in social housing and, through effective collaboration, there is no reason why we can’t set equally ambitious goals. We’re committed to playing our part in alleviating the housing crisis by working towards our target of building 12,000 new homes across the south of England over the next seven years. A number of Government policies, such as the scrapping of the borrowing cap, have put the sector as a whole in a much stronger position to build more homes year-on-year. To deliver on this promise, partnerships between key stakeholders – such as local authorities, house-builders and housing associations among them – will be increasingly vital.
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Leisure
PUTTING THE LEISURE SECTOR IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR SPOTLIGHT The leisure sector may be thriving, but it is also facing a number of difficulties. Sam Spencer, Leisure Expert and Associate at Bruton Knowles, reviews these challenges, asking can the public sector do more to regenerate the sector? is evident that the I tleisure sector is in great shape, with the UK spending an eye-watering £129bn on leisure facilities in the last 12 months. As a leading property consultancy with 12 offices across the UK, we consistently receive enquiries for leisure premises and use. Yet despite this, the sector continues to face challenges with retail and restaurant closures and a competitive need for housing space taking hold. These issues have the ability to disrupt the local economy, so now the public sector has a vitally important role to play in regenerating the leisure sector before it is too late.
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This includes revitalising the local high street during a period of significant upheaval. A number of large brand retailers are either going into administration or moving online. In 2019 alone, we have seen Marks & Spencer, Paperchase and HMV all announce store closures and restaurant group Patisserie Valerie falling into administration. It is expected that 10,000 more stores are to close this year, leaving a number of empty storefronts in its wake. Food and drinking establishments are no different, with closed restaurants and bars becoming the norm. Today, licenced and restaurant
operators are under increased pressure to constantly launch new concepts, to stand out and attract customers through the door. The competition in the casual dining sector is intense. Those who are unable to achieve consistency of foot traffic barely last longer than six months, leading to further closures. However, loyalty is a fickle mistress, and a positive social media profile is essential. Effectively, they have to get it right all of the time. These challenges could lead to towns and cities seeing reduced footfall, and a decline in business and people wanting to live in the area – all of which ultimately affects the local economy.
This can be minimised or entirely prevented through a clear strategy, put in place by the public sector. This includes ensuring complicated planning policy and costly local taxes do not hinder people from buying or renting flexible retail space. Instead, the strategies and policies should encourage and promote the acquisition and occupancy of leisure facilities. Yet, while we are seeing significant empty facilities in some urban areas, the same cannot be said for suburban areas. The public sector has a larger challenge on its hands as the housing demand has brought with it a competitive demand for space. In a nutshell, the Government has targeted 300,000 homes to be built each year – an ambitious objective when there is little green space in which to build – yet it is a target that the public sector can’t avoid. This has resulted in housing developers bidding for space that is currently or has previously been used as outdoor leisure grounds and playing fields. Just earlier this month, for example, it was announced that 100 homes would be built on the former civil service sports ground
Leisure on the edge of Gloucester’s city centre and this is an upward trend. While this is necessary to meet housing demands, it is counterproductive, as the increasing population occupying houses will undoubtedly produce demand for such facilities. Public sector involvement in the leisure sector has traditionally been the provision of various activities, including sports courts, leisure centres and gyms. Considering that many houses are being developed for families who are likely to have children, these occupiers will require recreational space to pursue sports or other activities. National and local Government
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has to meet some of this demand, to encourage people into the area. Such problems can be avoided as long as local planning policies are robust enough to insist that leisure spaces are provided as part of a Section 106 agreement, under the Town and Planning Act 1990. This is a private agreement made between local authorities and developers and can also be attached to a planning permission. Delivering high-quality facilities, at a time when housing provision remains of utmost importance is difficult and has, in some cases, become a struggle for many local authorities, which do not have adequate funds
to deliver this provision. It is important that they do not give in to the pressure to give up these facilities for residential development, without guaranteeing alternative recreational sites. A different operational model could provide a beneficial alternative. If a local authority is able to retain ownership of the facilities on a long-term basis, it can then turn over the management of the leisure facilities to private ownership. This will ensure consistent quality and rental income, which ultimately can guarantee ongoing provision of services and facilities during a time of uncertainty. However, any such agreements will also have to
provide a return for the supplier; a factor which has proved to be a stumbling block in the past. An increasingly collaborative approach is the most likely optimum way to ensure that service provision remains consistent and that facilities are available for those unwilling or unable to use private providers. By putting key plans like these in place now, local authorities will benefit as the leisure provision can be incentivised to grow, a factor that should promote taxpayer satisfaction, wellbeing and ultimately result in a boost in the economy rather than a decline. 
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Talking Point
CIT inspection reveals gaps in the cavity wall insulation filling
CIT’S HOME HEALTH CHECKS SUPPORT TIGHT BUDGETS Managing budgets and making the right maintenance and housing improvement decisions at the right time is crucial for social housing providers – and that’s where CIT (Consultancy, Investigation, Training) is helping advise and guide clients, says Rob McCormack, Director of CIT.
C assist with housing IT’s main aim is to
improvement investment decisions and problems associated with poorly installed or inappropriate insulation retrofits, tackling issues identified in a timely and costeffective way.
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It’s a mission that takes the team the length and breadth of the UK assessing the suitability of housing for insulation installations, investigating reports of various housing defects and surveying highrise tower blocks with drones, delivering the best possible
advice for clients. And that’s when the team isn’t training local authority and housing association housing teams, impartially advising insurance companies and Government departments or delivering keynote speeches at industry seminars.
Rob McCormack Director of CIT (Consultancy, Investigation, Training), has more than 15 years’ experience in the energy and construction sectors within corporate and contracting environments, delivering commercial projects and UK Government legislation.
It’s a wide-ranging remit but one that we relish. We deal with a broad range of clients both in terms of size, requirements and the type of properties they are responsible for. Some are organisations with fairly modern housing stock; others are in charge of thousands of homes of all ages, types and condition. Each requires a bespoke service from our specialist surveyors, and we really enjoy building relationships with each client, quite often initially assisting them with identifying resolutions for legacy issues and then working with them on an ongoing basis to enable better decision-making and housing budget management. Our services have been designed specifically to address growing inconsistencies around – and the consequences of – inappropriate insulation retrofits or improperly installed insulation products. Our aim is to inform and educate, raising industry standards. We’ve found that it’s not unusual for housing providers facing issues with CWI or EWI, for example, to use the
Talking Point
same contractor to diagnose the problem and subsequently carry out the remediation works. This may not solve the problems being faced, and it is not good practice – we are trying to raise awareness of this with our clients.
360° view The one common thread that unites organisations contacting CIT is a problem or challenge – and the key to CIT’s success lies in its ability to take a 360° view of the situation and recommend the most appropriate action. We’re not a building contracting company or insulation provider/ installer; we are independent and really very skilled at assessing and evaluating housing stock issues and putting recommendations forward. This allows us to be completely impartial and only recommend resolutions that we feel are needed. We stand back from a situation to ensure that our advice is the most appropriate and cost-effective. We are very aware of the budgetary confines of social housing providers and, therefore, our conclusions and recommendations have to be realistic and workable.
Scope A recent project in Scotland is a good example of CIT’s scope of work. Properties in Ayr required repairs and energy efficiency upgrades ahead of potential inclusion to South Ayrshire’s HEEPS: ABS funding programme; some 35% of households in the area are estimated to be in fuel poverty. However, the Energy Agency – the managing agent for South Ayrshire Council – was uncomfortable placing the property assessment onus on contractors. It, therefore, called in CIT to survey almost 200 flats and prepare in-depth condition reports. Energy Agency Project Co-ordinator, Andrew Filby, said: “We realised the homes would need technical assistance to bring them up to the condition required for external wall insulation (EWI) to be considered. For the first time, due to the complicated nature of the works, we decided to appoint a surveyor to assess the properties and provide an evidence base and conclusions to tell us what work we would need to put in place.”
CIT surveyed the coastal 1940s and ‘50s properties to determine which insulation approach was suited to each, establish if works were required before insulation solutions were installed and carry out due diligence to ensure the council gained the most from its investment. “The mixed-tenure nature of the blocks in this area, coupled with high levels of deprivation, has limited the amount of maintenance the council has been able to undertake over the last 40 years due to lack of owner buy-in,” added Mr Filby. “This has led to the deterioration of these homes, which now have multiple external fabric issues. Build quality, and the quality of retrofit insulation measures attempted a decade ago, is
also a concern. By bringing in a specialist, we can be confident that the solution proposed will make the biggest impact on these homes and provide longevity to the life of the building fabric,” he said. Two clusters of properties, for example, were suspected of having no damp course, while failures in the cavity construction were also identified. In-depth remediation work was identified as required to refill the cavities and refit wall ties before EWI could be installed. CIT provided a clear direction for remedial works. Although CIT is focused on EWI, CWI and other insulation approaches, its assessments are a holistic property evaluation, from roof ridge tile to damp-
proof course, identifying building defects which may include defective guttering, eroded mortar joints, cracked render, voids in cavity wall insulation and facilitating the correct remediation and investment for medium- and high-risk properties. "By providing a comprehensive report, our client can help its contractors deliver with the required level of proficiency and integrity,” added Rob. “The legacy of our input into the South Ayrshire project is that the council can make the right investment at the right time. Assessing the suitability of properties is key to ensuring the correct housing improvement investment decisions are made.”
www.bbacit.co.uk
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Education
LEARNING – IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE
From early years, primary and secondary, to further and higher education facilities, every learning establishment has a duty to create the best possible environment for its pupils and students. Ensuring that future generations are well educated and have the skills they need to prosper is paramount; not only for their own future but for the future of our nation too, says Eve Fitzhenry, Head of Marketing at Boss Design.
Mango is ideal for settings where access to quiet, private spaces for individual focused work is essential
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Boss Design’s Peek seating provides enhanced privacy for informal student exchanges or individual focused work
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he interior layout including seating and furniture are crucial in education establishments. Indeed, when the University of Salford conducted research on the influence of design on students’ learning and performance, it discovered that colour could increase a student’s ability by as much as 12%. Dynamic, modern learning spaces are key to helping students flourish and to making learning more inspiring, engaging and even fun. Take colleges that offer a travel and tourism classroom with aeroplane seats and a modern hair and beauty salon for health and beauty studies. These are just some of the many creative
designs that are starting to appear in learning environments. When designing a learning environment, however, it’s important to understand that learning is about the development of ideas, application of information, contextualisation, and collaboration with others – it’s not just about filling students’ heads with information. It’s also about their personal development and the ability to achieve headspace. Therefore, it’s important to provide a balance of surroundings to allow them to learn in new ways. Designers can then choose the appropriate furnishings and upholstery to further help students study better.
Education Mango by Boss Design is a personal workspace solution created with headspace in mind
The Aspect Work Hub by Boss Design offers intimacy and privacy for students working in focused environments
Arthur Cityscape from Lyndon by Boss Design can help create relaxed breakout spaces, enabling students to learn collaboratively in various group sizes
At Boss Design, we have identified four key types of learning environments; learnercentred, collaborative, focused and assessment. Let’s take a closer look to understand how each learning environment would benefit from a balanced design.
Of course, technology plays a key role in this environment. Rather than having a single projector at the front of the room, wireless networking enables everyone to act as a presenter, either projecting work from their own device or sharing it remotely with others.
Learner-centred: traditional classrooms with rows of desks arranged in front of a tutor are starting to take a back seat. Now, it’s commonplace to see more relaxed and collaborative learning settings. Team-based environments are common here too. These may consist of circular tables or soft seating at which teams of students work collaboratively with the instructor.
Collaborative: although some of these settings may still resemble the traditional classroom, the processes involved and the culture they represent are very different. Now, settings are emerging that create positive feedback loops of development for individuals that use them to collaborate. Mistakes or a lack of understanding are treated as a chance for individuals and the group to improve, and
this, in turn, encourages personal development and the formation of new ideas. The design of the room should emphasise that contributions of all members of a group are valid, and not just the instructor. Furniture that fosters inclusivity, group cohesion and the sharing of knowledge are vital for this environment. Those that provide a base for the day or fulfil break-out area needs are also popular. Focused: everybody needs time and space to acquire their own skills and develop the knowledge to support their ideas. Welldesigned libraries and private rooms remain crucial for these tasks, helping to minimise the interruptions of neighbours or devices, but it’s not just about noise distraction, it’s also about privacy. That’s why the demand for private work booths and soft seating that offer superior visual, acoustic, and territorial privacy is growing rapidly. This type of furniture enables students to focus without distractions. The intelligent use of screens and partitions also help provide the right balance of privacy and interaction. Small freestanding acoustic pod systems also provide the perfect breakout space for
students to rest and escape from a busy learning environment. Whether working in solitude, focusing on a concentrated task, or working as a small group, they offer the intimacy and privacy that is vital for modern methods of learning. Assessment: formative assessments are usually ongoing and require upholstery and furniture that can facilitate feedback for students on a oneto-one basis. Soft seating that offers an intimate, comfortable and private environment is a popular choice in this scenario. On the other hand, summative assessments require more formal settings for tests and exams to take place. There’s never been a better opportunity to design and create outstanding learning spaces. It’s not just about products. Good design is all about finding the right balance of furniture and settings that clearly indicate to students who best suit certain activities. Each space should acknowledge that students learn in different ways, and, therefore, a balance of learning spaces in which studying can take place will help bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds of learning.
www.bossdesign.com
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Flood Management
FLOOD RESILIENCE SHOWCASED IN CARLISLE Almost two years after Storm Desmond hit Cumbria in December 2015, work to repair the flood-damaged kitchen at Botcherby Community Centre began. The aim of the project was to go beyond refurbishment to build in resilience so that if a flood hits again, the centre can get back up and running much sooner. of the Cumbria Flood P art Resilience Showcase, the project was the brain-child of Mary Donhau, a flood resilience expert and campaigner. “It came on the back of the Peter Bonfield review that followed Storm Desmond,” explains
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Mary, who has been awarded an OBE for her services to flooding protection and recovery. “The idea was to find a couple of properties which we could make resilient, and to make the information available to as many people as possible.”
Botcherby was the first of the showcase projects. Although the Cumbria project refers to resilience, terms more commonly being deployed now are: ‘water-exclusion strategy’ (i.e. resistance), and ‘water-entry strategy’ (i.e. resilience).
VITAL DETAILS: When considering the right combination of measures and products, it may be necessary to get specialist advice from a consultant or the technical team of a supplier, such as Safeguard. As with any system designed to protect from or manage water, it is vital to get the detail right at the design and installation stages.
A ‘water-exclusion strategy’ house is built so that water cannot get into the building and cause damage. A ‘water-entry strategy’’ means constructing the house so that although water may enter, the impact is lessened, structural integrity is maintained and drying, and cleaning is made easier. The likely depth of flooding will impact on the chosen design. For low water depths, a ‘waterexclusion strategy’ typically is recommended. A ‘water-entry strategy’ is needed for higher water levels: a difference in water level of over 0.6m between inside and outside can cause significant structural damage to standard masonry buildings. In practice, a pragmatic combination of both is taken because it is often either prohibitively expensive or impractical to provide a completely flood-resistant building – especially in cases where flood protection is being retrofitted to existing buildings.
Flood Management In this context, Safeguard Europe – a UK-leading specialist in damp-proofing and waterproofing technology – was one of several companies to invest in the Cumbria Flood Resilience Showcase in Botcherby, a suburb of Carlisle. Other funding came from the Environment Agency and the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. Safeguard provided a raft of external and internal products which specialist contractor RTC Group installed, donating its time and expertise to the project too. Externally, RTC applied Stormdry Masonry Protection cream to the brickwork, having first repointed any cracks or gaps using mortar containing Stormdry Repointing Additive. “The purpose of the masonry protection cream is to stop the water getting into the brickwork and to aid drying out afterwards,” explains Clementine Walker, Research Development Laboratory Manager at Safeguard. Unlike some ostensibly similar products, both the masonry protection cream and the mortar additive allow the walls to breathe. Internally, RTC replaced timber studding with blockwork up to a height of 1.2m and used Vandex Uni-Mortar 1 Joint Fill Compound to fill the gap between the floor and wall, one of the most common paths for water ingress during flooding.
The contractor then applied two coats of Drybase Liquid Applied Damp Proof membrane to the floor. On the internal face of the kitchen’s external walls, RTC installed Dryzone dampresistant plaster. On the ‘internal internal’ walls, RTC used Safeguard’s express system: moisture-resistant plasterboard fixed with Dryzone Drygrip waterproof adhesive. All walls were skimmed with Dryzone HiLime finishing plaster. Both Dryzone damp-resistant plaster and Dryzone Hi-Lime finishing plaster have been designed to prevent salt migration, and both are porous to aid evaporation. This means they can be left in-situ to dry out should flooding occur again. These breathable, moistureresistant plasters allow the fabric of a flooded building to dry out whilst providing a durable finish that will be resilient to future flooding. Moisture-resistant screeds have also been developed using similar technology. After a flood, one can – for all practical purposes – simply hose down and sterilise the wall. The make-up of these plasters means they have large pores and a high pore volume. This allows salts to form within the plaster rather than on the surface; and the high pore volume results in high water vapour diffusion (breathability) and higher
thermal resistance, reducing the risk of condensation. In Botcherby, with additional flood resilience measures such as specialist doors and windows, self-closing air bricks and nonreturn valves, the kitchen – and the whole community centre – is back in use once again. As for
disseminating the information and lessons from the case studies, Mary has created a series of videos which are now available on YouTube, alerting people to them via an e-mag, Twitter and other social media.
www.safeguardeurope.com
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Bomb-Blast & Anti-Terrorism
BLAST-RESISTANT CEILING DESIGN It’s a global threat that is here to stay, but terrorism has meant that transportation hubs should feature design solutions which limit injuries and save lives in the unlikely event that an explosive terrorist attack occurs. But what is the impact if a blast event does occur and what is best practice when it comes to ceilings being designed to be more resilient? Matthew Butchard, Research and Development Manager at SAS International, investigates. explosive device I fisandetonated within a building, the pressure may not be able to escape and can cause significant damage, particularly through debris projected away from the blast zone. To resist damage, buildings are designed against progressive collapse which means the destruction of one zone will not then lead to the collapse of the entire building. The secondary structures such as ceilings, wall lining and cladding are also designed to restrict the amount of debris. As a primary principal of blast protection, any preventative measure must
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not then have the potential to cause greater risk. For example, a glass window could be specified to be laminated to hold the glass together in a blast event; however, if the laminated glass is not securely retained, then it presents the risk of a single large projectile which could cause fatal injury as opposed to many small pieces of glass causing minor cuts. The preventative measure must be appropriate and carefully considered as a complex arrangement rather than just individual parts. In terms of the ceiling design and material selection, it’s
important to consider their performance in a blast event and resulting effects. Ideally, ceiling panels should not be projected outside of the blast zone or be made from a material that will not cause harm if they are projected. Debris should be minimised to avoid endangering people that would have otherwise been safe from the initial blast. It might well be possible to design a ceiling that is sufficiently reinforced and secured in a way to entirely resist a blast event, but the cost to achieve this and also apply the same level of performance to all elements of the building would
be prohibitively expensive. There is also a risk that a blast event of greater magnitude occurs, greater even than the factors of safety have accounted for. Now instead of relatively lightweight panels, we have heavy-duty structurally reinforced units being projected with the potential to cause significant harm. The aim is to reduce risk and take all measures reasonably practicable to ensure the safety of the public. The best course of action is to keep ceiling tiles lightweight and secure with cable tethers in addition to normal fixing methods. In this scenario, as the blast happens, the tile is deformed, absorbing energy and reducing the load transferred back to the structure. As the blast pressure changes to negative and pulls material back towards the source, the cable tethers prevent the tile from being projected. Even if the tether snaps and the tile does fall, each step of this deformation and damage has reduced the energy imparted and the chances of the tile being energetically projected away from the blast zone have been greatly reduced.
Bomb-Blast & Anti-Terrorism So what is best practice? The aim is to minimise anything that can form flying debris. It’s important to make sure a specification is right, and the performance criteria of the ceiling are correct. As such, every building, transport hub and airport terminal must be assessed individually by security specialists, minimising the risks at every stage. The result should be a project-specific performance specification. In many cases for ceilings, this can be as simple as cable tethers or with more complex installations, a detailed analysis of products and even blast testing is necessary. The strategy could differ from building to building, but the guiding principle is to minimise risk. Ultimately, it has to come from the specification. If the specification doesn’t have a blast performance requirement, then suppliers are not going to provide a blast-rated product. A unified effort throughout the construction industry is required to ensure safety measures are considered and implemented as appropriate.
www.sasint.co.uk
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The Fire Safety Event Preview
direct from the Government, following this review. Alongside Desmond Burke of Firetronics, former Fire Commissioner of the New York Fire Department, Sal Cassano will discuss the enhanced fire protection, stringent fire safety training and building inspections which were implemented following the 9/11 disaster.
Industry-leading support
THE FIRE SAFETY EVENT 2019 – WHAT’S ON
The Fire Safety Event is an independent event dedicated to supporting the UK’s fire and safety industry. Featuring a powerful combination of education, networking and business support opportunities, the event has been designed to help organisations maintain the very highest standards of fire safety management. Impressive exhibitor line-up Held from 9 to 11th April at the NEC, Birmingham, The Fire Safety Event will welcome over 6000 industry visitors and host an impressive line-up of exhibitors including: Checkmate Fire Solutions, FFE, Fike Safety Technology, FirePro UK, Klaxon, Turner & Townsend, Tyco Building Services Product UK, WAGNER UK and Xtralis UK. Many exhibitors will also be hosting dynamic, specialist
demonstrations on their stands. Kingspan will demonstrate a live burn test on its insulated panel core and controlled live explosions will be conducted by leading safety storage cabinet manufacturer Asecos to help demonstrate the robustness of its chemical storage cabinets.
World-class seminar programme Alongside the exhibition itself, The Fire Safety event offers 60 hours of free-to-attend
CPD-certified content with its on-site seminar programme. Curated and delivered in partnership with Fire & Security Matters magazine, the seminar programme will cover and challenge critical topics in fire safety management today. In the wake of the Grenfell Tower Fire disaster, Dame Judith Hackitt will explore her Independent Review of Building Regulation and Fire Safety as well as provide an overview of key recommendations
The 2019 Fire Safety Event will welcome back many of its supporting partners from previous years, including; The Fire Protection Association, Association for Specialist Fire Protection, Fire & Security Association, Institution of Fire Engineers, Institute of Fire Safety Managers, British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association, Electrical Contractors’ Association, Independent Fire Engineering and Distributors Association, Rail Industry Fire Association, BAFE, Association of Insurance Surveyors and SSAIB. Dominic Louks of the FPA commented: “We are delighted to be taking part in the Fire Safety Event 2019, a dynamic and fast-growing industry event, that brings together authoritative content from leading industry experts alongside manufacturers, suppliers and service providers. The fire sector is currently experiencing heightened awareness, so I am sure these three days are not to be missed.” The Fire Safety Event is also seen as a crucial gathering point by many supporting associations. On 9th April, NAHFO will welcome its members to its free networking event, beginning with a private drinks reception and followed by a CPD-certified educational seminar.
Even more value from your visit Co-located with The Health & Safety Event, The Facilities Event and the Security Event, The Fire Safety Event is a mustattend for anyone who has a focus on improving life safety, business continuity and business protection for their organisation.
www.firesafetyevents.com/ event
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Technical Focus
across all the pre-fabricated panels and the considerable amount of detailing required for the returns for the overhanging soffits, interfacing with the glazed V-end elevations.”
Precision manufacturing
SHACKERLEY HELPS LOCAL AUTHORITY REALISE VISION
Project: Vision Tameside Location: Greater Manchester Facade systems: Shackerley
Vision Tameside is an ambitious three-phase development programme that will transform further education provision and local authority services in the Greater Manchester Metropolitan Borough of Tameside. Phase two has just been completed, combining a new advanced skills centre for Tameside College with a Joint Services Centre for Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and its partners, within a striking contemporary development. The scheme incorporates an existing Grade II Listed facade and references this architectural context in its specification. Mark Clasper, E xplains Director from Ryder Architecture: “The Vision Tameside project is located in Ashton-underLyne; a town with a rich industrial heritage and an urban landscape that features many 19th-century architectural treasures. “For the Vision Tameside phase two project, the goal was to preserve and reference this traditional civic inheritance while creating a distinctly modern building.” The result is a striking V-shaped building that adjoins the restored 19th-century facade of the former Waterboard Building. It combines glazed elevations with the Shackerley SureClad ventilated facade system in a polished, highlyreflective white ceramic granite.
A new landmark Replacing the council’s former main administration building on the same site, the development
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will provide a 7000m2 Advanced Skills Centre for Tameside College and a new Joint Public Service Centre that offers a more cost-effective and customer-friendly building for Tameside MBC. The development is part of an asset optimisation strategy for Tameside MBC that will help the council address the administrative needs of a 21st-century community while managing operational costs more effectively and this has been dovetailed with Tameside College’s ambitions for offering improved and broader provision for students. Glazed elevations create a feeling of openness at street level and for the front elevations at the top of either side of the ‘V’. Meanwhile, solid elevations of polished white ceramic granite for each diagonal elevation of the V, both reference the
colour palette of the local heritage buildings and manage the potential solar gain of the building, contributing to lower energy consumption and operational costs. “We had used the Shackerley SureClad system on a number of previous projects, including the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, the Northumbria Police Headquarters and the Grimsby Institute,” Mark Clasper continues, “so we knew it would deliver the high-quality finish we needed for the building, while offering a durable installation thanks to the robust properties of ceramic granite and the buildability advantages of the Queen’s Award-winning SureClad Access installation system. “We also knew that Shackerley would be able to accommodate the design challenges of the cladding specification and provide consistently high quality
Cladding specialist, FK Group, was contracted to provide the design and installation expertise for the cladding elements of the project. Explains Mark Woodhouse, Project Designer at FK Group: “Vision Tameside phase two continues an established relationship with both Shackerley and Ryder Architecture spanning numerous projects. “For this scheme, while the main ventilated cladding elevations could be installed with standard 1200 x 600mm ceramic panels in high-gloss artic white, the number of interfaces with windows, glazed lower elevations and the overhanging soffit that creates a narrow fin effect surrounding the glazed facade of each ‘V’-end demanded a high number of bespoke details. The Shackerley team was really helpful when it came to working with us to ensure each item was precision-cut and pre-fabricated to meet our needs.” Not only were the fins of the overhanging soffit extremely thin to create a refinement and elegance for the glazed elevations at the V-ends, but the vertical fins slope gradually as they descend the building, creating a fin that is wider at the top. Mark Woodhouse continues: “For some of the details, the exact gradient of the panel was absolutely critical, and Shackerley’s in-house manufacturing capabilities at its ISO 9001 quality assured manufacturing facility in Lancashire played a vital role in ensuring every element of the facade fitted perfectly on site.” In addition to the overhanging soffits, the facade design for the Vision Tameside phase two project also had to take account of potential deflection due to the design of the building. “There are extended floor slab spans between the support columns of the steel-framed structure and we also had to factor in live loads from people and furniture following
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Technical Focus
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completion to calculate the potential deflection considerations for the cladding installation,” Mark Woodhouse continues. “Rather than an 8mm tolerance between panels, the deflection requirements called for a 14mm tolerance, and the SureClad system provided us with the flexibility we needed to achieve this.”
Sustainable specification FK Group worked closely with Shackerley to ensure prefabrication of the panels was aligned to the installation schedule. Non-sequential installation, which is an optional benefit of the SureClad Access system, also meant that the
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FK Group team could work around other trades, providing flexibility on site. Specification of the SureClad ceramic granite facade system will also provide substantial benefits for Tameside MBC and Tameside College in terms of the facade’s long-term performance and aesthetics. “One of the advantages of specifying the SureClad system from a sustainability point of view is that it will not only match the service life of the building, but it will also retain its high-end appearance over time,” comments Mark Clasper. “In a public sector environment, in particular, specification according to best
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value principles where whole life costs are core to decisionmaking is critical to meeting the client’s brief.” An exceptionally hard material that scores 8 on the MOHS scale – comparable to tungsten and twice as hard as quartz – ceramic granite is impermeable, and its zero porosity ensures facades are resistant to climatic conditions, including everything from blazing hot sun through to rain, sleet and snow at sub-zero temperatures. Shackerley’s SureClad ceramic granite system also complies with all international standards for freeze-thaw resistance and is resistant to algae growth, discolouration and graffiti.
“It’s also reassuring to know that the SureClad ceramic granite system we have specified for the Vision Tameside project is non-combustible to Class A1 in accordance with BS EN 13501-1,” Mark Clasper adds, “underpinning safety for this public building.”
Next phase Phase two of the Vision Tameside scheme has now been completed. Phase three will then be delivered, comprising the redevelopment of Tameside College’s existing Beaufort Road Campus to provide accommodation that matches the facilities in the phase one and two new builds.
www.shackerley.com
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Maintenance & Preservation
Project: Nene Bridge Location: Peterborough Building material company: Aggregate Industries
CARRYING THE LOAD ON ‘FIRST OF ITS KIND’ NENE BRIDGE REPAIR Strengthening its position as the go-to supplier for complex renovations, Aggregate Industries’ unique Lytacrete solution has played a pivotal role in the £5m structural refurbishment of Nene Bridge in Peterborough. over the C onstructed River Nene in the 1970s, Nene Bridge is an award-winning structure, iconic for its V-shaped pier. As a major traffic route, it provides access to vehicles travelling from the A1 to A47, as well as pedestrians and cyclists going between the north and south of the city. The bridge is currently undergoing extensive refurbishment, including reinforcing the bridge piers and replacing bearings, as part of a repair programme being carried out by Skanska. Recent inspections of the bridge revealed signs of structural distress to the bearings and cracking to the saddles of the piers. Traditional methods of replacing the bearings were not possible because the ornate architectural design of the original piers did not allow space on top of the piers for jacks to be positioned beneath the superstructure replacing the bearings. In addition, jacking points were not provided within the box girders. As such, the designers at Skanska considered various options for replacing the bearings and strengthening the piers, whilst remaining sympathetic to the appearance of the original piers. This led them to develop the solution of encasing the piers in reinforced concrete jackets, to strengthen the piers and also
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to provide jacking platforms for the superstructure lifted to enable the bearings to be replaced. For this solution to work, the concrete used in the jackets needed to be strong enough to strengthen the piers and to carry the jacking loads, self-compacting, to flow around the dense reinforcement, and lightweight, to minimise the additional load on the foundations. As the first bridge repair of its kind in the UK to deploy this method, Aggregate Industries suggested the use of Lytacrete, a concrete mix
using the innovative lightweight secondary aggregate, Lytag, which can effectively reduce the dead load by approximately 25% over normal weight control, while offering the same level of structural performance. Throughout the project, Lytacrete was placed around the piers and, owing to its high strength and self-compacting nature, this meant the mixture needed to be free-flowing to ensure it could be placed around the complex and congested steel reinforcement. As a result, the solution proved ideal for strengthening the pier
as well as maintaining its unique V-shaped design. The concrete can also withstand the jacking of the deck of the bridge to replace the bearings – a core process of the refurbishment. Over the next 12 months, Aggregate Industries’ robust delivery framework will also ensure all concrete arrives on time and to the exact specification to ensure the concrete is available to surround, rebar and form the required shape. Simon Wycherley, General Manager at Aggregate Industries, comments: “We’re incredibly proud to be involved in the repair works of Nene Bridge, the first project of its kind to use our Lytacrete solution in this way. Coupled with our on-site technical expertise, we hope our innovative concrete solution ensures this iconic structure lasts the test of time.” Dan Wood, Site Manager for Skanska Infrastructure Services, said: “Lytacrete has performed well on the Nene Bridge bearings project, successfully flowing around the complex steel reinforcement to form the unique geometry required. I would like to thank Aggregate Industries for taking on board feedback and working with Skanska to refine the mix design to suit the bridge’s unique requirements.”
www.aggregate.com
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Building Access, Security Solutions & Safety
EXTRA SAFETY FOR EXTRA CARE
Extra safety has been incorporated into an extra care housing development for over-55s, courtesy of GEZE UK. smoke ventilation A natural system which combines automated smoke and heat extraction has been installed into Lawson House – a new independent living facility in Aylesford, Kent. A total of 16 GEZE RWA 110 NT window actuators were installed in pairs throughout the corridors of the three-
storey building which is managed by Rapport Housing & Care. These incorporate an electric spindle drive which is coupled with a mechanical locking mechanism. Eight K600 retractable arm drives were installed for the activation of automated smoke shaft doors. The shafts support the ventilation of protected areas
in buildings used for multiple occupation. Should fire break out, the smoke vents would activate to expel accumulating heat and smoke efficiently. All the actuators have been connected to 14 THZ emergency power supplies which link into smoke detection devices around the development.
Lawson House, which was designed by the Essex office of the Tooley & Foster partnership, was developed for affordable rent with 20 of the 74, one- and two-bedroom apartments made available for military veterans. Willis Architectural was commissioned to install the ventilation and safety system and identified the GEZE RWA 110 NT solution as being ideal for Lawson House’s requirements. Extra care, which is often referred to as assisted living, enables over 55s to remain in their own homes for as long as possible within the community, whilst providing them with a degree of support, tailored to their individual needs. A safe and secure environment is assisted with staff on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, should an emergency arise. The apartments each have a kitchen, dining room, living room and en-suite accessible wetrooms. They are fitted with a call bell system and have provision for a phone line, terrestrial as well as satellite television. Communal facilities include landscaped gardens, a restaurant with sunroom and terrace, lounge and seating areas including quiet areas, an activity room and a hair salon and therapy room. Said Andy Howland, Sales and Marketing Director for GEZE UK: “It is heartwarming to see good quality social housing being developed for older people in our communities that incorporate great facilities with good practice in respect of safety. “We would like to welcome the residents of Lawson House to their new homes and hope that they will delight in the amenities and services on offer and enjoy the community which will create a sense of extended family.” Jill Stanley, Housing Officer at Lawson House, added: “We are delighted that Lawson House has been so successful since opening its doors in September. The scheme is now full with a waiting list in place, and for those that live here, it has proven to be an incredibly positive move, even life-changing for some. We are looking forward to echoing this in our new similar developments.”
www.geze.co.uk
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FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit: www.kopperspc.eu Email: kpc@koppers.eu Call: +44 (0)1628 486644 Fax: +44 (0)1628 476757 Protim Solignum Limited, Fieldhouse Lane Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1LS ™ Protim Solignum Limited trading as Koppers Performance Chemicals. Koppers is a registered Trademark of Koppers Delaware, Inc. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in this document, Protim Solignum Limited gives no undertaking to that effect and no responsibility can be accepted for reliance on this information. Information will be updated when the need arises. Please ensure you have an up to date copy. All products are produced by independently owned and operated wood processing facilities. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Koppers Performance Chemicals, Protim Solignum Limited, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1LS. Visit: www.kopperspc.eu, Email: kpc@koppers.eu, Call: +44 (0)1628 486644, Fax: +44 (0)1628 476757. Registered in England 3037845. © Copyright 2018.
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Seek fee-earning work as a qualified adjudicator RICS Diploma in Adjudication Develop the skills and knowledge you need to successfully apply the law of adjudication to the construction industry. The RICS Diploma in Adjudication in Construction has been designed to provide you with the necessary in-depth knowledge of the legal principles and how to apply these to the adjudication process.
Find out more and enrol on the course t +44 (0)2476 868 584 e drstraining@rics.org w rics.org/adjudication
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HVAC/HVP
Evinox comments on changes to hot water services in NHBC Standards for 2019 The NHBC recently announced the launch of its 2019 Standards, which became effective 1st January 2019. The standards apply to all properties with foundations laid on or after that date. Evinox is happy to see some updates to ‘hot water services’ in the new standards, where changes have been made to some
been reduced from the previous 60ºC to 55ºC, which is in line with the delivery temperature that was selected for the majority of heat networks, during the last year. Helen Gibbons, Evinox Technical and Design Manager, comments: “This change to the outlet temperature is a very positive development as it will enable district and communal heating system flow temperatures to be reduced, something which is especially important for the growth of fourth-generation heat networks in the UK. In addition, the lowered DHW temperature combined with the new table in the NHBC standard for simultaneous hot water use will give design engineers the confidence to reduce the kW demand for individual properties, something which will improve both efficiency and cost of UK heat networks.” Helen continued: “Whilst we are very happy to see that the required temperature from the kitchen outlet has been lowered to 55ºC for 2019, we do hope to see this further reduced to 50ºC for heat network developments using instantaneous DHW heat interface units in the near future.”
www.evinoxenergy.co.uk info@evinox.co.uk 01372 722277
of the flow rates and supply temperatures at the outlets. For example, the supply temperature at the kitchen sink has
BoilerMag invests in state-of-the-art filtration testing facility Altecnic donation helps apprentices at Leeds College of Building Heating and plumbing apprentices at Leeds College of Building are getting hands-on experience using industrystandard plumbing and heating components thanks to Altecnic’s donation of products. The company provided 15mm and 22mm unvented inlet composite valves, tundishes and handy toolboxes for the students. Says Paul Guise, Curriculum Manager for plumbing apprentices: “The donation means that our students can install, commission and adjust a mixing valve giving them a practical and technical understanding of its purpose and operation. Altecnic have invested in the future of our industry in a very real and practical way.”
www.altecnic.co.uk sales@altecnic.co.uk 01785 218200
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BoilerMag has opened a brand-new testing facility to carry out sophisticated filtration analysis for central heating system filters. Located at BoilerMag’s Sheffield HQ, this state-of-the-art laboratory will provide customers with performance guarantees for flow rates, contamination levels and filter efficiency. The quarter-of-a-millionpound investment has enabled BoilerMag to incorporate a fully automated PLC controlled test rig, including laser particle counters and digital pressures differential gauges pre- and post-filter, as well as real-time data logging. Strict testing criteria means that BoilerMag can provide architects and specifiers with detailed data on the performance of magnetic heating system filters with regard to HVAC pressure drops and flow rates.
www.boilermag.com
service@boilermag.com
0114 225 0600
Consort Claudgen launches heaters with safety monitoring feature Consort Claudgen has introduced a safety monitoring feature which will identify overheating, fan failure and certain electronic faults, in its PLSTiE electronic timer heater range. This feature helps diagnose a problem occurring in the heater and prevents high surface temperatures that could lead to risks of burn injuries. When the safety monitoring identifies a fault, the heat is switched off, and the heater will beep at different intervals depending on the problem. Users can then follow clear instructions in dealing with the fault from the manual provided with the heater. The PLSTiE range also includes two new compact heaters with 500W and 750W ratings.
www.consortepl.com
01646 692172
sales@consortepl.com
Three join sales team at Vortice The Vortice sales team has welcomed three new recruits; Colin McNally, formerly involved in passive fire protection and underfloor heating, Darren Clare, who has a background in ventilation, and Gary Williams, who previously worked in the wholesale sector. Offering a complete project management approach, the Vortice sales team works closely with all its customers to offer technical help and advice and the internal sales team then ensures that the products are delivered at the right stage of the project. The new team enhances the ongoing advice and support by the head office technical team which can produce a fully compliant design and quotation service.
www.vortice.ltd.uk technical@vortice.ltd.uk 01283 492949
The EU’s F-gas regulation has accelerated the phase-down of HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) refrigerants. It is therefore incumbent on manufacturers to offer equipment that works with new environmentally-friendly refrigerants, according to Johnson Controls. Christian Rudio, Director of Portfolio Management, Europe, advised: “Building and consulting engineers and contractors demand highly efficient, environmentally-friendly chillers with minimal ozone depletion potential (ODP). YORK engineers questioned every component, analysed every function and challenged every assumption. The result is the YORK YZ Magnetic Bearing Centrifugal Chiller – the first chiller that is fully optimised for ultimate performance with a next-generation low-GWP (global warming potential) refrigerant, delivering superior real-world performance, lower cost of ownership and a new definition of sustainability.”
HVAC/HVP
Johnson Controls advises over chiller refrigerant choice
www.johnsoncontrols.com
Consort Claudgen launches BIM library Consort Claudgen has launched its first BIM (Building Information Modelling) objects which include panel heaters, fan heaters, recessed ceiling heaters and air curtains. Architects and specifiers can now access the BIM models for their BIM projects from Consort Claudgen’s website or the NBS National BIM Library. The objects are authored and developed to the trusted NBS BIM Objects Standard and are free to download in both Revit and IFC format. The BIM objects featured in the NBS National BIM Library also includes technical details such as dimensions, ratings, insulation standard classes and electrical specifications to aid architects and specifiers in their design process.
www.consortepl.com/bim-modelling 01646 692172 sales@consortepl.com
Testing in progress...
From Durability and Aesthetics, Structural and Mechanical testing to Weather Resistance and Fenestration Security assessments, BBA experts test products to make sure they meet the highest industry standards. When testing construction components and systems as safe and fit-forpurpose, don’t cut corners. Go to the experts. Works of passion. Built on integrity. Tested by the best. Contact our dedicated team on testing@bbacerts.co.uk, T: 01923 665300 or visit our website www.bbacerts.co.uk/test-services to learn more.
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Doors, Windows & Cladding
Black is the new black It is interesting how design trends are quickly mirrored across the world. A few years ago, for example, lifestyle and interior design magazines were all about plain white walls, hard surfaces and minimal furniture. Today, heavier materials are being revitalised and darker colours are being used in more and more projects.
This movement has been explored in detail by Troldtekt in its latest theme, which can be read via www.troldtekt.com/News/Themes/ Black-is-the-new-black. The theme explores how this trend has permeated through every aspect of architecture and design. In a short space of time, Troldtekt has seen a steep rise in the specification of its woodwool acoustic panels in dark greys and black. From residential houses in Denmark, hotel and resorts in Macau, music venues in the Netherlands to London’s new iconic Design Museum, black acoustic ceilings have been used to add to the ambience and enhance atmospheric design. In the Design Museum, John Pawson and Dutch architect firm OMA have extensively used darker colours for the wood-wool panelling culminating in black at Parabola, the stunning restaurant at the top of the museum. These high-performance panels absorb the sounds of noisy dining and chatter together with the echoes and reverberations caused by the hard surfaces and large glazed areas. Furnished with blue-stained ash tables and chairs, the restaurant offers views of Holland Park and into the central atrium topped by the dramatic exposed roof structure.
www.troldtekt.co.uk info@troldtekt.co.uk 01978 664255
Shelforce – saving local authorities money Shelforce specialises in providing high-quality products to local authority building projects, including social housing around the country. The company, which is situated on the outskirts of Erdington, is Birmingham City Council’s chosen manufacturer of choice and the company has a reputation for providing quality products for local authority projects and finishing them on time and within budget. For local authorities that want to save money, Shelforce’s Eurocell Eurologik profile system not only offers high performance but huge value for money too. The advanced six-chambered system and innovative PVC-U Thermal Inserts work together to lock in heat which maximises thermal performance making the window incredibly energy-efficient. This means that a cheaper glass unit can be used, and the window will still achieve an ‘A+’ energy rating. The slim, six-chambered outer frame costs no more than the standard Eurologik
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outer frame too, so there is no cost barrier to installing the highest energy efficiencyrated profiles. Sustainability is also a big consideration for Shelforce, and the company uses new profiles made from recycled material from unwanted PVC-U frames thanks to Eurocell’s very own recycling plant. All the above are why Shelforce’s Business Manager, Howard Trotter, believes the company is such an attractive proposition for local authorities. “The local authority market is perfect for us for a number of reasons,” said Howard. “Councils are always looking at how they can save money, and we can do that for them thanks to our quality, delivery and price. This value engineering means that the money saved can then go straight back into the local authority to be reinvested elsewhere.”
www.shelforce.com shelforcesales@birmingham.gov.uk 0121 603 5262
Doors, Windows & Cladding
Change is in the air Following the tragic events of the Grenfell disaster, a greater understanding began to emerge regarding the lack of a holistic approach to fire safety and the evident shortcomings of custom and practice, where the cheapest solution took precedence over properly certified and tested fire-safe product solutions, such as fire doors and fire door assemblies. For specifiers struggling to evaluate fire door solutions in this changing world, especially in respect to residential high-rise and complex buildings, it is comforting to know that Vicaima fire performance products offer a benchmark to the industry, with exceptional test evidence and incorporating key elements of Hackitt’s recommendations that less enlightened manufacturers have yet to adopt. Third-party accreditation is assured, as Vicaima adheres to not one but two nationally recognised and highly reputable bodies to verify the performance of its products, namely BWF-Certifire and BM TRADA Q-Mark. In each case, traceability is always visible with the use of tamperevident labels and plastic plugs to provide a clear understanding of fire rating and, of course, origin of manufacture.
This simple but effective marking, alongside a detailed inkjet stamp system to identify exact date of manufacture, enables Vicaima to establish complete control of its products throughout their lifecycle. Of course, the fire door in itself does not provide the complete solution, this can only be achieved with compatible and rigorously tested components, including the correct frame and ironmongery. This is why alongside fire doors, Vicaima also manufactures an extensive range of doorset and kit solutions to create a complete, fully tested assembly via its EasiFit and Portaro brands.
www.vicaima.com info@vicaima.com 01793 532333
The Window Company (Contracts) expands again The G-18 window and door Installer of the Year has extended its premises yet again to keep pace with its continuing expansion. The Window Company (Contracts) has now more than trebled the size of its Chelmsford facility since it first won the ‘Installer of the Year’ title back in November 2014. The latest office extension will accommodate a growing contracts management team, who are responsible for commercial installation projects across London and the South East. The Window Company (Contracts) installs around 600 windows per week in PVC-U, aluminium and timber. Because it is entirely independent of any single supplier, it routinely advises clients on the most appropriate material or system for every project.
www.thewinco.co.uk
thornton@thewinco.co.uk
01245 268120
Crittall Fendor’s security and specialist glazing expertise on show Crittall Fendor will be showcasing Europe’s largest range of specialist mental health fenestration for high-, mediumand low-security projects at this year’s Design in Metal Health Exhibition (stand 201). Amongst the products highlighted is the CleanVent Window. CleanVent is Crittall Fendor’s most popular sliding window and has been used extensively throughout the UK. The CleanVent window is based on the original Crittall Fendor SlideVent window which is an external sliding window system designed to provide a maximum amount of natural light and ventilation. With security considerations uppermost in mental health installations, the added features of the CleanVent allows the glazing to be cleaned quickly and easily behind the security mesh.
www.crittall-fendor.co.uk
info@crittall-fendor.co.uk
0191 417 0170
GEZE UK finds showcase a FIT GEZE UK will be providing a ‘window’ on a range of new products and solutions at the FIT Show – taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from 21st to 23rd May. GEZE UK will be demonstrating its solutions for meeting the enhanced security PAS 24 accreditation for automatic sliding doors, innovative smoke and heat ventilation and integrated natural ventilation products within its comprehensive solutions. Also on show will be GEZE’s new products including a new underfloor automatic operator for swing doors, the IST lock that allows controlled movement through a manually locked door via electronic control and FTV 320 escape door lock.
www.geze.co.uk info.uk@geze.com 01543 443000
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Landscaping & Waterproofing
Hauraton drainage systems at Bonus Arena – Hull Venue Built on brownfield land located on the edge of the main shopping district in Hull and adjacent to Princes Quay, the Bonus Arena – Hull Venue and its associated multi-storey car park were opened in August 2018. The Arena, designed by AFL Architects, is a state-of-the-art music and events complex with a flexible capacity of up to 3500
Surrounding the Bonus Arena is a public realm laid with grey stone paving and landscaped by reform Landscape Architecture Limited with trees, lawns, flowerbeds and permanent stone seating. An effective surface water drainage system was essential to ensure all-weather access to the venue. 140m of Hauraton RECYFIX PRO 100 channels with FIBRETEC heel-safe gratings were chosen for the job which blended well with the stone paving and would resist damage from applied grit rock salt in freezing weather. The material, PA-GF, used to make the FIBRETEC grating, was specially developed by Hauraton; the tough, UV-resistant, fibre reinforced moulding offers high stability and huge strength for its weight. Complying with loading category Class C250 (BS EN 1433), the grating can easily take the weight of commercial delivery vehicles. The design is a real innovation as its non-corrosive material provides a visually appealing surface finish that retains its colour. The slots are super smooth, elliptical openings with the moulded bars having slightly raised triangular bosses along their outside edges. As well as providing an elegant appearance, the feature ensures surface water is directed into the slots.
people. The facility can provide a venue for concerts or corporate conferences in an 800-seat auditorium.
www.hauraton.co.uk janine.kennedy@hauraton.co.uk 01582 501380
Resin bound gravel walkway for Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Garden Olympic and Orient welcome for Feel Good Too sports centre Olympic hockey Gold Medallist Helen Richardson-Walsh MBE opened the Feel Good Too sports centre at Ive Farm in Leyton alongside Orient Defender Sam Ling, Goalkeeper Charlie Grainger and Waltham Forest Council Leader Clare Coghill. The £11m scheme is the new home of Leyton Orient Academy and includes two floodlit all-weather pitches, a 60m running track and six volleyball courts. Access to the pavilion is via three swing gates and three huge tracked sliding gates, the largest of them 4.5m wide, that are clad with 358 fencing and form part of the walls. Fifth Studio Architects designed the innovative scheme, supplied by steel fencing manufacturer Zaun.
www.zaun.co.uk sales@zaun.co.uk 01902 796699
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Long Rake Spar was very impressed with the new resin bound decorative gravel walkway that was installed at the historic Sir Nicholas Winton Memorial Garden by Addagrip-approved installer Total Protection. The walkway was completed in May 2017, and Total Protection was responsible for laying Addagrip’s BBA-approved Terrabound product that features specialist aggregates from Long Rake Spar. The colour ‘Trent’ was chosen and applied to a circular-designed centrepiece adjacent to a pond and wooden bridge. The remainder of construction work was completed in time for the garden to open this summer, and Long Rake Spar was delighted to have been involved in a project to honour such an inspiring figure.
www.longrakespar.co.uk
grantex@longrakespar.co.uk
01629 636210
Safeguard research shows homes at risk despite damp treatment Homes throughout the UK may be at risk from rising damp despite being equipped with chemical dampproof courses (DPCs), according to research from Safeguard Europe. Laboratory tests at its research and development laboratory have proven that DPC creams with low concentrations of silicone will ultimately prove ineffective. Safeguard pitted its own high-silicone products, Dryzone Damp-Proofing Cream and Dryzone Damp-Proofing Rods, against two DPC creams that contained 20% and less than 15% silicone respectively. The results proved that low-strength creams do not create a waterproof zone as large as that produced by high-strength products such as Dryzone Damp-Proofing Cream or Dryrod Damp-Proofing Rods.
www.safeguardeurope.com
01403 210204
info@safeguardeurope.com
Public spaces full of people, not fear. Anti terror solutions that dont spread fear.
Build inner strength with Marshalls Landscape Protection. Anti-terror measures should never make the public feel more fear. This belief is at the heart of the Marshalls Landscape Protection philosophy. By integrating anti-terror protection into ‘everyday’ objects we help the public stay safe, and crucially feel safe every time they visit your space. Learn more and see the full range at marshalls.co.uk/landscapeprotection
Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Another plastering product was initially specified at the outset; however, sub-contractor Dual Interiors requested the specification be changed to Knauf Airless Finish spray plaster
KNAUF AIRLESS FINISH WOWS AT NEW SIR ROBERT OGDEN CANCER CENTRE Knauf Airless Finish, part of the Knauf Readymixed Finishes range (RMF), was specified on a project led by construction giant Interserve to build a new care centre for Macmillan Cancer Support and South Tees Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Northallerton, Yorkshire. For such a well-known client, it was important to design the building with the end-user in mind – in this case, it would have to be somewhere that would feel calming for visitors experiencing an incredibly challenging time in their lives. new building T heshowcases some striking architectural features, such as curved walls and fibreglass finishes. Martin Anderson from P+HS Architects explained: “We’ve been working on this project for several years now, taking the time to ensure this will be a truly exceptional building.” Another plastering product was initially specified at the outset; however, sub-contractor Dual Interiors requested the specification be changed to Knauf Airless Finish spray plaster, part of the RMF range. Joe Graham, Manager at Dual Interiors, explained: “We looked at the different options available and decided using Knauf was the most costeffective option for this project as well as producing a very highquality end result as opposed to traditional plastering methods.”
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Architect, Martin Anderson, commented: “Although the original specification was changed, we didn’t have a problem with this as we were already familiar with Knauf and the quality of their products. We hadn’t used this specific product before; however, we were very excited to see the end result.” Knauf Airless Finish was used throughout the building in an area covering more than 7000m2. Site Manager/Owner, John Graham at Dual interiors, said: “It provides better quality by a mile, and it’s saved us a lot of time when it comes to snagging issues. After mist coating, this product produces a snag-free, quality finish first time. “Additional savings can be achieved as the need for both a mist coat and a first coat
through of joints on finished walls even where there are large areas of glazing on very light sunny days. “The product is highly sustainable as it requires no water. It does not cause overspray unlike traditional spray plaster products – in all; it is a very clean and easy product to use. “Interserve management has been very impressed with the exceptional quality of finish and proposed use of the product on future projects because of its environmental credentials and ease of use. On the whole, it’s definitely much better than other products we’ve tried.” The productivity benefits of spray-applied plaster are most prevalent where there is a lot of repetitive plasterwork required. For every 27 minutes of work, contractors are getting an extra 100m2 of productivity. Knauf Airless Finish is applied using a spray plaster machine and hopper. At the Sir Robert Ogden Cancer Centre in Northallerton, Dual Interiors used a machine loaned from Knauf’s distributor Nevill Long; however, the company is looking to procure a machine themselves for the next time they use Knauf Airless Finish.
finish is eliminated. The product performs especially well with high-specification paints such as vinyl silks as there is no flash
The new building showcases some striking architectural features, such as curved walls and fibreglass finishes
www.knauf.co.uk ctutt@knauf.co.uk 01795 424499
LEVATO MONO
Porcelain paving system and coordinating internal tiling Surface 360, formally The Deck Tile Co, has 130+ colours and finishes in their Levato Mono 20mm porcelain paving tile ranges. Plus create a seamless visual transition between internal and external spaces with coordinating interior 10mm porcelain tiling.
• For both residential & commercial use. • Ideal for balconies, roof terraces, garden decking and piazzas. • Various sized 20mm thick porcelain tiles. • An eternal zero maintenance product - offering over-life savings.
• Timber, stone & cementitious effects. • ‘Floating floor’ – installation over single ply membranes. • Height adjustable/slope correcting support system: 9mm - 550mm. • Lightweight – 45kgs per m2.
INTRODUCING OUR NEW WEBSITE: WWW.SURFACE360.CO.UK
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Highly abrasion and stain resistant. Highly slip resistant: R11 (ABC). High load bearing. Impact resistant. Completely non porous. Frost proof.
Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Fine acoustics help to deliver world-class school A new state-of-the-art primary school has opened its doors giving the community of Wellesley, Aldershot, a modern and sustainable, purpose-built learning facility. Marking a £10.6m investment, the Hampshire County Council (HCC)-designed school strives to provide an excellent start to a child’s learning. Heradesign Superfine from Knauf AMF offers a positive contribution to this vision by helping to create a healthy acoustic environment. Over time, the school will provide 420 places for pupils, therefore, reducing the impact of noise in the new facility was an important consideration in the school’s design. Renowned for its excellent sound absorption properties, 700m2 of Heradesign Superfine was specified by the architects in nine classrooms and two halls, in a ‘Natural’ colour. Heradesign is a range of ceiling tiles and wall absorbers manufactured from sustainably sourced wood-wool with a unique, organic aesthetic that can be made to match any colour as ceilings, fins, rafts and wall absorbers to help create visually stimulating interiors. Thanks to
the technologically-advanced mineral wool core, Heradesign demonstrates exceptional sound absorption which makes it suitable for a variety of environments, from schools and leisure buildings through to offices and hospitals. Working on behalf of main contractor Osborne, Broadsword Group installed the ceiling tiles within the classrooms and halls. Paul Harris of Broadsword comments: “We have been using Knauf AMF products for many years now and find their systems to be so easy to install. Not only do they offer superb levels of sound insulation, aesthetically they offer a great finish!”
www.knaufamf.com info@knaufamf.co.uk 0191 518 8600
Designer Contracts provides ‘makeover magic’ at Chesterfield hospice
Triple role for Magply in passive build coach houses The development of a garden city in Bicester is including a large number of homes built and certified to the Passivhaus standard, with the specialist company involved making use of Magply boards for three separate roles. At Graven Hill, Beattie Passive has established a ‘flying factory’ on site to fabricate panels and modules for various properties; including terraces, while the detached coach houses are being stick-built. One of these will feature two bedrooms, flexible living spaces and an integral garage behind rendered elevations. The 9mm Magply boards supplied have been specified to offer 90 minutes fire resistance as well as racking strength, acoustic insulation and as the render backing board.
www.magply.co.uk sales@magply.co.uk 01621 776252
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Designer Contracts is to provide more ‘makeover magic’ at Ashgate Hospice. Following the complete makeover of the Chesterfield hospice’s family room earlier this year, the company is to redesign and refurbish three counselling rooms at the hospice. Said Peter Kelsey, MD at Designer Contracts: “We were delighted to help out at the hospice which plays a vital role in the local community but couldn’t survive without significant support. As a result of updating the family room, we’ve received wonderful feedback from patients and their families and are thrilled to help continue the new interior theme into three counselling rooms next year.”
www.designercontracts.com enquiries@designercontracts.com 01246 854577
Take the strain out of stain removal with Crown Trade As regular and rigorous cleaning can wear away the paint finish and leave decor looking tired, Crown Trade’s market-leading Clean Extreme Stain Resistant Scrubbable paints are providing specifiers with the perfect solution to reducing maintenance requirements and helping surfaces retain that ‘just-decorated’ appeal for longer. The high-performance formulation of Crown Trade’s Clean Extreme Stain Resistant Scrubbable Matt and Acrylic Eggshell offers exceptional durability, combining the dual benefits of helping to prevent stains from forming on the paint surface and being able to withstand regular cleaning by minimising the amount of paint film that is removed each time.
www.crownpaintspec.co.uk
info@crownpaintspec.co.uk
0330 024 0310
Daylighting takes off at Heathrow Curtain wall engineer and Kalwall distributor Structura has recently completed a challenging but fascinating ‘replace and refurbishment’ project at Heathrow’s T4. This was in conjunction with structural engineer Webb Yates for a scheme designed by architect firm Pascall+Watson. The project proved so successful that main contractor Balfour Beatty named Structura as its ‘Most Promising New Supplier 2018’.
Cladding creates a calming appearance The new state-of-the-art 65-bed Cygnet Hospital mental health facility in Maidstone has been clad in Abet Laminati’s MEG exterior grade laminate. Purpose-built to meet the latest national specifications for improving mental health within a therapeutic environment, the hospital will provide an important and muchneeded service for local patients.
800m2 of exterior grade MEG cladding in a 754 Padouk Soft finish were installed by Rhino Exteriors across various elevations. MEG was chosen as it carries a BBA Agrément Certificate and, most importantly, F1 panels
Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Replacing ageing glass rooflights originally installed in the 1980s, 1750m2 of Kalwall Skyroof cladding is being used above the terminal’s international departure lounge and check-in desks. Fully ASAID-compliant with regards to blast performance, Kalwall improves the solar control and insulation to the space below. In this project, its inherent strength in a lightweight frame means the existing substrate could be adapted and reused – saving £7m in project costs and more than a year from the build programme. The whole retrofit was completed externally in ‘engineering hours’ using a bespoke moving scaffold, meaning there was no disruption to the inside of the building. Kalwall offers complete line-of-sight protection, maintaining privacy for the security screening area and departure lounges while bathing the interior with diffused daylighting, regardless of the weather. Apart from providing visual protection, its inherent strength and heavy-duty impact resistance make it ideal for secure locations such as this. It offers the highest protection in terms of wind-borne debris and resistance to impact, abrasion and point loads. Not only is it also safe to walk on but Kalwall also achieves S:AA (BS 476 part 3) and Broof (t4) to EN 13501 Part 5 for external fire performance.
www.structura-uk.com/kalwall kalwall@structura.co.uk 01233 501504
from 6mm and thicker are rated Class B-s1, d0. This makes them fully compliant for all non-residential applications and up to 18m high for residential schemes. This scheme is a perfect example of high-performance MEG in action where the need for high performance and durability is married up with low lifecycle costs and aesthetic design. The range comprises 58 colours and 31 woodgrains together with five concreteand metal-effect finishes. MEG is also able to incorporate Abet’s digital printing technology. This means that almost any design, photograph or pattern can be reproduced in stunning detail to give architects and designers unparalleled freedom to create unusual and dramatic building facades. MEG is a self-supporting high-pressure laminate (HPL) for cladding the exterior of buildings, balconies and other applications. It features high resistance to temperature, climate shock, weathering, UV light and impact. Furthermore, its chemical-resistant nature and closed structure do not allow paint in spray cans, various inks, emulsion paints, lipstick or pastel paints to penetrate into the decorative layer.
uk.abetlaminati.com sales@abet.ltd.uk 0207 473 6915
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Focus & Innovation
New guide aims to demystify drain and sewer lining New videos from Keraflo detail the advantages of Tanktronic SCV
A new technical guide has been created to explain best practice in the use of no-dig sewer and drain lining. The guide, from drainage specialist Lanes Group, also explains the pros and cons of the main lining techniques available to construction and maintenance contractors. The guide explains the principles behind cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) installation, and the three main techniques available – ultraviolet (UV) light CIPP, hot water CIPP and ambient CIPP. All three techniques involve the insertion of a liner – made from felt or flexible glass-reinforced plastic. A resin, or chemical catalyst, impregnated in the liner is then cured to create a tough, waterproof pipe-within-a-pipe. The guide – Lanes Best Practice: relining – is the latest in a series of guides about drainage issues published by Lanes. Other topics include surface water flooding, drainage for logistics and distribution centres, drainage in hospitals and healthcare environments, septic tanks and disposal of fats, oils and grease.
Two videos are now available online which highlight the advantages of Keraflo’s innovative Tanktronic Servo Ceramic Valve (SCV). The first video details sequential installation, with step-by-step captions to guide building services engineers and professional installers when fitting an SCV inside a cold water storage tank as an integral part of a Tanktronic electronic tank management system. The second video features Cistermiser and Keraflo Technical Sales Manager, Tim Harris, who presents the key features and benefits of the SCV to deliver a concise overview of the product. Connected to a Tanktronic Control Unit and incorporating Keraflo’s proven brass bodied valve with ceramic disc sealing parts, the SCV features a high torque electric motor which efficiently opens and closes the filling valve as required. Quiet in operation with low power consumption, the SCV runs a self-cleaning maintenance routine, and diagnostic functions include a data log of usage and cleaning cycles.
www.lanesfordrains.co.uk sales@lanesgroup.co.uk 0800 526488
www.ourworldiswater.co.uk info@keraflo.co.uk 0118 920 9920
GEZE UK sponsors leading architectural ironmongery award Helping manage SEND capital funding Schools can optimise the effectiveness of new Government funding for special needs by utilising expertise for specific projects. Councils have been promised an additional £250m over the next two years to provide support and facilities specifically for children with complex needs. One area potentially covered by capital funding is toilets. To help council specifiers get it right, Closomat has produced a white paper. ‘Considerations & Specification of Assisted Accessible Toilet Facilities in Educational Buildings’ in one place covers the key elements of the revised Building Bulletin 104 and BS 8300:2018. It enables specifiers to easily cross-reference their specifications and designs to ensure appropriate compliance on accessibility and special needs.
www.clos-o-mat.com info@clos-o-mat.com 0161 969 1199
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GEZE UK is sponsoring the primary award for a biennial event which celebrates the best of British architectural ironmongery specification. The ‘Winner of Winners’ award is chosen from all the category winners from the 2019 GAI/RIBA Architectural Ironmongery Specification Awards which takes place on 21st March. Held in the OXO Tower building, the event promises to be “the biggest and best awards yet”. It will be the fourth consecutive time that GEZE UK has sponsored the prestigious award which recognises an entire specification team – architectural ironmongers and architect – and highlights the synergy of the professional partnership.
www.geze.co.uk
info.uk@geze.com
01543 443000
Offsite Solutions awarded sixth bathroom pod contract for Crown Student Living Offsite Solutions has been awarded a £1.6m contract for Crown Student Living. Crown Place in Swansea will be Offsite Solutions’ sixth and largest student accommodation scheme for the developer and brings the total value of its projects for Crown Student Living to £6.8m. Offsite Solutions will manufacture 645 GRP composite bathroom pods working with Midas which is the main contractor for the £40m scheme on Swansea’s waterfront. All the bedrooms in the nine-storey development will be en-suite and furnished to a high standard. Crown Place will have shower rooms with a tileeffect wall finish, a large mirror, wall cabinet, contemporary dark bamboo-style flooring, and specially-designed access for ease of maintenance.
www.offsitesolutions.com
info@offsitesolutions.com
01278 780807
How can adjudicators ensure they remain competent to adjudicate? As an Adjudicator Nominating Body (ANB), RICS has a duty to ensure its panel of adjudicators can handle real-life practical problems, such as managing the timetable and challenging parties and dealing with allegations about conflicts of interest. In recent years, the latter problem area has been a particularly topical subject.
Focus & Innovation
It is evident that some practising adjudicators, some of which are immensely experienced and high-ranking, have not been undertaking adequate levels of CPD to ensure they remain up to speed on law and practice. Part of the problem for experienced adjudicators is that, to date, there has been a distinct dearth of genuinely high-quality CPDs available to them. CPD events which focus on adjudication have been few and far between. Much of the good training that is on offer appears to be aimed at those who aspire to become adjudicators, and who would like to get on to the panels of leading ANBs. RICS has recently introduced an adjudicator CPD and assessment regime which both tests the ability of adjudicators to discharge the role to a high standard and helps them to remain constantly up-to-date on law and practice. The RICS Adjudication Competency Programme is a rolling package of practical workshops and desktop assessments. The objective is to engage adjudicators in real-life scenarios and provide a practical learning and development environment and formal CPD. A key aim of the programme is to help adjudicators identify specific areas where they want/need to improve their knowledge and skills and address those areas immediately.
rics.org/adjcompetencies
Energy consultant selects Thermoblock for forever family home
Advanced system protects Bulgarian CRC from false alarms
When Richard Britten set about designing a brand-new home for himself and his family, he identified Marmox Thermoblock as the ideal means of tackling thermal bridging around the floor/wall junction of the near-to-zero-carbon construction solution. The location of Britten’s super-insulated property is only a few miles from the family’s current property, but centuries away in age and technology. Not only will the Cotswold stone-clad walls offer a U-value of 0.1W/m2K, but the dwelling’s hot water and negligible space heating needs will be met using a ground source heat pump. In erecting the walls, a total of 184, 100 x 600mm Thermoblocks, will be laid at the base of the 100mm-thick dense concrete blockwork outer leaf. This is separated from a similar inner leaf by a 300mm wide blown-bead filled cavity. Also, due to being supported off a concrete beam-and-block floor construction, the internal block walls will require a further 34 of the 140mm-wide units.
The headquarters of Bulgaria’s Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) will be protected by industry-leading fire systems from Advanced as part of a major refurbishment project and drive to reduce false alarms. A recent upgrade of the fire system was undertaken by Advanced partner, FireTech Engineering. The project saw Advanced’s Axis EN system installed in the building supported by smoke detectors, and Advanced’s AlarmCalm false alarm management solution. AlarmCalm is a free upgrade to Advanced software and firmware that takes advantage of the high-speed robust panels and networks to offer a best-in-class solution for managing verification and investigation delays to outputs. It allows the false alarm management strategy for a site to be refined right down to points and to take account for resident needs and area usage. It includes the AlarmCalm loop device that allows residents or trained staff to indicate whether they believe a signal in their area is due to a false alarm.
www.marmox.co.uk sales@marmox.co.uk 01634 835290
www.advancedco.com sales@advancedco.com 01670 707111
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Inspired by the American Midwest. Designed for world-class projects.
Indicative of the traditional Midwest American interior, our new hickory designs offer unique and elegant colour contrasts between the deeper heartwood of the plank and the bright outer sapwood. Available in four different colour options in a large plank format (56� x 9�), this collection will create a contemporary, yet rustic feel to any project.
Featured floor:
Achieve the iconic timber look with our new Art Select designs Karndean.com/ASW2019
01386 820104 commercial@karndean.co.uk
Vintage Hickory EW12