The Essential Building Product Review November 2016 Issue 4

review

November 2016 - Issue 4 www.ebpr.co.uk

The Essential Building Product

COMPAC Launch Six New Quartz Colours Page 27

Altro Resins Break New Ground On New Campus Page 31

5-6 Connaught Place Has Been Restored To Its Former Grandeur Page 48

Bauder Delivers First Class Roofing Solution to British Airways Page 9

Some of the colour photography used in The Essential Building Product Review is provided and paid for by contributors. The publishers do not accept liability for errors that may appear in the publication. The views expressed are not necessarily the views of the publisher. Published in association, always, with Jasper, Muz and little Ken. Food parcels gratefully accepted.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the consent of the publisher.

Published by: Link2Media Limited Editorial Office: Kingfisher’s Retreat, Dunston Business Village, Stafford Road, Dunston, Stafford ST18 9AB Tel: 01785 711591 Fax: 0845 862 8639 info@link2media.co.uk www.link2media.co.uk @Link2Media www.link2media.co.uk/facebook www.pinterest.com/link2media www.issuu.com/link2media

Contents 4

ProjectView

Project of the month - Hollo-Bolt Specified For 8-Storey Facade Sculpture

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InsideView

A closer look at two key building product groups and industry news

14 The Product Review

News, developments, product and project information for the building designer

52 RearView Front cover: Altro Resins Break New Ground On North Herts College New Campus Full story on page 31 Visit www.altro.co.uk Page 2/3 photo: A Burning Passion For Fire Full story on page 24 Visit www.spartherm.com

Reader Enquiry E-Service If you would like to receive further information about any of the products and services featured in this issue, just email us at info@link2media.co.uk, type ‘EBPR16/4’ in the email title, include the enquiry numbers of interest and your contact details. If you’d prefer to fax the information, it’s 0845 862 8639, or you can even post it to us!)

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Hollo-Bolt Specified For 8-Storey Facade Sculpture

Lindapter’s Hollo-Bolts were used to connect the eightstorey artistic facade to the western wall of Helena 57 WEST in New York. The ‘Flows Two Ways’ sculpture spans 18 by 18 metres and was designed by Stephen Glassman to complement the main entrance to the neighbouring skyscraper VIA 57 West, dubbed The Great Pyramid of Manhattan.

The monumental cladding was from a stainless steel mounting matrix to which 35 interlocking panels and 400 18m aluminium tubes were installed. The engineers needed a secure and discreet connection for the layered construction and anchoring system. The brief required a durable connection that would withstand seismic loads and extreme weather conditions. The engineers researched various connection methods which were evaluated for their ability to accommodate forces generated by wind and earthquakes.

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They concluded that the Hollo-Bolt by Lindapter was the best choice for the application because it is approved by ICC-ES for use in all seismic design categories (A-F) for resisting wind loads and seismic loads. After contacting the Lindapter technical department, American Signcrafters used 250 stainless steel Hollo-Bolts to secure the components to the stainless steel grid.

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Using the Hollo-Bolts resulted in a discreet architectural finish, which complemented the design of the sculpture. Moreover, the high strength long lasting materials ensured that the connection would out-live the other parts of the facade, avoiding unnecessary maintenance. Moreover, eliminating the need for onsite drilling and welding allowed a convenient, quick and easy installation, without area closures or damaging the metal components.

Visit www.lindapter.com to download the Hollo-Bolt brochure.

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Keeping Children Safe From Falling Roof Tiles

According to Aviva, though extreme conditions of prolonged snow and sub-zero temperatures are quite rare in the UK there is a growing risk of storm damage.

Exposed locations in particular are more susceptible to roofing materials becoming dislodged, causing potential injury if they fall to the ground.

Large span and low pitched roofs may retain loose materials such as broken valley mortar for some time but then be carried by melting snow beyond the gutter line. On steeper pitches, débris is more likely to fall soon after becoming detached and the greater the roof overhang the bigger the risk to those below.

In situations such as school playgrounds and busy town centres the hazard is greater still, with individual insurance claims having exceeded £10,000*.

To protect against wind and snow-related damage some straightforward and timely preventative measures can pay considerable dividends, not just in winter but throughout the year. A Klober Trapac® Tile & Snow Guard will catch tile pieces and broken mortar, while allowing water to pass through its grid as snow melts. The support brackets are suitable for flat or

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profiled concrete interlocking tiles and are lightweight and easy to fit. No additional support battens are needed and individual sections are simple to connect. *Freedom of information request by the Daily Mail online – one claimant received £13,500 for injury from falling tile www.klober.co.uk

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Sarnafil Plus Supports Clients Through Regulation Change Clients and facilities managers required to meet the updated Construction Design and Management Regulations (CDM 2015) when embarking on a roof refurbishment need look no further than Sarnafil Plus, Sika Sarnafil’s flagship refurbishment offer. The Sarnafil Plus service is designed to actively support the client and the principal designer – a new role created by CDM 2015 – from survey and specification through to installation and guarantee. The principal designer takes on many of the duties of the old CDM coordinator role.

CDM 2015 states that clients are responsible for the competency of the principal designer and team working on the refurbishment, especially when it comes to health and safety.

The Sarnafil Plus team is made up of technical experts and dedicated surveyors to help the client through this process. In addition, the system will be installed by a Sarnafil Plus Contractor. A guarantee is awarded at the satisfactory completion of the refurbishment, ensuring that the client is protected against unlikely problems with the roofing system. www.sarnafilplus.co.uk

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Cembrit BBA Certified Slates Provide Attractive Finish To New Housing Development Far Gosford Street in Coventry is the setting of many historic stories, from the banishment of Henry IV that lead to the Wars of the Roses in 1398 to the vivid stories of the night of the November blitz in 1940.

Now, it features a new gated community, comprising 30 three and four bedroom mews style houses. Coventry– based building and development company, Harrabin Construction Limited worked with roofing specialist, Russell Roofing Ltd on this project. Specified for its high-quality smooth finish, the slates allowed the contractor to complete the project in a timely fashion, due to the material not needing to be graded and sorted.

Jutland slates feature a smooth surface and are pre-holed, square edged and lightweight.

They do not need to be graded and sorted like natural slates. Jutland slates are available in Graphite, Blue/Black, Russet and Autumn Brown colours. Jutland slates are manufactured to the highest European standards using Portland cement together with a formulation of superior blended synthetic and cellulose fibres. Cembrit fibre cement slates are finished with a high quality, semi-matt acrylic coloured coating to the face and edges and a tinted, high performance binder to the back face. www.cembrit.co.uk

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Dow Building Solutions Receives BBA Accreditation For XENERGY™ SL Dow’s XENERGY™ SL roofing insulation product has been endorsed by the British Board of Agrément (BBA), which provides a recognised symbol of quality and reassurance for the construction industry. It follows Dow’s recent success in becoming the first company to attain a coveted Green Guide Rating A+ by BRE Global for XENERGY™ SL, and the only XPS manufacturer to achieve this internationally recognised certificate.

XENERGY™ SL is a flame-retarded, XPS roof insulation product, which achieves significantly improved lambda insulation performance delivering a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of less than five. By using CO2 as the blowing agent and adding infra-red blocking particles to scatter and reflect heat radiation within the foam board used for XENERGY™ SL, lambda values have been decreased by up to 11%.

The result is reduced heat transfer during winter to keep a building warm, as well helping to keep it cool in the summer.

Chris Gimson, Head of Commercial at Dow Building Solutions, said: “We are very proud that XENERGY™ SL has been endorsed by the BBA. The BBA certification provides yet more evidence of the quality of our product and further assurance for the construction industry that XENERGY™ SL will deliver all the benefits that Dow promises.”

XENERGY™ SL is manufactured at Dow’s production facility in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, where a wind turbine is used to generate renewable energy for the company’s manufacturing processes. This has resulted in a 13 percent decrease in the site’s electricity bill and contributes to Dow’s commitment to meeting its sustainability goals by 2025. www.styrofoam.co.uk

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Easi-dec Half vertical Roof ad 258x96.5.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2015 10:39 Page 1 6 2

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Fire And Water Resistance See Magply Picked To Play Vital Role For Bath Rugby

Looking for safe rapid access?

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then get our easi-dec systems

The Recreation Ground in Bath is one of the crucibles of English rugby, famous long before the professional era and still a venue other Premiership and European sides frequently find presents a challenge they cannot meet. It is also a location that posed specific physical and technical questions for the materials used in building the new West Stand, which Magply met in full. The new Gem Stand sponsored by brewery Bath Ales, backs onto the River Avon which is prone to periodic flooding, while the project architects, Arena 1865 also had to take several other design criteria into consideration.

Easi-Dec is the cost saving alternative to scaffold, because it’s quick to erect, with a minimal amount of parts, to get people working sooner after arriving on site.

The basic system includes a standard platform, but our full range offers solutions for both solar panel and window installation. With health & safety being at the core of the system, Easi-Dec is EN tested, with full training provided on request.

For further information call 01767 691812 or email info@easi-dec.com.

Don’t forget to check out our videos at www.easi-dec.co.uk

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Project Architect, Simon Pugh-Jones outlined the long term ambitions for the ground as a resource to serve the people of Bath rather than just the rugby club, as well as the way Magply aligned with the demands of the most recent building project. He commented: “Our long term objective is to redevelop the ground and a year ago we embarked on a planning process to give certainty over the next four years while the bigger plan is considered and this involved building a new ‘temporary’ West Stand. This sits on the massive old base of the stand rebuilt after World War Two, with spreader plates to carry the steel frame.

Unfortunately, however, the Rec is prone to flooding rapidly to a depth of a metre or more and therefore the building has to be resilient.

Also safety requirements have been increased over the years and the new West Stand gives us better facilities including more toilets, more bars and better access and egress in an emergency.” “ We looked at a full range of board solutions including high performance gypsum and recycled plastic, but when we got into the science and the costings, it soon became clear the only board which ticked all the boxes was Magply. If there is a flood we will be able to quickly wash it down and repaint it, while it will continue to offer full fire resistance.

We didn’t need specialist installers and although some of those unfamiliar were sceptical to begin with, they soon found it easy to work with in achieving a neat fit, which also included some fire-boarding applications.” Simon summed up saying: “We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved with this project and the product gave us exactly what we wanted. As a club Bath is all about elite performance, constantly pushing forward and Magply fits with that ethos.” www.magply.co.uk

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Bauder Delivers First Class Roofing Solution For British Airways

British Airways i360 is the world’s tallest moving observation tower and first vertical cable car. At the entrance of the attraction on Brighton Seafront is an accessible roof terrace area that features over 1,500m2 of Bauder’s reinforced, inverted hot melt waterproofing system with hard landscaping.

The futuristic British Airways i360 is a 531 foot tall structure located at the landward end of Brighton’s historic former West Pier. Eleven years in the making, British Airways i360 is the brainchild of architectentrepreneurs David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects, best known as the practice that conceived and designed the world-famous London Eye. Groups of up to 200 visitors will glide gently upwards to a height of 138 metres in a futuristic, fully enclosed, handcrafted glass viewing pod to admire 360-degree views across Regency Brighton and Hove, the South Downs, the English Channel and the south coast east to Beachy Head.

Passengers board each flight via the alluring outside terrace deck, which features reconstructed tollbooths of the original iconic West Pier that now serve as a ticket office and café, where people can relax and socialise.

Understandably this roof top area will experience significant amounts of foot traffic all throughout the year, so the client wanted to install a waterproofing

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system that was both robust and of the highest quality.

Given these requirements, Bauder’s hot melt structural waterproofing system with hard landscaping was a natural choice. The system is designed to last the lifespan of the building and provides a monolithic, fully bonded membrane that is self-healing to minor punctures and ideal for use on protected roof areas. As part of the system approved contractor Accurate Roofing also installed inverted insulation, to deliver high thermal performance in exposed conditions and help retain heat within the beachfront building below that houses a brasserie, café and gift shop.

This new landmark is an exceptional example of how modern architecture and roof landscaping can revive a historical monument, which is expertly and intricately intertwined with over 150 years of history. British Airways i360 has already attracted significant interest and proven extremely popular, welcoming its 100,000th visitor just three weeks after it was opened to the general public in August 2016. The attraction was given a Royal opening

by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh in October. www.bauder.co.uk

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Panasonic And Schneider Electric Partner To Simplify Energy Management With Innovative Integration

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Aspen Pumps, the market leader in condensate removal pumps, is celebrating winning a prestigious Cooling Industry Award for its innovative Micro-v i4. This intelligent air conditioning (AC) condensate pump beat off extensive competition to win the ‘Air Conditioning Product of the year: Accessory, Component or Process’ category at the RAC Cooling Industry Awards. Featuring integrated i4 technology, the Micro-v i4 is the next generation of mini pump. Designed specifically to simplify installation and maintenance, while offering a wide raft of smart features, the Micro-v i4 ticks all the right boxes for AC engineers. www.aspenpumps.com.

Panasonic Corporation, along with Schneider Electric, global specialist in energy management and automation, has announced an integrated HVAC equipment and building management solution that brings new levels of HVAC control and energy efficiency to commercial buildings. Both companies have developed a new interface wireless solution which enables direct serial communication between Schneider Electric’s building management system and room controllers with Panasonic’s variable refrigerant flow-based HVAC systems. www.schneider-electric.com or http://aircon.panasonic.com

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Sussex-based Aspen Pumps Celebrates Win At RAC Cooling Industry Awards

Johnson & Starley Shine In Consumer Report

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The Easiest Route To Energy Savings Effective heating controls are a vital part of an efficient central heating system. Heating controls manufacturer ESi says it makes huge sense to look more closely at the options. ESI offers a range of programmers from a simple 1 channel to a 3 channel multipurpose programmer which enables a housing provider to comply with Part L of the Building Regulations by providing separate timed heating control for living and sleeping zones in a home, whilst also providing timed control of hot water. www.esicontrols.co.uk

The October 2016 Which? Report into the ‘Best & Worst Boiler Brands’ made for good reading for Johnson & Starley, with the company achieving fourth place. This was the first year that Johnson & Starley have been included in the Which? Survey, with the organisation saying they had made “an impressive survey debut” With a history of innovation spanning almost 100 years, Johnson & Starley developed the QuanTec range of High Efficiency condensing boilers using the latest state of the art boiler technology.

The Which? Report stated “It has the best reliability record of any brand in the survey and a good customer score too”. www.johnsonandstarley.co.uk

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Holiday Inn Express Uses Innovative Hybrid Air Conditioning A new 250-bedroom hotel has become the first in the UK to use an innovative hybrid air conditioning technology that removes the need to install leak detection equipment in occupied rooms.

The Holiday Inn Express Birmingham City Centre in central Birmingham is using Mitsubishi Electric’s Hybrid VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) system to keep guests comfortable in a controllable, energy efficient way, whilst still offering the full flexibility of design and installation that VRF air conditioning is synonymous with.

“We needed reliable and effective air conditioning that is easy to use from the guest’s perspective but which is also more cost effective for the hotel moving forward as it removes the annual maintenance costs associated with a leak detection system”, explained Mark Foster, Managing Director of Centre Island, which will manage the hotel.

“The added advantage of using Mitsubishi Electric equipment is that we can control the whole system centrally, which minimises energy use for the business whilst still allowing guests to have individual control within their rooms. This also ensures we can stop rooms being heated or cooled when they are empty”.

The design for the air conditioning system was put together by SISK Design and Build Contractors who worked with Building Services Consultancy DW Pointer. Together they committed to providing a VRF system that did not need the significant cost of adding leak detection units in all of the bedrooms.

The 18-storey hotel in Holliday Street, Birmingham, which was designed by Liverpool-based KKA Architecture, will use 16 outdoor condensing units to operate 250 slim ducted indoor units in a clever design that has one outdoor unit serving one wing on each of two floors to minimise the refrigerant pipework within the building. https://hybridvrf.co.uk

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Successful Times For Stelrad Despite Challenging Radiator Marketplace

At a recent media event held in London leading radiator manufacturer Stelrad took the opportunity to update the media on the state of the radiator marketplace.

In addition it tried to point the way for Stelrad in the immediate future whilst the overall impact of the Brexit vote fails to become too obvious with uncertainties about the future hampering the UK population’s investment decisions. As with other sectors in the UK economy, against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, growth in the UK radiator marketplace has stalled somewhat as a result primarily of the economic climate following the Brexit vote.

Some of the key facts that have adversely affected the radiator marketplace include: Social Housing spend has fallen significantly over the past two years The Commercial radiator marketplace is in structural decline as alternative technologies gain ground Despite an improving trend, residential New Build remains at a historically low level – that despite the claims from Government that planning consents are at an all-time high – it’s one thing getting planning consent, quite another to get houses out of the ground And on a more positive note, Private RMI business – the one off sector as we know it, which represents 60% of the market - has remained stable.

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Forecasts for the next few years - The forecast for the radiator marketplace in 2016 is that we will see a 2% volume reduction year on year but that recovery is expected, driven by an eventual residential new build upturn in the years ahead. The brightest light on the horizon is that designer radiator volumes are forecast to see an increase of 5% volume growth in the years to 2018, outperforming the radiator marketplace as a whole. This is a sector that Stelrad is embracing wholeheartedly with its range of premium towel warmers, decorative steel tube models, its multicolumns and its premium panel radiators.

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Increased market share - When the market in any sector shrinks it’s a key target of major manufacturers to increase their market share and this is something that Stelrad strives to achieve year on year. It has traditionally had market leadership in the Contract sector and in the Private RMI Steel Panel radiator marketplace and over the past two years – 2015 and 2016 – it has defended and retained these positions.

In addition, it has expanded the market for Designer radiators, particularly Premium Panel products whilst developing a market leading position in Designer radiators and establishing a credible position in the towel warmer marketplace.

New additions in 2016 - 2016 has seen a number of product range extensions to make the Stelrad range even more comprehensive including the Softline Deco, Plan and Vertical range extensions, along with a new range of Vita vertical radiators. The Aqua series has taken off in a big way and the introduction of the Planar HD has targeted the Commercial sector, offering robust performance.

Support for the brand - Stelrad continues to invest in its brand through differentiation and innovation not just in the range of products it offers but in the way it builds relationships with the key players in the marketplace and communicates with them. It has invested significantly in trade marketing in 2016 to communicate its solutions to the marketplace including a huge investment in its impressive web site which has delivered significant benefits to the company and the brand.

Another important initiative is a significant 5-year asset base investment across the group. Finally, the existing Specification sales team has been retained and developed, focussed on winning and retaining contract business, all backed by an improved Business Intelligence organisation that identifies opportunities and feeds intelligence to the sales team on a regular basis. www.stelrad.com

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Omnie For Sutton Coldfield House UFH

The refurbishment of a substantial private house in one of the Midlands’ most popular areas has underlined not just the versatility and performance capabilities of the underfloor heating systems available from Omnie, but also the comprehensive design support available from one of the sector’s most eminent manufacturers.

The entire ground floor of the property in Sutton Coldfield, close to parkland and a popular golf course, now benefits from the installation of the Omnie ClipPlate underfloor heating network. The rooms served include the spacious lounge, kitchen, family room, dining room, utility, hall, cloakroom and a guest suite. Omnie always offers customers a comprehensive specification and design service to help ensure the completed project achieves the client and consultant’s objectives and the plans for the extensive Sutton Coldfield property stand out for the density of pipe connections necessary around key central floor areas.

The very detailed layout provides guidance on both distribution routes and individual room patterns. In total, over 1500 metres of the rugged, 16 mm diameter polybutylene pipes were laid into the preformed upstands of the ClipPlate panels, and connected back to two custom built, eight port Omnie manifolds. These are located adjacent to the utility room and cloakroom, allowing the individual zones to be isolated during commissioning and balancing.

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With a design flow temperature of 550 centigrade, the underfloor heating option not only frees the downstairs wall-space of radiators, but provides excellent comfort levels for occupants while also helping to optimise the performance of the home’s high efficiency, gas condensing boiler. A Surrey based contractor, who specialises in retrofit and conversion work, Unlimited Repairs, carried out the installation of the ClipPlate baseboard and pipework, following Omnie’s guidance documents.

Omnie’s well proven and widely specified ClipPlate system simplified installation by avoiding the need for staples or other clips; with the individual runs of pipe being rapidly pressed into place before testing and the laying of the finished screed. The panels interlock and protect the pipes from being displaced or damaged by other trades working in the area or from floating up as the screed is laid and finished. The panels are also available with integral insulation to enhance the thermal performance of the completed floor structure. www.omnie.co.uk

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Rinnai Wall Heaters Are A Blessing For St Mary’s Rinnai, manufacturer of the Energysaver super energy efficient range of gas fired wall heaters, is keeping the congregation of St Mary’s Church in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, nice and warm. Ayr-based installer O’Neil Gas Services was asked to specify and install a new heating system to replace St Mary’s old ducted warm air set up.

O’Neil Gas Services is a family-run company founded by John O’Neil and now presided over by his son, Brian.

Amongst its other commercial work, O’Neils recently won the Irvine Housing gas maintenance contract for an initial 5 years and a 5 year Gas maintenance contract for Cunninghame Housing Association.

Ross McWhirter of O’Neil’s explains that like most churches St Mary’s sees the bulk of use is at weekends with maybe a few mornings in the week, so the important factor was to design a system that would give instant heat when required, quickly and efficiently and not wasting fuel when not in use.

Energysaver 1004T units run on Natural Gas or LPG and as the units are fully modulating, heat output is reduced as the space temperature rises. The heaters also come with a tiny 80mm flue for a neater finish and the heaters themselves sport safer low temperature casing so there is no danger of burns.

Warm air is delivered at floor level for greater comfort and coverage even in large spaces like churches and the units can be time controlled for added economy. The Rinnai 1400T is also suitable for central time control. www.rinnaiuk.com

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SE Controls Helps Keep Dragon’s Fire Under Control Dragon Mart 2, the recently completed 175,000 sq.metre extension to Dubai’s massive Dragon Mart Chinese trading hub, is using control solutions and more than 1100 actuators from SE Controls as part of the fire safety and smoke ventilation system at the 1.2 kilometre long retail centre.

Designed by Dubai-based, Dar Al Handasah, the two-storey Dragon Mart 2 mall forms part of the International City development by master developers, Nakheel, and includes a nine-screen cinema complex, two hotels and 1120 apartments.

Throughout the mall, a series of openable skylight panels not only provide natural light into the shopping area, but also act as smoke vents to keep escape route clear of smoke should a fire occur. The SE Controls’ system includes; 1160 TGLA 24 65 linear actuators, which are used to open the skylight panels and 24 SECO N 24 40 chain actuators for opening vertical top hung windows, which are triggered by 44 OS2 30A controllers once they receive a signal from the mall’s fire alarm system.

In normal operation the skylights remain closed until triggered and are then opened fully by the TGLA and SECO N 24 40 actuators, which have stroke lengths of 1000mm and 600mm respectively. Both types of actuator are 24 Volt DC units and are tested to EN12101-2. The fan cooled OS2 30 controllers also incorporate a battery backup to maintain operation in the event of a mains power failure. www.secontrols.com

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Mixed Colour VMZINC® Façade On Poole Waterfront

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British fan manufacturer, Vent-Axia, has continued its 80th anniversary festivities with a staff celebration at its head office, located at Manor Royal in Crawley. At the event staff enjoyed lunch and cake to celebrate Vent-Axia's landmark 80 years and a formal photograph of the staff was taken to mark the occasion.

Staff members were each given 80th Anniversary mementoes and a framed copy of the photograph from the day. Similar celebrations also took place in VentAxia's Dudley manufacturing facility.

“Being a successful, innovative manufacturer for 80 years is a great achievement and one that we are very proud of. As part of the celebrations, we wanted to hold events that all our valued staff could be part of and enjoy” said Mark Hoskins, Managing Director at Vent-Axia. “Without our experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated staff we wouldn’t be the company we are today and we are very grateful to them. Thank you to every one of them.”

The market leading company has been at the forefront of ventilation design and manufacture since the 1936 when company founder, Joe Akester, invented the world’s first electrically operated window fan. www.vent-axia.com

An eye-catching, contemporary façade has been achieved on Majestic House, part of the Altitude development in Poole, through use of VMZINC® interlocking panels in natural zinc, QUARTZ-ZINC® and ANTHRA-ZINC®.

Terence O’Rourke Architects’ design of the £6m first phase entailed conversion of a disused, 5-storey office building into one encompassing 21 luxury apartments, offices and extensions to the ground floor and rooftop. Zinc was chosen together with other modern façade materials to provide a subtle distinction between residential and commercial spaces. The three additional floors afford apartments and penthouses with breathtaking views across Poole town and harbour. www.vmzinc.co.uk

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Hybrid Air Conditioning Receives Award After Award Mitsubishi Electric’s unique Hybrid VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) system has received further industry recognition by winning the Commercial Air Conditioning Product of the Year, at the HVR Awards 2016, held at Chelsea Harbour Hotel on 27 October. This comes straight off the back of securing the Award for the Air Conditioning Product of the year (System or Standalone) at the RAC Cooling Industry Awards in September. And the product has also been shortlisted as a finalist in the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards being held in Birmingham in January 2017. With no refrigerant in occupied spaces, complete flexibility of design and cost-effective installation, Hybrid VRF delivers a sure way to achieve optimum comfort control for modern buildings. www.hybridvrf.co.uk

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Cavity Trays At Scotland Build 2016 The only cavity tray company in the UK awarded European Technical Approval and the longest-established in its specialised field is displaying its latest products at the Scotland Build Show 2016. Cavity Trays of Yeovil has a history dating back to the 1920’s and its approved products are accompanied with a performance warranty. Its know-how and expertise derived over almost a century is available for the benefit of Architect, Builder and Client and its latest handbook is being distributed from the stand. www.cavitytrays.co.uk

Vent-Axia Staff Celebrate 80th Anniversary

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Reynaers Nominated In Top Industry Awards Reynaers has once again been recognised as leading the industry, after receiving two award nominations this month. The aluminium systems company has been put forward for the prestigious G16 Awards and the Construction Marketing Awards (CMA), which recognise marketing excellence in the built environment.

Judges from the CMAs selected Reynaers as a contender for the ‘Best use of advertising’ award. Reynaers designs and supplies aluminium window, door and curtain wall systems to both the commercial and domestic construction markets and its use of testimonials in its advertising this year has made it stand out from competitors.

Meanwhile, Masterline - the latest window system addition to Reynaers’ portfolio – has been nominated for ‘New Product of the Year’ at the G16 Awards.

The Masterline window system is a completely new window suite that will be launched next year in the UK. It is destined to set a new benchmark in terms of thermal insulation, weather resistance, security, strength and durability, sustainability, design flexibility, aesthetics, production efficiency, and value for money. www.reynaers.co.uk

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Leading Building Products Manufacturer Strengthens Its Management Team

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The A. Proctor Group, specialists in building products and solutions, are pleased to announce it is strengthening its Board of Directors with the appointment of Alastair Gleave as Sales Director.

Alastair joins the Group with an impressive portfolio of more than 22 years of construction sector experience, starting out as an Architect and utilising this knowledge commercially, previously working with organisations such as Superglass and Kingspan.

Alastair will be responsible for contributing to The A. Proctor Group’s overall strategy and increasing offerings to both existing and new clients.

Keira Proctor, the A. Proctor Group’s Managing Director added: “Alastair is joining us at an exciting time in the growth and development of the Group. Alastair has the level of experience and industry knowledge, which will be the perfect complement to our existing board of Directors, and enhances our ongoing commitment to exceed our customer’s expectations in continuing to lead the way in high quality, innovative solutions, and service excellence.” www.proctorgroup.com

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Sika Everbuild Press Release Get A Fast Fix With Fix In 5 Fix In 5 is the latest addition to Everbuild – A Sika Company’s adhesive range, bringing a truly universal construction adhesive with an ultra-strong final bond strength which has to be seen to be believed.

Curing in just 5 minutes, Fix In 5 combines an advanced PU formula with fibre reinforced technology giving gap filling properties allowing it to be used on the most demanding of jobs, bonding virtually all materials including timber, metals, natural stone, concrete, plastics and much more.

Chemical and weather resistant, Fix In 5 is available in grey in 310ml cartridges, offers sound deadening properties and is suitable for interior and exterior use.

For more information on Fix In 5 or any other product in the Everbuild or Sika ranges, contact your local sales representative, call the sales office on 0113 240 2424 or visit www.everbuild.co.uk.

Notifier’s New CDP Course Highlights The Consequences Of Fire Notifier by Honeywell, the leading manufacturer of innovative life safety solutions, has announced a new addition to its continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio, with the introduction of its Understanding the Cost of Fire course. Designed to provide installers, integrators, specifiers, consultants and end users with all the information they need on this important subject, it examines the changes in standards and regulations that have occurred following the tragic events that took place at the Rosepark Care Home in 2004. When a fire broke out in a cupboard at the Rosepark Care Home it spread through the building and led directly to the deaths of 14 elderly residents. Attempts to prosecute the owners for alleged fire safety breaches failed, due to a loophole in the law that meant that as they had dissolved their partnership they could no longer be prosecuted. However, in November 2012, Lord Wallace introduced a bill to close the loophole and ensure that dissolving a partnership will no longer protect those responsible from prosecution in such cases. Notifier’s Understanding the Cost of Fire CPD course is fully interactive and uses video footage taken at the time to highlight the devastating consequences of fire.

Written by experts within the company, it enables delegates to gain a better understanding of the reasons things went so catastrophically wrong and why action had to be taken so that they cannot be repeated in the future. www.notifierfiresystems.co.uk

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Instarmac Products At The Touch Of A Button Instarmac are proud to announce the launch of their new product planner App. Have you ever been stuck on site with no internet connection and need to find out how quickly your tile adhesive will set? When your pothole repair can be trafficked? Which smoothing underlayment you should use? The new Instarmac Product Planner App completely solves this problem! Each of Instarmac’s 6 brands - UltraCrete, UltraScape, UltraTile, UltraFloor, Wondertex and Granfix have dedicated product pages allowing the user to find information easily and quickly.

Each product has its own enhanced product calculator and technical and safety datasheets which can be accessed and downloaded without the need for an internet connection. The Instarmac Product Planner is FREE to download on Google Play and in the App Store now. For further information please call 01827 871871 or email enquiries@instarmac.co.uk

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Rockwool Takes Insulation Customers Back To The Beginning ROCKWOOL has launched “Origins”, a new integrated marketing campaign which takes customers on a journey to explore the deeper benefits of stone wool insulation alongside the innovation and exceptional service at the heart of the ROCKWOOL brand. The stone wool journey originates with volcanic, basalt rock, which we follow as it transforms through manufacturing to ultimately being shaped into the final insulation product.

The campaign will enable customers to navigate the ROCKWOOL assets to focus on their own particular area of interest by market, application and/or insulation attributes. ROCKWOOL insulation is renowned as a versatile and effective solution across multiple applications. It offers not only thermal qualities and savings on heating and energy bills, but also provides a barrier to fire, repels water and absorbs sound. ROCKWOOL insulation is quick and easy to cut and fit, and eliminates issues with unintended gaps, sagging and slumping over time that can inhibit insulation performance. To watch the video, visit www.rockwool.co.uk or search ‘ROCKWOOL Origins’ in YouTube.

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Aquatiere Launches New Website With A Special Page For Architects Aquatiere is a supplier of domestic and commercial water filters and water treatment units. Aquatiere blends its own patented filter media with traditional filter medias to produce the best possible filtered water in the UK. Aquatiere’s redeveloped website includes a page tailored for architects where a hand picked selection of products for architect specifications is displayed.

To make specification as easy as possible, content is aaranged into a specific format following architectural advice. The product image is followed by concise text about the products and their features together with installation diagrams and specifications. Then, so that you can easily add the content to your ownspecifications, all the product information is available for download in PDF or MS word format for easy attachment or copy and paste into your document. www.aquatiere.co.uk

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Rinnai Takes Major Sports Sponsorship With Rugby Super League Team Widnes Vikings Rinnai, the UK’s leading manufacturing supplier of hot water heating systems, is sponsoring one of the biggest names and contenders in rugby league - Widnes Vikings. The Rinnai sponsorship with the club, which has achieved its highest ever Super League position this year, will ensure the Rinnai logo and brand name is displayed on the back of all Widnes players’ shorts. This will be the first time both parties have taken this unconventional but innovative style of sports sponsorship.

Tony Gittings, Managing Director Rinnai UK, says: “We are absolutely delighted to take a very active sponsorship with Widnes Vikings, one of the biggest names in Rugby League. We share a common belief and approach in values of excellence, innovation and responsibility to the wider community. “Rinnai is a worldwide brand name in its field and has taken some major global sponsorships – including the Queensland Reds, The World Club World Cup event held January this year in Tokyo, the World Ice Skating Championships and the US Nascar competition held in Daytona, Las Vegas and other major American venues.“ "Widnes Vikings are also local to our own UK headquarters so it is all an excellent fit. We look forward to working with the team and staff.” The sponsorship package will see the Rinnai name featured in several ’live’ televised games on Sky Sports and in TV shows such as BBC’s ‘The Super League Show’. www.rinnaiuk.com

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Maximum Protection, Minimum Effort

KeeLine®Horizontal Life Line provides fall arrest/restraint protection where guardrails are not suitable or when a virtually invisible solution is required. The system can be fitted to most standard roof types including membrane, standing seam, metal profile and composite panel roofs. KeeLine®provides users with complete and continual ‘handsfree’ protection throughout the system and incorporates an Inline Shock Absorber to minimise the loads to an acceptable level for both the user and structure in the event of a fall.

•Suitable for use on multiple roof types •Conforms to EN 795:2012 •Allows spans up to 12m and 3 users •Designed for horizontal or overhead applications Fragile Roof Access Solutions / Mobile Man Anchor / Demarcation / Rooftop Walkways / Mobile Valley Frame / Kee Anchor Beam / Ladder Restraints / Self Closing Gate / Guardrails

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www.safesite.co.uk

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Natural Frequency And Vibration Behaviour Of Free Cantilever Steel Balconies

Lightweight support structures, such as free-cantilevered steel balconies, can be prone to vibration when people move about on them more heavily than usual. As designs become ever more lightweight and competitive in cost terms, particularly with very large cantilevers, the vibration behaviour of a structure takes on even more importance.

So when considering the development and structural design of steel balconies, there are a whole host of influencing variables that should be taken into account.

In selecting the method of connection to the building slab, the challenge lies not only in choosing a component that ensures effectiveness as a thermal break; but one that offers a safe structural design solution as well. An additional factor is that it also needs to be compliant with the necessary serviceability requirements.

Acceptability of vibrations The Building Regulations Part L defines the limit values for thermal bridges; and Eurocode 3 specifies the required verifications, such as for vibration, in serviceability limit state. Such verification is the responsibility of the structural engineer, whose function it is to calculate the natural frequency of the construction depending on its utilisation. That being said, when considering the design of the balcony construction and thermal insulating element, it is prudent to ensure that the natural frequency is greater than the limit frequency specified by the structural engineer. Generally, vibration of floors is considered to be a serviceability issue, primarily related to discomfort.

As the perception of discomfort varies from one individual to another, no precise limit can be imposed that will guarantee satisfaction for everyone during the lifetime of the balcony. Assessment of acceptable vibration is therefore not straightforward. However, a logical approach is to design structures so that their natural frequency is sufficiently beyond potential excitation frequencies.

Depending on the type and utilisation of the structure, published data indicates limit frequencies of between 4 Hz and 7.5 Hz. Experience has shown that adopting a limit frequency of 7.5 Hz for steel balconies not only eliminates the possibility of undesirable vibration, it also enables the design of cost efficient structures.

The Schöck Isokorb performs above recommended limit frequencies If planned properly, the Isokorb type KS for concreteto-steel thermal connectivity allows almost any balcony geometry to be designed without constraints. To assess how prone to vibration separated balconies using the Isokorb type KS might be, Schöck has employed the latest Natural Frequency Calculator software package. This is a free service which uses geometric and material variables and enables project teams to identify the optimum solution for steel cantilever balcony connections early in the design process. In most cases it will be found that the natural frequencies of normal balcony constructions are still above the recommended limit frequencies when utilising the Isokorb type KS. The Schöck Isokorb type KS incorporates 80mm of insulation and is 180 mm wide and between 180 and 280mm high, to allow flexible adjustment for differing slab thicknesses. It can be prefabricated, reducing assembly time on site and can bear extremely heavy loads. This combination of features makes the unit ideal in meeting the various thermal and structural demands involved in the design of modern balconies. Which in the case of cantilever steel balconies, with a thermally broken connection to a concrete slab, normally sees the elements exposed to both vertical and horizontal bending moments and shear forces. The KS has a shear-bending interaction which, based on project specific loadings, allows for a much more flexible design and results in greater tolerance when designing steel balconies.

Recommendations for planning and designing steel balconies The following factors influence the natural frequency and therefore the vibration behaviour of free cantilever steel balconies. Particular attention should be paid to these factors when planning and designing thermally broken steel balconies: Balcony geometry, especially the cantilever length and spacing between the connections Rigidity and proper execution of the stub bracket, especially on stepped thresholds Sufficient transverse rigidity of the balcony construction Incorporation of the stiffness of the chosen thermal insulating element into the planning process

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Demandingly large balconies at Rathbone Market A good example of unusually large cantilever steel balconies being incorporated is on the Rathbone Market scheme, part of the Canning Town and Custom House regeneration programme. A three-phase development delivering a new library, around 652 new homes and a new market square at the heart of the scheme. Here the balconies are an unusually demanding 2.3 metres in depth.

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Safety Critical Fixings What happens when it goes wrong?

As recently appointed full members of the Construction Fixings Association, EJOT UK is helping to promote the work of the CFA by alerting those involved in the specification and installation of safety critical fixings, to the serious consequences of “getting it wrong”.

We are all familiar with this engineering teaser: Question: What is the most important component on a car?

Answer: The nut that holds the steering wheel in place!

Take away the humour element, and the reality is exactly the same when you apply this to countless structural scenarios. The somber truth is that life and limb are the ultimate casualties when either the correct specification or installation process fails.

Brian Mack is technical business development manager for EJOT in the UK: “The selection, installation and certification of construction fixings on any construction project is comparatively small in terms of time and resource when taking the overall project into consideration. Yet, at EJOT we have seen on countless occasions, the results of wrongly specified fixings and the many mistakes that have presented a serious threat to life.

“Incidents such as tunnel collapses, scaffold collapses and ducting/ME failures due to incorrectly specified, installed or set critical fixings can easily be avoided.

It is vital that the correct anchoring system is chosen and that it is installed to the manufacturers recommendations; that includes drilling and preparation of the installation hole through to insertion and setting of the anchor. The Code of practice for the selection and installation of post-installed anchors in concrete and masonry, BS 8539:2012, underpins the whole process from design and testing, right through to final installation. It is a valuable document and THE source of reference for safety critical fasteners”.

Established in 1979, the CFA is non-profit making industry-wide body comprising the major

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manufacturers of construction fixings that have a significant UK presence. The Association’s work in actively promoting best practice guidance through a range of resources, makes it the leading authority on construction fixings in the UK. The CFA has been instrumental in the development and publishing of BS8539 – a British Standard Code of Practice designed to assist the specification to installation chain, with a thoroughly comprehensive guide to the roles and responsibilities in providing a high quality and safe fixing installation.

Brian Mack continues: “As a trade association, the CFA is providing education, advice, training and technical support to all functions involved in the provision of safety critical fixings in the industry. Here at EJOT UK, we are delighted to be now involved with this process”.

In brief, the CFA are currently providing these resources: For Specifiers: CPD seminars reviewing the design and selection of fixings in line with BS 8539 and current European Technical Approvals.

For Contractors: CPD seminars designed to explain their responsibilities and how to implement these duties under BS 8539. This also looks at creating ‘competent installers and testers’ for projects.

For Installers: Certified training in the correct installation of all construction fixings to concrete and masonry.

For Testers: Certified training in the correct procedures for testing to the requirements of BS 8539 – both for proof testing and allowable load determination.

For further information about the Construction Fixings Association, its full members and its comprehensive toolkit for BS 8539, visit the Construction Fixings Association website at www.the-cfa.co.uk

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WoodEx® Recognised As A Registered Trademark

James Latham has announced that WoodEx®, its premium quality, engineered hardwood and softwood timber product, is now recognised as a registered trademark with the UK Patent Office.

Introduced into the market four years ago, WoodEx® is made from European Ash, European Redwood, European Oak, Sapele and Grandis and the UK’s biggest independent timber and panel products distributor is now seeing this versatile timber being specified in more and more joinery projects.

WoodEx® offers numerous features and benefits.

It has two high-quality, clear faces for use in joinery applications and is ideally suitable for use in timber doors and windows as the product offers greater dimensional stability. In addition, Lathams can supply the product either as finger jointed or as one piece.

James Latham’s Group Product Sales & Development Manager for WoodEx®, Paul Leach, commented: “Achieving registered trademark status is great news for us, apart from the obvious protection and exclusivity it affords, it not only enhances the WoodEx® brand but also demonstrates the support and long term plans we have for this great product.

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“Demand is increasing all the time and our stock now covers a wide range of sizes and species, providing a versatile addition to our already extensive timber range.”

WoodEx® is available ex-stock in lengths of 0.8m to 3m, (6.0m in finger jointed faced Redwood) and in sizes ranging from 48mm x 95mm to 72mm x 120mm. Special sizes and lengths are also available to order.

For more information on WoodEx®, and James Latham’s extensive range of timber products please phone 0116 257 3415, email marketing@ lathams.co.uk or visit www.lathamtimber.co.uk

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Accessible Luxury

Guests at high end hotels expect luxury in every element of their stay, from the food and facilities to the furniture and style. The bathroom is no exception, with spa elements and high-tech added extras being the biggest trends for the leisure sector. Graham Aird, Product Manager from Geberit, looks at how the WC in particular has been given a newly elevated status with the advancement of intelligent toilets.

A stay in a five star hotel must have luxury at its core, with the bathroom no exception to added extras - deeper baths, spa functions in the shower and even WCs that do more than just flush, are what people expect from a high-end stay. Cleanliness, wellness and tech have all combined to create the ultimate bathroom experience; one that is accessible as well as luxurious. The product that defines this integration of needs is the shower toilet, unifying luxury and accessibility, allowing users to experience the ultimate in hygiene, with a range of cleaning functions, all controlled with the touch of a button.

Bidet be-gone - The shower toilet must not be confused with the bidet, a product that was popular in the 1970s but has fallen out of favour in modern times. By combining the bidet function into the WC, less space is required and with a variety of different washing functions, cleanliness and comfort have been elevated to create a trend that is well established in Japan and becoming increasingly popular in Europe.

An integrated shower arm washes the user at the touch of a button, with the latest varieties including heated toilet seats, orientation lights, air dryers and deodorisers. Some are operated by remote control and have programmable functions so the user can personalise their experience.

Appearance has moved at a pace too, with sleek modern designs meaning the shower toilet fits seamlessly into any bathroom. Apart from the luxury element, shower toilets also help make bathrooms accessible for users with mobility

issues, such as the elderly, allowing them to more easily maintain personal hygiene, independence and dignity.

For the world’s leading hotels, guests expect high standards, with attention to detail at every turn. Spa trends have filtered down to the domestic home, putting even more pressure on these establishments to go the extra mile, providing guests with experiences they may not get in their day to day lives. The shower toilet is the icing on the cake for bathrooms that need to look and function in an exceptional manner, while still being usable by guests.

Accessible luxury in action - At the Park Hyatt Vienna, shower toilet technology has made the ideal addition to its luxury bathrooms. Situated in Vienna’s new Goldenes Quartier, overlooking Am Hof square, the beautiful Park Hyatt occupies a 100-year-old listed building that formerly served as the headquarters of a Bank. The hotel is located within the First District of the city, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, at the heart of the city’s most exclusive shopping district. Its 143 spacious guest rooms are amongst the largest in Vienna, with Geberit AquaClean 8000plus shower toilets the natural choice for the bathrooms, chosen to help designers achieve a contemporary finish, while providing the latest in function and luxury.

About Geberit AquaClean - The benefits of washing with water are well-known, and the Geberit AquaClean range of shower toilets brings this spa-like wellbeing to any bathroom. From the technologically-advanced Geberit AquaClean Mera and the streamlined, compact Geberit AquaClean Sela, through to the AquaClean 8000plus and enhancement models for upgrading existing WCs, the range provides the ultimate luxurious pampering experience. www.geberit-aquaclean.co.uk

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Trackit, An Innovative Suspension System For Banners, Graphics And Large Panels From The Shopkit Group

TracKit, is an extremely versatile track suspension system providing depth, mobility and flexibility to the presentation of banners, signs and graphics, large sliding panels/room dividers and other styles of interior displays, including shelving.

Trackit can facilitate different types of elements to be hung at different heights along straight or curved sections of track, be repositioned easily and is proving to be a popular display solution for Office and Retail interiors. TracKit can be wall or ceiling fixed and is available with a choice of single or multi-track versions, enabling very creative installations.

This system offers static and mobile suspension options, via a roller wheel, which allows for easy re-positioning of complex graphic displays, large panels and room dividers etc, by simply sliding the roller wheels along the track. The suspension track is available in both aluminium and stainless steel

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and there are six different support methods that can be hung from the track, each with a wide range of accessories and Shopkit can help determine which is most suitable for each application.

Made to Measure and Installation options available The dimensions and material finishes of the different suspension systems and accessories as well as track configuration can be varied to suit clients’ requirements and Shopkit can deliver and install all elements within this range. www.shopkit.com

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Pendock Produces Bespoke Collars For Berkeley’s Vista Apartment Development Pendock’s most recent contract has focused on a high-end property development, where Pendock was tasked with helping to achieve the architect’s highest – or lowest – aesthetic ambitions. Some 69 GRP Circular Skirting Collars – plus spares - have been specially produced for Berkeley Homes’ high profile new project at Chelsea Bridge, known as the Vista Project. They are being installed around the base of 400 and 500mm diameter concrete columns to match the skirtings used throughout the 453 apartments.

P.M.J. Construction were contracted to install skirting around the bases of the columns and had asked their carpenters to fashion them employing MDF. Unfortunately, this took many man hours and the finish was rejected by Berkeley Homes.

The contractor approached Pendock for help, leading the encasement specialist to produce sets of molds so that the collars required could be cast from much more hardwearing glass reinforced gypsum.

The molds for the two sizes were manufactured in two halves and shaped to mirror the detail on the main skirtings. Then on site it took just minutes to fill the joints before being decorated to match the rest of the interior décor. www.pendock.co.uk

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Neaco Balustrade Featured At Landmark College Development Neaco has supplied an extensive balustrade specification for a landmark development as part of East Riding College’s new Beverley Campus and Environmental Technologies Centre.

Architects Jefferson Sheard worked alongside the College and stakeholders in the development of a concept for a modern facility which acts as the face of the institution and concentrates on the Beverley Minster as an inspirational focal point, sense of place and historic context for students and staff. Neaco’s balustrade with glass infills is featured within an impressive atrium space and multi-functional hub presenting a large, welcoming and open space to visitors whilst affording excellent views of the Minster.

The new Beverley Campus for East Riding College is a future-proofed, cohesive learning environment and community resource for East Riding College and the local community. The BREEAM Excellent building incorporates an Environmental Technology Centre, flexible learning spaces and workplace learning environments for vocational study. Optimal natural ventilation and daylight are present in the design of the teaching and breakout spaces and materials have been used which will provide good life cycle costing and relatively low maintenance.

Much of the ground floor accommodation to the west is “customer facing”, being hair and beauty salons, restaurants, along with the learner services hub. The Environmental Technology Centre offers training and development in “clean” engineering subjects, interfacing with the engineering workshop retained within the development. www.neaco.co.uk

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A Burning Passion For Fire

The German premium manufacturer of firing technology Spartherm proudly presents an exclusive range of bioethanol fireplaces branded ebios-fire® which are now also made available for the discerning customer in Great Britain.

standard and made to measure built-in fireplace models in almost any thinkable layout.

Great versatility, product safety and outstanding German quality are key values at Spartherm's production facilities where all ebios-fire® models are originally designed, crafted and tested by passionate, skilled craftsmen. Test certificates issued by TÜV Germany further underline the outstanding safety of ebios-fire® bioethanol fires, which feature a wide choice of manual and automatic bioethanol burners.

Versatility Is Key - The ebios-fire® range of products is available in a vast variety of finishes meeting the requirements of architects and interior designers on an international level.

Please visit www.ebios-fire.com or write to info@ ebios-fire.com for further information. Spartherm – The Fire Company www.spartherm.com

Made And Tested In Germany - in order to provide an optimum of customer service, the expansive range of ebios-fire® models comprises both

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Modelling Abet’s Laminates Abet Laminati is delighted to announce that, as part of its ongoing drive to ensure ease of specification, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is now available across its core ranges in the UK. The BIM Objects are now available for the complete range of compact grade high pressure laminates. This includes the dedicated Cubicle, Locker and Labgrade Collections as well as MEG, the exterior grade self-supporting laminate. All Objects are compatible with both Autodesk Revit® and IFC programs.

Abet’s UK & Ireland compact grade solutions are available in different thicknesses and a variety of sizes in a range of plain colours, speckled finishes, woodgrains and textured surfaces. The compact grade’s solid core construction, available from 6mm to 12mm thick, makes it a perfect choice for areas prone to high moisture and humidity. This particularly applies to leisure centres, swimming pools and changing rooms and where there is no risk of peeling, cracking or delamination.

The fully self-supporting boards are also easy to work with for cutting and fabrication and are widely used in situations where high quality performance and design can be carefully crafted together to create an attractive visual experience.

The BIM Objects will shortly be available from the NBS National BIM Library at www.nationalbimlibrary.com and are also available direct from Abet at http://abetlaminati.com/en/bim . Further information and support is also available from Abet on tel: 020 7473 6915 or via the website at www.abetuk.com

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Driving Through Walls With Style Specialising in qualified adult and apprentice education, the new Henry Ford Academy in Daventry comprises of a prestigious auditorium, meeting and training facility.

Working directly with contractor, Indec UK, Style advised installing fully automatic DORMA Moveo acoustic moveable walls, creating exceptionally flexible space in this high specification warehouse conversion.

In the main auditorium, the plan had originally been to install large swing doors. However, after evaluating the client’s requirements, Style recommended the DORMA partitioning solution. At one end of the stage area is a Moveo wall consisting of three panels, one of which incorporates a pass door. The same is repeated at the other end but in a configuration occupying the corner. This arrangement enables vehicles to be easily manoeuvred into and out of the auditorium, for presentation and teaching purposes. Thanks to DORMA’s unique fully automatic ComfortDrive system the moveable walls provide excellent acoustic performance and ease of operation.

In the larger teaching areas and meeting rooms, Style tailored a flexible arrangement which involved DORMA Variflex, a highly flexible partitioning wall with interchangeable panels and 60dB Rw acoustics. Where the structure wasn’t suitable for supporting top-hung systems Style provided floor supported SWG folding walls.

“A great deal of thought went into the overall solution for this impressive warehouse conversion,” said Mike Fine, Style’s director for the Midlands. “We looked carefully at each room, and the variety of ways they were going to be used before determining which moveable wall solutions worked best.

“One of the advantages we have as the market leading operable walls specialist is being able to offer a wide portfolio of different partitioning systems from high end, fully automatic to manual folding walls, and by having such a broad portfolio meant we could perfectly design the right solution for Henry Ford.” www.style-partitions.co.uk

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Rinnai: Space Heater Range, Easy To Install, Trouble Free Long Life Warmth – New Additions Rinnai have added to its range of Energysaver gas fired space heaters which are designed specifically for use in schools, community centres, libraries, conservatories, churches and other large indoor spaces. The range has seen many thousands of installations over the past several years - trouble-free, easy to install and cost effective and efficient operation and performance. The recent additions to the range are the Rinnai Energysaver 559FT and a new streamlined look to the popular Energysaver 309FT. Sporting very sleek casing, the heaters simply blend into the background in line with the need of modern interior aesthetics while offering exceptionally high efficiencies in operation and subsequently reduced running costs. Changes to the Energysaver 559T have been made to the operation board which is now an easy to use touch-control pad sited conveniently and discreetly on top of the appliance. The unit is also supplied with a child lock to eliminate any problem of small hands tampering with the controls. Add to these advantages are the timer function and eco mode combined with the new unit’s ability to heat big spaces very fast.

Rinnai’s Energysaver range delivers energy-efficient and consistent warm air powered by Natural Gas and LPG options. The units feature fully modulating burners so heat output and energy input is reduced as the space warms up.

The Rinnai Energysaver range comprises fanned convection-powered flue models that exceed seasonal thermal heating guidance under Building Regs Part L. In a building with high vaulted ceilings, with conventional convector heaters, the heat will immediately rise to the ceiling. www.rinnaiuk.com

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Noise Free Housing For Happy Living Good acoustics, like high quality thermal insulation, is one of the most important considerations for house builders and architects. This is because of high density living and, in particular, the popularity of sold floors. For example, one of the latest trends are polished concrete floors in variety of different colours. The problem is further exacerbated by the desire for large areas of glass and the absence of soft furnishings, such as curtains and carpets.

The result of all this is that absorption of sound is difficult and reverberated sound can create an unpleasant environment.

One increasingly popular solution is to line the ceilings with cost effective and high performance Troldtekt acoustic panels.

Widely used throughout Europe, the panels instantly create an attractive surface, pleasant acoustics and a feeling of well-being throughout the house.

Apart from a calm and cohesive surface, the ceiling offers a flexible choice of design, including different colours, surface structures, edge profiles and suspension systems. In addition it is possible to integrate surface mounted or concealed light fittings as well as sound speakers.

The Troldtekt speaker is an acoustic panel with a specially developed flat unit, built in and concealed on the back of the panel. The sound waves pass through the panel and are distributed evenly throughout the room, covering a larger area than a traditional speaker.

For samples and comprehensive technical information tel 01978 664255 or visit www.troldtekt.co.uk

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Expectations Redefined For Knauf AQUAPANEL® Interior

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Freshly redesigned, Knauf’s improved AQUAPANEL Interior Cement Boards are significantly lighter, making them both quicker and simpler to install. Knauf AQUAPANEL® Interior Cement Boards have always had excellent performance. Manufactured from inorganic materials, the boards still demonstrate the same resistance to water, mould and mildew meaning they perform well for a wide range of wet area applications.

Extensive research and development has reduced the weight of the boards by a third to just 11kg/m2. This reduced weight makes the boards easier and faster to install than ever before. Installation is another area of improvement that Knauf has focussed on. The improved score-and-snap technique and board bending radius (1m at full board size) makes installation easier, even in the most challenging areas.

Because the AQUAPANEL® Interior Cement Boards come ready keyed from the factory, only one layer is required for a tiled finish, saving more time and money on a project. www.knauf.co.uk ®

Starshot Compact High Output LED Luminaire For Internal And External Use Waveguide Lighting’s new Starshot sealed luminaire is designed for use where precise light levels and high uniformity are required. It is available with IP40 sealing for internal use in food hygiene standard applications, general manufacturing and warehousing, and in IP65 versions for external installation. Suitable for surface mount, recessed or chain fitting, four standard outputs are available.

Starshot is mains powered, with power consumptions of 43 to 107 W giving light outputs ranging from 5156 to 12958 lumens at a colour temperature of 5700 °K with a CRI of 75. Waveguide Lighting’s patented end lit rod technology ensures that the LEDs are hidden from direct view, reducing glare substantially. The width, shape and angle of the light beam is controlled using a reflector to direct it exactly where it is needed. www.waveguidelighting.co.uk

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Pressalit Care Bathrooms Support Treloar College Caring Ethos

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COMPAC Launch 6 New Quartz Colours Renowned quartz surfaces manufacture COMPAC has just launched six new colours to complement their innovative technological quartz worksurface range.

Land Functional ... inspired by deep green waters, Dune Functional ... soft tone creams, Clay Functional...evoking chromatic images of nature, Warm Functional...calming contrasting browns, DIM Functional... conveying the harmony and warmth of nature and COOL Functional... serene neutral light colours.

Offering timeless, elegant warm tones, ingeniously combining functionality with high performance and quality, these new worksurfaces are available with a polished or glacé finish. With a virtually zero porosity surface that does not require antibacterial chemicals to maintain a hygienic regime, these new colours from COMPAC will retain their beauty and performance with the minimum of maintenance – underpinned by a lifetime guarantee. www.compac.es

Creating the flexibility and adaptability in bathroom furniture to support independence and aid self- esteem for those with physical disabilities, is central to Pressalit Care’s design ethos. And it has been the recognition of how important an appropriately-fitted bathroom can be, that has led specialist college Treloar’s to choose a range of Pressalit Care fittings for its new Gauvain House in Alton, Hampshire.

In a major refurbishment at Treloar College, which is home to young people with physical disabilities from all over the UK, the 18 ensuite wet rooms have been fitted with a range of shower and washing equipment that really support the positive and caring environment that is found throughout Treloar’s.

The spacious bathrooms are each fitted with Pressalit Care’s horizontal track Plus system which allow elements within the room to be moved and adjusted, catering for wheelchair manoeuvrability and to give space for carers to work safely. The range of adjustable height shower seats offers considerable flexibility so that wet rooms can be set up each year to the individual requirement for each student.

Other features of the new bathrooms include special height adjustable basin brackets with a bespoke wide yoke allow for the extra wide basins the college specify, while the shower seats with adjustable arms can be moved up or down, as well as being fitted to the horizontal track. www.pressalit.com

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Kemmlit Fit For Purpose For Leisure Centre Refurb The Spa at Beckenham in Kent, is an award winning leisure centre operated by Mytime Active, and features two swimming pools, a fitness suite, badminton court and a bar and restaurant.

To maintain the Spa’s high standards, Kemmlit’s Cronus Glass Cubicles and Type R lockers were specified as part of a recent refurbishment of the centre.

Project architects Arkon Associates, selected Kemmlit’s Cronus cubicles in a white glass finish for the male and female shower rooms and Type R lockers in grey, blue and white for the changing rooms.

The Cronus cubicle system is so versatile and flexible it can be used for either dry or wet areas. The panels are made from 8mm or 12mm toughened safety glass with a satin anodised aluminium supporting structure. A 13mm solid grade laminate panel option is also available.

The Type R Locker System utilises high quality 100% corrosion resistant aluminium with a choice of two door types finished in a special overlay to protect against scratching and damage. For this project, 13mm solid grade laminate (HPL) doors were specified. Cronus and Type R Lockers are available in a variety of colours and finishes. www.kemmlituk.com

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Wetroom Design And Specification CPD From CCL Wetrooms The popular Wetroom Design & Specification CPD from CCL Wetrooms guides Architects through the process of designing and specifying a watertight wetroom. The free, 45 minute technical presentation can be organised at a time to suit the practice and covers all of the key considerations of designing and specifying a wetroom. Unveiled recently, their new contemporary website has been designed to provide Architects, Specifiers and House Builders with comprehensive technical information to aid the wetroom specification process for their clients.

For further information about the CPD, visit www.ccl-wetrooms.co.uk

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New AC EZ Touch Controller Launched By LG LG has launched a new controller for its commercial air conditioning and heating products. The new AC EZ Touch offers Smart management with a 5” colour LCD touch screen for small sites and provides Group and individual control.

It has a total or partial individual controller lock. There’s a power consumption monitor with Pdi, an ‘emergency stop’ and total ‘on/ off’ control. Users can control each space efficiently through an IP network, but access via Smartphones is not available with this unit. Statistics of operational status are provided to help make system operation decisions. www.partner.lge.com/uk

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Dural And SureSet Hit Top Gear To Provide Beautiful Resin Flooring For Prestigious Jaguar Land Rover Showroom Nestled deep within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France lies Automation Vénissieux – a huge outlet containing many world leading automotive brands and their showrooms.

In May 2016, Jaguar Land Rover opened the doors to their new showroom. However, by March local suppliers were unable to fulfil their requirements for their resin bound paving. In turn, they contacted SureSet and Dural. Within weeks, both companies were able to work together to create a stunning resin bound paving complete with bespoke premium movement joints.

A luxury car manufacturer with a luxurious eye for detail Dural quickly set to work to create the premium movement joints required for the installation. The speckled infill had to match the SureSet natural aggregate resin bound paving – Norwegian Pearl. Dural are able to colour match their range of expansion joints to any colour in the RAL range, and with the added speckled effect the joints would blend seamlessly with the resin bound flooring.

The movement joints were laid at the end of the gate tracks, directly above the subfloor joints, where they provide effective stress relief and movement protection. Here, the robust 15mm aluminium based profiles are designed to cope with heavy stresses and then distribute them evenly between the subfloor and resin bound floor covering. The movement joints exceed BS5385 therefore Architects and Specifiers are given confidence that they are fit for purpose and will protect the integrity and aesthetics of the seamless resin bound paving. www.colouredmovementjoints.co.uk

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Winchester College

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Decorative Casing Solutions – Undercover Work

Birmingham Dental Hospital

If it wasn’t for column casings and interior wall lining solutions, building interiors would be considerably less attractive environments. Very few people stand back to admire a laminated plywood column casing at a school or brushed stainless steel wall lining in a prestige office building, yet they are key elements of the interior design.

The demand for wider choice and increased aesthetics from architects, interior designers and specifiers have been key influences on Peterborough based casing and interior wall lining company, Encasement, whose range has continually expanded and diversified during the past ten years to become the most comprehensive available in the UK. Encasement is perhaps best known for its extensive range of decorative column casings, which are used to conceal structural steelwork. In addition to its ‘Circa’ and ‘Quadra’ ranges, which are manufactured from pre-formed plywood, the range also includes glass reinforced gypsum (GRG) and specialised fire resistant solutions for use with mezzanine floors.

Designed solely for interior decorative applications, ‘Circa’ and ‘Quadra’ casings are used in an extremely diverse range of projects, which underlines their versatility, ease of specification and the immense range of decorative finishes available to complement or contrast with a building’s interior design scheme. Circa and Quadra are used in almost every building type from education, retail, hotel, sports and leisure, as well as the health sector and commercial office buildings. As a result the choice of sizes available is also wide, allowing specifiers to choose not only circular and square, but also extended circles and rectangular profiles. The casings are usually specified with a decorative laminate finish, which not only resists damage, scuffs and scratches, but also provides the specifier with a diverse palette of finishes from plain colours, wood grain and metallic, as well as textured and real wood veneers.

In addition, as Encasement is the UK’s only supplier and manufacturer of pre-formed plywood casing solutions that holds a ‘Chain of Custody Certification’ from the Forest Stewardship Council, both ‘Circa’ and ‘Quadra’ are manufactured from FSC® materials making them

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compliant with sustainability codes and environmental procurement policies. Recent Quadra projects include Farnborough’s 6th Form Centre and the Dame Kelly Holmes Sports Centre, while among the many Circa installations, Gatwick Airport’s South Terminal, Liverpool University and Gateshead International Stadium are major installations. Alongside the plywood casings, the company’s ‘Forma’ metal casings and ‘Polyma’ GRP range can be used for interior and exterior applications due to their inherent weather resistance. ‘Forma’ also provides specifiers with a wide scope of options and can be specified with diameters from 250mm up to 1000mm or as square, rectangular or even hexagonal forms.

Projects, such as Winchester College, Birmingham Dental Hospital, University College London, the extensive Debenhams development at Cheshire Oaks and the restaurant area of London’s Mondrian Hotel perfectly illustrate the versatility of ‘Forma’ casings. Alongside the company’s six individual ranges of column casings, its ‘Vecta’ system provides a high quality solution for interior wall linings, bulkheads and reveals. The system is widely used in retail, education and commercial buildings, such as Tesco, South Bank University and Prêt a Manger, as well as prestigious office developments, including Wellington House and the Carmine building in Paddington, London.

Encasement’s Managing Director, Martin Taylor, commented: Column casing provide a perfect mix of practicality and aesthetics and we’ve taken a lot of care to ensure our range meets both of these key criteria while ensuring that we always remain competitive and deliver high quality.” He added: “Our entire range is configured to provide the widest possible choice, which allows specifiers to source a range of specialised casing solutions from a single company with high levels of expertise and experience in this sector. We also have our own contracting arm, which enables us to offer a full supply and install service to support contractors.”

Encasement’s latest ‘column casing solutions’ e-brochure together with further product and company information can be obtained from www.encasement.co.uk or by calling 01733 266889.

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An Acoustic Solution For All Environments

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Itec Contract Floors is proving the go-to brand for sound-reducing flooring thanks to an impressive range of decorative acoustic flooring finishes. Whether housing, education, leisure, healthcare or retail, the demand from locations looking for an acoustic flooring solution that also meets aesthetic requirements has never been higher, and for this reason, more contractors and endusers are turning to Itec. With an unrivalled choice of 27 options the Itec Acoustic Flooring collection delivers proven designs with up to 19dB of sound absorption. From on-trend wood decors, through to stylish plains, the benefits of specifying Itec acoustic floors continues further, with all designs widely stocked across the UK ready for immediate delivery. www.itecfloors.co.uk

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Heronrib matting has recently been laid around several pools of the renowned Marisma Wellness Center in Santander, Spain. The matting is a hygienic and slip resistant solution for wet areas manufactured in the UK and US by Plastex. Made from flexible PVC and supplied in 10m rolls, meant that 170m of walkways could easily be laid overnight without causing any sport activity interruptions.

The matting features an embossed surface which is certified Class C, the highest rating of slip resistance given on DIN 51097, as well as ensuring barefoot comfort. The open grid construction with channelled underbars allows for extra drainage, whilst anti-microbial and anti-fungal additives ensure high levels of hygiene are permanently maintained. Heronrib is supplied in 50, 100 and 122cm widths and 10m lengths in 5 standard colours. www.plastexmatting.com/heronrib.html

Bradite Quality Praised In Bus Depot Project “Bradite has a range of paint that nobody else can match,” says Mark Antonio, owner of Southampton-based TWC Deep Cleaning, as the company is half way through a major contract to clean and repaint the floors for GO South West and National Express.

Major bonuses from using Bradite is the durability and the quick drying/curing capabilities of the products.

“Bus companies cannot have the entrances and the floor surfaces out of service for more than 24 hours in their depots,” says Mr Antonio. To meet these requirements, a selection of Bradite products have been used in all six of the South Coast bus depots; Bradite’s CR27 Line Paint, PW74 Rapid moisture cure Floor Paint and the brand new ES40 Floor Primer.

ES40 Floor Primer is currently being trialled by TWC Deep Cleaning on behalf of Bradite and the results are proving to be spectacular. “The main thing with a primer, is getting the coating to stick. With ES40 you can just clean off the base, with no need for any special treatment, just paint it on and it dries in a couple of hours. Once you’ve added a top coat of Bradite Rapid PW74, you can drive a six-wheeler coach over it the next day,” says Mr Antonio.

CR27 Line Paint is a universal road marking and line paint suitable for application on asphalt, concrete, brick, roads, runways, car parks and sports facilities. Based on a combined alkyd and chlorinated rubber binder system, it is surface dry in just ten minutes.

Rapid PW74 Moisture Cure Floor Paint is a single pack polyurethane coating and finish for internal use, on concrete, wood or steel floors.

Applied by brush or roller it is exceptionally hard wearing with a good chemical and water resistance. www.bradite .com

Spanish Wellness Centre Picks Heronrib Barefoot Matting

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A Multi-Disciplinary Approach To Flooring

INVISTA’s Antron® carpet fibre features in Forbo Flooring Systems’ Synergy collection, bringing commercial interiors coordinated carpet tiles and luxury vinyl tiles.

Available in a variety of modular formats, the collection is split into three carpet tile designs: Seagrass, Hybrid and Marble, each featuring Antron® Lumena™ carpet fibre. Available in four on-trend colourways, these three high-performance Tessera carpet tiles can be coordinated with matching colourways in Allura Flex LVT or complemented by pure colour from the Tessera Clarity carpet tile range.

All of the products in the new Synergy collection can be easily installed using the same tackifier ad can be fitted directly next to each other without the need for transition strips, additional profiles or subfloor build-up. www.antron.eu

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Altro Resins Break New Ground On North Herts College New Campus

Altro resin flooring is providing the ultimate in colour, flexibility and durability on an award-winning, £10 million refurbished campus at North Hertfordshire College, in Hitchin. Altro FlexiflowTM and Altro MultiScreedTM EP Naturals have been used within the multi-functional hub space on the new campus, which links three teaching buildings.

The award-winning design for the new campus was created by international design practice Scott Brownrigg. Associate Clark Barton explains how Altro resins played a part in his vision: “We specified Altro resins for the college hub because these products offer the range of colours and textures to enable us to be innovative and flexible in our design. In addition, it was imperative that the flooring was high performance and practical, and Altro’s credentials offer this. “The entire project was very much a collaborative effort,” added Clark.

“We worked closely with Altro, the main contractor, the college, and also the students, who were instrumental in choosing colours and themes.” Altro Flexiflow resin flooring was one of the key products in the specification, as Clark explained. “We chose this flooring for the ground floor hub, and leading into each of the other three buildings, because we wanted a seamless, solid, practical surface. “It was also paramount that the flooring in this area was flexible enough to move with the building without cracking.

The hub space is multi-functional, with the furniture and layout changed on a regular basis, so the flooring needs to be able to withstand this, which Altro Flexiflow is designed to do. Altro was able to create a special bespoke Altro Flexiflow colour for the college. “Choosing the colour for the flooring was a collaborative effort, involving all the key stakeholders, college students and staff,” said Clark. “It was

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important that the colour complemented the overall scheme of the hub, and after much discussion, it was decided that purple would be ideal. Altro were shown the shade the college wanted, and they were able to match it exactly. There are some great colours in the existing Altro Flexiflow palette, but from a design point of view being able to choose a bespoke colour is very appealing to clients.”

On the upper floor of the college hub, Clark and his team chose another resin flooring — Altro MultiScreed EP Naturals, in White Yorkstone. Altro Multiscreed EP Naturals is a tough surface that can handle the hardest bumps and knocks. A solvent-free epoxy resin system, it has a natural appearance with nine colours evoking tones of concrete and stone. The product has improved performance and produces a high strength floor with exceptional abrasion and chemical resistance. With a nominal thickness of 4mm, it can be coved and laid to falls.

The Altro Flexiflow and Altro Multiscreed EP Naturals resin floors were installed by Resincraft, who have worked with Altro products for 30 years. The company is run by directors Mark Brewer and Richard Mitchell.

Mark said: “Laying the Altro resins at the college went very smoothly. Altro Flexiflow is an excellent product and easy to work with. First we prepared the new floor in the hub by diamond grinding to create a smooth surface. We then put down a layer of AltroProof SoloTM, which is a waterproof layer, so effectively a dpm. “Then we trowel laid the resin flooring — the product is very free flowing, so it quickly finds its own level. Finally, two coats of top coat were applied. The whole process took about five days to lay 200m2. “ www.altro.co.uk

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Define Spaces With Forbo’s New Award Winning Marmoleum Linear Collection

Forbo’s new Marmoleum Linear sheet collection enables end users and specifiers to define spaces through intriguing floor designs, by playing with texture, colour and installation directions.

Recently presented with the iF Design Award, recognised as a symbol of design excellence around the world, the collection is divided into three ranges that reflect the latest trends across the office, retail, leisure and hospitality sectors.

Striato Original offers a natural, earthy colour palette of twelve shades that enhance the contemporary linear design that runs throughout the collection. The Striato Textura range amplifies the linear design further still, with two styles of embossing that create more tactile and captivating aesthetics – complementing the shades of Striato Original.

For those wanting to inject colour into an interior, the Striato Colour range has four vibrant tones and four neutral shades that have a flash of bright colour across them.

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Julie Dempster, Marketing Manager at Forbo, commented: “The beauty of the new Marmoleum Linear collection is that individual products can be used on their own to create great effects, or can be mixed and matched with colourways from our other solid and patterned ranges. By playing with installation angles, a design that is as visually impactful as a chevron effect can be produced using a single colourway. Or, to create a quirky, boutique feel, circular, triangular or hexagonal shapes can be cut into the sheet product. Specifiers can also combine the new textures with smooth finishes to add an extra dimension.”

Marmoleum is a wholly sustainable floor covering, made up of 97% natural raw materials, 72% rapidly renewable and 43% recycled content. The Topshield2 finish provides an easy to clean surface and helps to reduce maintenance costs.

For more information please call 0844 822 3928, email info.flooring.uk@forbo.com or visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/marmoleumlinear

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Looking For A Whitewashed Floor?

Bona White is a new wood floor primer designed to produce an on-trend bleached look when used in conjunction with a Bona polyurethane lacquer. The intensity of ‘whiteness’ is dependent on how many coats are applied. This client wanted a whitewashed look to their original Victorian floor boards to tie in with the soft greys of the kitchen.

This was achieved by the application of two coats of Bona White under two coats of Bona Traffic HD lacquer. The works were part of a complete renovation of a Victorian town house in Bath and were carried out by Bona Certified Contractor, TWF Bath Ltd, who specialise in the restoration and fitting of traditional wood floors. Before treatment, the TWF team filled large gaps using reclaimed pine wedges and then sanded the floor to 100 grit abrasives.

Smaller gaps were filled using Bona Mix & Fill, which is mixed with sanding dust from the floor to ensure the filled areas blend in with the rest of the surface.

The floor was then sanded using 120 grit abrasives before the application of the first coat of Bona White.

The floor was then abraded using a Bona Scrad Pad to remove any grain raising from the surface before the application of the second coat.

To produce a highly durable, easy to maintain finish, two coats of Bona Traffic HD lacquer were applied.

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Traffic HD is Bona’s toughest lacquer. The very low VOC content and low odour mean there is no need for homeowners to vacate their property while the works are being carried out and there is no lingering smell.

Its fast cure time means the floor can be in full use just 12 hours after treatment – making it an ideal choice for commercial floors too where there is little available downtime for renovation. TWF’s clients chose the Matt version of Traffic HD for their kitchen floor. Silkmatt and Extramatt sheens are also available.

As a Bona Certified Contractor, TWF Bath is part of Bona’s network of highly trained wood floor specialists - independent wood floor companies who have received extra in-depth training in the use of Bona’s wood floor finishing products. www.bona.com

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Alpro's New Range Of Concealed And Rim Mounted Panic Exit Devices The Alpro Hardware Division of IEC Limited has announced the release of the new Alpro range of CE tested panic emergency exit devices in both concealed vertical rod and rim mounted models. The new range comprises a concealed vertical rod model, designed for use with narrow stile commercial aluminium doors. The concealed rod model adding to the security of the door. The crossbar is designed with simplicity in mind, yet will provide years of smooth, reliable operation. The rim version is fitted with the same field sizeable crossbar, enabling adjustments to be made to suit the overall width of door installation. www.alpro.co.uk

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110 VEKA Casements From Sovereign Complete Stylish Sussex Housing Development Lancashire-based Sovereign Group Ltd., has completed a significant project of window fabrication and installation for a sustainable home development for Hastoe Housing Association, using industry-leading PVC-U systems from The VEKA UK Group. While increased glazed areas would historically lessen a home’s energy efficiency and thermal insulation, Sovereign’s use of VEKA M70 profile enabled minimum U-values of 1.4 to be achieved throughout. Sovereign fabricated and installed a total of 110 outward-opening casement windows. www.vekauk.com

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Reynaers Brings Simplicity And Strength To Paris’ Horizontal Skyscraper, The Macdonald Warehouse The redevelopment of Paris’ Macdonald Warehouse has transformed an urban logistics building into a vibrant and contemporary neighbourhood, using bespoke glazing systems from Reynaers. This project integrates into The Grand Urban Renewal Project; Paris’ wider efforts to provide more homes and inject life into neglected areas that are cut off by industrial facilities and infrastructural networks.

An industrial barrier in itself, the ‘Macdo’ was designed in 1970 by Marcel Forest. The impressive structure spans over 600m in length, earning it the nickname ‘une tour couchée’, or ‘the horizontal skyscraper’.

Key factors in specifying a range of Reynaers products for lots N5 and S6 of the design were performance, costs and technical evaluation. The CF 77 system combines high insulation and comfort with visual appeal. It is a highly versatile product, with a range of available opening types and threshold solutions. The folding elements with hidden gaskets create a particularly clean appearance, proving to be both efficient and aesthetically pleasing for ceilinghigh, foldable doors. The clean, sharp design of Reynaers windows integrates perfectly with the rhythmically extruded façades.

This pleated façade was designed by FAA and XDGA, which wraps around the entire ground floor, the bridge building across the tramline as well as the exterior spaces and two blocks of assisted rental housing. The Macdo was developed and built upon by fifteen French and international teams.

Co-ordinator Floris Alkemade, the Netherlands’ Chief Government Architect, explained that their aims are to respect the building’s heritage and enhance it with contemporary elements.

Alkemade, along with Belgian architect Xaveer de Geyter, established design guidelines to strike balance between coherence and creative freedom amongst the different plots. The result is a tidy North façade which overlooks the boulevard, juxtaposed against the more colourful and spontaneous South façade which overlooks a new train station and gardens. www.reynaers.co.uk

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Visionary Styling From Premdor Inspired by the latest interior design influences and fashion colour trends, Premdor has launched Portfolio, a range of luxury veneer internal doors created around four distinctive themes, Natural, Exotic, Contemporary and Classic.

All ranges utilise Premdor’s Veneer Match technology which engineers real veneers into a consistent grain and colour yet still allows for natural variation within each door. All Portfolio door designs may be enhanced by adding glazed models, the ideal solution when more light is required in a room, corridor or entrance.

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A large selection of contemporary glazing styles exist with both commercial and domestic options available, as are glazed FD30 and FD60 Fire doors complete with wired, clear or obscure glass styles available to specify. Nonfire doors with clear glass are toughened to BS EN 12600.

A testament to the attention to detail within the Portfolio range are the co-ordinating foil wrapped glazing beads which are coloured to closely match the face veneer. www.premdor.co.uk/portfolio

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Glazing Is Central In Iconic Art Deco Adelphi Building Refurb

Designing and installing a new five storey atrium and roof light in keeping with its Grade II listed art deco surroundings was just one of the challenges met by GLASSOLUTIONS as part of ISG’s £30million refurbishment of the iconic Adelphi Building on London’s Victoria Embankment. The UK’s leading glass processing company worked closely with architects Aukett Swanke and the main contractors as part of the expert team rejuvenating one of London’s most important art deco structures. GLASSOLUTIONS and the architect had successfully teamed up previously on the refurbishment of 123 Victoria Street in London.

ISG secured the contract with global investment firm Blackstone to remodel and refurbish floors one to six of the iconic building to create 190,000 sq ft of high spec CAT A open plan office accommodation. Effective project management was a key to the success of the scheme, given that the building remained partly occupied and in use throughout. The work involved significant structural alterations to upgrade and sensitively modernise the building, including the reinstatement of internal light wells to maximise the volume of natural light entering the structure at lower levels.

The GLASSOLUTIONS team completed the complex £1million interior and exterior glazing project within just 20 weeks, using a range of glazing options within the Schueco window and curtain walling system. Bespoke engineered glass solutions, including challenging deflection tolerances were required to deliver the glazing specification within the listed building. Externally, the building’s existing

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smoked glass windows have been replaced with high performance clear glass units featuring a range of glass including Planidur COOL-LITE SKN165, Security HST Toughened Planitherm Ultra N on outer panes of sealed units and Stadip Protect laminated on inner panes. Where fire rated glass was required GLASSOLUTIONS used a combination of Securit Planitherm Total+ and 25mm Contraflam 60 on inner panes.

Within the atrium, and for the screens and doors at ground floor level, Stadip Silence clear toughened HST acoustic laminate was used to deliver Rw 41dB acoustic performance. Where the building steps in at level six, a new landscaped roof terrace area overlooking the reinstated glazed light wells has been created featuring glazed balustrading using GLASSOLUTIONS SGG security glazing with handrail.

Says GLASSOLUTIONS’ business manager, Eamonn Tobin, “Complex projects like the scheme at The Adelphi Building require a combination of an appropriate product range, technical expertise, excellent team working and first class project management. At GLASSOLUTIONS we have again demonstrated that by providing this blend we are first choice for high profile projects across the UK.” www.glassolutions.co.uk

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Brainwashing, Destruction Testing And Nano Technology: After 12 Years, A Newly Refined TSL

By Jens Van Eyseren of Roto: Roto have just rolled out a new version of their TSL. Amazingly, it is now 12 years since the original came along and revolutionised security for Open-Out windows with its Twin-Cam Security locking. The public at large might not really have been aware of it, but it certainly made life a lot easier for the fabricators who were smart enough to adopt it from the start. The marketing at the time used the word “revolutionary” – and for once it wasn’t hype.

This new locking system, which could be fitted to a window as quickly and easily as an espagnolette, really did provide shootbolt levels of security.

Brainwashed - And that’s what Roto were up against at the time: shootbolts.

It seemed like every window sales rep in the country had been brainwashed to tell members of the public that their window would only be any good if it was fitted with shootbolts. There was some reasoning behind this. When the BS 7950 standard (equivalent to EN Resistance Class 2) was introduced in the UK, standard espagnolettes with two or three locking points simply weren’t strong enough to withstand the mechanical loadings in the test.

Three burly men - We’re talking about forces of 3 kN trying to push the window open. That’s like angling the window face down and having the weight of three burly men standing on it. No wonder some of those very old basic espags just gave way under that load. It would have been easier for Roto to carry on selling their shootbolt system. But they decided to take a bit of a calculated risk and put out something that was both familiar (you fit it just like you do an espag) and yet utterly new at the same time. When Roto launched the TSL, I was involved on the technical side. We invited fabricators to make a window and bring it along to be tested, so they could witness for themselves what this new product was capable of doing. A lot of people really did have to see it to believe it. Once they saw, they believed.

Done up with a zip - I tend to think of it like this: a window with a basic espag is like a piece of clothing fastened with buttons. By contrast, when you lock a window with TSL, it’s more like you’ve done it up with a zip fastener: it’s an awful lot harder to prise it apart. On the larger sizes there are 8 cams which, when you think about it, is a good number of locking points on the side of a window. But what really provides the advantage is that Twin-Cam action: each pair of cams closing together into a common striker creates a very strong locking point. We saw it in the tests. Windows would breeze through the standard 3 kN loadings, even though we were loading each locking point three times – with the additional 1 kN being applied in three different directions.

Tested to destruction - After a dozen such loadings, most people wanted us to ramp it up and see how well their window could withstand being tested to

destruction. We pushed the rig to the limit. It’s fair to say most windows could not be broken open, even with loadings way beyond those defined in the standard.

Sometimes we would succeed in ripping out the locking point in the top or bottom corner if we concentrated on it. All of this was done using hydraulic equipment to impart forces way beyond what anyone would be able to apply with a crowbar.

So simple, it’s obvious - It’s one of those ideas that is so simple, it seems obvious when you’re used to seeing it. But that’s the beauty of so many great inventions: their apparently simplicity. Roto have come up with other revolutionary products of course – after all, they introduced the first Tilt&Turn system. Now, for OpenOut, there is the TSH 30, which can provide enhanced security on three sides of the sash of a larger window.

12 years on, still the most effective - But when it comes to a regular side-hung or top-hung casement of the type fitted in many homes, the most straightforward and reliable way to give it enhanced security status is to fit it with a TSL. 12 years on, it remains the most straightforward and effective solution. It’s just a shame so many new build properties are STILL being constructed and fitted with basic espags. If only the customers knew how easily – and at very low cost – their windows could have been made so much more resistant to intruders.

No point trying to reinvent the wheel - You might be asking, “What’s new about this latest TSL?” There’s no point trying to reinvent the wheel, but you can improve the way it is put together using the best materials and technology available at the time. That’s what Roto have opted to do. The new TSL faceplate now comes into line with that of the Roto NT and other modular hardware systems in the manufacturer’s range. As well as being designed for maximum stability, the new faceplates have a ‘premium’ look and feel to them.

Nano technology - The faceplate is now coated with RotoSil Nano 7. This latest formulation uses nano technology to make the surface ‘self-healing’. It is therefore more resistant to scratches as well as corrosion. As a fabricator, you get the same advantages: a range of sizes to suit sash rebates from 305mm up to 1600mm; two different cam heights and backsets depending on profile; fine adjustment in the cams to ensure a firm weather seal; a range of profile-related strikers.

The TSL range is designed to give you maximum flexibility with the lowest possible number of different components. Are there still people who think you have to have a shootbolt? Probably. If you’ve not used TSL before, it’s still not too late to catch on – because there are many years of life left in this little stalwart yet. http://www.tsl-by-roto.eu/

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Comar Makes Light Work Of Façade Work

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The University of Birmingham’s new Chamberlain Hall Student Accommodation is an impressive example of regeneration which is in keeping with the landscape as well as providing all essential capacity growth for the future. The façade had to provide function as well as form. Natural ventilation was a must, however, in keeping with the structured façade open-in windows were required fronted with ventilation panels, to allow ventilation yet not impact on the façades integrity, maintaining the clean lines and sleek elevations.

Making the façade work and integrate with all the cladding elements involved Comar Architectural Aluminium Systems designing new methods of fixing. The flush façade was a must and all the elements: Comar Glazing, Mesh and Copper panels needed to integrate. One of the engineering challenges on the project was the connection of the perforated copper cladding panels to the Comar 6EFT curtain walling.

The team designed a bespoke capping profile which was extruded with re-enforced walls capable of fixing the copper panels directly to it. A heavy duty pressure plate with a fixing port arrangement, was used to mechanically fix the capping to the pressure plate. Subsequent regular fixings then transmitted the applied loads back to the rear structural mullion member to ensure there was no thermal bridging. www.comar-alu.co.uk

Four Steps To Specifying The Right Commercial Door

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Commercial aluminium systems specialist Jack Aluminium has made it easy for architects and specifiers by creating four steps towards specifying the right commercial door for every project.

“There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a commercial door, but by looking at a few fundamentals you can balance legislative requirements, style, functionality and cost to achieve a great-looking, high-performance door that is built too last,” says Jeff Pearson, Sales Director at Jack Aluminium.

1) Achieve security and efficiency in performance. “There are increasingly stringent demands for thermal efficiency and security – not only from the law but also from building owners and users who want the very best from their premises.

“A well-engineered aluminium profile needs to be thermally broken while remaining strong enough to withstand the attentions of burglars. The only way to be sure is through independent test data, so only work with systems suppliers who have invested in rigorous testing.”

2) Versatility in design. “Commercial projects cover a number of sectors and range from new builds to retro-fits. Finding a aluminium system that will work across all of these types can save valuable time and resource when specifying.

Rather than starting from scratch on a project-by-project basis, it means that specifiers can develop long-term relationships in the confidence that the system will do what it needs to, every time.”

3) Convenience in manufacture and installation. “Having the right system on paper is one thing. It must also be easy for the fabricator to make and for the installer to fit, otherwise there’s a risk of adding time and cost to a project to iron out issues in the factory or on-site. When in doubt, ask to see examples of existing projects and speak to the people who had first-hand experience of using the system.”

4) Harmony with the environment. This last step underpins all of the other elements, and extends from sustainable manufacturing to the long-term durability of the door itself. “The most sustainable commercial door is one that is built too last. By making the best use of materials upfront, a good system will reduce longterm wastage by minimising the chance of repair or replacement.

These four steps should be at the heart of all commercial door specification. Jack Aluminium is happy to discuss everything from design and testing, through to fabrication, installation and long-term aftercare, to help architects and specifiers make the right choice. www.jackaluminium.co.uk

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New CPD from Aluprof

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‘Thermal Design Choices for Aluminium Fenestration Systems’ is a new RIBA approved CPD from leading commercial systems supplier, Aluprof. The CPD aims to give specifiers the knowledge they need to specify the correct systems and their thermal characteristics on a ‘per project’ basis. Aluminium systems have evolved from the solid profiles of the 60’s and 70’s through the resin ‘fill and de-bridge’ methods of the 80’s and 90’s to the sophisticated polyamide thermal breaks of today.

Whilst thermal calculation can determine a particular U value, does the structure it is being fixed into retain the high performance of the product or will it cold bridge and potentially cause issues? How do you best interpret a thermal simulation graphic to choose the best product?

Is solar gain, ‘friend’ or ‘foe’? These are questions the CPD will seek to answer. With aluminium systems now achieving Passivhaus levels of insulation it is important to understand how these systems achieve such levels of insulation and how the glazing and structure need to be designed to offer clients the most appropriate solution. www.aluprof.eu

Network VEKA Celebrates 20 Years And £1Bn In Sales!

Grosvenor Windows, a proud Horwich-based Network VEKA member, has completed an impressive, residential window and door contract that tipped Network VEKA's cumulative sales over the £1bn milestone.

Network VEKA, the industry’s leading installer network, was established in 1996 to combat the double glazing industry's unfortunate reputation for pushy salespeople and sub-par products. The not-for-profit organisation was created to give homeowners a stress-free way to choose home improvements.

Network VEKA only allowed the very best companies in the country to share in its reputation and display the coveted logo, and made sure they stayed the best. In the last 20 years, the organisation has made very few changes to its policy. Members are still strictly vetted before being allowed to join and are continuously audited once accepted. Network VEKA members use the highest quality materials from The VEKA UK Group and customers are safeguarded by a series of fail-safe insurancebacked guarantees. www.networkveka.co.uk

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Crittall Helps Liverpool Landmark Hotel Liverpool dockside’s newest luxury hotel has brought 21st century chic to a traditional Victorian maritime setting and Crittall Windows make an important contribution to this impressive transformation.

The Titanic Hotel is part of the redevelopment of the historic Stanley Dock complex of warehouses. It is located in what was originally known as the North Warehouse, built between 1846 and 1854. The building was badly damaged during a World War Two bombing raid and lay derelict for many years. Nevertheless, the value of the site in historic and architectural terms was recognised when the Liverpool Docks became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the old North Warehouse, along with other buildings, was listed Grade II. Fast forward to 2010 when Stanley Dock Properties Ltd engaged Dublin-based Darmody Architects to draw up a masterplan for the entire site. Working closely with Liverpool City Council planners the architects conceived an ambitious regeneration plan, phase I of which was the transformation of the old North Warehouse into the 153-bedroom hotel with the adjacent Rum Warehouse – a building of 1950s vintage – converted into an exhibition space. Darmody’s conversion has retained many of the original brick and iron features in the spacious North Warehouse so as to reflect the buildings, and the overall sites, industrial maritime heritage. This is where the specification of Crittall’s Corporate W20 windows designed to fill existing bowed-top openings, fitted the bill precisely.

The £36million 4-star Titanic Hotel project has maximised the warehouse’s generous dimensions. Bedrooms measure 55 square metres on average, around twice the size of a standard hotel room, earning the building, in the words of one reviewer, its description as ‘a boutique hotel of Titanic proportions.’ The theme is also emphasised by the fact that, on entering the hotel, visitors can ascend a faithful replica of the ill-fated RMS Titanic’s grand staircase. Through their attractive Crittall windows, with their slim profile maximising the natural daylight entering the rooms, guests are also treated to magnificent views across Stanley Dock to the Tobacco Warehouse opposite and on to the Mersey Estuary. www.crittall-windows.co.uk

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Leitz Tooling launches ThermoTech Window System Lite

Adding to its range of tooling solutions for A and A+ BFRC energy rated timber window production, Leitz Tooling has launched the “Lite” version of its ThermoTech Window System.

The current ThermoTech Window tooling system is hugely successful and working for many joinery and window manufacturing companies around the UK. Leitz has now added ThermoTech Lite – producing traditional-looking high performance timber windows – to the range.

As with their original ThermoTech Window System, ThermoTech Lite will be available with BFRC (British Fenestration Rating Council) energy rated licences for most variations of timber window manufacture.

With full and ongoing back-up and support from the company, Leitz’s ThermoTech Window Systems are considered by its customers as one of the fastest, easy to use, reassuring and profitable systems on the market: “The fact that Leitz has already done the work with the BFRC for energy rated window licences was a key factor in our decision to buy their tooling, and we’re winning most of the work we quote for.” TimberMaster, Rugby “We make timber windows for contractors, developers, housing associations and home-owners, and the tooling system from Leitz means we now make them quicker and easier than ever before.” T O’Malley Joinery Ltd, Lancashire Leitz ThermoTech Lite Window System is a complete, compliant and scalable system for the manufacture of high quality timber windows by large manufacturers and small sized joinery companies alike, opening up new markets and business opportunities and responding to demand from manufacturers as well as architects and contractors.

Offering traditional aesthetics for the UK marketplace, the ThermoTech Lite system features Leitz’s renowned durability. Easy to set-up for repeatable, precise manufacture every time, the system is available in

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multi-tool or dedicated sets for spindle moulders, tenoners, CNC routers and window machines.

In addition to the ability to create thinner (60mm vs 68mm), more elegant box sashes, Leitz’s ThermoTech Lite system also includes capacity for triple-glazed with the addition of simple tooling elements – no need to buy a complete new set of tooling.

The features and benefits of the ThermoTech Lite Window System mean that all design U values of the timber windows are 1.4 or better, the designs are expandable for different hinges (including Sumo, Cotswold and Defender hinges), and the profiles on the system are easily changed, without needing to purchase extra tools.

Brian Maddox, Sales Manager for Leitz Tooling UK said, “We have removed the burden of design, tooling, set up and window simulation thermal testing for the energy performance rating; the only things we don’t do is actually performance test the window or make it. Our ThermoTech Lite Window System gives the opportunity for much wider high quality manufacture of A and A+ rated thermal performance wood windows.”

The system supports all variations to suit any type of manufacturer, with any type of specification, with flexibility. As a low cost, dedicated modular system, it is as accessible and as future-proof as possible, and includes all the support customers might need, including custom window design and the cost of simulation to BRFC regulations to get the approved energy ratings.

As always, Leitz is focused on increased productivity, reduced downtime, noise, scrap, and improved quality and safety in tested tooling design. All tooling from Leitz is manufactured and safety tested to BS EN847 standards helping to ensure the welfare of customer employees.

For more information Leitz Tooling and ThermoTech Lite, visit www.leitz-tooling.co.uk or contact salesuk@ leitz.org.

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Working In The Light Designed by DarntonB3 architects, this 23,000 sqm facility is the new HQ for Airedale International Air Conditioning in Leeds. The production facility is a stunning example of the way in which the Kalwall® translucent daylighting system has been used in combination with Kalwall panel unit windows.

It includes a state-of-the-art test centre and training school regarded as a worldwide hub of excellence for air-conditioning. The dramatic linear simplicity of the design projects real impact on the entrance façade while the architects have configured the levels of the site so that the main mass is concealed from public view and all aspects of manufacturing are kept on a single level. Sustainability is also fundamental to Airedale’s core strategy which has been translated into a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’ for the building.

Unlike conventional glazing, highly insulating Kalwall eliminates shadows and glare and the stark contrasts of light and shade. The system also enhances simplicity by eliminating the need for blinds, curtains or solar control. Even on cloudy days, the building is bathed with natural diffused daylight which means less artificial lighting and therefore reduced costs. Apart from being specified for all types of new build, Kalwall is increasingly used for the refurbishment of cladding or rooflights on aged buildings. www.structura-uk.com/kalwall

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Imago Makes The ‘Big Decision’ Easy For Timber Doors With today’s engineered woods, anything is possible. In Vancouver, construction has just finished on the world’s largest timber building – and architects believe that wood will become the key construction material of the 21st century.

For homeowners, too, timber allows huge flexibility as anybody who has watched Grand Designs will know. Timber looks equally impressive for refurbishments, extensions or cutting-edge architecture.

That’s why AGB Hardware has engineered its Imago Lift & Slide system to make the most of this versatility.

“Timber lift and slide doors are the ideal way for homeowners to fit widespan glazed doors to their home,” says Marco Zen, UK and Ireland Sales Manager for AGB Hardware.

“We developed Imago to meet modern demands for homes that are filled with light and offer impressive panoramic views into the garden. With advances in engineered timber such as Accoya, there are even more opportunities for architects, joinery manufacturers and fabricators to make the decision to think big with their designs.”

The cleverly engineered Imago hardware enables the creation of timber frames as slender as just 2cm, for large glazing areas that frame the view. This is combined with a light-touch, sliding door mechanism for fluid, silent opening and closing.

AGB manufactures Imago is proving a popular choice with architects, thanks to the ability to extend the glazed area of the door. The architects behind CentroSoranzo, a social health facility near Venice, chose Imago because it meant they could fit even more glass into the area, so that guests to the centre can feel the benefits of being at one with nature even when they’re inside. www.chooseimago.co.uk

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Stand Out From The Crowd With Interior Doors From Vicaima

With house builders and interior design specialists looking to find products that will set them apart in an ever crowded marketplace and home owners becoming much more demanding and discerning in their choice of living space, its little wonder that the innovative and designer led inspiration offered by Vicaima door products is more sought after than ever before . With the launch of the new 2016/17 Interior Door Selector, Vicaima offer even more to meets the needs of today’s housing.

As one of Europe’s leading manufacturers, Vicaima interior doors and doorsets offer specifiers a wealth of choice in performance suitability, designer inspiration and cost effective solutions to cater for every budget.

Available both in printed format and for download via the Vicaima website, the new 64 page catalogue sets out product ranges in a clear and concise format. Each section includes quality colour imagery to illustrate the range design potential, together with easy to reference individual door pictures to ensure the chosen door is right for the project. In addition it includes a new Price Indicator Tool, which enables easy price comparison across different ranges to help find the right solution within a particular budget.

Making a first appearance in the Interior Door Selector for 2017 are some exciting new ranges which demonstrate that interior doors need not be confined to the often seen and used plain painted doors, which have little or no imagination. These new Vicaima products include Stained Ash veneer with groove designs, horizontally embossed Dekordor 3D with aluminium inlays, Foil faced visual sensations and a

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modern take on tradition, with the K Range shaker style panel in a wide spectrum of attractive face finishes.

As you would expect from such a leading interior door specialist, a comprehensive choice of constructional core options from lightweight hollow core to solid and

fire rated doors are offered for most ranges, with each being available in both imperial and metric sizes. The scope and design possibilities make selection easy, with glazed options, extra height dimensions, mobility widths and even a customised section, where you can create a design to suit individual tastes. If this were not enough, the new Interior Door Selector also includes additional information such as technical advice, a guide to performance and even door care.

To download your copy of the new 2016/17 Interior Door Selector, visit www.vicaima.com and select brochures, alternatively call 01793 532333 to request a printed copy or for further information.

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Wrightstyle And Retail Safety

Wrightstyle is a specialist steel and aluminium glazing company and supplies its fire-rated systems internationally. Jane Embury, the company’s marketing director, looks at safety in the retail sector.

It’s approaching that time of year when shops and shopping centres will experience their busiest period, and when nobody in the retail sector can be complacent about security. It’s worth remembering that the outgoing Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said very recently that a terrorist attack like those seen this year in continental Europe is “likely”. Indeed, new Security Minister Ben Wallace has already held talks with the managers of stadiums and shopping centres to review security. And, according to Europol, the EU law enforcement agency, some 103 terror attacks were carried out, planned, or foiled in Britain in 2015. Government guidance on counterterrorism is that ‘as the level of risk varies, counter-terrorism protective security measures should be proportionate to the risk of terrorist attack to which the building or place is exposed.’

For building designers, perhaps unused to the new realities of enhanced security, there are architectural liaison officers (ALOs) to whom they can turn. They can be contacted through www. securedbydesign.com. Further advice can be taken from counter-terrorism security advisers (CTSAs), who devise appropriate protective plans for sites vulnerable to terrorist attack. They can be contacted through local police forces or at nactso@btconnect.com

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Wrightstyle and Retail Safaty (cont....) CTSAs will also advise on whether a project requires counter-terrorism measures. A fuller explanation of government thinking can be found at www.security.homeoffice.gov.uk. The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) trains and supports CTSAs and its website has useful guidance for designers and managers of a range of public places – from bars to cinemas, and from hotels to shopping centres. NaCTSO is also there to raise awareness of the importance of designing in counter-terrorism security measures from the earliest design stages. Basically, counter-terrorism strategies must be considered for any venue where large numbers of people may congregate. The Home Office’s definition is ‘a location or environment to which members of the public have access that may be considered potentially liable to terrorist attack by virtue of its crowd density.’ Determining a proportionate response depends on the use or uses that building or space is being designed for, or the organisations to be based there, and reaching judgements requires a strategic approach involving everyone from the architect to the local authority. That concept of proportionality is important, because counter-terrorism measures can be costly and impact on the design process. Conversely, proportionality allows for a sensible assessment of risk. That assessment is reached by all stakeholders at the design stage, and involving government security agencies and the local counter-terrorism security adviser. It will place the proposed building into one of four risk categories: High, Medium-high, Medium, or Low. There are, of course, a whole range of protective design measures that can be built in – from landscaping to prevent vehicle access to aesthetic but vehicle-hostile street furniture, from roads layout to staircases to give stand-off distances from explosive attack. Stand-off distance is an important consideration. A bomb detonating at seven metres from a shopping centre facade will, depending on the size of the bomb and type of explosive, generate blast pressure of up to one ton per square foot. At 30 metres, blast pressure falls to one-tenth of a ton per square foot – within building regulation parameters on structural integrity. Modern building design, in shopping centres as elsewhere, now makes extensive use of glass. It brings in ambient light and creates a more pleasant interior environment. But it must also contain fire, smoke and toxic fumes – if a fire breaks out within a retail outlet – and, where appropriate, withstand explosive detonation.

It should be remembered that, in a bomb blast, the main cause of injury and death is from broken glass and other flying debris – but only in places where non-specialised glass and glazing systems have been installed. Modern, advanced glazing systems have come about as a result of investment in innovation, both to develop new laminated glass types and framing systems able to withstand blast pressure, as well as to accurately evaluate those systems using a variety of assessment and computational tools. At Wrightstyle, we have gone beyond computational assessment to also conduct live bomb testing. One test involved a simulated lorry bomb attack (500 kg of TNT-equivalent explosive) detonated 75 metres from the test rig, followed by a simulated car bomb attack on the same glazing system (100 kg of explosive), detonated at a distance of 20 metres. Both tests were equally successful. Our compatible systems, with the glass and steel framing systems tested together, are accredited to EU, US and Asia Pacific standards.

Our strong advice is to always specify the glass and framing as one unit: in a real fire or terrorist situation, the glass will only be as protective as its frame, and vice versa. You can watch videos of our systems being live tested against car bomb, lorry bomb and ballistic attack on our website. We’ve supplied our systems worldwide, most recently for retail and leisure regeneration schemes in the UK, Hong Kong and Beirut. Our glazing systems are primarily, of course, to protect against fire. The aesthetic advantages of glass are obvious, and how glass can transform the ambience and functionality of interior space is now well understood. The challenge for us is to now keep pace with architectural evolution – from providing unrivalled performance against fire, or acoustic and weather performance, to combating terrorist attack. www.wrightstyle.co.uk

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Glassolutions Provides IGU Solutions In QAS’S Loughborough College Refurb

Further education students in Leicestershire are benefiting from an enhanced learning environment thanks to the benefits that a new external envelope has brought featuring aluminium curtain walling and ribbon windows by QAS (Queniborough Aluminium Services).

Loughborough College’s £14 million refurbishment project has transformed its six-floor A-block and other buildings on campus dating back to the 1960s. The buildings have been remodelled to provide stateof-the-art accommodation. Working for main contractor Willmott Dixon, QAS was commissioned to manufacture and install curtain walling and ribbon windows throughout the multi-storey building.

Following a full initial survey of the structure, QAS provided extensive pre-contract detailing and specification support in order to arrive at the most effective solution. The Technal FXi 65 system was used to create the ribbon windows. This thermally enhanced aluminium system was chosen to provide very effective thermal insulation and optimise energy efficiency of the building in use. In addition, QAS provided Technal MX curtain walling to the stairwells with this system also chosen for its excellent thermal insulation properties as well as to deliver an aesthetically superior result.

The windows and curtain walling were complemented by the automatic entrance doors that QAS also installed, using Tormax 2201 sliding door operators.

Working with IGU (insulating glass unit) supply chain partner GLASSOLUTIONS, QAS ensured the glazing specification optimised the building’s energy efficiency and comfort for building users. The majority of the windows featured SGG Securit with SGG Planitherm Ultra N IGU’s and 6.8mm Stadip where enhanced security was required.

Windows on the south and west elevations offer enhanced solar control thanks to SGG Securit Cool-Lite SKN174 II as part of an Argon filled IGU. All the IGUs were manufactured by GLASSOLUTIONS at its Peterborough plant, a specialist producer of sealed units for commercial applications. www.glassolutions.co.uk

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FASERFIX® SUPER Channel Runs Drain Quayside At Royal Portbury Dock, Port of Bristol

The Port of Bristol is a major deep water port with the harbour and its operations designed to routinely accept large cargo Capesize vessels of up to 130,000 DWT (Dead Weight Tonnage) With over £330m invested by First Corporate Shipping Limited in the dock estate in recent years the Port is now recognised as being one of the most productive and technically advanced in Europe.

with the Class F900 ductile iron gratings supplied for the Portbury Dock project, provides exceptional wear resistance and increased load bearing capability. Unlike some other well known makes, our FASERFIX® components are so strong, even prior to installation they are able to endure the rigours of site work and then the twisting wheels of container handling vehicles’ once installed”.

578 metres of Hauraton FASERFIX® SUPER 150, channels have been installed along the redeveloped quayside and container handling area at the Royal Portbury Dock, Port of Bristol.

For related Case Studies go to www.drainageprojects.co.uk

Cat Jones, Hauraton’s South West Area Projects Manager outlines the features and benefits of FASERFIX® SUPER channels that made them ideal for the Royal Portbury Dock project; “Hauraton have for the last 50 years been at the forefront of manufacturing robust Fibre Reinforced Concrete (FRC) surface water drainage systems that are today distributed and installed around the world in some of the harshest environments.

The FRC perfected by the company in the mid 70’s allows our FASERFIX® channels and trash boxes to have much thinner walls yet are very much stronger when compared with similar nonreinforced concrete products. A standard feature of FASERFIX® SUPER channels are galvanised steel pressings securely moulded on to the top edges of the channel during production, this detail allied

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Making A Ripple In Reading 77

Number One Forbury Place in Reading is a 186,000 sq ft speculative office development, owned by one of the UK’s largest property investors, M&G Real Estate, which has a particularly distinctive exterior, thanks to a custom solar shading and screening solution, courtesy of Levolux. As a worldleading solar shading and screening specialist, Levolux was approached to design, supply and install a custom solar shading solution, comprising a combination of horizontal and vertical twisted fins. Horizontal, rectangular-shaped fins are utilised externally on the building’s faceted southfacing elevation. The extruded aluminium fins, each measuring 150mm wide by 50mm thick, are grouped into a series of vertical stacks, comprising three or four fins. The fins are fixed externally at high level on each floor, creating an effective, yet aesthetically impressive shading structure.

Based on Levolux’s popular Infiniti Fin system, each series of horizontal Fins appears continuous, extending more than 55 metres across the building.

In contrast, on east and west-facing elevations, twisted, vertical fins have been incorporated into the scheme. The large rectangular-shaped fins, each measuring 550mm wide by 50mm thick, are fixed at 1.5 metre centres. The fins extend vertically to more than 33 metres, from ground to roof level. While some vertical fins are straight, set at 90 degrees from the façade, others have been twisted by as much as 180 degrees along their total length. The twist in each fin starts and finishes at a slightly different height, creating a ‘ripple’ or ‘wave’ effect. The wave of twists radiates out diagonally from the centre of east and west- facing façades. All fins are integrated with the glazed curtain walling system using Levolux’s Triniti bracket, while the vertical fins also have additional lateral supports at each level. The Triniti bracket used on this project is a high performance curtain walling bracket, with stainless steel fixings and a patented thermal break.

While the horizontal, rectangular-shaped fins have been given a durable dark grey matt powder coating, each vertical fin is finished in two contrasting colours. A light grey finish on one side, is complemented by bronze on the other side and on both edges. The two colours create a striking effect that is most impressive when the fins are exposed to sunlight, in the morning (east elevation) or in the afternoon (west elevation). Levolux also supplied and installed its Contour XL Louvres to screen plant and equipment at roof level. A louvred screen, measuring 3 metres in height by more than 47 metres in length, incorporates two single louvred doors and a louvred double gate. www.levolux.com

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Power Bollards Provide A Safe, Secure Outdoor Power Supply For Gravesham Borough Council Pop Up Power Supplies® were approached by council planners to provide an outdoor power supply for an area outside the local civic centre.

Pop Up Power Supplies® were able to offer their range of power bollards to provide a safe, secure and silent outdoor power supply. Specified in a Button Top Supply Bollard with hatch closure, the slim bollards are all located around the perimeter area next to walls, and as a result have a limited impact on the outdoor area.

The power bollards are a popular choice of street furniture as they are an elegant design and complement the surround environment well with their sleek aesthetics. George Parker, Director of Pop Up Power Supplies® commented, “Our range of Power Bollards were ideal for the area right outside the civic centre for Gravesham Borough Council.

The sleek design of the bollards is helped with the brushed stainless steel finish, which complements the surrounding metal railings and street furnishings.

The bollards provide a reliable, secure outdoor power supply, and are totally encased therefore are a safe option for the large footfall the area gets.”

Pop Up Power Supplies® range of stainless steel power bollards provide between 220 and 400 volts and 125A of power. They are available with standard configurations plus additional equipment is available for a completely bespoke outdoor power solution.

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Guernsey Flats Go Thoroughly Modern With Trespa

A landmark high-rise apartment block that was once thought to have outlived its usefulness has been given a new lease of life and a fresh appearance, thanks to Trespa® Meteon® cladding panels.

Built in 1963, Cour du Parc is 11 storeys high and the tallest building on the Channel Island of Guernsey. Only five years ago it stood empty of tenants and was considered to have reached the end of its useful life. Then an imaginative refurbishment and upgrade was given the go ahead by the States of Guernsey planners.

The result is an eye-catching structure where it’s previously uninspiring dun-coloured brickwork has given way to vibrant Trespa® Meteon® cladding panels in two shades of light green.

“Visually the improvement to the building and the ability to detail openings and vary colour to enhance vertical features were key to choosing Trespa,” says Phil Roussel, Development Manager of Guernsey Housing Association, which carried out the transformation in partnership with the States of Guernsey Housing Department.

“The new panels have rejuvenated a tired old building and brought it up to date for the 21st century,” says architect Ricky Mahy whose practice, Create, masterminded the new design.

Of crucial importance was protection against the elements.

By using a ventilated façade system, the continuous air flow draws air through the cavity between the cladding and the inner layer of the exterior wall aiding in the removal of heat and moisture from rain or condensation.

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“On the subject of environmental impact, using a ventilated rainscreen cladding system allowed us to increase the amount of insulation, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the building,” says Mr Roussel. “There were less expensive options we first looked at but, with knowledge of other use of Trespa® on the island both at Sir Charles Frossard House and Oakvale School, we were satisfied that the product was capable of withstanding the harsh coastal environment to provide a long -term solution without high maintenance costs,” he adds.

The refurbishment project reconfigured space internally to provide 50 flats where previously there had been 42 and also made provision for an additional lift. The end result has been a welcome increase in social housing units for the island.

Says Mr Roussel: “GHA is a long term owner of this property so we wanted something without a high maintenance requirement. Trespa® Meteon® panels have good resistance to dirt, so we are confident the building will look good for many years.”

Trespa® Meteon® is a decorative high-pressure compact laminate (HPL) with an integral surface manufactured using the company’s unique in-house technologies; Electron Beam Curing (EBC) and Dry Forming (DF). It is the company’s leading family of architectural panels for façades and exterior applications, created – as with all Trespa products - in close collaboration with architects, designers, installers, distributors and end-users. www.trespa.com

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East End Conversion Contract Consumes 2,000 Marmox Multiboards The conversion of an eighties’ building into 124 high specification apartments in London has included the use of large quantities of Marmox Multiboards, fitted within every new dwelling as part of a build-up containing electric underfloor heating.

The property, located in the capital’s vibrant East End, is being refurbished and reconfigured by Quinn (London) Ltd., with the supplies of high performance and very versatile Marmox Multiboard coming through the Northampton branch of Travis Perkins.

In total 2,000 of the 600mm wide by 1250mm long boards, at either 10mm or 12.5mm thick, are being consumed during a contract set to run for 12 months. Quinn’s workforce are overlaying the existing reinforced concrete slabs with the Multiboards before the electrical cabling for the underfloor heating is clipped in place, and a self-smoothing screed pumped across each area. The two board thicknesses facilitate dealing with differences in the substrate as well as the final installation of either tiles or timber laminate floorcoverings, depending on room location.

Marmox Multiboards are manufactured from extruded polystyrene, or XPS and offer a range of positive physical characteristics in addition to being fully waterproof. They are both light to handle and easy to cut, while still being able to carry substantial loadings if employed as part of a flooring build up. They further offer good acoustic as well as thermal insulation performances. Marmox Multiboard is frequently specified as a wet room, water resistant insulation board that can be fixed to walls, floors and ceilings. It can simply be glued in place with a solvent-free adhesive or it can be fixed with a range of specialized washers and dowels. Flexible, curved boards are also available, as well as pipe boxing. www.marmox.co.uk

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Advanced Fire Protection For Royal National Theatre Intelligent fire panels from industry-leading manufacturer Advanced have been chosen to protect the world-famous National Theatre in London after an £89m redevelopment.

The contract for the new fire system at the National Theatre was awarded to the team at Tri-Management, who specified a network of 12 MxPro 5 panels from Advanced. MxPro 5 is the industry’s leading multiprotocol fire panel range and is renowned for its world-beating performance, quality, and easeof-use.

In total, 3,000 loop devices were installed on the MxPro 5 network, linked by 16.5 miles of cable. Detection included aspirating systems in the auditoria and stage areas, along with heat and smoke detectors elsewhere. The TriManagement team carried out the successful panel upgrade at the National Theatre in a single weekend with of all the programming and pre planning done offsite. Further to this fantastic effort, the district surveyor was in the following morning to witness test the fire system, sprinklers and gas suppression system installed, and expressed they were extremely happy with the improved performance at the theatre.

MxPro offers a choice of two panel ranges, four protocols, and an open installer base supported by free training and tech support. Approved to EN54 parts 2, 4 and 13, MxPro 5 panels can be used in single loop, single panel format or easily configured into high speed, 200 panel networks covering huge areas and tens of thousands of field devices. Advanced’s legendary ease of installation and configuration and wide peripheral range mean that MxPro is customisable to almost any application. www.advancedco.com

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Rinnai Continuous Flow Hot Water Units Replace Old Stored Units At Malvern Hills Caravan Site Rinnai, the UK’s leading manufacturer of continuous flow water heating systems, has transformed the hot water delivery arrangements at a busy Caravan Club site in the Malvern Hills. Malvern Hills Caravan Club site offers its visitors not only the beautiful Malvern Hills to explore but also the Elgar Trail taking in composer’s birthplace at Broadheath to his final abode in Worcester.

The site is especially busy from Easter all the way through to October so there is a continuous need for hot water. It recently became clear that the site’s old, traditional system simply couldn’t cope.

Contractor Booth and Bomford of Evesham advised on the task of supplying the needs of a toilet/shower block with a new state-of-the- art hot water system. It was important that the new system should be able to produce hot water any time of the day or night and never run cold, even at the busiest times. The decision was taken to install four Rinnai HDC1500i gas fired continuous flow heaters to provide a never-ending supply of temperature-safe hot water for even the busiest of times.

Graham Cox, for Booth and Bomford, explains: “The job involved the removal of the two storage type water heaters and installation of four new Rinnai water heaters.

We also needed to re-configure the hot, cold, LPG gas and return pipework to suit the requirements of the new heaters and insulate all new pipework, put in new vertical flues through the roof and a new water conditioning unit to protect the water heaters, followed by test and commission.”

According to Cox, the popular Caravan Club site now benefits from energy and cost savings due to the fact that the new heaters are more efficient providing instantaneous hot water as required rather than having large amounts of stored hot water that is continually re-heated and is not required during out of peak times. www.rinnaiuk.com

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5-6 Connaught Place Has Been Restored To Its Former Grandeur Located in London, overlooking Hyde Park, stands 5-6 Connaught Place. It has been exquisitely transformed by Redrow London, into exclusive luxurious apartments.

Originally built as townhouses in the early 19th century by Graham Taylor, the houses were coveted offices after the Second World War, but have now been converted into luxury homes.

To ensure the apartments were tranquil and peaceful, Selectaglaze was asked to assist in reducing the external noise levels. With fifty years’ experience, Selectaglaze is the leading specialist in the design, manufacture and installation of secondary glazing. Secondary glazing is fitted to the room side of the existing primary windows and is one of the most effective ways of reducing unwanted noise. When there is a gap between the primary and secondary glazing of at least 100mm, 45dB is achievable.

Working with Redrow London and John Sisk, Selectaglaze first installed a sample unit to show the reduction of noise that can be achieved and how unobtrusive secondary glazing can be. Satisfied; Redrow London engaged Selectaglaze to complete the rest of the building. A total of 69 units were installed all using toughened safety glass. Curved units were also installed to mirror the styles of the primary windows.

As secondary glazing is a discreet and reversible adaptation, it is ideal for Listed properties and is widely accepted by most heritage bodies.

Selectaglaze has a wealth of experience with working on all building types, from Listed offices, to new build hotels.

For further information, literature and test results, please contact Selectaglaze on 01727 837271/e-mail:enquiries@selectaglaze.co.uk or visit www.selectaglaze.co.uk

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Felmoor Park Receives Premium Protection From Remmers The Scandinavian log cabins and lodges at the picturesque Felmoor Park in Northumberland have been given a striking new finish thanks to Remmers wood coatings.

Remmers HK Stain was selected to provide not only effective weather protection but protection against blue stain, rot and insects.

HK Stain is a “2 in 1” product which eliminates the need for an additional wood preservative primer and is perfect for both soft and hardwoods. The product penetrates deeply into the wood whilst leaving it fully breathable and as it doesn’t flake or peel. Available in a wide range of traditional colours or the alternative HK Stain ‘Grey Protect’ range of natural grey shades, for a more modern look. www.remmers.co.uk

Yeoman Shield’s New Guardian Twin Handrail Installed As Part Of Refurbishment Project At Barnsley Hospital

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A 350+ bed hospital built in the 1970’s and serving a quarter of a million people in the Barnsley area, the hospital demands a constant regime of maintenance throughout its premises. Maintaining its high standards, Barnsley Hospital have improved the surroundings and facilities in 6 of the hospital wards, including the discharge unit, female trauma and elective orthopaedic unit. As part of the refurbishment project Yeoman Shield were employed to remove the old bump rail and handrails and replace them with the dual purpose Guardian Twin Handrail to corridors and waiting areas throughout the 6 wards. The twin handrail was supplied with a 50mm dia.

PVCu upper handrail for support to those who need it and a lower 125mm deep protection rail which standing slightly forward of the handrail, offers protection to both the wall décor and the handrail itself, minimising on repair and replacement. Supplied in a Pastel Blue colour with contrasting accessories in Pebble Grey the Guardian Twin Handrail from Yeoman Shield was complemented with matching 200mm protection strip and corner protection angles. www.yeomanshield.com/handrails

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High Quality Project With Hockley Homes Requiring speed without sacrificing quality for their project, Hockley Homes specified the Thin-Joint System from H+H and were amazed with the assistance they received from the manufacturer as they produced nine beautiful homes in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Specifiers opted to use aircrete because of its strong sustainability credentials compared to more traditional methods, like timber frame construction.

Upon hearing that Hockley required aircrete for their project, H+H went out of their way to assist with the project.

As well as being sustainable, Hockley Homes realised that the versatility and ease of installation with aircrete would make production of the two separate blocks of terraced housing and two semi-detached homes much more straightforward within the time limit set for the project. H+H has embraced a sustainable approach to building from the very start. Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA), a by-product of electricity generation that would usually go to landfill, is used to produce aircrete blocks. In addition, the H+H Thin-Joint System is an industry recognised Modern Method of Construction that reduces waste due to its ability to be cut on site. With all nine homes completed, Hockley Homes feel that they were correct to put their faith into H+H aircrete and the Thin-Joint System. www.hhcelcon.co.uk

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Marmox Thermoblock Specified For Low Energy Extension To Kent School

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The construction of a new extension to the teaching facilities at Glebe School in West Wickham, Kent, has featured the use of 140 mm wide Thermoblock units manufactured by Marmox Limited, specified to carry the main structural envelope of the two-storey building.

The incorporation of Thermoblocks at the wall-floor junction results in the virtual elimination of the heat loss at this cold bridge. The new building will provide the secondary school with a number of facilities including an art-room, additional classrooms and new washrooms.

Furthermore, as is common now in the education sector, the extension has been designed to achieve very good standards of energy consumption through high levels of insulation.

Marmox Thermoblocks are ideally suited to this ‘Fabric First’ approach and are regularly used to address the problem of perimeter heat loss at both ground and upper floor levels in either timber frame or more traditional masonry construction.

Thermoblock, which has a compressive strength of 9N/mm2 was specified for this demanding application of footing the supporting walls.

Thermoblock then serves to greatly extend the heat flow path for the critical floor/wall junction throughout the life of the building.

The 600 mm long units incorporate mini columns of high strength concrete to support the load of the wall above, while the low lambda value insulation effectively lengthens the path for cold-bridging. They are laid just using ordinary bricklayer’s mortar and then by sealing the interlocking ends together with Marmox Multibond, they create a permanent waterproof seal onto which the block or brick wall is then build on. www.marmox.co.uk

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Pendock Facilitates Calm Environment At Ipswich Oncology Day Unit Pendock, the UK’s leading encasement specialist, has supplied 14 column casings for the refurbishment of the Oncology Day Unit at Ipswich Hospital.

This is on the back of a successful scheme undertaken at Ashford Hospital, for whom the British company manufactured similar installations.

For the oncology unit refurbishment, though, a variety of column shapes have been specified; some have been tailored to fit around partition walls, while one even finishes on a top of a desk in this attractive and unusual redevelopment. Happily creating bespoke column casings is a routine exercise for Pendock, being that the company provides a full site survey, design and installation package – if needed - to ensure projects are well managed from start to finish.

Kier was the main contractor for the Ipswich day unit refurbishment and it specified a selection of semi-circular and quadrant form enclosures for the scheme. The laminated column casings are a robust 10mm in thickness and were fully preformed and trial assembled at Pendock’s factory in Telford to ensure accuracy.

For both shapes, there are some flat panels supplied, with aluminium top hat male and female joints provided to assist with straightforward assembly on site. The inner top and bottom collars were supplied in a striking diamond black laminate finish to complement the gleaming white surfaces of the enclosures, adding to the clean, calming and contemporary style, which the project team from KLH Architects was striving for. Furthermore, as well as being respected for the bespoke service it provides, Pendock is also able to provide a wide range of off-the-shelf products to ensure that installers can access products on a next day basis if required. www.pendock.co.uk

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Mapei UK Products Used For Refurbishment Of Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal Departures

Mapei UK have recently helped complete a flooring refurbishment project in Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal Departure costing approximately £2million.

DMC Contracts carried out the installation, leading the design between Mapei and Gatwick Airport to deliver a robust flooring system that would tolerate the demands of a busy airport terminal.

As the UK’s second largest airport and the most efficient single-runway airport in the world, Gatwick Airport required a screed that could endure the high volume of footfall which it encounters daily. Mapei specified a screed containing their Topcem binder, also including Mapefibre NS12 polypropylene fibres, to replace up to 9,000m2 of the previous flooring in the North Terminal Departures.

Topcem, which carries an EC1 rating, produces a perfect screed to use prior to the installation of any flooring where rapid drying is required – allowing light foot traffic after just 12 hours, ensuring the airport experienced minimal disruption. Mapefibre NS12 helps to create a strong matrix within the screed which is more resistant to the stresses induced by the setting and hardening process. Once laid, the floor was left for 28 days before it was drop-hammer tested, where it received a Category A rating.

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400 x 400 porcelain tiles and 600 x 300 conglomerate tiles were then laid with Mapei’s grey coloured Granirapid (which also carries an EC1 rating) – a rapid setting, high strength, flexible tile adhesive suitable for a busy airport environment.

The floor tiles were grouted with Mapei’s popular Ultracolour Plus Grout in the ‘Cement Grey’ shade (113).

With Gatwick’s moving annual total passenger numbers recently reaching over 41 million, the airport required an abrasion resistant flooring for some 400m2 of the baggage area floors. Mapei’s Ultratop Industrial was specified because of its excellent abrasion and wearing resistance to the high volume of traffic in the area. To prevent staining the Ultratop Industrial was sealed with one of the products from our Mapefloor range.

For more information on Mapei resilient products, other products or training days, please visit www. mapei.co.uk, email info@mapei.co.uk or tel. +44 (0)121 508 6970.

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