BRE joins UK Construction Week as content partner

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Welcoming one of the industry’s most well respected names, UK Construction Week is pleased to announce that BRE has joined as official content partner for the event.

Drawing on its significant expertise in every aspect of the built environment and associated industries, BRE (Building Research Establishment) is the leading voice for impartial research, testing and training within the construction industry. Its focus is on helping clients create better, safer and more sustainable products, buildings, communities and businesses, as well as supporting the innovation needed to achieve this.

In its role as content partner, BRE will provide invaluable support in shaping the direction of UK Construction Week, sharing its unique perspectives to develop an informative and highly insightful programme of seminar content.

With a strong emphasis on innovation, training and future construction trends, the seminar programme will provide a vital platform for sharing knowledge and exploring the key issues facing the industry. BRE’s wealth of specialist expertise will add real value to the conversation, with expert speakers joining a number of the debates, workshops and panel discussions.

In particular, BRE will take the lead in representing BIM content, including the most comprehensive BIM education programme ever seen in the UK plus seminar content across the whole event.

Miles Watkins, BRE’s Group Business Development Director commented: “Our key focus at BRE is on helping industry and government meet the challenges of the built environment. UK Construction Week is set to provide a unique chance to interact with professionals from all sectors, giving us a fantastic opportunity to engage, share best practice and help move the industry forward.”

Bringing together nine shows under one roof, UK Construction Week will be the biggest construction trade event the UK has seen in years. Taking place at the Birmingham NEC from 6 – 11 October (with the trade only days from 6 – 8 October) the event will unite 1,000 exhibitors with an expected audience of 55,000 visitors.

Visitors will be able to attend Grand Designs Live, the Build Show, Timber Expo, the Surface and Materials Show, Energy 2015, Kitchens & Bathroom Live, Plant & Machinery Live, HVAC 2015 and Smart Buildings 2015.

Richard Morey, Group Events Director at Media 10, the event company producing UK Construction Week, commented: “BRE’s ability to generate new knowledge plays a vital role in driving innovation within the built environment as well as helping government shape construction industry policy, so the considerable value and insight this will bring to our seminar programme cannot be overstated. We are delighted to welcome BRE on board as content partner for the show.”

For more information please visit www.ukconstructionweek.com or follow @UK_CW on Twitter.

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How Value Engineering is driving commercial door innovation

With higher standards of thermal efficiency and security now top priorities for commercial door specification, Jack Aluminium’s high performance Jack Door offers a cost effective solution due to its value engineered design.

The requirement for external doors with advanced locking solutions has been driven in part by three new Secured by Design Guides published in the last year. High energy performance is also increasingly important to building users. Commercial door and window specialist Jack Aluminium Systems has developed its thermally enhanced Jack Door TD68 in standard hook lock, anti-panic and Mag Lock variants. All 3 doorsets have achieved PAS 24 and the system is BM TRADA Q Mark certified so fabricators can easily produce doors that meet Secured by Design approval.

Jack Aluminium designed Jack Door TD68 from scratch to provide a best in class product that is highly competitive. “For low volume applications, system suppliers often adapt an existing product and this adds extra cost for the fabricator that often can’t be passed on,” explains Jeff Pearson, Sales and Marketing Director at Jack Aluminium. “Adopting value engineering principals has helped us innovate products that improve performance without adding unnecessary cost.

“Jack Door enables fabricators to deliver energy efficient doorsets with enhanced security benefits, and remain competitive in the price sensitive construction market.”

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Interphone launches home automation and entertainment business

A new business has been set up to develop advanced home automation and entertainment systems that will combine familiar technologies to bring added simplicity, convenience and enjoyment to everyday life. Ingeny, launched by security systems and building technology integrator Interphone, will work closely with property developers, architects, interior designers and home owners to create individually-tailored solutions that are designed to meet exact entertainment, communications, comfort and security preferences.

Whether it is a Tower Block, individual home or other large multi dwelling estate Ingeny will handle everything from design and consultation through to installation and ongoing support. These integrated and smart building solutions will give residents, along with property owners and managers, complete control at the tap of a touchscreen, smartphone or tablet from the comfort of the home, onsite or remotely wherever they are. As a result, it will now be possible to monitor and manage virtually any system in the home or building from a single device.

A demonstration suite, located at Interphone’s Harrow headquarters, has been opened to show how all the complementary systems and control solutions come together in a truly seamless way. It combines all aspects of home and smart building automation to provide a live, integrated facility covering energy management, security, home application controls, such as blinds and lighting, ) and audio visual technologies. The suite provides a unique living, concierge and property management environment that showcases the intuitive user experience along with the practical advantages of complete system integration.

 

Julian Synett, Managing Director of Interphone commented: “Our longstanding involvement in the commercial residential sector stretching back over fifty years means that we are uniquely placed to implement the latest integrated technology solutions incorporating all aspects of home and building control, including in-home entertainment systems. The solutions we offer at both enterprise and individual home level are modular and flexible so as to respond to the precise needs of building owners, home owners and property managers. At the heart of all that we do is the desire to deliver seamless integration, simply controlled and efficiently maintained.”

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EJOT fastener creates fast installation for Standing Seam Support brackets

EJOT UK has a developed a new application-specific fastener as an addition to its highly successful EJOfast range. The new EJOT® Seamclip fastener utilises the unique EJOFAST pierce point tip and thread geometry to create a fast and efficient method of fixing stainless steel support clips for fully supported standing seam roof systems. Originally designed for installation into thin steel composite skins, trials completed during the testing and development phase also revealed that the new fastener performs exceptionally well into timber and OSB substrates, yielding maximised pull-out performance from the timber and steel substrates.

EJOfast Seamclip’s official EJOT product code is the JF3 STX2 4.8 x 25. Available in a standard 25mm length, the buttress thread has been combined with a low profile countersunk head with Torx® recess for a positively controlled installation. The new fastener is manufactured in A2 stainless steel for corrosion resistance and to provide compatibility with the clip and standing seam material. Like all products in the EJOfast range, minimal swarf is created resulting in a fast, clean and strong installation process.
The EJOfast portfolio already includes hex-head stainless, dome headed Super-SAPHIR and integral nylon headed Colorfast options. In addition to the new Seamclip fastener, EJOT is also manufacturing a carbon steel EJOfast stitcher as a further extension to the range.
For more information please visit www.ejot.co.uk

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Modern heating technology helps museum protect artefacts for future generations

Maintaining precise temperature and humidity levels to protect its extensive artefact collection, while keeping energy costs and emissions down at its award winning Downland Gridshell Building, were key requirements for the management at the Weald Down Open Air Museum when selecting a replacement for an inefficient old boiler serving the building’s underfloor heating system.

Their choice was an ATAG Q60S condensing combination boiler, one of the most efficient light commercial boilers on the market, supplied by Chichester-based ATAG Heating UK.

‘The new boiler will ensure the correct level of relative humidity within our artefact store for the continued wellbeing of the important collections housed there,’
said Guy Viney, Gridshell Manager.

“We needed a boiler with a track record of efficiency, longevity and reliability, with affordable running costs,” he said. “Guided by our heating engineer Damien Lindley and Robin Osborne from ATAG and following testimonials from colleagues within the heritage industry, we felt confident that ATAG would fulfill all these requirements.”

In line with the overall ethos of the museum, environmental issues were also top of the agenda in their choice of boiler. The Q60S delivers strongly in this aspect with what ATAG believes to be the lowest NOx emissions in its class at below 30ppm.
With an output up to 57.3kW, the Q60S features ATAG’s tried and tested 316 stainless steel heat exchanger technology currently used throughout their boiler range, and gives a class leading efficiency of 109.3% (EN677) achieved through seamless upwards modulation. This enables the boiler to deliver precisely the amount of heat required any one time to preserve the artefacts, while ensuring maximum efficiency and lower energy costs for the museum.

All models in the Q Series have 3 BREEAM points for their excellent energy saving credentials and low emissions. Easy to install and occupying a small footprint, Q Series boilers are well proven in the marketplace and have an enviable reputation for their ease of servicing and reliability. Reliability was a key factor, as the correct humidity levels have to be maintained 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Downland Gridshell itself is an award winning building, combining traditional materials and 21st Century technology. The building is on two levels with the basement housing the museum’s unique collection of tools and artefacts, while the upper deck  is a workshop and layout space for building  conservation and training.

A lightweight structure made of oak laths similar in construction to the fuselage of the famous World War II Wellington bomber, a cross section of which is also displayed at the museum, the Gridshell was completed in 2002 with financial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Artefacts on display include an extensive and unique collection of traditional carpentry, plumbing and blacksmithing tools.

The Museum’s 40-acre site in the heart of the South Downs National park incorporates 50 exhibition buildings with many of the houses on show furnished to recreate historic domestic interiors. Buildings include workers’ cottages, shops, farmhouses, barns and even a church. Many have been rescued from demolition or from simply falling down, then dismantled, conserved and painstakingly rebuilt.

“Preserving and stimulating interest in buildings of architectural or historical interest and the ancient crafts and trades that go into them is our prime objective,” said Museum Director, Richard Pailthorpe. “We have over 120,000 visitors every year, including those staying in the area and as a registered charity rely on a veritable army of volunteers to ensure the highest standards of care for our collections.”

There is a regular programme of domestic and craft demonstrations, including cooking in a Tudor kitchen; milling flour in a fully working watermill; blacksmithing in a Victorian smithy and other seasonal demonstrations and events.

Full details of this unique museum can be found at www.wealddown.co.uk or by phoning 01243 811363.

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