Building News is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. Here you can find all of the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.

Schüco Innovation Now Smart: Intelligent Building

One year. Three topics. Countless innovations.

 

Schüco UK is set to broadcast its second Innovation Now (i.NOW) virtual event on 27th May, following the success of the launch event in March. Schüco i.NOW Smart will focus on intelligent building.

Taking the ‘smart’ theme to a whole new level, the event will be broadcast from inside Schüco UK’s new virtual city.

Viewers will see the latest product innovations from Schüco, from intelligent and unitised façade options to Building Skin Control, a truly intelligent platform for the integration, control and monitoring of all Schüco units within a building.

The term ‘smart’ is often synonymous with automation but Schüco believes intelligent building incorporates much more than that.

The multinational building envelope specialist will demonstrate how the concept of intelligent building can apply to the whole lifecycle of a building project. Schüco product experts will consider each stage from design and planning, through fabrication and installation to the use and maintenance of the building.

Schüco UK offers a fully digital approach at all stages of the project lifecycle.

i.NOW Smart will offer architects and fabricators the opportunity to see the latest digital and machinery solutions from Schüco, designed to facilitate the planning process and to enable more efficient fabrication.

For further information and to register for i.NOW Smart

CLICK HERE

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BBA CERTIFICATION FOR ROOF WATERPROOFING SYSTEM

TN International gains BBA certification for its Börner roof waterproofing systems

Global roofing specialist TN International has won BBA approval for its specification range of Börner bituminous roofing systems.

Agrément Certificate No: 21/5879 is the first in a series of BBA certificates that cover the manufacturer’s key specification systems, focusing on torch-safe roofing options for both flat and pitched applications as well as zero-fall protected roofs such as green roofs.

 

Fire performance and roof safety were key considerations in awarding this certification. For fire resistance, the BBA testing found that, when classified to EN 13501-5: 2016, the Börner systems achieved BROOF(t4) for roof slopes below 10°, the highest fire standard possible in Europe. Fire performance figures are laid out in a clear and concise matrix table to help designers identify BROOF T4-accredited systems.

Other key factors assessed for each system included weathertightness, condensation risk, resistance to wind uplift and mechanical damage, and durability, with the anticipated service life certified as being in excess of 35 years.

The certificates cover both stone wool and PIR insulations, with a comprehensive range of thicknesses covered to allow architects and specifiers complete design flexibility in achieving the latest U-values.

In addition, in the BBA’s opinion, the Börner roof waterproofing systems, if installed, used and maintained in accordance with their individual certificates, satisfy or contribute to satisfying the relevant requirements in relation to NHBC Standards 7.1 Flat roofs, terraces and balconies.

The comprehensive certification process included several factors relating to compliance with Building Regulations, as well as other non-regulatory requirements. It also incorporated evidence from independently verified technical specification, assessment criteria and technical investigations, along with design considerations and installation guidance.

Environmental considerations were also taken into account during the certification process. Börner membranes are manufactured from bitumen and polyester, both of which can be recycled to help meet specifiers’ and contractors’ sustainability targets.

TN International business development director Craig Smith commented: “To have won BBA approval for our key Börner specification systems is testament to the quality of the products and our innovative approach to developing market-leading self-adhesive bituminous technology. We also have further BBA accreditations in the pipeline, so it really is exciting times for our roofing team.”

Börner is part of TN International, one of the largest manufacturers of roofing, waterproofing and insulation materials in the world.

 

TN INTERNATIONAL

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Project-starts signal rise in construction confidence

Rise in project-starts signals return of confidence for construction sector

The latest Glenigan Index of construction project-starts identifies a very welcome up-tick in construction projects moving to-site in the three months to April 2021.

The value of underlying construction work (under £100 million in value) starting on-site during the period was 30% higher than a year ago and 18% higher than the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Today’s newsletter dives into the detail of the three best-performing sectors and the projects that contributed to their growth.

 

Industrial-starts up 85%

Industrial-sector project-starts achieved the greatest growth of any sector during the three months to April, with the number of starts rising 85% against the previous year and 68% compared to the preceding three months, and even more encouragingly, 16% up on two years ago.

 

Infrastructure-starts up 50%

Infrastructure-sector project-starts achieved impressive growth of 50% against the same period a year ago, 68% compared to the preceding three months, and 3% compared to two years ago.

 

Residential-starts up 35%

Private housing project-starts performed very strongly in the three months to April 2021, climbing 61% against the previous year and 21% compared to the preceding three months.

 

GLENIGAN

 

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ROCKWOOL® unveils Interactive City for easier specification and product visualisation

The virtual 3D cityscape aims to inspire design, save time and lead to faster decision making

ROCKWOOL has further enhanced its range of resources for specifiers, contractors and building owners with the launch of the ROCKWOOL Interactive City, a 3D environment that makes visualising, specifying and learning about its non-combustible stone wool insulation easier.

Intuitively designed using cutting-edge augmented reality, the ROCKWOOL Interactive City allows users to explore its solutions across the whole of the built environment from housing and offices, to transport hubs and education in a single simulated space.

Through features like zoom, 360º views and pan-able application build-ups, the city provides a virtual ‘hands-on’ experience when it’s not possible to touch, see or hear products in practice. Featuring a wide variety of applications, the tool can also be used to explore the versatility of ROCKWOOL’s solutions, understanding where its non-combustible products can enhance thermal, acoustic or fire performance in places users might not expect.

As well as saving specifiers’ time and aiding building design, these capabilities lead to smoother, faster decision making and a more collaborative process for project stakeholders.

“The Interactive City takes product specification to the next level,” said Paul Barrett, Head of Product Management at ROCKWOOL. “As the whole of the built environment is covered, you can quickly and easily find out how to achieve any desired outcome with our stone wool insulation, whether that’s improved patient experience, increased student attainment, or a safer, warmer and quieter home.

“It’s also been created for complete flexibility. You can either browse the city or jump straight to the area or building you need, delving into substrate build-ups and system designs.”

The ROCKWOOL Interactive City has also been developed to help achieve the all-important golden thread of construction data. Each 3D application provides a complete package of suitable ROCKWOOL solutions, with quick links to product documentation, installation     guides and BIM objects that can be downloaded for use offline or integrated into construction modelling software.

 

CLICK HERE for the ROCKWOOL Interactive City

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FOOTBALL CLUB EMBRACES VORTICE AIR PURIFIER FOR CHANGING ROOMS AND PRESS ROOM

Italian football club Udinese Calcio, currently in Serie A, has installed the DEPURO PRO range of air purifiers and sanitisers by their main sponsor VORTICE in its Statio Friuli stadium in Udine, North East Italy.  The air purifiers are used in the locker rooms, the entrance to the commercial area as well as in the press room of the Dacia Arena.  This is part of the efforts to make playing at and visiting the club as safe and hygienic as possible.

 

The DEPURO PRO EVO with photocatalysis module kills up to 99.995% of pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, by removing and killing them, thus ensuring people’s health and safety, constantly maintaining a good indoor air quality.  Tested and certified by the University of Milan in co-operation with the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences of the Luigi Sacco hospital in Milan, the DEPURO PRO EVO is being utilised in a number of health and sports facilities, places of worship, schools and commercial buildings as the world continues to tackle COVID-19.

 

Marketing Manager Jennifer Quinn said: “Air quality has never been so high on the agenda as it is today and we are delighted that Udinese are using the DEPURO PRO range of purifiers in their facilities. This shows how important air quality is to both Udinese and VORTICE and how imperative it is for the club to maintain good indoor air quality for both staff, players and visitors.”

For more information about the range of ventilation, sanitisation and purification

products VORTICE has to help combat COVID CLICK HERE

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD INFORMATION

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“Roof Profiles and Hundegger Turbo Driven technology is a perfect match”

“This month our Hundegger Turbo cut arrived on site. This saw is becoming widely known as the best saw of its generation for cutting truss and timber frame material. Fuelled by files from Mitek software, the speed and accuracy at which it cuts timber is second to none.  This allows Roof Profiles to produce more volume of timber, to the highest quality standard”

Company Director Johnny Fellingham.

Due to the accuracy of the cut timber the tolerances in all the timber joints, both in our finished roof trusses and timber frame panels, are zero millimetres.  The benefit of this is multi-faceted as it makes it quicker for us to assemble and press our roof trusses and frame components and nail our wall panels as there is no need to make final adjustments for components to fit together, exactly.

The Hundegger Cambium software enables Roof Profiles to have complete transparency of productivity, timber yield, waste percentage and stock profile. Never has Roof Profiles had such a facility and control on their timber usage.

Additionally, the finished product that we then send to the building site pieces together in exacting dimensions in accordance with the building plans.  Furthermore, should there be any technical issues with the saw that we are unable to resolve internally there is excellent remote back up from Hundegger’s base in Germany.

The Hundegger support staff can dial into the machine and using mobile camera technology normally resolve issues immediately or identify any parts requiring replacement, allowing us to resume production with minimal interruption.”

www.hundegger.com/en_gb

In photo Co-directors, Carol Smith centre, Kenny Smith, centre right, and Johnny Fellingham left. Operators, Craig Speirs and Lewis Corson.

 

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SIKABIT SCORES FAMOUS FOOTBALLER’S SCHOOL

SIKABIT SCORES ACADEMY TRUST’S GOALS AT FAMOUS FOOTBALLER’S SCHOOL

The roof refurbishment of Portland School, Birkenhead was completed to the highest standards of safety and without disruption to school activities, thanks to the combined efforts of Holloway Cook Associates and Sika’s specialist Roof Refurbishment team.

Part of the Co-op Academies Trust since 2018, Portland School is a primary school for children aged 3-11. Attended by Everton and England footballing legend of the 1920s and 30s, Dixie Dean, the main school building has had many additions over time, resulting in 24 roof areas at varying levels and with various roof build-ups. The whole of this 1600m2 roof was in need of refurbishment as part of a programme of maintenance and upgrades following the school’s transition to academy status.

The Co-op Academy Trust developed a specification requirement for the project, which included the use of a bituminous system with an extended service life. The SikaBit 25-year system was selected from Sika’s wide portfolio of roofing systems as an ideal solution for this application.

Safety precautions were paramount due to the live school environment. Working with a roofing provider that could offer a Safe2Torch system with self-adhesive membranes for torch-free zones was imperative. Sika’s Roof Refurbishment team was able to do a full site survey and provide a Safe2Torch plan for the installation.

Roofing contractor, Holloway Cook Associates Ltd took on the role of principal contractor, including design, health and safety and installation within a turnkey package. The quality and durability of the finish was also a key requirement of the project. The SikaBit system, combined with the skills and experience of the team at Holloway Cook, answered this need with neat detailing across all roof areas.

All roof areas were stripped out, including removal of 19 layers of previous waterproofing systems from the oldest part of the roof, to reveal varying substrates including concrete, plywood and asphalt decks. The Holloway Cook team prepared each roof area before applying the S-VAP HD SA air and vapour control layer (AVCL), followed by SikaTherm insulation.

The SikaBit SA-730 self-adhered underlay was then installed onto the insulation followed by SikaBit T-940 G Torch-on cap sheet in all Safe2Torch areas. For the torch free zones, comprising the interfaces between roof areas and adjacent buildings, SikaBit SA-940 G self-adhesive cap sheet was used.

Mike Holloway, Operations Director of Holloway Cook, said: “Our team is very experienced in bituminous membrane installations but the SikaBit system is new to us. We have been very impressed with both the ease of use and quality of finish the system offers, all supported by the service and technical support that Sika’s Roof Refurbishment division provides throughout the project.”

To find out more about Sika’s roofing solutions and services, call 01707 394444, email enquiries@uk.sika.com or CLICK HERE to visit the website.

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ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS

BRETT MARTIN ANNOUNCES ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS

The UK’s leading supplier of rooflight systems Brett Martin Daylight Systems (BMDS) is delighted to announce Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for two of its site assembled and one of its factory assembled rooflights.

In order to support customers with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its most popular products, Brett Martin approached the highly respected Building Research Establishment to commission two site assembled and one factory assembled EPD.

For configurations not covered by the EPDs, Brett Martin is able to generate a configuration specific assessment. This also means that the embodied carbon of Brett Martin’s industrial rooflight systems is available for specifiers and building owners to respond to enquiries from the market.

 

Commenting on the EPD verification scheme, Bill Hawker, Technical Director at Brett Martin Daylight Systems said: “ As we head to a low carbon future the importance of transparent and independently verified environmental data is increasingly valued. For a company committed to supplying sustainable products and one which constantly invests to make its products and manufacturing processes more sustainable and efficient, this is a great advance.”

 

All of Brett Martins’ products are designed, developed and manufactured in the UK in its own ISO 9001 quality accredited and ISO 14001 environmentally accredited factories. With BBA certification and CE marking throughout the range, Brett Martin has built up a reputation for providing the best rooflight product, backed by full technical support, to suit every application.

Brett Martin is the UK’s only manufacturer producing GRP, PVC and Polycarbonate sheets, and its extensive range of pitched and flat roof daylighting products, including glass, are used by roofing contractors in diverse projects in every sector.

 

Brett Martin’s EPDs can be accessed via the following this LINK to the Green Book Live.

To find out more about Brett Martin visit: www.brettmartin.com

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£9.4M OF NEW ORDERS FOR CONSTRUCTION FITOUT SERVICES

William Tonkinson, Managing Director of Deanestor

RECORD QUARTER FOR DEANESTOR WITH £9.4M OF NEW ORDERS FOR CONSTRUCTION FITOUT SERVICES

Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading furniture and fitout specialists to the construction sector, has been awarded £9.4m of new orders in the last three months – a record quarter for order intake.

 The new orders are in every sector Deanestor operates in – build-to-rent, student accommodation, healthcare, and education – and across the UK from Glasgow to Swansea and Brighton. Around half the projects are for repeat clients – both developers and contractors – following Deanestor’s successful performance on earlier schemes.

William Tonkinson, Managing Director of Deanestor, said, “We are pleased to report our best ever quarter for order intake. We saw a clear slowdown in orders from Spring 2020 as our contractor clients had to find new ways of working in the Covid-19 pandemic. Projects are now up and running again which has resulted in a surge in new orders.”

“The construction sector has definitely been more buoyant from the start of this year and confidence is returning in all the markets we work in. Enquiries remain at a healthy level and we have a record quote book which is another very positive economic indicator.”

In Wales, Deanestor has been awarded a £2m contract to provide bedroom furniture and fitted kitchens for Crown Student Living’s latest scheme. This is a £35m, 500-bed waterside student housing development in Swansea under construction by Midas.

Boclair Academy is a new £40m secondary school for 1050 pupils, under construction by Wates Construction and McLaughlin & Harvey for East Dunbartonshire Council. Both loose and fixed furniture will be supplied and fitted by Deanestor in a £1.5m contract.

In the build-to-rent sector, Deanestor has won a contract worth more than £1m for Bowmer & Kirkland to manufacture and install bespoke contemporary kitchens for a new £64m build-to-rent development in the centre of Milton Keynes. This is for Grainger plc, the UK’s largest listed residential landlord. Enigma Square will provide 261 purpose-designed homes for rent on a site historically occupied by the YMCA.

Other new contracts include a number of projects in the healthcare sector – work on the refurbishment of Aintree Hospital with BAM and the 3Ts redevelopment at Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Deanestor provides high quality contract furniture and fitout services to construction clients and contractors for healthcare, education, student accommodation, build-to-rent, and laboratory projects – both new build and refurbishment. It offers bespoke design services to meet specific project requirements and is responsible for installation to provide a seamless approach for its customers and a single point of contact.

 

For further information, visit www.deanestor.co.uk, call 01623 420041 or email enquiries@deanestor.com .

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ARISTON STRENGTHENS ITS ONE SERIES RANGE OF BOILERS

Ariston has added the highly efficient Clas ONE R to its ONE Series range of condensing gas boilers. Replacing the Clas HE R, the new regular boiler is quiet and compact, as well as a great retrofit product for use in an open vented system. It has an impressive, modern design, complete with a large backlit display, offering a wealth of energy saving features.

 Available as the Clas ONE R 24, this new boiler shares many of the advanced features for which Ariston’s ONE Series is renowned. These include the patented stainless steel, continuous coil proprietary XtraTechTM heat exchanger, complete with 40% wider waterways, alongside low NOx ratings (53mg/kWh).

The boilers are also ‘A’ ErP rated for optimum energy efficiency and, for added peace of mind, are supplied with an 8-year manufacturer’s warranty as standard.

The wider waterways of the XtraTechTM heat exchanger allow water to pass through quicker and more effectively – ensuring less risk of blockages from debris.The component is exceptionally robust and operates well in a wide range of pH values, providing resistance to corrosion and prolonging the lifespan of the boiler.

 Every XtraTechTM heat exchanger also benefits from an improved condensing surface and increased hydraulic performance, which combine to provide a better transfer of heat. Plus, it has been independently certified for safety, quality and usability by renowned European technical testing organisation TÜV Rheinland, offering reassurance to installers and end users alike. The heat exchanger, as with all major components, is also Ariston branded for complete confidence in quality.

Easy to use and install, the new regular boiler benefits from Ariston’s ‘Auto’ function technology, which gradually increases a system’s water temperature until the central heating has reached its target. When used in conjunction with the company’s extensive range of controls, this function guarantees no excessive peaks in flow temperature, ensuring greater levels of comfort, as well as reducing energy bills.

Each boiler has an auto-diagnostic system and an anti-frost device, providing optimum reliability, while an advanced range of wired and wireless controls are also available.

Commenting on the new model, Victoria Gutierrez, Marketing Manager at Ariston, said: “The Clas ONE R is a fantastic addition to our range of condensing boilers. Its heat exchanger has wider waterways designed to prevent blockages, which is especially beneficial for traditional, open vented systems. Its compact dimensions are also perfect for installation inside a cupboard, while the warranty further makes it great value for money.”

The Clas ONE R 24 is perfect for larger properties, working with a storage cylinder to supply volumes of hot water to many outlets, allowing multiple showers and taps to be used simultaneously – without affecting the running of the system.

Ariston Thermo UK, which is part of the Ariston Thermo Group, is a manufacturer of domestic heating, hot water and renewable products. With over 30 years of experience in the UK, Ariston Thermo is a worldwide leading company in the heating and water heating industry.

 

 

For more details about Ariston and its range of boilers CLICK HERE

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