Archive for category: Building News

• Delivers above average coefficient of performance to help reduce a building’s energy consumption and reduce operational costs

• Perfect for hybrid DHW systems that help meet new carbon targets

• Quick and easy to install and then maintain

Hot water and heating specialist Adveco, in partnership with Italian heating manufacturer Cosmogas, introduces the FPi range of commercial-grade Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP). The two variants, the FPi-9 and FPi-13, provide excellent levels of performance, especially throughout the UK’s relatively mild winters.

FPi delivers an easy to install method for commercial sites to achieve lower cost water heating or cooling. With sleek looks and quiet operation, the compact monobloc design is capable of providing domestic hot water (DHW) at up to 55°C, or cool water to -7°C for use in fan coils.

Bill Sinclair, technical director, Adveco, says, “The FPi range of ASHPs is perfect for combining with a traditional gas water heater and controls to create a hybrid system. Offering better compatibility with existing DHW distribution systems and the demands of higher thermal requirements. This approach provides the versatility to reduce operational costs while maintaining the higher water temperatures demanded by commercial DHW operations. A hybrid system built around the FPi can help businesses meet their carbon targets in the coming decade, while keeping running costs low.”

Due to advanced vector control technology that provides accurate response to variable operational cycles throughout the year, the FPi range is able to achieve an above-average coefficient of performance (COP). Ranging up to a very high COP of 4.7, FPi ASHPs can make a real impact on a property’s energy consumption.

The FPi range is virtually maintenance free, requiring simple, regular cleaning of the coil and filter. Sensors constantly check pressure and each unit is equipped as standard with frost protection, enabling them to operate effectively with excellent yields even if temperatures drop as low as -25°C.

Technical Information

(1) Heating condition: Water in/out temperature 30°C/35°C. Ambient temperature DB/WB 7/6°C.

(2) Heating condition: Water in/out temperature 40°C/45°C. Ambient temperature DB/WB 7/6°C.

About Adveco

With almost 50 years of industry experience, Adveco is the trusted specialist provider of bespoke hot water, heating and power systems to the building services industry. Committed to partnering with its commercial and government customers, Adveco helps create comfortable, efficient, functional, safe and sustainable buildings through invaluable support in the design, supply, commissioning and service of business-critical hot water, heating and power. Headquartered in the UK, the company operates across Europe from offices in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Adveco – Expertly engineered for you. Visit www.adveco.co

Supporting the UK government’s drive towards a net-zero carbon emissions economy, Durakerb – part of the Econpro group – has announced the installation of its 400,000th kerb in the UK, saving the country 12 million kilogrammes of CO2 in the last decade.

Made from 88% recycled polymer, Durakerb units – kerbs, kerbside and surface drainage – are comprised of the equivalent of 182 plastic bottles. Over the last 11 years, the company has saved thousands of tonnes of plastic waste going to landfill, equivalent to 72 million plastic bottles.

The company’s products deliver a 73% reduction in carbon emissions per full load when compared to the concrete. Durakerb has also saved approximately 12,000,000 kgs of emitted carbon, through the production of Durakerb compared to the precast concrete counterpart and removal of 1,000 articulated vehicles in transport due to the lightweight product. Its range of products are greener, safer, simpler alternative to traditional concrete kerbs.

The interlocking design of Durakerb units allows for 100% alignment wherever they are installed. The units can be cut with hand tools and no additional training is required, saving the equivalent of 9,000 manual labour days.

During a recent scheme, Jon Lee, Skanska’s Operations Manager at Hampshire Highways, said: “These plastic kerbs have been BBA/HAPAS approved meaning they are manufactured to the highest standards for the Hampshire network. With its lightweight feature, we can lay four times faster than traditional methods. Skanska UK, as a leader of sustainability in the construction industry, have recently committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2045. The move to using recycled products helps move us to achieving this target.”

Part of the Econpro Group, a specialist group of companies that transform waste and by-product into sustainable products and solutions, Durakerb has been championing a more sustainable future for 11 years, providing a fully circular product that can be recycled and remade at the end of its lifespan.

Phil Sutton, Managing Director at Econpro, commented: “With a renewed focus on plastics waste looking for sustainable markets, we believe further adoption of recycled polymer kerbing solutions can offer a viable outlet for thousands of tons of waste plastics in the UK every year, we’re proud to be at the forefront of the development of these products as we drive toward carbon neutrality within the UK in 2050.

“Each part of Durakerb, from manufacture to transport, installation and product lifespan, has been considered, to ensure we’re driving forward within the circular economy.”

To find out more about Durakerb go to: http://www.durakerb.co.uk/about-durakerb/

Kingspan Insulation has released a new, RIBA accredited CPD providing advice on how designers can use insulation specification to meet the thermal comfort requirements within Building Bulletin 101 (BB101) – Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools.

The free CPD provides a comprehensive overview of the recommendations within the document, which was extensively revised in 2018 and aims to achieve healthier learning environments for students. Amongst the key changes are stricter requirements for indoor air quality and a new adaptive approach to how thermal comfort is assessed. The presentation details the impact that thermal comfort in particular can have on students, and how to meet best practice, including Part L of the Building Regulations (England and Wales) and Section 6 (Energy) of the Building Standards (Scotland).

Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how different insulation solutions can be used to meet these improved standards in thermal comfort. In addition, the presentation also looks at new research, which links the use of more thermally efficient wall insulation with improved daylight levels within internal spaces, and the potential benefits this can deliver for student wellbeing and attainment.

To arrange a seminar at your office, simply visit the Kingspan Insulation website: kingspaninsulation.co.uk/cpd

Leading construction connector manufacturer Simpson Strong-Tie has released their all-new 2020 catalogue; a comprehensive product guide which showcases the company’s most recent innovations and product line extensions.

Alongside the UK’s largest collection of connectors for timber and masonry construction, sit numerous new products, including the GPC, Gable Panel Connector, a high movement timber frame tie, decorative and a heavy duty post bases, an adjustable mini hanger, purlin anchor, twisted restraint strap and a 4mm reinforced angle bracket.

The catalogue also contains comprehensive technical data, performance characteristics, safe working loads, plus easy to follow installation instructions.

Managing Director, Malcolm Paulson explains: “It’s been a busy time for Simpson Strong-Tie, we’ve really pushed the boat out to increase our core product range, engineered to stand the test of time.

With our new enhanced product lines, along with our rapid made-to-order service, we really can say that if we don’t have it – you don’t need it”.

Available now in print on request, and online in the Resources / Literature section at the below website.

www.strongtie.co.uk

From architects to specifiers, installer to contractors, every player in the build chain must do their part in creating thermally efficient buildings, and that starts with the building envelope’s construction, explains Andy Stolworthy, Director of Product and Market Development.

With environmental legislation for building design and construction being updated across the globe, a new wave of architecture is being introduced. Architects and specifiers must find ways they can speed up building timelines, reduce energy usage and enhance a building’s lifespan when designing commercial and residential buildings.

The UK is making substantive improvements to its energy codes in order to reduce energy usage and wastage, seeing the construction industry shift towards bioclimatic architecture. Thermally efficient buildings using a well designed and installed envelope are crucial to this movement.

The building envelope is a protective boundary between the interior and exterior of a building that ‘wraps’ around the walls, floor, roof, windows and doors. This envelope shields the exterior of the building from natural elements, whilst facilitating climate control and protecting the indoor environment

Solutions that envelope energy efficiency

When a building envelope isn’t installed properly or is poorly specified, it will contribute to a substantial amount of energy loss, and one area that should not be neglected is the roof. More than 30% of heat is lost through the roof, and flat roofs particularly are prone to energy loss when a poor design is chosen.

There are two types of flat roof, warm and cold, the difference is the positioning of the insulation layer. In a warm roof the insulation is placed on top of the roof structure and choosing the right fastening solution will minimise the thermal bridging. This bridging is a funnel of unobstructed heat flow, which renders the surrounding layers of thermal insulation useless and ultimately can damage the building’s structure.

To prevent this, it is imperative the correct fastening solutions are used that work with the roofing system. Flat roofing solutions such as the Isotak thermally broken sleeve and fastener from SFS will ensure that the cladding is properly secured, therefore avoiding thermal bridges and decreasing energy loss.

The two-part fastener sits inside a polypropylene or polymide sleeve which penetrates below the surface of the insulation, providing a barrier between the fastener head and the external atmospheric conditions. This improves the whole roof’s thermal efficiency and reduces heat transfer through the building envelope.

The materials of the fixtures and fittings is another overlooked factor that contributes to excessive heat loss. Stainless-steel conducts heat at a slower pace than carbon steel which not only improves the thermal efficiency of the envelope but allows for improved corrosion-resistance, thereby maintaining the integrity of the installation and performance for longer. Installers should only use system approved fasteners and consult with manufacturers to identify the right fastener for the right situation.

Faster fixings that envelope efficiency

The building envelope is made up of a variety of different parts that make up a system – using the correct parts throughout will ensure a smooth building process. When the incorrect components are used, efficiency can go down as the wrong components can lead to unforeseen complications.

In the instance of a rainscreen subframe system, the manufacturer will typically just design solutions to meet mechanical and thermal needs. SFS’s NVELOPE system on the other hand will design everything down to the frame fastener to ensure the façade performs. Here is a perfect example where the right fasteners and fixings are paired with the right brackets and subframe systems and both construction and energy efficiencies increase.

Newer generations of fasteners, fixtures and brackets are being developed to aid a quick and easy installation too. For example, the SXC5 fastener is a self-drilling composite fastener that has been re-engineered to have an optimised tip and thread geometry, allowing installers to drive the fixing into the material they are fixing quicker.

As suppliers and installers enter this new wave of bioclimatic architecture, they must work together to ensure a successful construction of the building envelope. From training to on-site technical assistance and specifying the right components, all parties can secure the future of the building, speed up timelines and enhance its thermal performance.

www.sfsintec.co.uk