Latest innovations and products in the building fabric section of the construction industry.

ROCKWOOL Rainscreen Duo Slab becomes BBA Approved

ROCKWOOL is delighted to announce that its RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® has become the first stone wool product to receive approval by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) for use in Ventilated rainscreen systems.

BBA certification is recognised throughout the construction industry and is a sought after accreditation for manufacturers. It is also incredibly important to specifiers, as it is a mark of quality, safety and reliability that provides reassurance of the product.

In order to achieve the BBA Agrément Certificate, products have to pass a series of comprehensive assessments, including laboratory tests, on-site evaluations, quality management checks and inspections of production. The RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® was tested for factors such as thermal performance, condensation risk, behaviour in relation to fire, and durability in order to meet UK British Regulations. The ROCKWOOL product successfully met all these requirements and achieved certification status for use as a Hybrid frame system and Rainscreen system.

As the only stone wool product certified by the BBA for use in Ventilated rainscreen systems, this approval helps support and endorse ROCKWOOL’s key product messages:

  • Peace of mind and quality of life
  • Innovative products for modern life
  • Lasting, durable and resilient
  • Energy efficiency
  • Fire resilience
  • Health safety and wellbeing
  • Natural solutions and sustainability

“It is incredibly important to us to put our products through the BBA process, as the certification provides architects with peace of mind when specifying our products” comments Paul Barrett, Product Manager at ROCKWOOL. “It also reinforces the premise that we produce sustainable products that are innovative, durable and long lasting.”

Manufactured from volcanic rock, RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® is a dual density insulation board that comprises of a robust outer surface and a resilient inner face. By compressing the primary fleece onto the top 15mm of the insulation, the product can be used, unprotected, in severe external weather, including strong wind and rain as experienced at high altitudes. As with all ROCKWOOL products, it’s fire resilient and complies with Approved Document B, achieving the highest Euroclass classification: A1. RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB® also complies with BR135: “Fire Performance of External Insulation for Walls of Multi-Storey Buildings”.

For more information about RAINSCREEN DUO SLAB®, please visit www.rockwool.com.
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Kingspan Insulated Panels achieves BES 6001

Kingspan Insulated Panels’ continual commitment to responsible business practices has been recognised with the achievement of BES 6001: Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products certification.

Developed by BRE Global, the standard provides an exacting framework of issues manufacturers must address to ensure responsible sourcing of construction materials. This includes organisational governance and supply chain management, in addition to environmental and social elements.

All wall and roof panels manufactured at Kingspan Insulated Panels’ Holywell and Sherburn manufacturing facilities have been certified to BES 6001 ‘Very Good’, with particular success in the Greenhouse Gas and Resource Use categories of the scoring table. This provides clear assurance that the products are constructed from raw materials which meet the highest levels of responsible sourcing practice. Additionally, the BES 6001 certification means that the Kingspan Insulated Panels products can also contribute towards the award of credits within BREEAM assessments.

Phil Smith, Managing Director at Kingspan Insulated Panels, commented on the achievement “It is becoming increasingly important for businesses to be able to demonstrate responsible practice in all aspects of their work. We are immensely proud to see our products meet the BES 6001 standard and, using the feedback from the process, we are looking forward to further develop our approach.”

For further information, please visit www.kingspanpanels.co.uk.
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Glendyne complements prestigious new property

Cembrit Glendyne, a top of the range natural roofing slate from Canada, has added distinctive style, character and impressive performance to a newly built private house in Flintshire.

Situated in a well-established area of Northop Hall village in Flintshire, the newly built property is constructed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding countryside. The property is a four bedroom detached house which features an attractive pitched roof with five pediments, five velux windows, two valleys and some lower roof slopes.

Jewson, a leading builders’ merchant supplied 240m2 of Cembrit Glendyne to the project through its branch in Buckley. Having worked with Cembrit before, Flintshire-based roofing contractor, Daniel Crossley selected 508×254 blue-grey Cembrit Glendyne natural slates for the project and installed approximately 4,000 slates on the roof of the house and 500 on the garage roof. The slates have been fixed using copper nails in line with best practice for natural slate fixing and long-term durability of the roof.

“With all the gables and pitches, the roof was certainly a challenge from an installation point of view,” says Daniel Crossley. “We chose Glendyne for the project due to its consistency, as that makes it easier to install, as well as the aesthetic appearance and durability. The end result is impressive and Glendyne really brings out the character of the property.”

Glendyne is a high quality slate that combines first-class performance with all the inherent beauty of natural slate, making it the ideal ‘natural’ choice for specifiers and roofers. Available exclusively from Cembrit in the UK, Glendyne is a distinctive blue-grey colour. The Glendyne quarry is one of the most modern slate quarries in the world. The quarry operates a quality management system based on EN ISO 9001 which is externally audited. This standard is adhered to rigidly, as are all quality standard procedures required by each regional market the quarry supplies. Glendyne, like all natural slate from Cembrit, is tested to BS EN European standard, BS EN 12326-1:2014 which requires many of the laboratory tests (‘type testing’) to be performed at least annually and the factory production control (FPC) performed and recorded as a matter of routine by the producer.

For further information visit www.cembrit.co.uk, email sales@cembrit.co.uk or tel: +44 (0) 208 320 1184.
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Kiwa BDA Hosts STA Members and Guests

BDA Founder Professor Nico Hendriks spoke at one of two lunches held for the Structural Timber Association during the week of the Ecobuild exhibition. BDA Technical Manager Paul Oakley spoke at the second event.

The STA comprises companies who make, supply or install structural timber products or systems and also companies supplying services to the sector.

A key role of the organisation is the maintenance of high standards and to that end it has introduced its STA Assured schemes covering different parts of the sector. The highest level, STA Assured Gold, is for products and systems supplied to construction sites. These include Structural Insulated Panel (SIPS) and framing systems as well as trussed rafters and roof systems.

We are delighted that the STA accepts Kiwa BDA Agrément® as meeting the requirements of its’ Gold scheme and Nico and Paul were pleased to be able to explain the way BDA goes about its’ assessments to those attending the events, including manufacturers, distributors, architects and building control personnel, as well as STA members and senior management. Key elements of our assessments include consideration of the requirements of Building Regulations for the products or systems concerned as well as NHBC or other non-statutory requirements. Arrangements are also made with the manufacturer to ensure maintenance of the agreed and approved specification for the product or system every time it is made or assembled.

The availability of approval by Kiwa BDA has been welcomed by manufacturers across the industry and we have many assessments underway, including timber and timber-related products.

Other speakers at the lunches included new RIBA President Ben Derbyshire, QS Ian Dacre, whose practice, Rider Levett Bucknall has worked with the STA on an estimating guide and costing exercise, as well as senior figures from the Construction Products Association and the House Builders Federation who addressed the issues facing our industry as it rises to meet the challenge of delivering 300,000 homes a year.

For more information please visit www.kiwa.co.uk.
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Metsec delivers framing solution for Thetford riverside redevelopment

voestalpine Metsec plc has provided its Metframe pre-panelised steel-framing product for a new Travelodge hotel on the Thetford Riverside Development in Norfolk. The use of modern methods of construction allowed efficiency savings to be made and ensured the initial build phase of the project was completed within budget and to tight deadlines.

Thetford Travelodge is a 62-room hotel and is part of a 41,000 sq ft redevelopment of the riverside area in Thetford, which will also see the construction of a three-screen cinema and five restaurants. Opened in Autumn 2016, the investment into modern retail and leisure facilities represents a key part of overall renovation plans for Thetford town centre.

Work on the project began in June 2015 with Metsec product installed onsite by approved Metframe installer Vietchi Interiors in just eight weeks between December 2015 and February 2016. The Metframe load bearing walls and concrete floors formed the top three storeys of the hotel building. The acoustic properties of the hotel’s building structure were an important factor in the design process to prevent sound travelling between rooms and having a negative impact on overall guest experience. The concrete floors specified as part of the Metframe design provided the high levels of acoustic insulation required.

Metsec was engaged early on in the tender process to help assess the foundation and loading requirements of the building, establish a value engineered plan and achieve any savings possible.

The Metframe solution was selected due to the structural efficiency of the system and manufacturing the product offsite contributed to a fast build, allowing that section of the project to be completed to a tight schedule. Value engineering the structure resulted in key savings. For example, reduced weight allowed the use of shallower foundations, which reduced the amount of materials required and the overall cost of the building. Metsec’s SFS in-fill walling was also selected for use on the adjacent cinema building.

Colin Kennedy, Managing Director at Vietchi Interiors said “With the Metframe product we were able to achieve exactly what the client required on time and within budget despite challenges presented by the winter weather and a location where access was limited by proximity to the river. Metframe was chosen for this project due to the greater stability and fire resistance of the system compared with alternatives such as a timber-frame kit construction.”

The pre-panelised Metframe system is a lightweight steel structure designed to meet the demands of the modern construction environment. The cold rolled sections are manufactured in precise lengths and the panels are then assembled off-site.

Stairs and lift shafts are an integral part of the Metframe system and are installed as each floor is constructed. This removes the need to rely on external scaffold for access to upper levels, providing convenience and added speed to the erection sequence.

Phillip Browne, Contracts Manager from Farrans Construction concluded: “The Thetford Riverside development required a high quality solution that would meet the required acoustic, fire and insulation u-Values. Metframe ticked all these boxes and represented a solution that could streamline the construction process while maintaining high levels of build quality. The build of the hotel went exactly as expected. It was simple and straightforward, the panels came straight off the delivery in the correct sequence and were lifted into place.”

For more information on the Metsec product range visit: www.metsec.com. Alternatively, connect via @MetsecUK or facebook.com/MetsecUK.
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South Shields starts a new chapter

South Shields is benefitting from a £16 million cultural centre featuring an iconic circular façade created with the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel.

Contractors Bowmer & Kirkland have overseen the project, named ‘The Word, National Centre for the Written Word’. The three-storey structure designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, includes library and exhibition space, IT suite, 3D printers, and café. The development, completed in October 2016, is part of a £100 million regeneration masterplan which partners South Tyneside Council with Muse Developments.

Creating a curved structure can pose a challenge, but the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel was successfully engineered to provide a smooth, highly insulated exterior envelope. To achieve this, the structural insulated panels (SIPs) were designed and factory cut into narrow widths. This allowed them to be quickly and easily fixed to the concrete frame.

Steve McIntyre, Partner at FaulknerBrowns, explained their vision for the project: “The form and design approach of this iconic building seeks to establish a new benchmark in terms of quality of design, use of materials, and integration of public realm within the wider urban fabric of South Shields. This circular form encourages pedestrian movement between the Town Centre and the Riverside as well as having a striking and contemporary presence. The circular construction achieved with the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel helped us to accomplish the concept of the spreading pages of a book.”

The 142 mm Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel installed on ‘The Word’ can help to achieve U-values of 0.20 W/m2.K or better whilst its OSB/3 facing and unique jointing system helps to minimise unnecessary air loss. The manufacturing facility where the panels are produced carries both FSC® (FSC®-C109304) and PEFC Chain of Custody certification. Also, there are constructions available that correspond to BRE Global Green Guide generic elements which achieve a Summary Rating of A+.

Councillor John Anglin, Lead Member for Regeneration and Economy at South Tyneside Council, said: “The new building needed to reflect our Sustainable Development goals, which is why we opted for low environmental impact and sustainable materials with a Green Guide rating of A or A+ whenever we could. This is to help us with our target of receiving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. We were also keen to ensure all timber used on the library was FSC® certified or equivalent.”

Both the Kingspan TEK Cladding Panel and Kingspan TEK Building System panels are now available in a 172 mm thickness, achieving even lower U-values of 0.17 W/m2.K or better.

For further information, please email literature@kingspantek.co.uk or visit www.kingspantek.co.uk.
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Sarnafil plus has Market roof covered

The roof refurbishment of Kirkgate Market in Leeds is a story of problem solving and partnership. Rising to the challenge, Protech Roofing and Sarnafil Plus delivered an exemplary solution, which allowed the market to remain open throughout.

Europe’s largest covered market, Kirkgate has 800 stalls attracting over 100,000 visitors a week. As part of a £14m refurbishment to improve the market for the stallholders and the public, the leaking roof, extending over both the 1976 and 1981 halls, needed renewing while the building was fully operational. Being such an important and iconic city landmark, viewable from many of the surrounding buildings, attention to detail and aesthetics were also incredibly important to the final result.

The Sarnafil Plus team did the groundwork to secure the tender with the architect, asserting the benefits of a Sarnafil system, Sarnafil Plus technical support and guarantee. Following this, Protech Roofing, a registered Sarnafil contractor, spent many hours visiting the site and attending meetings, gaining the trust of all parties.

Eamonn Cahill, Interserve senior project manager, said “Protech showed outstanding levels of proactive problem solving and integrity throughout the project. The Sika Sarnafil membrane has given the market hall roofs a smart, clean finish with the durability to keep the building weatherproof for years to come.”

The original design specification called for the existing felt waterproofing to be removed back to the metal decking. However, as this would cause massive disruption and with no guarantee of a watertight building. To combat this issue, Protech recommended a mechanically fastened Sarnafil system that could be overlayed onto the existing substrate.

A full Sarnafil Plus survey and moisture mapping revealed the worst areas for water ingress before the project started to assist with planning the work.

The nine-month project saw a team of between eight and 10 people working on the roof through all four seasons, including rain showers and temperatures of over 27°C., without the project or waterproofing ever being compromised.

Sarnavap 5000E SA a cold applied, self-adhesive vapour control layer was used to ensure temporary waterproofing for the market while the roofing work was being carried out. The SarnaTherm insulation boards were mechanically fixed into the existing roof and installation of Sarnafil S327-15EL Light Grey membrane with stainless steel fixings created a durable, weathertight and aesthetically pleasing finish. Sarnafil membranes are certified by the British Board of Agrement to have a service life in excess of 40 years, giving the client confidence in the durability and longevity of the roof.

A further feature of Sarnafil roofing systems that appealed to the client was that the Sarnafil S327-15EL Light Grey membrane is cold applied – welded together using hot air rather than with a naked flame. The system can be used without restrictions as it meets the fire performance requirements of BS476-Part 3:2004 and BS EN 13501-5:2005. This was an important safety consideration as the market had suffered a terrible fire back in 1975.

Six rooflights over 51m long were replaced with SarnaLites, situated close together in rows, making sure that the market continued to benefit from natural daylight. This part of the refurbishment was carried out at night to limit any disruption to the market below.

Sarnafil Plus visited the site regularly and a successful final inspection resulting in the issuing of a Sarnafil Plus guarantee.

For more information on Sika Sarnafil’s products and services, call 01707 394444, email sarnafilroofing@uk.sika.com or visit http://gbr.sarnafil.sika.com.
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MEDITE SMARTPLY announces major investment in new factory

In a significant move for the construction industry, MEDITE SMARTPLY, producers of innovative timber panel products, has signed a commitment as part of a consortium planning the construction of the world’s first Tricoya® wood chip acetylation plant. To be built in Hull, the plant will produce the raw material for the manufacture of MEDITE® TRICOYA® EXTREME, the market leading high performance wood panel.

The consortium is between MEDITE SMARTPLY, chemical technology group Accsys, venture capitalists BP Ventures and Acetyl industry leader BP Chemicals. The plant, due to come on stream in 2019, will produce Tricoya Wood Elements using Accsys’ proprietary technology for the acetylation of wood chips and particles.

These acetylated elements are used to manufacture the high performance MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME Medium Density Fibre panels. The panels exhibit outstanding durability and dimensional stability which allow them to be used in exterior and wet area applications once limited to products such as concrete, plastics or metals. With the added benefits of light weight, sustainable raw materials and a guarantee of up to 50 years above ground and 25 years in ground, these revolutionary panels provide architects, specifiers and designers with an entirely new construction material, allowing great design flexibility and endless opportunities for creativity.

MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME was launched in 2012 and demand has outstripped supply consistently since that time. With a buoyant building market and huge demand for this product, the factory will not come on stream a moment too soon for the team at MEDITE SMARTPLY.

Neil Foot, MEDITE SMARTPLY CEO, is clearly delighted with this development: “The commitment to develop this facility is a huge step forward, providing the opportunity to significantly increase our manufacturing volume and unlock interesting new markets where wood-based products would not previously have been applicable. It’s a very exciting development for the company and the construction industry as a whole.”

Two years in the planning, the €68 million venture will see the construction of a new factory adjacent to BP’s existing acetyls facility and the place where much of the original research and development into wood acetylation was carried out. Anticipating an accelerating demand, the consortium envisages constructing the plant in such a way that further capacity can be added to the site as required.

For MEDITE SMARTPLY this is a game-changing development, enabling the rapid development of the market for MEDITE TRICOYA EXTREME into a new era for the use of “high technology wood” in new applications.

For more information please visit www.mdfosb.com.
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Cembrit continues to expand its slates sales team

Image: Justin Ranstead, UK Sales Manager (left) and Simon Porter, Regional Sales Manager Fibre Cement and Natural Slates (right)

Cembrit, the leading roofing and cladding specialist, has announced two further additions to its UK sales force. Justin Ransted and Simon Porter have joined the pitched roof sales team to drive sales of natural and fibre cement slates in UK and South East England respectively.

Justin Ransted joins Cembrit UK as UK Sales Manager. With over 25 years’ experience in the construction industry, Justin brings with him a wealth of knowledge. He joins the company following roles at Icopal, Triton, Sika Ltd, Acheson & Glover Ltd and Hanson UK. As part of the sales team in all these roles, he was responsible for selling building products to contractors, property developers and self-builders.

“I am delighted to be joining Cembrit UK and relishing the challenge of leading the sales team to a successful 2017 and beyond,” comments Justin. “The company manufactures a broad range of innovative pitched roofing solutions and has a reputation for delivering reliable products in the market. The skills and knowledge I have developed in my previous roles will equip me to grow Cembrit sales across the country.”

Simon Porter is taking on the role of Regional Sales Manager and will be centered at Cembrit’s Reading office. Simon draws on over 15 years of construction industry experience, including three years with Monier Redland, and over ten years with Wavin UK. With wide-ranging industry contacts and knowledge, Simon is in an excellent position to grow Cembrit’s presence in the South East area.

“Cembrit manufactures high quality products and has a great customer service philosophy, so I was very keen to take up the opportunity of joining the company,” says Simon. “The company has enjoyed an impressive period of growth recently, and I look forward to contributing to the future success of the business.”

For further information visit www.cembrit.co.uk, email sales@cembrit.co.uk or tel: 0208 320 1184.
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GLASSOLUTIONS reaches new heights in Greenwich Peninsula’s latest development

Leading UK curtain walling, window and door fabricator and installer GLASSOLUTIONS has completed an extensive project for Kier Construction as part of the latest transformational development on east London’s Greenwich Peninsula.

Called The Fulmar and Teal, the project is a residential-led mixed use development on the Lower Riverside district of Greenwich Peninsula, a major redevelopment area close to the iconic Millennium Dome – now the O2 Arena – and Canary Wharf. It includes 139 homes in a mix of private, intermediate and social rent tenures across the three buildings, plus 218m2 of retail/commercial space, a car park and bicycle storage area.

Working to a design by architects DSDHA, GLASSOLUTIONS was appointed by main contractor Kier Construction to deliver all curtain walling, windows and doors for the external envelope of The Fulmar’s three blocks, the tallest of which is ten storeys. The Fulmar is part of a collection of buildings within an extensive project by property developer Knight Dragon who are seeking to create a new and vibrant district on the peninsula.

GLASSOLUTIONS played an important role is developing the fenestration specification after a revised approach was sought by the architect. In proposing a combination of Wicona aluminium systems integrating with high performance insulating glass units (IGUs), spandrels and sandwich panels, GLASSOLUTIONS was able to meet the brief to provide superb aesthetics whilst meeting a number of key design factors. These included a maximum pressure in ‘general wind zone’ of 1,200 kN/m2 and air permeability of 3m3/hr/m2 at a test pressure of 600 Pa.

The ‘stick’ curtain walling was fabricated using the range of Wicona Wintec 50 systems, which provide a slim 50mm face width and ensure excellent thermal insulation through the incorporation of a uPVC thermal break. Integrated with the curtain wall structure are windows created using the Wicline 75 Evo concealed sash system. This slim profile helped to maximise natural light transmission into individual properties and outward views, without compromising thermal performance thanks to a polyurethane insulator and an innovative glazing bead design.

A variety of door types were required, with Wictec 50 and Wicstyle 75 evo systems applied to manufacture hinged doors and swing doors accordingly. Ground floor doors were designed to comply with the RC2 European security standard. Lifting sliding doors feature throughout the development which GLASSOLUTIONS manufactured using the Wicslide 160 system. All the doors are fully complementary in terms of aesthetics and performance.

GLASSOLUTIONS’ IGU specification accommodates the requirements for safety, security, thermal insulation and solar control. It also addresses sound reduction to help keep homes quieter, with enhanced acoustic insulation delivering a maximum Rw rating of 36dB (weighted noise reduction).

The outer pane is 6mm SGG Securit, a thermally toughened safety glass, with the inner pane being an 8.8mm combination of SGG Stadip Protect and Planitherm One. The units feature a 90% argon fill 16mm cavity with a black warm edge spacer bar and polysulphide seals. This delivers a U-value of 1.0 W/m2K and a g-value of 0.49 or 0.51 for those units featuring a satin finish.

Spandrels are configured in a 6-16-6 unit, with 6mm SGG Security glass again used on the outer pane and the same cavity, fill and spacer bar and the vision units. The inner pane is a 6mm SGG Emalit glass with 60mm foil backed insulation, a configuration that delivers a U-value 0.45 W/m2K. The building’s design also required sandwich panels with a bronze anodised finish and punched mesh in matching colour for specific elements – all of which were installed by GLASSOLUTIONS too.

GLASSOLUTIONS’ external envelope project took 11 months to complete with The Fulmar handed over on 21.10.16.

Find out more about GLASSOLUTIONS at www.glassolutions.co.uk.
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