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

UK housing heavyweight selects Hueck

One of Europe’s leading manufacturers of architectural aluminium systems, Hueck, has been selected by the housebuilding company Berkeley Group as a preferred supplier of window, door and façade applications.

Hueck-BS-ARTICLE-Portrait
The collaboration will see Hueck’s aluminium systems specified for Berkeley’s residential and mixed use developments in London and the South East.
The recommendation was made by Berkeley’s Supply Chain Task Force after the careful consideration of Hueck’s products and manufacturing capacities of its UK fabricators, as well as the bespoke design services and advanced testing facilities offered by the building envelope specialist.
Leon Friend, project development director for Hueck UK, commented: “Berkeley Group were looking for trusted suppliers they could recommend to their constituent companies for effective integration in future projects in order to add value and reduce risks.
“As one of the most experienced providers of aluminium window, door and façade systems in Europe, Hueck are able to ensure great construction flexibility and a truly bespoke approach in order to provide our clients with a perfectly tailored solution for their projects.
“We’re delighted to have been named as preferred suppliers, and we look forward to our collaboration,” added Leon.
Hueck is a globally active company, and one of Europe’s largest and most innovative aluminium extruders, with a 200 year track record of groundbreaking engineering. A specialist in both bespoke solutions, as well as standard systems, the company offers a wide choice of profiles, all of which are designed to integrate with each other. Hueck’s Lambda range alone consist of 13 different window systems, and 7 door systems. In addition, the company offers the innovative Trigon range of façade systems and the Volato sliding door system.

For more information please visit www.hueck.com

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Cembrit Slating expertise now available in print

Cembrit has developed a Fibre Cement Slates guide to provide specifiers, craftsmen and trades people with the relevant information for the successful design and installation of pitched roofing with the ever popular fibre cement slates.

The book demonstrates how all forms of slating and fibre cement technology offers users peace of mind not available from other suppliers and highlights the wide range of slates and accessories the company offers. The 80-page document, entitled ‘A Guide to Double Lap Slating with Fibre Cement Slates’ provides a full explanation on technical specification, design considerations, colour availability and installation advice.

“Cembrit has been manufacturing fibre cement products for over 80 years” explains Ged Ferris, Marketing Manager of Cembrit. “The content of the brochure draws on that depth of experience to offer detailed advice to anyone wanting to specify and install fibre cement slates. Fibre cement man-made slates continue to grow in popularity due not only to the cost and installation benefits but also aesthetic advantages over concrete tiles. Our aim is to support this move by providing a useful document that covers the key aspects of fibre cement specification.

The Cembrit range of fibre cement slates has grown over the years and now includes Westerland, Moorland, Zeeland, Jutland and Diamond, all offering their own unique appearance. The slates are complemented by matching ridge, ventilation and fixings. 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. Cembrit fibre cement slates are the most accredited on the UK market.

To download the brochures and to find out information on all other Cembrit products, visit www.cembrit.co.uk

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Fast curing Cold Liquid Systems provide Blitz Waterproofing Solution

Morris Blitz Court is a residential housing estate located in Hackney that has recently undergone an extensive amount of refurbishment works as part of the Decent Homes Programme. Included within the approved scheme was the refurbishment of all of the building’s balconies and walkways, as well as the transformation of the 1,000m2 concrete podium deck located above the car park into an aesthetically pleasing social space.

Prior to any work commencing on site, Hackney Council hosted regular consultation meetings with all Morris Blitz residents where plans were presented and discussed. Upon receiving approval for the proposed refurbishment works the building was surveyed by flat roofing specialists Bauder to investigate the options available for improving the aesthetics and functionality of the podium deck, and to determine what course of action needed to be taken to ensure the building was watertight. The client’s main priority for the podium deck was for it to be totally free draining so that there was no standing water, which had previously caused problems. Various waterproofing system options were explored, however it was decided that Bauder’s cold liquid applied systems would be the most suitable solution given all the requirements.

One of the major challenges for this project was the low door thresholds connecting to the podium deck, which couldn’t be raised, meaning that the entire build-up for the majority of the cold liquid waterproofing and landscaping elements would need to be less than 100mm in height. Because of these restrictions the only drainage and protection board suitable within the system was Bauder’s Versicell 20, which is just 20mm in height but can withstand extremely high loading. The LiquiTEC system also incorporated 140mm of Bauder’s JFRI insulation in sunken areas of the podium, ensuring a level surface across the deck and combining thermal efficiency with environmental friendliness. The surface of the deck consists of three distinct finishes; permeable paving on the ground floor patios and walkways, artificial turf featuring fibreglass planters to serve as a communal garden and rubber mulch to create a play area for children.

The cantilever style balconies and communal walkways were waterproofed with Bauder’s LiquiBALKON system; demanding a high degree of workmanship from Bauder approved contractor Armour Group due to the amount of intricate detailing requirements. This waterproofing system features PMMA resin technology that provides exceptionally fast curing times and can in fact withstand foot traffic within an hour of being installed. This was essential as the residents of Morris Blitz remained in situ throughout the installation and working hours had to be scheduled between 10am and 2pm to accommodate for school hours. Despite the various design, technical and installation challenges encountered all waterproofing and landscape works were completed on time and to budget much to the delight of all project stakeholders.

Harsha Amin, Project Manager from Hackney Homes, stated “The required refurbishment works at Morris Blitz Court were by no means straight forward. However Bauder were able to deliver a comprehensive, single source waterproofing solution of the absolute highest quality; providing expert technical support throughout the project and demonstrating exceptional levels of workmanship. They caused minimal disruption to residents and have successfully transformed this housing estate in terms of appearance and functionality; creating a visually appealing and inviting communal space where residents of all ages can relax and socialise.”

For more information please visit www.bauder.co.uk

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Freefoam Launch New Style Double Shiplap Cladding

Freefoam, a leading manufacturer of a wide range of innovative products for the building industry in Ireland, the UK and Mainland Europe, has made a valuable addition to its popular cladding range and launched Fortex Pro, a new style double shiplap board.

The new product features an increased width of 333mm and thickness of 9mm creating a stronger board through improved profile design and offers greater coverage at 1.665sqmt per board with a quick and easy calculation for specification purposes. Colour choice is important for any exterior building product and as colour specialists Freefoam have now added four new colours to this product range, Misty Grey, Cement Grey, Slate Grey and Cappuccino, making a total of ten. The combination of all these new features and the addition of superior colourfastness and weatherability properties using advanced skin technology makes Fortex Pro the perfect choice for all building professionals.
The Fortex® cladding range includes a double shiplap plank format 300mm wide, a weatherboard style at 170mm wide both with an attractive embossed textured wood effect finish and a 250mm wide board with an authentic render finish.

PVC-U cladding requires minimal maintenance once installed, a major benefit for property owners and a compelling feature for any property developer or public sector housing provider. With significant environmental credentials, being awarded an A+ rating from the Building Research Establishment’s (BRE) ‘Green Guide To Specification’ when installed with standard components, the range makes a real alternative to timber and fibre cement products.

Aidan Harte, Managing Director, Freefoam, comments: “We’ve seen a surge in our Fortex cladding with sales doubling last year. Now is the right time to augment our existing range with a product specifically manufactured for the professional trade market. A robust board with an attractive finish and impressive range of colours will give our customers a valuable addition to their portfolio of products and a real opportunity to develop new business streams”

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Fermacell embraces BIM

Systems from Fermacell are now available through bimstore.

Systems from Fermacell, manufacturer of the “ultimate building board”, are now available through bimstore.

Downloadable in the Revit format, more than 30 Fermacell systems for walls, floors and ceilings are now available through the UK’s largest BIM portal, www.bimstore.co.uk, as well as through www.fermacell.co.uk.

The Fermacell BIM components include steel and timber stud partitions, steel and timber wall linings and SFS wall systems as well as dry floor screed and steel frame and timber ceilings.

Fermacell’s BIM models provide 3D digital replicas of the products as well as the critical COBIE data which an architect will need about them to guide them through the whole design and construction process.

The 3D images complement the drawings and details that are the legal documents in the design and construction process when the information model is a basis for tenders and proposals.

Fermacell general manager Gary Carter said: “Fermacell sees BIM as an integral part of the strategy to maximise the construction process from inception through to completed construction.”

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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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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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Low odour with no compromises

Low odour with no compromises

Decothane Ultra sets new standard for the roofing industry

The next generation of liquid applied roof membranes has been launched by Sika Liquid Plastics. Decothane Ultra is a low odour non-disruptive roofing solution that achieves more than 80 percent reduction in odour strength five minutes after application and greater than 95 percent reduction after just one hour against a similar one-component competitor. These results were established by independent testing.

Decothane Ultra utilises a range of new novel curing agents developed and patented by Sika. This new chemistry offers a versatile platform from which to formulate extremely low solvent content and low odour liquid applied membranes for a wide range of applications.

Extensive field tests have been undertaken on the product prior to launch and a large number of these applications were in odour sensitive areas such as food manufacturing plants, hospitals and schools. They were all successfully applied without disruption to activities within the buildings.

Commenting on the introduction Nigel Blacklock, head of technical at Sika said: “Over the past decade, concern about construction product emissions has grown significantly especially from those involved in their supply and installation. European regulation now imposes strict controls on Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) contents, together with a growing focus on ensuring relating chemicals are non-hazardous in their use.

“This backdrop posed a significant development challenge for us but we were keen to achieve a successful outcome without compromising other aspects of the product. In particular, there are problems that occur with low solvent and solvent free products which often handle poorly, exhibiting high viscosity at lower temperatures and sagging on vertical applications at elevated temperatures. Additionally, they do not permit the use of glass fibre reinforcement and are therefore forced to rely on fleeces that can be more time-consuming to install. Our goal with Decothane Ultra was to tick all the boxes and make no compromises.”

During the development of Decothane Ultra, Sika Liquid Plastics worked closely with a consultancy specialising in the testing of occupational health exposures to develop a test method intended to replicate the ‘worst case scenarios’ on roofs using a closed test area without ventilation. A cross-section of single component polyurethane liquid membrane products were tested under these conditions and all were found to breach workplace exposure limits however, through careful engineering and innovation Sika Liquid Plastics has produced Decothane Ultra, a single component polyurethane that when tested within a confined space was found not to breach any workplace exposure limits. “We see this as the new benchmark for liquid applied roof membranes,” commented Nigel Blacklock.

Sika Liquid Plastics quality assured contractors have been trialling the product prior to launch and have already identified its increased advantages. Martin Eyre from Surface Protection commented: “Surface Protection has worked with Sika Liquid Plastics for many years and so we were more than happy to take part in trialling Decothane Ultra, testing it in sensitive areas, such as hospitals where we’ve now used Decothane Ultra in more than 15,000sq m on various hospital roofs.

He added: “Surface Protection has even been able to use it at a highly sensitive nuclear site, as it was the most suitable roofing membrane for this challenging project.”

While Daniel Devlin of Designed Roof Systems said: “I would happily recommend Decothane Ultra, as it’s an excellent product, applying it is even easier and the odour is hard to detect. This makes it the ideal choice for sensitive areas which are highly populated, such as shopping centres, food manufacturers, schools or hospitals.”

Decothane Ultra is available in the UK from Sika Liquid Plastics. For further information visit www.decothaneultra.co.uk or call the Enquiry Line on 01772 259781

Further reading

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Hat-trick of Encon companies notch up a brace of certifications

Hat-trick of Encon companies notch up a brace of certifications

Three members of the Encon Group have gained two internationally recognised certifications.

Pictured from left: Will Barker and Richard Prince

The Encon Group has achieved a brace of performance standards.

Specialist distributors Encon Insulation and Nevill Long and passive fire-protection manufacturer PFC Corofil have gained the environmental standard ISO 14001:2004 AND the Occupational Health and Safety standard OHSAS 18001:2007.

This was achieved in just five months across all of the group’s 21 sites and its Head Office from the UKAS-accredited body NQA using an integrated management system some 15 years after Encon became the first national insulation distributor to gain the quality standard ISO 9001 across all its sites.

Encon Insulation was founded more than 30 years ago with the aim of providing energy-saving solutions to customers so ISO 14001 was a logical progression. The Encon name also derives from Energy Conservation.

Group systems and quality manager Richard Prince is tasked with ensuring it meets its KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for the next three years in terms of reducing commercial fuel usage by 5% and increasing the recycling of waste.

Group Health and Safety manager Will Barker has been instrumental in a drive to make reductions in 3 key areas. This has resulted in 2013/14 seeing lost work time incidents reduce by 29%, lost working days by 42% and RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) incidents by 57%. Another positive note was an improvement in the way the company are reporting potential incidents, thus helping to reduce future injuries.

Encon’s chief operating officer John Bedford said: “Gaining these certifications forms a key part of our distributor and employer of choice strategy, showing the industry and our employees our commitment to Health, Safety and the environment and the values embodied in these standards.

“The fact that we achieved certification in a relatively short time bears testimony to the high standards that each site operates to and the engagement of every employee involved in the process. The work now starts to ensure we continually look to raise our standards and share best practice across the business to the benefit of our customers, suppliers and employees.”

For further information, please visit www.encon.co.uk/

Further reading

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Jutland Slates installed on Somerset homes

Jutland Slates installed on Somerset homes

Jutland fibre cement slates from Cembrit have been installed on a development of innovative ‘heritage-styled’ new homes in Somerset. Built by Redrow Homes, the development is located on the outskirts of Wellington in the County, and the Jutlands have been installed on 33 of the 112 new build homes to help achieve an Arts and Crafts inspired traditional exterior for each property.

The Bagley Green development is in an idyllic semi-rural location, close to the Blackdown Hills, as well as Exeter and Taunton. The development consists of two, three, four and five bedroom homes from Redrow’s New Heritage Collection. North Roofing of Somerset used Jutland slates to ensure the project achieved the desired architectural and period detail for the property.

“Jutland is an attractive looking fibre cement slate that combines traditional appearance with contemporary performance,” says Warren from North Roofing. “Furthermore, it is easy to install which is particularly important on a housing development where any weaknesses in a product will be exposed. Jutland was the perfect slate for this project as it has been for many of our other similar jobs.”

Cembrit’s decades of expertise mean that their Jutland slates are created with a smooth surface which creates an aesthetically pleasing finish. They are also lightweight, pre-holed and have consistent dimensions. The slates can be cut with hand tools – all that is required is a scribe and straight edge – and no power tools with associated dust suppression equipment are necessary. Jutland slates are manufactured to the highest European standards and are suitable for all types of projects. The slate is easy to handle and install, it is durable and offers an economic alternative to natural roofing materials.

For further information, please visit cembrit.co.uk

Further reading

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