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.

A NEW BRITISH INVENTION

The Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520: Complementing Essential Existing Technology for Airtightness Testing in the Built Environment

A new British invention, following the co-location of Coltraco Ultrasonics’ Physicists and Scientists at Durham University, a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, the handheld Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 is a completely unique technology able to compute air flow and air permeability, quantifying leak sites to complement an airtightness test. Designed during COVID-19 with support from UK Government COVID-19 Emergency Technology Funding and available for exporting globally now, the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 builds on Coltraco’s long history in watertight integrity monitoring for the Royal Navy to deliver the Safeship™ at sea, applying our advanced understanding of fluid dynamics at sea to air flow dynamics to deliver the Safesite™ on land.

The unique ability to detect, locate and quantify air leaks, non-disruptively and without the need for any room pressurisation, in a complementary manner to existing Door Fan and Pulse Airtightness Testing, will enable users of the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 to make sharper decisions, verify technical specifications, and reveal possible defects if design standards have not been met rapidly and reliably.

The Importance of Building Ventilation: Changing Standards in the Built Environment
Professor Catherine Noakes OBE, who sits on the UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) states that “if we do invest as a nation [in ventilation], there’s a potential big win,” with the “long-term payback [of] improved health and productivity, and lower energy use.”
COVID-19 is essentially an indoor air crisis. Whilst vaccinations are a crucially important tactical response, they must be complemented by longer term strategies. To ensure Human Air Hygiene, and safeguard that basic human right, a continuous and assured access to pure, fresh air, every public building must have a Ventilation Strategy.
In its most basic form, the challenge of building ventilation centres around increasing the number of air changes per hour. However, the integrity of air filtration, and or air purification, can only reasonably be assured if all unwanted air infiltration through gaps, is sealed. Air flow measurement devices, such as the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520, that allow for frequent and regular detection, location and quantification of unwanted air leaks must therefore be integrated alongside existing airtightness testing equipment, to ensure the success of building ventilation strategies.
In addition to Human Air Hygiene, Fire Suppression, Thermal Comfort, Acoustic Insulation, and Insect and Pest Control are all integral aspects of the Built Environment which require a certain level of airtightness to be maintained, either to deliver the minimum number of air changes per hour, restrict the supply of oxygen to extinguish a fire, or lower energy consumption and waste.
Indeed, in a post-COP26 global environment, addressing the effects of climate change and making buildings more energy efficient and environmentally responsible is driving the construction industry towards “Build Tight Ventilate Right.” Buildings are a significant producer of carbon emissions, accountable for 35% of total energy consumption.
Testing for air leaks and simultaneously testing for watertightness with the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520, as water ingress seriously damages buildings and destroys electrical equipment, will improve build qualities, and reduce the costs of operating and maintaining the Built Environment.

The Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520: Unique Technology to complement Existing Airtightness Testing
During Coltraco Ultrasonics’ long history in watertight integrity monitoring for the Royal Navy they learned that it was one thing to be able to identify large and microscopic leak sites, but that it was quite another to precisely locate and quantify the leak site through the structure concerned to determine the water flow rate. These are the crucial pieces of information required to assess the damage control risk overall in a ship’s watertight compartment, watertight door or watertight Multiple Cable Transit Area between bulkheads.
The Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 takes Coltraco Ultrasonics’ understanding of fluid dynamics at sea and applies it to air flow dynamics on land. They take the best ultrasonic technology in Coltraco’s hardware to identify leak sites with a microscopic level of accuracy and apply computer science to measure and quantify the leak-site by the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520’s algorithm, which also generates a value for the air flow rate through that leak and the building’s overall air permeability.
The ability to record and analyse these 4 factors makes the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520, a British lightweight, hand-held, and portable analytical instrument, a unique technology globally. The Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 has been invented to complement existing airtightness testing, typically achieved using a Door Fan Test or a Pulse Test, that is essential for measuring the integrity of the Built Environment.

Integrate Dynamically with Essential Existing Technologies to be Better-Faster-Cheaper: Testing the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 at The Airtightness Testing and Measurement Association’s (ATTMA’s) Building Performance Hub
In January 2022, Coltraco Ultrasonics’ Daniel Dobrowolski (Senior Physicist) and Bernard Hornung (Head of Built Environment) joined Paul Jennings (Airtightness Specialist) and Dr Bill Bordass OBE (Building Scientist) to test the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 in a full-sized house. Testing followed a Pulse Test and a Door Fan Blower Test, both of which the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 is designed to complement.

The Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 performed outstandingly, being able to identify and quantify leaks that had been found with traditional basic methods of leak detection such as thermal cameras, smoke pencils and anemometers, but most importantly finding leaks that could not be found with any alternative method. A significant number of leaks were identified in window and door seals.

The Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 allows the ultrasonic quantification of leak sites in a depressurised environment, which has never been achieved before. Door Fan Testing or Pulse Testing can then be conducted at an appropriate moment, once detected leakage points have been identified and repaired. Uniquely, during these tests, the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 allows the location and measurement of air leaks, facilitating remedial action that is precise, immediate, and often low-cost.

Furthermore, Buildings can be surveyed with a Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 before an air tightness test so that they have a better chance of passing and, if a building fails an airtightness test, the diagnosis as to why it has failed could include locating and quantifying air leaks with the Portascanner®.

These capabilities of the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 are even more important when one situates the device within the increased world-wide emphasis on airtightness in the built environment as a result of the dual pressures of COVID-19 and climate change. In the UK, higher standards on airtightness in the Built Environment are being encouraged by institutions such as the Passivhaus Trust, which forms a part of the global Passivhaus movement, and is the UK affiliate of the International Passive House Association.

Passivhaus builds are approximately ten times more airtight than the standard required of new-build domestic dwellings in the UK, meaning special attention must be paid to identify potential leakage areas in the building fabric and offsite-manufactured components during the final stages of construction. There are about 65,000 buildings worldwide which have achieved Passivhaus standards of comfort, health, and low energy consumption, with many more in the planning process.

Being able to use ultrasound to detect, locate, and quantify air leaks, eliminates the need for pressurisation, negative or positive. Therefore, the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 can test building components when they are manufactured, such as windows and doors, which is where most leaks manifest themselves, with the aim to eliminate leaks before installation. During the execution of a build programme, or in the case of offsite construction, during the assembly of building components, building control aimed at assuring a better build quality should include the frequent and periodic use of the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520.

Coltraco Ultrasonics’ technologies provide their users with the unprecedented visibility necessary to make sharp decisions and understand opaque issues. Integrating the Portascanner® AIRTIGHT 520 with essential existing Door Fan and Pulse airtightness testing will improve build quality, and reduce the costs of operating and maintaining the Built Environment, by improving Human Air Hygiene, Fire Suppression, Acoustic Insultation, Thermal Comfort, and decreasing water ingress and absenteeism.

www.coltraco.co.uk

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TURNING DOWN THE HEAT

Turning down the heat:

Futureproofing the homes of tomorrow

Authored by Mark Dowdeswell, Senior Category Manager – Domestic, at Uponor

 

New homes will have to produce around 30% less carbon emissions as part of a major update to the Building Regulations this year. Under Part L1A, there will be a maximum flow temperature requirement of 55°C for new and replacement heating systems, meaning that more low energy heating systems must be used in today’s modular builds.

Underfloor heating systems (UFH) have a larger area heat emitter than traditional radiators, meaning they require a lower heat input in order to heat a room effectively. This allows them to work efficiently alongside renewable heating technologies, such as air source heat pumps (ASHP), which help to reduce a home’s operational carbon footprint.

 

With technology constantly advancing, both ASHPs and UFH now lend themselves perfectly to modular builds with limited space and high-quality design demands. Innovative low profile UFH systems, such as Uponor’s Minitec which stands at just 15mm build height, enable design teams to optimise available space, giving maximum design freedom. To ensure consistent quality of UFH installations in modular assemblies, Uponor also works closely with its partners to provide design support, continuous training and installation reviews, whilst simultaneously providing the largest product range of radiant heating and cooling systems of any manufacturer from under one roof, meaning that design teams do not have to compromise on their aspirations.

This vast product range also enables contractors, architects and specifiers to work alongside one manufacturer, rather than multiple suppliers, allowing them to rest assured that the systems used will not only meet building regulations and hit new performance goals, but that they will be fully-warranted and long-lasting, meaning that the homes built for today, will perform well tomorrow, too.

www.uponor.co.uk

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F.H. Brundle expands its range of steel railings

Reduced installation time and almost limitless customisation

possibilities are some of the features of F.H. Brundle’s

Fortitude range of ready to install steel railings.

 

 

To complement its range of already successful Fortitude ready to install steel railings and gates, the company has introduced a range of stunning wall top railings that will help to create a stylish wall top boundary and add kerbside appeal to any property.

 

 

Available as ROSPA Bow Top, Forest, Sphere Top or Vertical Bar options, these railings come in panel widths of 2750mm, and as either concrete-in or bolt-down posts to give an overall height of 500mm.

 

Posts are either PPC black or galvanised, which can be powder coated to a colour of your choice.

 

Standard railings can all be supplied with matching 0.9m and 1.2m high single and double leaf gates, complete with a catch, security collars to stop removal, and with a Locinox self-closing Tiger hinge on ROSPA bow top single leaf gates.

 

 

Estate fencing and gates is another part of this versatile range. Panels are supplied ready-made, making it a quick and economical fencing solution ideal for housebuilders in residential developments.

 

“Fortitude railings are one of the easiest to install and most versatile off-the-shelf handrail solutions on the market today,” comments F.H. Brundle’s Head of Marketing Paul Smith.

“We’re excited to be expanding our Fortitude range with our selection of wall top railings, and if you’d like to learn more about them, don’t hesitate to get in touch – we’d love to help.”

For more information

visit www.fhbrundle.co.uk

or email sales@brundle.com

or call 01708 398 048

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RINNAI – WE ALL WIN WITH NETZERO

 common sense, calm and commitment

 

Cp and hot water industry and this can be supported via gathered scientific data applied to finding solutions that allow for least harm and disruption to current standards of living and comfort.

The manufacturing sector of the heating and hot water industry has a responsibility in playing a leading role in the reduction and eventual removal of harmful emissions. For UK decarbonisation targets to be met, working practises that rely on fossil fuels have to be changed and transparent assessments of product impact and efficiency should be common currency. To enact the transition to greener energy there is a pressing need for unity of purpose across multiple industry sectors.

 

 

Rinnai Managing Director Tony Gittings says: “Fact, logic and reason must be employed to achieve the best outcome for all of us. We need decarbonisation, we need NetZero, and we need it as soon as possible but in such a way that is pragmatic in terms of catering to the existing populations and markets.”    

“To further encourage decarbonisation the heating industry must look past just simple financial motivation. No one single product alone is presently capable of delivering NetZero, so rather than fracture into competing groups, the heating & hot water sector will benefit from a platform of cross-communication and information sharing that can be relayed to positively assist the UK end-user and customer.

“We need to look at this from the consumers’ viewpoint. We need to be putting accurate information in the public arena. At the moment there are a lot of interested bodies and companies showing understandable self-interest in wanting to know they have a future in the marketplace.

“In our sector we have manufacturers of similar or like-for-like products which are looking to what will replace natural gas as the fuel of mass consumption and how that will affect them. We also have the pragmatic logic of trying to find affordable fuels for the mass market. Alternatives on their own are simply not an answer. We also need to look at the range of innovations and developments such as Hydrogen and BioLPG that will come on stream.

“Yes, individual products have a place. But what would be the NetZero answer, as an example, to a commercial or industrial unit or site that has the added complications of needing Legionella prevention regimes and constant high temperature hot water in large volumes. How would electrification and heat pumps, for example, be attractive in terms of capital, installation and ongoing operational costs and performance?

“Everything has a role to play and everything non-carbon can have a future. And a collective, equable effort will give us the result we all want, the result we must have, if we are to have a sustained quality of life.

“We are a business based on engineering excellence and are employing technological creativity to achieve the targets. It will mean, in the UK, that we begin to offer a wider range of products under the H3 umbrella of Hydrogen, Heat Pumps and Hybrid Systems to enable our customers to achieve their own carbon reductions and eventual neutrality.”

 

Rinnai are also now offering a free “Carbon Cost Comparison” that can be found by following this LINK .   The Rinnai Carbon Cost Comparison Form offers a free appraisal of a site’s current hot water delivery system, along with recommendations for reducing the carbon load.

Rinnai is a world leading manufacturer of hot water heaters producing over 2 million units a year. The company operates on each of the 5 continents and has an established reputation for products of high performance, robust cost efficiency and extended working lives.

 

Rinnai hot water products offer a limitless supply of instantaneous temperature controlled hot water that can, at 65degrees C, act as a thermal disinfectant on all known bacteria.

 

Rinnai units are UKCA certified, A-rated water efficiency, accessed through multiple fuel options and are available for purchase 24/7, 365 days a year. Any unit can be delivered to any UK site within 24 hours.

 

Rinnai is committed to decarbonisation and N series is hydrogen-blends ready NOW and can use BioLPG capable of delivering NetZero carbon emissions.

 

Rinnai offers comprehensive training courses and technical support in all aspects of the water heating industry. More information can be found on Rinnai’s website and its “Help Me Choose” webpage.

 

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit

www.rinnaiuk.com

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TRIPLE CHALLENGE FOR NEW MD

It’s a triple crown for Steve Marshall who has not only taken over as Managing Director of Strand Hardware, but also its two sister companies – Strand Technologies and AliMet Fabrications.

The industry stalwart has taken the helm of the three Midlands companies following a 24-year career at GEZE UK where, for the past two years he served as Operations Director, following roles in the service and commercial teams.

However, his new challenge has taken him full circle – he began his career as an estimator for an aluminium door and window fabrication company (James Gibbons) before moving into the world of automatics (Newman Tonks followed by Horton Automatics).

Steve’s appointment is a significant step change for Strand Hardware and demonstrates a resounding belief in his abilities. It will be the first time that the company has seen day-to-day operations managed by someone outside the family-run firm. Strand was founded by Jonathan Franks in 1991 and his daughter, Catherine, took on the role of Managing Director in 2005. She will continue to help steer the ship in her new role as Chair of Strand Hardware.

Said Steve: “It is such an exciting challenge. They are three fairly different companies which at the same time complement each other. My work at GEZE UK has given me a background in door hardware, albeit that Strand Hardware has a different range of specialist products, but I know a lot of people in the industry that are customers of Strand already.

“GEZE also distributed iContact which is a pivotal product within the Strand Technologies range.   Although a relatively new company, Strand Technologies is going from strength to strength and diversifying into many new markets outside the door industry. I began my career with a door and window fabrications company, so AliMet’s business is not unknown to me either. All three are really, really exciting, and I’m looking forward to working with the teams, helping them develop and achieve further growth.”

He says he intends to spend his first 100 days ‘learning and planning’ – getting to know the teams, existing customers, market segments and identify opportunities for growth, development and diversification.

Steve will be supported at Strand Hardware by Sales Director Craig Fox and General Manager Jo Wallis in managing the day-to-day business operations.

Catherine Franks is to focus on special projects, strategy and investments. She said she felt certain that Strand Hardware and its sister companies were in “a safe pair of hands”.

“I would not move aside, if it were not for the certainty that Steve is absolutely the right person for the job. Managing three companies is not easy, each has its own unique demands but Steve has huge amounts of experience working within complex working environments and to time-sensitive deadlines. I feel confident that he will be able to support all three companies and help them grow.”

 

Visit Strand Hardware

 

 

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Rinnai – Creating a healthier way of living

DON’T GO ‘LIKE for LIKE’ TRADE UP

TO HIGH PERFORMANCE, FUEL SAVING EFFICIENCY FOR LIMITLESS HOT WATER TEMPERATURE ACCURATE ON DEMAND READILY AVAILABLE NOW

 

Hydrogen blends-ready Rinnai continuous flow hot water delivery units&systems analysis shows 20% (min.) carbon emissions reduction compared to heated storage systems

Easy access and continuous, limitless flow of hot water is a critical component of building services for all applications in all sites.

Continuous flow technology in hot water delivery provides constant flows of temperature specific and controlled delivery end-product, which are hydrogen blends and BioLPG ready. They are also a one-man lift requiring no lifting gear.

When a stored water system or unit comes to the end of its working life it is assumed that replacing ‘like for like’ is the best option.

But, says Pete Seddon for Rinnai, ‘If we look at the ‘like for like’, out with the old one and in with the same model stored water heater – there is actually a major amount of work involved in this. Changing old for new does not mean it is better. Most plant rooms are limited in space which would require the old equipment being removed before the like for like appliances can be installed.

‘Not only that, but if the appliance being replaced was non-condensing and the new appliance was condensing, then the flue would most likely require changing as well as the provision to discharge condensate. Plant rooms are very rarely designed to remove equipment. This requirement to remove equipment before new is installed would have a major impact – and it takes so much time,’ adds Pete Seddon.

‘The hot water system would have to be completely shut down to allow such major works to take place and all sites, especially healthcare ones, cannot simply allow this to happen.

Due to the size and weight of these appliances it can make life exceedingly difficult for installers. They are usually manufactured with Enamel Lined (Glass Lined) Mild Steel which can make it extremely heavy but also very fragile. It would require multiple personnel to manoeuvre these out and in, even specialist lifting equipment and for plant rooms high up cranes would be required. All of this will add a lot of time and cost to the overall installation. Not only that, but if specialist lift equipment and cranes are required you are going to need suitably trained personnel as well as permits.

Says Pete Seddon, “So, what can continuous flow solutions offer that can make this entire process a lot easier? Well, we will start with their size and weight. This type of technology is 30kg. That is a one-man lift. Two sizes are available – 47kW and 58kW. This would equate to a large volume of hot water for such a physically small appliance. (774 and 954 litres per hour at a 50-degree rise).

‘The other benefit is the ability to cascade these appliances so when more hot water is required you would simply add more continuous flow water heaters. This would mean that just a single installer could create a system that would produce vast amounts of temperature accurate hot water. Whilst also creating built-in redundancy – this means that if one unit needs to be shut down the complete site still has ready access to hot water.

 

“Also possible is a ‘plug and play’ cascade sequencing control system that will automatically control how many appliances are running at any one time, all the installers would have to do is plug it in and select the primary water heater. Continuous flow can easily cope with any size of healthcare site. Simple as that,’ adds Mr Seddon.

With a continuous flow system there are also externally sited units where there is just no space in a plant room. These external hot water heaters are fully weather protected with and hold IPX5D rating. Installations also come with frost protection down to -20°C and will keep the appliance protected so long as the mains power supply is left switched on.

When measured in economic performance, continuous flow water heaters are half the yearly costs on a Peak Period of 3 hours per day at 960 I/h that a combustion unit would accumulate. A typical water storage-based installation will cost £5,662.13 per year, where in comparison a Rinnai continuous flow water system will cost £2,736.02.

Rinnai’s complete range of hot water heating units are available for next day delivery on orders placed before the previous mid-day.

 

Rinnai UK has excellent stock levels of all units in the range

plus spares and accessories.

Installers can contact the company direct in gaining access to the supply of units –
Call   01928 531 870 or
email engineer@rinnaiuk.com and sales@rinnaiuk.com
alternatively use the smart online contact points “Help Me Choose”
or “Ask Us a Question”, all held on the website homepage at
www.rinnaiuk.com
 
For more information on the RINNAI product range visit
www.rinnaiuk.com
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SterlingOSB Zero a great choice

The practical benefits that make SterlingOSB Zero a great choice for the UK construction industry

 

With an ever-increasing checklist of requirements, UK builders have very exacting standards when sourcing the right materials for their project. Choosing panel products that satisfy building standards, have sound environmental credentials and are quick and easy to use when battling all that the Great British weather has to offer, it’s no wonder West Fraser’s (formerly known as Norbord) SterlingOSB Zero range is one of the most popular in the construction industry.

West Fraser’s OSB portfolio comprises of SterlingOSB Zero OSB3, SterlingOSB Zero Tongue and Groove, and SterlingOSB Zero StrongFix. They are variants of the precision-engineered OSB3 board; BBA-approved and designed for humid conditions, the board contains zero added formaldehyde (ZAF) and is unique in the market by being the only ZAF OSB manufactured in the UK.  Produced in Scotland from forest thinnings taken from sustainably managed forests, the board is certified according to the guidelines of the FSC or PEFC.

Among its multiple uses, SterlingOSB Zero is ideal for timber frame construction. The boards are designed to speed up the build process and are available in a wide range, thicknesses and sheet sizes. For structural use in dry or humid load bearing situations, SterlingOSB Zero OSB3 is the board of choice. When undertaking dry lining, SterlingOSB Zero StrongFix quickly provides secure anchorage areas.

Flooring and roofing applications are served by SterlingOSB Zero OSB3 and SterlingOSB Zero Tongue & Groove. Panels are easy to saw, drill, nail or plane. SterlingOSB Zero’s smooth surface gives improved adhesion qualities for all flat roofing applications with no sanding required, even for GRP finishes.

In building sites all over the UK (and other rainy, snowy or generally mucky climates), the art of getting buildings wind and watertight quickly is an important one that the builder needs to get right! Choosing a quick, easy to install, reliable and versatile roofing system is, therefore, vital. High quality roof decking or pitched roof sarking is an essential component and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is now the preferred option for many today. And winning the game with outstanding attributes is West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero OSB3 or SterlingOSB Zero T&G.

Ideal for structural use in load bearing dry or humid conditions, SterlingOSB Zero OSB3 offers great value and durability. Stronger than most softwood ply, thanks to its makeup of multiple layers of real wood strands pressed together, it is designed to withstand the toughest of conditions. Working with the boards is trouble free as they are uniform in quality with no knots, voids or delamination issues. Helping to cut waste, a range of panel sizes and thicknesses is available to suit all needs.

The boards are square edged so butt together easily and cleanly. Panels are cut and installed on a roof using conventional roofing equipment and are easy to saw, drill, nail or plane. Nails can be driven as close as 8mm from the panel edge without causing splitting. SterlingOSB Zero’s smooth surface gives improved adhesion qualities for all flat roofing applications and no sanding is required, even for GRP finishes.

With all the advantages of the Sterling OSB Zero range, SterlingOSB Zero T&G is specifically designed for flat roofing and is BBA approved and fully compliant to BS 6229:2003. The panels are consistent and machined to exact tolerances. Reliable fixings are easily achieved across the board using 3mm diameter ring-shank nails or 50mm long screws at 100mm centers across the supporting joists.

The inherent strength of SterlingOSB Zero makes it the natural choice for site hoardings and for boarding up windows and doors of vacant properties. Hoardings formed using SterlingOSB Zero may be finished with most popular surface treatments, allowing marketing messages and designs to be displayed to create a smart site perimeter.

Along with its many practical attributes, the Sterling OSB Zero range has strong environmental credentials. All West Fraser panel products produced in the UK are net carbon negative and manufactured in mills that have obtained the coveted environmental ISO 14001 accreditation. Responsibly sourced, the panels are FSC certified and created from locally grown timber, cutting embodied carbon from transportation. Sterling OSB Zero is also the first OSB product to be made in the UK with zero added formaldehyde, ensuring an even ‘greener’ board that meets all standards with ease.

 

 

 

 

To find out more about West Fraser’s products for housebuilders, get in touch with Dan Clarke – email Daniel.Clarke@westfraser.com or download product brochures from the housebuilder page of the West Fraser website CLICK HERE

For further information, call 01786 812 921 or visit www.westfraser.com

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Entries for the 9th Schüco Excellence Awards are now open

The ninth annual Schüco Excellence Awards will take place this summer,

for which project applications are now officially being accepted.

 

The well-established Schüco Excellence Awards for Design and Innovation, run in association with Architecture Today, recognise exceptional projects completed with Schüco systems all over the UK and Ireland. The deadline for entries is 27th April 2022.

Architectural designer and television presenter, Charlie Luxton will reprise his role as host for the awards event at The Banqueting House in London’s Whitehall on Thursday 30th June 2022.

The Awards receive recognition across the industry, as was demonstrated by the landslide amount of entries for the 2021 Awards, increasing the number of entries for the second year running. Winning entries demonstrate the very best contributions from design and specialist contractor teams, and the Schüco façade, window and door systems used in the project.

Entries are judged on creativity, innovation, technical expertise and collaboration to deliver architectural intent. This year’s judges comprise esteemed past judges and previous award winners, including Ingrid Petit, Associate at Feilden Fowles; Steve Mudie, Partner at Alinea Consulting; Fiona Scott, Director at Gort Scott; Carol Patterson, Director at OMA; Harry Montrésor, Partner at the Montrésor Partnership; Pankaj Patel, Director at Patel Taylor; Innes Johnston, Senior Partner at Max Fordham; and Architecture Today Editor Isabel Allen, who will Chair the judging.

The ten categories for the 2022 Schüco Excellence Awards, which have been updated since last year, are: Commercial and Mixed Use development; Cultural building; Education, Health and Leisure building; Refurbishment and Adaptive Reuse project; Individual house; Individual house improvement; Residential development; Specialist contractor, Steel project and Sustainability.

CLICK HERE

To visit the awards platform to enter a project into the Schüco Excellence Awards 2022 

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OVERCOME LOW THRESHOLD LIMITATIONS ISSUES IN FLAT ROOFS

THERMALLY-EFFICIENT, SUPER-THIN DECK-VQ® VACUUM INSULATION PANELS

OVERCOME LOW THRESHOLD LIMITATIONS ISSUES IN FLAT ROOFS

By Paul Simpson, Commercial Director at Gradient

 

When renovation space is at a premium, roof terraces are gaining in popularity as an attractive and purposeful way to revitalise and utilise an otherwise redundant area of a building. However, when insulating a flat roof to accommodate a terrace or balcony extension, which type of system is suitable when build-up thickness is an issue?

Gradient’s Deck-VQ® vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) succeed where traditional products fail. Super-thin with an ultra-high thermal performance, Deck-VQ insulation ensures required U-values can be met without the need for costly, time-consuming structural changes when space is limited.

Panel availability

Deck-VQ® insulation is based on four modular flat roof sizes: 1200x600mm, 1200x300mm; 600x600mm; 600x300mm, with two thicknesses of 45mm and 60mm. Despite its slender form, its 60mm board delivers a thermal performance of 0.008 W/mK (45mm: 0.009 W/mK) whilst its VIP core provides a Lambda value of 0.006 W/mK. With Deck-VQ®, Gradient has introduced an industry-leading product which harnesses the superior insulating properties of a VIP panel and fully encapsulates it within a PIR protective shell.

Installation guide

A wealth of scientific research and industry knowledge has gone into making the installation of Deck-VQ® as straightforward and convenient as possible. A guide on how to install Deck-VQ vacuum insulation panels is available to VIEW HERE:

Deck-VQ® offers an extremely high insulation value and long-term performance whilst maintaining the existing roof structure, thereby avoiding costly modification and increasing on-site costs.

VIP benefits

VIPs are the best available insulation on the commercial market but by their nature, should they become damaged due to puncture, it would severely affect their insulation performance. VIP technology awareness has become more widespread in the UK construction sector in recent times. It led to VIP manufacturers being urged by industry members to create a product that contractors found simple to install and wouldn’t damage easily.

Bespoke service

As part of its superior service provision, Gradient’s technical teams provide a bespoke project specific layout to ensure the insulation fits before it even arrives on site. Thin, flat roof insulation in the form of Deck-VQ® is compatible with adhered single-ply membranes and bituminous systems, meaning it can be used with existing construction technologies. Deck-VQ® VIPs are fully-protected, making them easy to transport and store on site.

Fit for modern purpose

By enabling occupiers to install quality insulation in limited-space areas out-of-bounds to other products, as a flat roof solution Deck-VQ® is ideal for creating interiors which thrive and excel in terms of comfort and wellbeing. The panel’s superior thermal credentials come to the fore in enabling even the most complex projects to be carried out in a time and cost-effective manner by reducing on-site working times and materials.

With property owners and developers looking to maximise an ever-decreasing amount of living and building space, Deck-VQ® is absolutely fit-for-purpose for the current construction climate.

CLICK HERE

For more information on Deck-VQ®, the market-leading, super-thin flat roof insulation

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KOOLTHERM PIPE INSULATION FITTED ON LEADING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH BUILDING

The University of Warwick’s Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building (IBRB) is breaking new ground in building design. The £33m facility has been constructed with a cutting-edge offsite approach featuring Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation and Kooltherm Insulated Pipe Support Inserts.

The research building, designed by Hawkins/Brown and Fairhursts Design Group, will provide world-class facilities for over 300 biomedical researchers helping to deepen our understanding of the origins and mechanistic basis of diseases of the brain and body. Working closely with the project team, which included Willmott Dixon and Hoare Lea, NG Bailey has manufactured and assembled much of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations at its specialist offsite facility in Bradford. This specification included the installation of over 20,000 lm of Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation and Kooltherm Insulated Pipe Support Inserts, with onsite fitout carried out by specialist contractor Insulation & Cladding Services Ltd (ICS).

The University of Warwick set a target to complete at least 50% of the building work using offsite methods. NG Bailey helped to achieve this with a bespoke, five-storey ‘megariser’, which contains all of the buildings’ primary wet and dry services. The riser was delivered to site in eight sections, greatly reducing the number of deliveries and disruption to neighbours and allowing the installation to be completed in two days compared with the 15 weeks it would have taken with traditional methods. The sections were constructed horizontally at the NG Bailey facility and were lifted and installed using a crane – cutting time spent working at height.

As with all offsite work, careful pre-design was essential to ensure the ‘megariser’ and services were aligned correctly once in-situ. The project team collaborated closely with the use of BIM technologies and this process was supported through the specification of Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation and Kooltherm Insulated Pipe Support Inserts. These products are supported with bespoke BIM objects which can be freely downloaded from www.bimstore.co.uk This allowed service engineers and designers to accurately plan and position pipework and supports. With their leading thermal performance, the products also contributed to the project’s sustainability targets.

Stefan Watson, Offsite Integration Manager, Midlands, at NG Bailey explained: “By using offsite manufacture to produce the MEP elements, we removed circa 11,000 working hours from the project and reduced deliveries by around 190 HGV vehicles. The Client set the challenge of at least 50% of the construction being delivered through offsite techniques – and this was achieved.

“This greatly reduced the carbon footprint of the project and the completed building is expected to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. Building services play a significant part in reaching this target and we carefully developed a specification which will keep the building’s energy use to a minimum.”

Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation is one of the most thermally efficient pipe insulation materials in common use. This allowed the project team to effectively insulate the full range of pipe diameters on the project with a minimal thickness of insulation, supporting a faster, installation both in the factory and as part of the onsite work completed by ICS.

The project team also carefully addressed the risk of heat loss through pipe supports by installing Kingspan Kooltherm Insulated Pipe Support Inserts. The premium performance inserts effectively limit thermal bridging through the supports and form an effective vapour barrier. For larger diameter pipework, the inserts are supplied with a metal spreader plate which prevents insulation compression, ensuring the efficiency of the pipework is maintained over time.

Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation and Insulated Pipe Support Inserts have been fitted as part of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building (IBRB) at the University of Warwick.

The specification of the Kingspan Technical Insulation products also supported work to achieve credits within BREEAM assessment. An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certificate for Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation can be accessed at www.greenbooklive.com. The product is also certified as Eurofins Air Comfort Gold, recognising it as having low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and both products are manufactured under an environmental management system which is certified to ISO 14001:2015.

With Kingspan Industrial Insulation’s free Pipeline Technical Advisory Service,

which can be contacted on 0808 168 7363,

clear advice and guidance can be accessed at every stage in a project.

 

E-mail: info@kingspaninsulation.co.uk

Website: www.kingspantechnicalinsulation.co.uk

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