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.

Fire safety: What specifiers need to look for when reviewing render and EWI performance information

By Lee Lambley, technical director at Saint-Gobain Weber

 

The issue of fire safety remains of paramount importance. The Building Safety Act is arguably causing the biggest changes the construction industry has seen since the implementation of the Building Regulations in 1984.

 

As part of this, there has been a large focus on the performance claims of product manufacturers. This was originally highlighted in Dame Judith Hackitt’s 2018 Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, when she pointed out that the system for testing and ‘certifying’ products for use in construction was “disjointed, confused, unhelpful, and lacks any sort of transparency.”

 

Since then, the Construction Product Association (CPA) has initiated the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI), which aims to provide assurance that users of product information have the necessary facts when making decisions about specifying or installing their products.

 

The government’s Independent Review of the Construction Products Testing Regime further reinforced the need for accurate product information, concluding that manufacturers have a responsibility to develop products that do the job expected of them and to market them honestly, making no false or misleading claims.

 

With so much information out there, what should specifiers and designers consider when reviewing the fire safety claims being made by any product manufacturer today?

 

When it comes to renders and related external wall insulation (EWI) systems, specifiers should be encouraged to interrogate the evidence provided and review the following information…

 

Conduct wind load calculations

 

The design of any EWI or cladding system is required to resist predicted wind load pressure both in relation to the location and height of the building, and considering its orientation, surroundings and building design/shape along with the weight of the system. The specified fixings and fixing systems need to be designed to deal with these predicted loads in mind and installed accordingly.

 

Any installed cladding system must be able to resist the effects of predicted wind pressure.

 

Ensure a pull out test is completed

 

Normally performed to establish the load-bearing capacity and strength of fixings specified for a wall, slab or soffit, pull out tests are vital to ensure that anything fixed to the building will stay safely secured under duress. In the case of EWI, the correct length, type and material of fixing are all relevant to ensuring the insulation is reliably fastened to the substrate.

 

The assessment involves attaching a suitable test rig to the screw, anchor or fixing. This is then put under tension to the designed stress load level to determine how strong and secure the fixing is, enabling potential early diagnosis of underlying problems. It is also advisable to undertake site pull out tests on the product being used while installation is taking place, as data found in manufacturers’ literature may vary and there can be a difference in product batches of the same product.

 

Don’t just look for an A1 or A2 reaction to fire classification

 

Look much deeper into claims around fire safety performance than you may have done in the past. It’s not enough just to look for the required classification; it’s the information that sits behind this grading that matters most, along with a lot of other complementary data.

 

The Euroclass test relates to reaction to fire. Do you have all the test data and, if so, to what standard was that test carried out? Was the testing done by a UKAS-accredited test centre? Have you seen the actual test data or just gone from claims in the marketing literature?

 

There is also the possibility that product/system may also need to meet a fire resistance requirement in addition to reaction to fire, which takes into account load-bearing capacity, integrity and insulation.

 

Product decisions should only be made based on the full suite of documentation, including the complete set of individual test reports to fully appreciate if the proposed solution meets all requirements of Building Regulations.

 

Consider how colour impacts performance

 

Historically, manufacturers have only tested lighter colours such as white or cream for reaction to fire – not just because these are the most popular colours, but also because of the amount of organic (and therefore less combustible) content, so they are more likely to pass a fire test more easily. This is clearly not in the spirit of the Hackitt recommendations, nor the culture of product safety now required.

 

An appropriate range of colours should be tested separately with the support of a UKAS-accredited testing facility. Weber is one such manufacturer to have this assessment covering its full colour range – including reds, which are most likely to contain the highest level of organic content. Dark colours such as greys and yellows can also throw up interesting test results that need careful checking.

 

Ensure that all documentation matches up

 

The Euroclass certification for a product should align with the individual test reports. The test reports should align with the Declaration of Performance (DoP).

 

Another thing that needs checking is the date of the test data to ensure it is still valid and hasn’t expired.

 

Any change to a product’s formulation, no matter how small, means that previous test data may be invalid, and the product should undertake an agreed level of testing working with a notified body.

 

The biggest hurdle is just becoming better educated and familiar with testing regimes and what different test reports are saying. Once you are familiar with what you’re looking at, it’s not difficult to identify anomalies.

 

As part of the new building safety regime, all dutyholders – the client, the principal designer and the principal contractor – are required to ensure that there are arrangements and systems in place to plan, manage and monitor design and building work to ensure compliance with Building Regulations.

 

Architects and specifiers will likely be the principal designer or designer dutyholder. The principal designer is the designer who is in control of the design work and is responsible for ensuring that the design phase complies with Building Regs and building safety. This includes checking the design elements, such as EWI systems, and the associated documentation.

 

Keep asking questions and complete the necessary research to ensure the product/systems will meet the required performance claims. Any reputable product manufacturer will be happy to share all their test data openly and honestly.

CLICK HERE

For further advice on the specification of Weber EWI and render systems

 

 

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3D Construction Arrives in Ireland

Louth County Council has begun using 3D printing technology for the construction of a new social housing development in Dundalk.

The council said the Grange Close pilot project is the first of its kind in Ireland.

The project is using 3D Construction Printed (3DCP) technology which involves using large-scale 3D printers on-site to create three-dimensional structures layer by layer.

In the process, layers of Ready-Mix Concrete are sequentially deposited through a gantry-based 3DCP machine according to a digital model.

The result is the creation of a housing superstructure at a rate which is up to three times faster than traditional methods.

The project aims to use 3D construction printing technology to provide three three-bedroom terraced units that will have a floor area of around 110 m² over two floors.

“The provision of high quality and sustainable social housing is a core objective of Louth County Council, and this project is a significant example of the use of innovative technologies and organisational collaboration in the delivery of new homes,” said Joan Martin, chief executive at Louth County Council.

The Grange Close pilot project involves a collaboration between Louth County Council, Louth & Meath Education & Training Board (LMETB), Irish-owned company Harcourt Technologies Ltd (HTL.tech), and Roadstone Ltd, a CRH company.

“The transformative potential of this technology is very exciting, offering a viable solution to help address our housing challenges,” said Justin Kinsella, MD and co-founder of HTL.tech.

Roadstone described the approach as an efficient and high-tech modern method of construction.

“Integrating new technology and traditional building materials offers a new era of efficiency and carbon reduction – working towards a sustainable future,” said Patrick Diviney, Roadstone, Commercial Manager.

Scource: RTE NEWS

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The Final Phase of Lewishams Regeneration

Amro Partners has completed an 18-month land assembly plan in south east London, as part of a residential-led redevelopment with a GDV of £400m, DFT can reveal.

This has now concluded with the purchase of the Lewisham Retail Park site and remaining land holdings from Legal & General.

Scheduled to launch with phased openings in 2028/29, this represents one of the final pieces of Lewisham’s 20-year regeneration plan.

“This acquisition is the culmination of two years’ hard work piecing together this incredibly complex site,” said Raj Kotecha, chairman and CEO at Amro Partners.

“It’s an honour to play a part in the regeneration of this bright and thriving neighbourhood, with a site that has such vast potential.“We look forward to working with the council and the people of Lewisham to bring forward a landmark development that sets a new bar for placemaking, sustainability and brings long-term value to the local community.”

The land island is adjacent to Lewisham train station and has a connectivity rating of PTAL 6b.

As well as new units, this redevelopment will create new green spaces, cycle paths and permanent community spaces. Flexible commercial space on the ground floor will accommodate local businesses.

With plans to improve the existing planning consent for 550 homes, Amro is working closely with the London Borough of Lewisham to secure permission for ESG-leading units.

“Amro has the ability to deliver an exceptional development with outstanding placemaking, and much-needed housing,” said Adam Cradick, head of London residential land at CBRE.

“This transaction is another example of the current positive sentiment within the London residential land market, and the demand we are seeing for best-in-class sites.”

Source: Development Finance. Today

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Wood Technology, the Potential

credit: TCD

 

Researchers work to develop revolutionary wood technology with far-reaching implications for construction industry: ‘To replace carbon-intensive materials like concrete and steel’

The construction sector accounts for a huge amount of planet-overheating emissions, largely because of the processes for creating common building materials like concrete and steel. For that reason, some in the industry are looking toward wood as the potential construction material of the future.

Though wood is, of course, among the oldest construction materials on Earth, the technology around how to use it is still evolving to meet the needs of modern society. At Michigan Technological University, researchers are developing a new method of making timber suitable for large-scale construction projects, Inside Climate News reported.

Their research is focused on creating cross-laminated timber — an artificially produced construction material made with layers of wood and resin — out of hardwoods (such as maple, birch, and oak). Traditionally, mass timber has been made using softwoods (such as pine, spruce, and fir). Being able to use more types of wood in the process would open up new possibilities for the industry, the researchers said.

“I don’t think it is good to characterize it as competing with softwood. I see this just as a diversification of wood as a building material. The point is that we want to use all of the biobased material that we can to replace carbon-intensive materials like concrete and steel,” Mark Rudnicki, the director of the Hardwood Mass Timber Institute at Michigan Tech, said.

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, the buildings and construction sector is responsible for a whopping 37% of all global planet-overheating pollution. That is a massive amount, and it is clear that the industry must change to meet climate goals laid out at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference.

The next step for hardwood cross-laminated timber is to gain approval from the North American Manufacturing Standard, which should happen within the next few years.

“When approval comes, I think it will be good for the economy in the states where you have hardwood in the markets,” said Raju Pokharel, a professor of forest economics at MSU. “When there’s more demand the prices can go up a little bit, but I don’t think it will have much of an impact [on] wood prices.”

Elsewhere, researchers are also trying to figure out how to make concrete and steel less carbon-intensive through methods such as using the process to capture air pollution inside concrete, or completely overhauling the steel production process.

 

Soure: The Cool Down

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Competence Initiative Makes Progress

The Joint Competency Initiative (JCI), in which the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) is involved, is finalising its first framework for installers within the door, gates and shutter industry.

 

ADSA is working with the Door Hardware Federation (DHF) and the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) to establish the first of the “routes to competence” for the sector. This is due to be published this month.

 

The JCI was established in response to the Building Safety Act and is considered to be the most significant change to health and safety legislation within the construction industry over the past 40 years.

 

The framework for installers includes skills required for the fitting of powered pedestrian doors of all types, steel and wooden fire-rated doors, gates and shutter systems including steel fire doors.

Ken Price, ADSA’s Managing Director, said that a

“systematic process to identify what competence looks like” had been established over the past six months. This will be used to create the many frameworks needed across the industry.

Each of the organisations on the working group has undertaken a situational analysis to identify ‘where are we now’ and research into training and qualifications needed for installer roles.

“Although we have found some excellent entry and specific skills training with regulated qualifications, we identified a gap around continuous professional development (CPD). This was mixed and largely unaccredited as installers moved through their career. We are all in agreement that this needs to be addressed and an accredited route to CPD created.”

The group recently began working with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) which already has established national occupational standards for the construction industry.

Added Ken:

“We had a call from the CITB which had heard about the work we were undertaking and offered to help. Without a shadow of a doubt, this support has moved us forward and will help us deliver the whole project a lot faster than if we were doing it on our own.”

The group has to identified up to 12 individual functions that each require a competency framework. This will include service and other skilled roles, such as procurement.

The JCI was initially formed by technical and procurement leads from BAM, ISG, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Lendlease, Mace, Morgan Sindall, Multiplex, Sir Robert McAlpine, John Sisk, Skanska and Wates Group. Its vision has been to establish, “proportionate and practical requirements relating to both organisational and individual competence of those working in the glazing, cladding and roofing sectors”.

This has led to the publication of a white paper,

‘Achieving Competence inthe Building Envelope Sector’

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER

 

 

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Using the Earth to Save the Earth

Photography: Joakim Borén

An architect and his team have pioneered a mud home in the United Kingdom they are calling the first of its kind, and they believe it could revolutionise home construction.

Designed by Norwich-based architect Anthony Hudson, the home’s walls consist of three low-energy building materials: Earth, water, and hemp straw, as reported by the Good News Network. When combined, it’s known as cob, a material used by various cultures throughout history to build structures.

The CobBauge House, as Hudson calls it, was built as part of a European Union research project on how to make modern homes more environmentally friendly, the news network reported. Modern construction methods are notoriously resource- and energy-intensive, but Hudson sees the vast potential of using the materials right beneath our feet.

Other architects and DIY home builders from Montana to Washington state have realized cob homes’ cost- and energy-saving benefits. One man in California even built one for just $200.

While mud homes have existed for thousands of years, “CobBauge is the first-ever Building Regulations compliant form of cob building,” according to Hudson’s company, Hudson Architects.

The project took six years to complete, but Hudson has dreamed of using earth to build homes for far longer. However, traditional cob doesn’t meet modern building standards, so he had to make a few adjustments to bring it into compliance.

“The challenge was to create a home using earth as the primary building material, but which could also be thermally insulated. Earth is a very sustainable way to build, especially because it’s so widely available here in the U.K. The problem is that to make it an effective insulator, you usually have to make the walls incredibly thick, which is impractical,” Hudson told the Eastern Daily Press.

Hudson and local builders Grocott and Murfit decided to combine pure cob with insulating hemp straw to make the walls nearly two feet thick without sacrificing energy efficiency. The home also reduces energy use with triple-glazed south-facing windows, deep eaves, and wood fiber insulation for the floors and roof, as detailed by the company’s website.

In addition, the mud house encourages biodiversity with its pitched sedum (a type of succulent) roof.

The CobBauge House contains an air-source heat pump for heating, which significantly reduces energy consumption and doesn’t release planet-warming pollution. The lack of concrete used in construction is the icing on the cake since cement is the most energy-intensive building material, per the Energy Information Administration.

While Hudson said the team needs to work out a few kinks before mud houses hit the market, he’s confident that CobBauge has a solid future.

“Although the materials are cheap and easy to source, the building method is very time-consuming. At the moment, it all has to be done by hand, so labor costs run high. However, our next step is to figure out how we can refabricate buildings to cut that down. Once we’ve worked that out, my guess is this will be a very attractive method,” Hudson told the Daily Press.

 

Source: TC the cool down

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1000 Offsite Homes for Birmingham

The Vistry Group has signed two deals with Homes England to deliver around 1,000 homes in the Midlands, with the majority expected to be built offsite #UKhousing

The government agency has appointed the FTSE250 firm to regenerate the City Hospital west site, in Birmingham, which has planning permission for 750 homes.

In another partnership deal, Vistry will deliver 250 homes on a site in Northamptonshire.

The house builder said the “majority” of the 1,000 homes will be built using timber frames at its Vistry Works East Midlands factory in Leicestershire.

Vistry re-opened the mothballed facility last summer after it inherited the building through its £1.3bn acquisition of its rival, Countryside.

Greg Fitzgerald, Vistry’s chief executive, said using the factory will speed up the delivery of homes “whilst reducing carbon emissions”. In the long term, the firm is aiming for the majority of homes it builds to be timber frame. Vistry has two other factories in Warrington and Leicester.

It comes despite questions marks around the government’s overall strategy on modern methods of construction (MMC). A committee of Peers concluded in January that the current approach was in “disarray”.

At the Birmingham scheme, Vistry said “more than” half the homes will be affordable or private rent tenures, while the rest will be market sale.

The site was earmarked for demolition in 2017, while further plans were brought forward by Homes England just over a year ago. The scheme will also have around 8,000 sq ft reserved for commercial and community space.

For the second deal, Vistry said the 250 homes will be a mix of tenures on a site in the village of Hardingstone, on the southern edge of Northampton. Homes England previously owned the site, which already has outline planning permission.

Mr Fitzgerald added:

“These deals further evidence the benefit of our long-term strategic partnership with Homes England, enabling the group to deliver a significant number of mixed-tenure homes in the Midlands.”

The firm has not been immune to the current conditions and last October announced it was planning 200 redundancies due to the closure of five of its 32 regional offices. It comes as Vistry shifts its focus to affordable housing through its partnerships business.

A government-commissioned review of Homes England, published this week, said the agency should be alleviated of its responsibilities for Help to Buy and building safety so it can concentrate on its “core mission” of housing delivery.

Source: Inside Housing

 

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TRANSFORMING OFF-GRID HEATING AND DHW FOR BUILDING SERVICES AND CONSULTANTS

HOW “DROP-IN” RENEWABLE LIQUID FUELS COULD TRANSFORM

OFF-GRID HEATING AND DHW FOR BUILDING SERVICES AND CONSULTANTS

 

 

 

 

Rinnai’s Chris Goggin looks ahead to the advent of renewable liquid fuels in the mass markets.

 

 

 

As fossil fuel consumption is gradually diminishing from global energy options, the UK will have to locate and utilise alternative energies, some of which will be entirely unfamiliar to British customers. One of these future and somewhat unfamiliar fuel sources will be Renewable & Recycled Carbon Dimethyl Ether (DME).

DME is a sustainable fuel that can be produced through a wide range of renewable feedstocks such as waste which allows for quick and long-term sustainable production. DME is chemically similar to LPG and can be blended, ‘dropped in’, to existing supply LPG chains, without the need to modify equipment which is a major plus for existing systems and appliances. DME can also be used on its own, as a 100% pure fuel, particularly for industrial or commercial users.

DME combusts cleanly and releases no “soot” emissions and contains many fuel properties that make it easily used in sites and appliances using diesel. it possesses a very high cetane number which is a measure of the fuel’s ignitibility in compression ignition engines.

DME is safe and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% thus better improving local air quality when compared to traditional fuels. NOx, SOx and PM readings are all heavily reduced through the implementation of DME. Future capacity of European DME production is set to rise sharply in an approaching time frame further increasing the likelihood of it being introduced nationally at some stage soon.

Netherlands-based renewable and recycled carbon DME producer Dimeta is a collaborative effort by two of the world’s leading LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) distributors, SHV Energy and UGI International.  Dimeta is at the forefront of contributing to a more sustainable future and increasing access to affordable low-carbon energy by spearheading the production and use of Renewable and Recycled Carbon DME commercially to decarbonize the LPG industry in the UK, Europe and United States.

Dimeta and Rinnai aim to raise customer understanding of both renewable and recycled carbon DME whilst promoting their usage for on off-grid properties. Dimeta is contributing towards the standardization of DME boilers and DME water heaters by assisting in defining UK manufacturing values. Centralized industry standards are to be cleared by regulators later this year. By 2024 boilers that accept renewable and recycled carbon DME could be ready to purchase.

Rinnai and Dimeta have signed a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding). Both companies will work together to explore blending DME with LPG and used in existing appliances. Dimeta and Rinnai will also aim to develop 100% DME dedicated appliances, including RDME water heaters, RDME boilers and Hybrid RDME heating systems.

The collaboration between Dimeta and Rinnai will initially focus on the European market to further their knowledge and highlight the importance of collaboration across the whole value chain.

Rinnai is committed to design and produce RDME low carbon heating to properties not connected to the UK national grid. Rinnai offer technical, economic and practical solutions for UK customers who seek decarbonising DHW and property heat and support installers by sharing this information.

Renewable and recycled carbon DME, DME, BioLPG and LPG provide vital suppliers of energy to off-grid properties. Rinnai and Dimeta understand that replacement fuels that must not only perform at an identical standard to traditional off-grid fuels but must also ensure decarbonisation. Rinnai are working towards providing UK off-grid customers with a selection of energies and products that encourage carbon neutrality.

Rinnai’s H3 range of products include domestic and commercial gas-fired water heaters, solar thermal systems, electric cylinders and low-gwp heat pumps which offer immediate property decarbonisation.

CLICK HERE to sign up to the Rinnai Pathways newsletter for regular information

and support regarding the changing face of energy and policy in our industry

 

 

 

RINNAI’S H3 DECARBONISATION OFFERS PATHWAYS & CUSTOMER COST REDUCTIONS

FOR COMMERCIAL, DOMESTIC AND OFF-GRID HEATING & HOT WATER DELIVERY

www.rinnai-uk.co.uk/about us/H3

Rinnai’s H3 range of decarbonising products include hydrogen / BioLPG ready technology, hybrid systems, and a wide range of LOW GWP heat pumps and solar thermal. Also, within Rinnai’s H3 range is Infinity hydrogen blend ready and BioLPG ready continuous flow water heaters which are stacked with a multitude of features that ensure long life, robust & durable use, customer satisfaction and product efficiency.

Rinnai’s range of decarbonising products – H1/H2/H3 – consists of heat pump, solar, hydrogen in any configuration, hybrid formats for either residential or commercial applications. Rinnai’s H3 range of products offer contractors, consultants and end users a range of efficient, robust and affordable decarbonising appliances which create practical, economic and technically feasible solutions. The range covers all forms of fuels and appliances currently available – electric, gas, hydrogen, BioLPG, DME solar thermal, low GWP heat pumps and electric water heaters.

Rinnai H1 continuous water heaters and boilers offer practical and economic decarbonization delivered through technological innovation in hydrogen and renewable liquid gas ready technology.

Rinnai’s H1 option is centred on hydrogen, as it is anticipated that clean hydrogen fuels will become internationally energy market-relevant in the future; Rinnai water heaters are hydrogen 20% blends ready and include the world’s first 100% hydrogen-ready hot water heating technology.

Rinnai H2 – Decarbonization simplified with renewable gas-ready units, Solar Thermal and Heat Pump Hybrids. Rinnai H2 is designed to introduce a practical and low-cost option which may suit specific sites and enable multiple decarbonisation pathways with the addition of high performance.

Rinnai H3 – Low-GWP heat pump technology made easy – Rinnai heat pumps are available for domestic and commercial usage with an extensive range of 4 – 115kW appliances.

Rinnai’s H3 heat pumps utilise R32 refrigerant and have favourable COP and SCOP.

Rinnai is a world leading manufacturer of hot water heaters and produces over two million units a year, operating on each of the five continents. The brand has gained an established reputation for producing products that offer high performance, cost efficiency and extended working lives.

Rinnai’s commercial and domestic continuous flow water heaters offer a limitless supply of instantaneous temperature controlled hot water and all units are designed to align with present and future energy sources. Rinnai condensing water heaters accept either existing fuel or hydrogen gas blends. Rinnai units are also suited for off-grid customers who require LPG and BioLPG or DME.

Rinnai products 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 offer carbon and cost comparison services that will calculate financial and carbon savings made when investing in a Rinnai system. Rinnai also provide a system design service that will suggest an appropriate system for the property in question. Rinnai offer comprehensive training courses and technical support in all aspects of the water heating industry including detailed CPD’s. More information can be found on Rinnai’s website and its “Help Me Choose” webpage.

Visit www.rinnai-uk.co.uk

for more information on the RINNAI product range

Or email engineer@rinaiuk.com 

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SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus selected for cathedral contract

A Suffolk-based scaffolding and flat roofing specialist has chosen SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus from West Fraser for the hoardings around repair works at the St Edmundsbury Cathedral site in Bury St Edmunds.

 

Pro-Flat Specialist Services serves clients across much of East Anglia in the domestic, commercial and specialised historic buildings sectors. In this instance, English Heritage contacted the team when stone masons were required to carry out repairs to the centuries-old limestone walls.  Given the highly visible location where worshippers and the wider public pass in large numbers, the cathedral authorities wanted the scaffolding and the work itself to be smartly screened off.

Pro-Flat contacted Falcon Timber in High Wycombe, its regular supplier of board materials, to discover that the merchant had West Fraser’s new SterlingOSB Zero Primed Plus product available, which is fully prepared to avoid the need for painting on site.  A full pack of 50 boards was delivered to the site, for Pro-Flat’s experienced operatives to proceed with screw-fixing them to a supporting framework of timbers, braced off the scaffold.

The Director in charge of the work for Pro-Flat Specialist Services commented:

“As well as installing three-layer felt and hot bonded roofing systems, a lot of our work is focused on historic buildings across Suffolk, North Essex, South Norfolk and East Cambridgeshire, where there are many ecclesiastical and other properties in the care of English Heritage.  When we were asked to erect a hoarding around the works at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, we spoke to one of Falcon Timber’s advisers who recommended the new SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus which definitely saved us time as it is easy to work with and was delivered to us pre-primed and therefore cut down labour on site.”

As a sturdy board which is ideal for the construction of screening and walkways, either for privacy or to fulfil health & safety requirements, SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus is well able to withstand the inclement British weather too.

As with all West Fraser’s SterlingOSB Zero products, no extra formaldehyde is used during the manufacturing process, so it is safe to specify in hospitals, schools and other public realms.  Furthermore, its ultra-smooth surface means the boards can be adorned with graphics so can be used to offer directional information as well as branding, promotional material and artwork.

Primed in the factory, in either a neutral white or grey paint, the edges of the OSB3 boards are treated with a sealant on all edges to protect against water ingress while the UV-resistant putty layer applied offers even further weather protection as well as enhancing the ultra-smooth finish.  Being knot and void free due to the rigorous manufacturing process means they will cut cleanly while being easy to fix and durable.

The boards are supplied in packs of 50 to cover a total area of approximately 150 m2, with each measuring 1220 mm wide by 2440mm long and at 18mm thickness.  SterlingOSB Zero PrimedPlus is CE-marked and complies with the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC® (C012533)) and BBA Agreement requirements while being manufactured in the UK enhances security of supply and sustainability.

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

 

Or call 01786 812 921

 

 

 

 

 

 

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49.9 MW Solar Plant for the UK

 

Voltalia Launches Construction of a 49.9 MW Solar Plant in the UK, Boosting Green Energy Supply

 

Voltalia, a prominent international renewable energy company, has announced the commencement of construction on a new 49.9-megawatt photovoltaic solar power plant located in the South East of the UK. This ambitious project is poised to significantly contribute to the country’s green energy supply, with the capacity to meet the annual electricity needs of more than 14,385 average UK households. Additionally, it will play a critical role in environmental conservation by preventing over 35,681 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

The energy generated from this solar plant will be distributed under long-term corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), ensuring that the electricity produced is directly utilized by businesses aiming to reduce their carbon footprint. Voltalia has scheduled the plant to begin its power production in the latter half of 2025, marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion in the UK’s renewable energy sector.

Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, highlighted the company’s growth trajectory in the UK, noting that the new solar power plant adds to its robust portfolio of seven solar and storage facilities either operational or under construction, totaling 260 megawatts. This development is a testament to Voltalia’s commitment to boosting its presence in the UK, alongside offering services to third-party customers.

Voltalia has carved a niche in the renewable energy market, operating and managing facilities that produce electricity from wind, solar, hydraulic, biomass, and storage technologies. With an operational and under-construction capacity of 2.9 GW and a development pipeline of 16.6 GW, Voltalia stands at the forefront of supporting global renewable energy initiatives. The company also offers comprehensive services across all project phases for its clients, from planning to operation and maintenance, asserting its role as a pioneer in supplying green energy solutions to the corporate sector. Voltalia is listed on Euronext Paris and continues to contribute to the sustainable energy landscape both in the UK and globally.

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