Latest innovations and products in the external works section of the construction industry.

Impressive Center Parcs roof refurb completed with zero guest disruption

With capacity for almost 4000 guests and 96% occupancy, keeping the central area of Center Parcs Longleat Forest open was key to the refurbishment of its impressive Subtropical Swimming Paradise. A massive challenge for Delomac Roofing, the project to renew the roof with a Sika Sarnafil membrane was accomplished with two years of meticulous planning and 30 months of onsite construction.

Originally completed in 1994, the Subtropical Swimming Paradise roof and glazed rain-screen systems were in need of refurbishment. The new roof installation was planned in close discussion with the Sika Sarnafil and Delomac supply chain, developing the specification to address all the client’s strict performance, environmental and aesthetic requirements.

Chris Meadows, Technical Advisor, Sika Sarnafil explained: “The client needed a durable, long lasting roof system that would complement the woodland setting. This was complicated by differences between the swimming pool side and dry side, with restaurants and meeting rooms, of the building.

“We proposed two distinct solutions– a mechanically fastened system using Sarnafil S327-18EL for the dry side and an adhered system using Sarnafil G410-18EL for the more humid area. Both were specified in Patina Green to blend with the natural environment. Sarnafil membranes are cold applied and free from naked flames, the obvious choice for an open site.”

An innovative temporary terraced platform was designed and installed, suspended underneath the main structure by cables and lattice beam scaffold units. Work was carried out over 16 separate sections, like a wagon wheel – ensuring the structure was not compromised by uneven load distribution. This stepped, terraced temporary roof was then covered with plywood and completely weathered by Delomac with a Sarnafil membrane.

With the temporary roof in place, existing glazing and coverings could be safely removed, maintaining water-tightness with guests enjoying the facilities below. Scheduled over more than two years, this way of working resulted in a dry building envelope, despite some of the wettest weather on record.

Comprehensive vapour barrier measures were used on the pool side of the building to ensure the high humidity chlorinated environment was contained. Robust SFS sealant and Sarnafil metal-lined vapour barrier detailing at all Glulam beams and fascia interfaces ensured no risk of condensation.

Sarnafil membrane and accessories were used for all the coverings, and again overall specification development was tailored to suit the varying build-ups; new, overlay, bonded and mechanically fastened. An increased thickness membrane was manufactured in one single batch to ensure colour consistency. Sika added further value with an impressive 17 visits to the site by the Applications Team to advice and support.

Brendan McNulty, Delomac Roofing, described the challenges the team faced during the project: “Installation methods and curved roof areas required our operatives to work from harness and rope access. We developed an innovative material loading trolley with the builder to deliver materials to the work sections safely, without compromising finishes.

“Workmanship standards remained exceptionally high, despite the challenging logistics, and met the client requirement of consistent lap and detail arrangement. This was also helped by the quality of the Sarnafil membranes. The finished installation has transformed the internal and external appearance of the building. Rooflights and white soffit finished decking have provided a bright and airy environment, with the external green finish blending subtly with the landscape.

“Most importantly, safe, unlimited guest access to the pool, restaurants and meeting areas was maintained throughout the entire project; something we’re very proud of.”

For more information please visit www.sarnafil.co.uk.
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Kee Safety provides safe access with self-closing safety gates

(Watch video below)

Kee Safety, a global supplier of fall protection equipment and safety railing systems, has launched Kee Gate, a range of self-closing safety gates, which provides industrial workers with a safety solution when working at height and on ground level.

Designed to work both internally and externally, on ladder and stair access points, roof hatches, walkways and roof tops, Kee Gate, ensures maintenance, inspection and warehouse staff can fulfil their job, follow best practices and comply with current safety standards, without putting their safety at risk. Kee Gates are spring loaded so can automatically close behind the user, providing an added level of security and overcoming the potential for human error. This type of system is the preferred solution to chains, bars or sliding tubes, as these traditional forms of protection can lead to a hazardous void, when used incorrectly.

Kee Safety self-closing safety gates are available in galvanised steel and if required can be powder coated in safety yellow. The safety gate is available with standard ‘U’ bolts for fixing to uprights of 33.7, 42.4 and 48.3 mm diameter, enabling the gate to be fixed quickly to existing supporting structures, posts or stringers. An additional fixing pack is provided which allows the gate to be fixed to square, flat or angle uprights. Easy to install on all types of handrails or to retro-fit existing structures, such as galvanised handrails and roof edge protection systems, Kee Gate is 1 metre wide. Designed to be trimmed on-site, this solution saves companies the time and money it takes to fabricate their own gates.

Kee Gate is compliant with the requirements of EN 13374 Class A, EN ISO 14122 Part 3 & Part 4 and is CE marked to EN 1090. The range is also compliant with international standards, meeting OSHA, O.B.C and I.B.C requirements. The system has undergone extensive testing to ensure total reliability of the gates. These include salt spray testing to ASTM B117-11 Neutral solutions over 200 hours to assess the coating’s corrosion resistance, life cycle testing to BS 6375-2:2009 Clause 6.5 – Opening and closing of Gate through 90 degrees 50,000 cycles and Abuse Testing where 9 x 25kg weights were suspended from the gate to test what happens if pressure is applied. This ensures durability, superior corrosion resistance and defence against signs of wear.

For more information, please visit www.keesafety.co.uk.
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Meet Dekster the Coupling Man

The Deks sales team was joined by an extra special staff member at IFAT, the world’s leading trade fair for water sewage waste and raw materials management.

Taking pride of place on the company’s stand in Munich Germany was Dekster the Coupling Man, a three metre high sculpture created from the Deks new range of Band-Flex and Value-Flex couplings.

Deks business development manager Martin Hipkin ably assisted by sales executive Josh Gregory built Dexter to showcase the versatility of just a few of the couplings from the vast Deks range available to demonstrate the fact that the products connect almost any pipe to any pipe up to four metre diameter.

Buyers and distributors were curious to get a closer look of not just Dekster but also the new range of Deks couplings. All specified and manufactured to the high standard that Deks customers have come to expect.

Said David Jones, managing director of Deks Europe: “IFAT was the perfect platform for us to launch our new civils range to the worldwide market and we had a fantastic response.”

“Deks enjoys a worldwide reputation for manufacturing top quality rubber products backed up with exceptional customer service. In the UK and Europe we’re best known for our market leading Dektite range of flashings and Selkirk chimney products.

“We have been looking at extending our core offer to Europe for some time and as Deks couplings are held in high regard elsewhere it made sense for us to follow suit. We’re delighted that industry expert Martin Hipkin has joined us from Band Seal to develop Deks’ presence in this sector.”

For more information contact Deks Europe on 01275 858866 or email on sales@deks.co.uk or visit www.deks.co.uk.

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Sika breathes new life into Mansfield multi-storey car park

At the refurbishment of the multi-storey car park on Walkden Street in Mansfield, Sika supplied a comprehensive range of repair systems to transform the ageing site into a safer, brighter and more accessible modern parking facility.

Built in 1964, the Walkden Street car park features a total of 433 parking spaces located on six decks split across three levels. Following the failure of the top deck’s original waterproofing membrane applied many years earlier, the reinforced concrete structure was beginning to show signs of spalling and corrosion damage, and was in need of repair.

With the top deck closed for safety reasons since 2012, and with less than 20% of the spaces in use, a fast and market proven solution was required to return the car park to full service as quickly as possible. Offering a long track record of successful car park refurbishments, Makers Construction Ltd were appointed by Mansfield District Council following a competitive tender process to carry out the essential renovation works.

Makers carried out major structural repairs, waterproofing and redecoration – with the client turning to the proven performance of Sika as a single source supplier for the vast array of repair and protection solutions.

Due to the failure of the existing top deck waterproofing membrane, water ingress had caused a series of defects in the construction joints, lower deck systems and concrete soffits. Following an on-site survey to identify the key areas of degradation, Sika provided a number of concrete repair solutions including Sika MonoTop concrete repair mortars and Sika Galvashield galvanic anodes for corrosion control for the soffit areas, followed by the application of Sikagard-675 anti-carbonation coating.

This was also used on the lower decks to seal around gully outlets to prevent water ingress into the shops below.

Approximately 4,600m2 of Sikafloor® Pronto fast-curing decking system was applied to the entire deck area and access ramps to provide a slip resistant and hard wearing waterproof surface. Utilising its fast setting properties, Makers ensured works could be completed quickly and with minimal disruption to ensure the project remained on schedule.

As part of the Council’s aims to improve the customer experience at Walkden Street, each of the parking spaces was also increased in size from 2.4 metres to 3 metres in width. Although this reduced the number of parking bays from 433 to 368 spaces, the additional space for each car provides more accessibility for both families and drivers of large, modern cars.

With the renovation of the Walkden Street multi-storey car park complete, and the site re-opened to the public from May 2015, the specification and high quality application of a range of Sika solutions has helped to deliver a structurally and aesthetically sound parking facility that is fit for the future.

For more information please visit www.sika.co.uk.
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Powdertech (Corby) Ltd selected to undertake powder coating as part of Eurostar’s refurbishment programme

Image above: New e320 train on the left and refurbished e300 train on the right.

Alongside introducing its new Siemens e320 trains, the first of which began operating in commercial service on November 20th 2015, Eurostar is carrying out a complete re-modelling of its original trains. The Class 373s which are being rebranded as e300s have been in service for over21 years since the launch of Eurostar in 1994.The complete and complex refurbishment of the interior and exterior of the trains is being carried out in SNCF’s Hellemmes Technicentre in Lille. It covers all mechanical components as well as the design of the train which is being changed to mirror the look and feel of the new e320 trains. created for Eurostar by Italian design house Pininfarina.

The role of Powdertech Corby Ltd

As part of the refurbishment, the interiors were shipped to Powdertech Corby Ltd, in Northamptonshire for stripping and powder coating.

The various components were divided into sets for six different paint colours. Powdertech (Corby) Ltd spent six months dealing with an enormous train set, or parts of one at least. Once coated, the pieces were repackaged and sent back to Lille where the carriages were reassembled. Tagging and labelling of the parts was absolutely critical as there are slight variations between carriages and trains. The engineering company overseeing the reconstruction used a system of unique identification involving a grid of dots, similar to a QR code, imprinted on to the metal. This coding system would ensure that every part went back to the right place in the right carriage on the right train.

Eurostar required a powder coater that could deal with the high demands of the refurbishment programme, not only in terms of high quality powders and coating proficiency but also the operational logistics of dealing with the numerous parts and correct customised powder colours. Following a visit to Powdertech’s factory in Corby, Eurostar deemed the company capable of meeting the exacting requirements.

“Cleaning the metal was a challenge,” said Powdertech Sales Director, Richard Besant “Together with the old paint, twenty one year’s of grease and grime needed removing, not to mention carpet and carpet glue from many of the sections. Powdertech looked into a variety of paint stripping and surface cleaning methods and used, amongst others, blasting with glass beading, orbital sanding and metal polishing.”

The six powder colours were custom made for Eurostar by Axalta, for whom Powdertech is an approved applicator. The first refurbished e300 train set, capable of carrying 750 passengers, set forth from London to Brussels in September 2015. Rail travel expert Mark Smith of seat61.com train travellers’ website (named after his favourite Eurostar seat) was on board and tweeted “Internally it’s unrecognisable – most passengers will think it’s a brand new train. Superb job”.

“That says it all for us,” said Richard Besant. “We are delighted that Powdertech Corby was chosen to make such a big contribution to this exciting makeover project.”

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

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Storage solution firm wins Queen’s Award

Specialist metal storage manufacturer Trimetals has been recognised in this year’s Queen’s Awards for its impressive export achievements.

Sales of Trimetals’ sheds and storage units for new-build and renovation projects have been growing across the world helping the company win this prestigious Queen’s Award for International Trade.

Popularity of the PVC-clad steel units has been steadily growing among home-builders, architects and facilities managers looking for secure and durable storage solutions.

Unlike wooden or plastic alternatives, Trimetals’ stores are fire-resistant (a certificate is supplied with each product) and they will not warp, become weak and brittle, crack or discolour over time.

The maintenance-free units are guaranteed for 25 years and are available in many sizes to accommodate everything from garden tools and outdoor furniture to lawnmowers and motorbikes. Smaller units are equally as accessible as larger sheds with each featuring a unique and easy to use spring assisted opening action. This allows complete “walk in” access and means heavy or awkward lifting is virtually eliminated as stored items are within easy reach.

Speaking about the accolade, Trimetals Managing Director Garry Smith said: “Our products have been gaining popularity among discerning specifiers in the UK market for some time and it’s clear that security, functionality and reliability are appreciated. It’s great to see that word of these benefits is spreading internationally with our stores now being specified as far afield as Australia and Japan.”

More information on the complete range of Trimetals products can be found at www.trimetals.co.uk.
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New standard paves the way for Alkali-activated cements in the construction industry

Lucideon, the international materials technology company, has been developing and applying their proprietary MIDAR technology based on alkali-activated cements for several years. Though technically authenticated to meet the requirements for many applications, the lack of acceptance by building standards has proved to be a major hurdle when planning a route to the European market. BSI has recently published a new standard, ‘Construction Materials – Alkali-Activated Cementitious Material and Concrete – Specification’, which will remove this obstacle.

The new standard defines raw material and product performance specifications; this gives manufacturers of construction materials the opportunity to develop products based on alkali-activated cement technologies, safe in the knowledge that they comply with a European standard of approval. The standard refers to, and benchmarks against a number of well used cement standards, thus ensuring consumer confidence in the new technology.

Rebecca Law, Development Scientist, Lucideon, said “This new standard is an exciting opportunity for not only the construction sector but many other industries who can explore alternative raw materials in their products without fear of market rejection.”

“With the help of our materials experts, manufacturers can develop products using alkali-activated cement technology. This could potentially improve the performance and reduce the raw material costs and carbon footprints of products. At Lucideon, we not only have the experience to develop a new formulation to meet client application requirements, but also the backing of our state-of-the-art laboratories to ensure that new products meet the EU standard.”

Lucideon develops materials technologies to meet the needs of a wide range of industries, including construction, healthcare and nuclear. MIDAR technology has the potential to be used in a variety of application areas, such as flooring, roof tiles and cladding. The MIDAR production process is not energy intensive and utilizes readily available, cost effective materials which make it a promising prospect for the construction sector.

For more information about Lucideon’s MIDAR technology, contact Kambiz Kalantari, Operations Manager, Materials, on +44 (0)1782 764343 or kambiz.kalantari@lucideon.com. Alternatively, visit www.lucideon.com/midar-products.
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Charcon Materials used in London’s best new place to live

Charcon, the commercial hard landscaping division of Aggregate Industries, has collaborated on a top London residential project, Trafalgar Place in Elephant & Castle, which is being hailed by The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP for design innovation and longevity.

The project, part of a wider £1.5 billion, 28 acre regeneration scheme to upgrade and reconnect Elephant & Castle with the mostly derelict Heygate Estate, saw an office block converted into a development of 235 homes.

With a brief to create a quality urban residential space, Charcon was consulted to recommend approximately 3,500m2 of hard landscaping options that would establish a strong relationship between the green spaces of both the private communal and public areas, to the adjacent buildings and edges.

1,840m2 of Charcon’s Andover Textured flag and block paving in Midnight Grey, Silver Grey and Light Grey was supplied, offering a premium quality block paving product at an affordable price. Pairing the unique three colour blend with five different block sizes specified Andover Textured offers an eye-catching design solution that runs throughout all of the main tree-lined avenues of the scheme.

1,050m2 of premium Appalachian flag paving in Leemoor Ground was used for an upper private courtyard podium. Incorporating up to 60% recycled and reclaimed materials, the uniquely formulated granite aggregates offer exceptional performance and durability.

Charcon’s technical specialists also created a bespoke product for the project, producing 250m2 of ‘Special’ Appalachian Leemoor. Using a double process prior to sandblasting to expose a greater amount of aggregate, the end product was a unique polished and sandblasted finish which, when laid alongside the Leemoor Ground, created a distinctive contrast of textures within the private courtyard.

In addition, 100 linear metres of hard wearing Natural Granite kerbs and radii in Silver Grey were incorporated to create features throughout the scheme, and 240m2 of Europa block paving in Brindle was the ideal solution for the heavy-use pedestrianised areas.

Together with the buildings, planting and communal space, Trafalgar Place has been praised within the industry as an example of exemplary design, scooping prestigious awards such as The Mayor’s Award for Planning Excellence and Best New Place to Live, both at the London Planning Awards 2016.

Architects dRMM worked with landscape architect Grant Associates to create the regeneration masterplan. The project was managed by developer Lend Lease and leading landscape architecture company Randle Siddeley was invited to complete the detailed landscape design.

Sharon Chan, Project Landscape Architect at Randle Siddeley, comments: “Peter Brown from Charcon was very professional and extremely efficient in providing us with technical information we needed during both the design stage and construction stage. Andover and Leemoor are cost effective products that meet the planning requirements but do not compromise the aesthetics of the landscape scheme.”

Mike Davies, Specification and Major Projects Manager at Charcon, said: “This has been a fascinating project to watch evolve and we’re very proud to have played a role in what has become a flagship for urban regeneration in London. Our goal is to provide innovative solutions using the highest quality and most sustainable materials across every aspect of the construction industry, and these credentials married perfectly with Randle Siddeley’s vision for the development.”

More information is available on www.charcon.com.

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BLT Direct builds on commercial inventory with metal halide flood lights

British facilities managers are introduced to a new level of illumination this month, with BLT Direct introducing a refreshed range of metal halide flood lights. Powerful and functional, metal halides are still ideal for use in a variety of applications against there LED counterparts, for applications including courtyards, car parks churches, athletic facilities, building facades, industrial warehouses and general outside areas.

As High Intensity Discharge lamps (HID) halides emit the majority of their light from an electric arc located within a small discharge tube. With high quality white light and impressive efficiency, metal halides are an established popular choice for use in urban, industrial and facilities oriented spaces. BLT Direct stocks a wide range of metal halide flood lights to suit all needs. Prices are tiered from a competitive £31.99 to £63.99, and include 70, 150, 250 and 400 watts. Lumens increase with wattage, ranging from 5500 to 34,000.

Metal halides are favoured for their pure white light frequency that’s close to daylight. This creates a bright, unimposing glow that’s ideal for outdoor areas. The brilliant lumen output makes them great for use in indoor areas with high ceilings, as well as industrial bay applications. All come with an IP 65 rating, meaning they are 100% protected against dust ingress, as well as pressure water jets from any direction. These hard wearing credentials make them well suited to both outdoor applications and indoor industrial environments.

“When it comes to functionality, we’re always on the search for good value top performers. In commercial and facilities applications it’s essential to install solutions that are safe, reliable and durable. That’s why we have introduced this range of metal halide flood lights range direct from Red Arrow, a repitable manufacturer in commercial lighting,” says Steven Ellwood, Managing Director of BLT Direct.

With the ever increasing use of LED there is still a place for Metal Halide fittings as a cost effective solution offering the user great energy efficiency and long lamp life.

 

To find out more about BLT Direct and browse the new range of metal halide flood lights available to purchase online, visit: www.bltdirect.com.

 

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IKO Polymeric & FK Group finish 48,000m2 roof in four months

IKO Polymeric and contactor FK Group have completed a roofing project for one of the biggest online grocery centres in the world – in under four months. This incredibly tight deadline was met with minimal material waste, thanks to a number of innovations developed specifically for the project by both companies.

The new fulfilment centre for premium British online supermarket, Ocado, is based in Erith, Kent, and will be operational in 2017. It will handle 200,000 orders a week and represents £185 million local investment.

The project started in September 2015 and was completed in December, a very short construction programme for a large – 48,000m2 – and challenging roofing project.

IKO Polymeric, the UK’s only single ply manufacturer, delivered several innovative solutions to complete the job with minimal waste.

Steve Hall, Managing Director of FK Group, comments: “IKO Polymeric demonstrated its usual proactive approach with innovations such as bespoke roll lengths and specific membrane overlap positioning allowing significant efficiencies to be achieved on site.”

Standard length membrane is typically 20 linear metres which then has to be cut or extended (by fixing additional sections on) to fit the required dimensions. IKO Polymeric manufactured its Amourplan PVC single ply membrane in bespoke rolls of 22.35, 19.20 and 8.00 linear metres to reduce waste and installation time for this project.

Another first was manufacturing half the rolls with the membrane overlap positioned on the opposite side to the other rolls. This 50/50 split meant the contractor could use two teams working simultaneously on either side of the ridge, rolling the membrane out in the same direction. Usually one team works on one side at a time.

FK Group developed a new technique for the project, welding eight rolls together to create a large (320m2) membrane ‘blanket’, rolling half back and then applying the adhesive to the area, rather than doing one roll at a time. This was possible because IKO’s Polymeric’s PU adhesive can be exposed for up to 25 minutes.

These innovative manufacturing and fitting methods saved time, resources and waste on a very large project, with 5,500m2 typically installed each week.

Steve Hall adds: “Working alongside FK Group, IKO made a significant contribution to the success of this job. As a key part of our supply chain, they helped us to develop and deliver a bespoke solution to our client in impressive time. ”

For more information on IKO Polymeric please visit www.ikogroup.co.uk/polymeric call 01257 488000. Follow @ikopolymeric on twitter.

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