Latest innovations and products in the interiors section of the construction industry.

Cinema is the perfect Showcase for direct replacement

Cinema is the perfect Showcase for direct replacement

When Showcase Cinemas decided to replace the air handling units at some of its UK sites, Weatherite’s ‘direct replacement’ air handling systems delivered a reliable, cost effective, energy efficient, long lasting solution.

Showcase Cinemas is a major UK cinema chain, owned and operated by National Amusements Inc. Efficient air handling is essential to the comfort of its cinemagoers and staff. Unreliability and the cost of continually replacing components had become a concern with some of the existing air handling units, a number of which were failing in well under the 15 year life cycle expected with this type of equipment.

Showcase Cinemas investigated replacing the equipment with standard proprietary units, however, this proved unviable due to unit size, space constraints and the cost and down time involved in moving M&E services to connect with the new units.

Showcase’s Consultants, Hoare Lea contacted Weatherite who suggested replacing the old AHU’s with ‘bespoke direct replacements’ that match the existing units in terms of size, footprint and positioning of service connections. Using the latest technology, such as EC fans, scroll compressors, high efficiency indirect gas fired heaters and web-enabled Trend control systems, Weatherite’s solution also delivered high operational efficiency and energy savings.

Weatherite also developed bespoke BMS software for the control systems integration which has given National Amusements real time access to each of the AHU’s performance and operational data. The software allows the client to make adjustments remotely, and includes self-diagnostics to aid maintenance of the equipment.

The first Showcase Cinema to be updated with new Weatherite equipment was Walsall, in the West Midlands where 14 AHU’s were installed over a three-day cycle. In conjunction with Elite Air Services Ltd, Showcase’s service and maintenance company, Weatherite carried out the work after the last evening performance, working overnight until the building was handed back ready for the following day’s screenings.

Weatherite also supplied the new centralised control access system and carried out the commissioning with Showcase’s BMS contractor, to ensure everything ran smoothly. The success of the Walsall project has led to further installations in Coventry and Teeside.

The direct replacement approach has delivered many benefits to the client. The new system features ‘like for like’ equipment in terms of air volumes, heating and cooling performance and M&E service connections. It will also substantially reduce ongoing energy costs.

Thanks to the overnight installation process, system downtime was minimised and no business days were lost. The control software provides much greater management information in real time, plus immediate control of the operating system.

For further information please contact Steve Cartledge, Sales Director, Weatherite Manufacturing Limited on
+44 (0) 121 665 2266; email: sales@weatheritegroup.com or visit www.weatheritegroup.com

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Rinnai offers a ‘BMS gateway’ to hot water efficiency – another innovation

Rinnai offers a ‘BMS gateway’ to hot water efficiency – another innovation

Rinnai is introducing yet another product innovation in its continuous drive for the highest possible efficiencies and control over hot water provision in all commercial sites. This pioneering product allows end-users to exercise ultimate control and maximise energy efficiencies in all sizes and types of buildings, even in multi-tenanted sites.

Utilising the BACnet and modbus compatible protocol, Rinnai has introduced a gateway that allows a seamless integration of its continuous flow hot water heating products and systems into Building Management Systems (BMS).

The Rinnai Gateway enables access to its advanced product functionality including temperature control, fault diagnostics and communication, energy monitoring, trend logging and on/off status.

“We have recognised the growing market demand for a reliable and efficient supply of hot water. The Rinnai gateway will provide end-users and FM managers alike with the facility to manage and maintain their hot water supply more efficiently than ever before” says Managing Director Tony Gittings.

The Rinnai smart controller offers on/off status as well as fault codes to facilitate first hit repair. For example, the BMS can communicate a precise error code to the central system meaning that in the event of a breakdown the user can communicate the correct parts and information to the engineer for a first time fix, limiting down time and improving Rinnai service response.

The controller allows the end user to remotely monitor and change system temperatures and also to monitor and adjust burners for maximum efficiencies. In effect, the controls monitor gas usage to dictate business periods and energy savings. Rinnai units modulate the gas supply in relation to the amount of heat input required to optimise gas usage meaning high energy efficiency is delivered at all times. This is monitored and visualised by the controls.

The Rinnai smart controller controls also monitor running hours and service requirements. As Rinnai units are on-demand, operating only when a tap is turned on, suggested service periods can be ascertained from running hours, as well as early warning of scale build up. Rinnai HDC units now contain smart lime scale notification systems to maintain system integrity and prevent in-efficiencies from scale accumulation.

For more details on Rinnai products visit www.rinnaiuk.com

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Evinox Energy Chilled Water meter Kit

Evinox Energy chilled Water meter kit

Perfect for installations that include a communal chilled water system, the new Evinox Energy chilled water meter kit includes all the equipment required to facilitate commissioning, balancing, and flow control of the chilled water circuit, as well as the accurate measurement of energy consumption.

The integrated flushing by-pass allows the chilled water primary circuit to be cleansed and flushed by simply moving the blue lever valve to the off position and the blue T bar lever across the pipe and the apartment circuit. This ensures the Pressure Independent Control Valve (PICV) and meter are protected from the cleansing process of the primaries. The PICV provides flow regulation of the chilled water circuit within the apartment and differential pressure control of the chilled water circuit ensuring that only differential pressure control of the main primary pump set is required.

The PICV also features its own binder points for the commissioning engineer to use when required and the in inbuilt isolation valve has an integral strainer.

The kit includes a MID approved meter head, which is supplied with a wall mounting bracket that enables the meter head to be installed in a position where it can be read easily, normally below the ceiling level. The meter can also be wired directly back to the Evinox ModuSat heat interface unit, allowing the chilled water consumption to be read via our ViewSmart room controller.

The whole chilled water meter kit assembly comes complete with its own sturdy insulation jacket, which allows removal for any maintenance that may be required.

For pre-payment operation with our PaySmart system the assembly can be fitted with an actuator to shut down the chilled water circuit in the event of no credit being available.

For further information about our integrated communal heating solutions, please contact us by emailing info@evinoxenergy.co.uk or visit www.evinoxenergy.co.uk

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Altro provides first class bathroom solution for University of Melbourne

Altro provides first class bathroom solution for University of Melbourne

Altro has delivered an integrated flooring and wall cladding solution for Ormond College at the University of Melbourne. Ormond College is the largest residential college at the University, with more than 400 students and 80 permanent and casual staff.

The college needed practical, easily maintained flooring and wall cladding for new bathroom installations. They selected Altro Aquarius™ safety flooring to provide a surface that would be slip-resistant in wet and dry, shoe and barefoot environments – perfect for their ensuite refurbishment. For the ensuite walls, they selected Altro Whiterock™ wall cladding. Ormond College loved the fact that it is impact resistant and that they no longer needed to worry about repairs to grout, cracks or chips.

They were impressed with the product’s high end look to match their building design whilst providing safe, easy to clean, hygienic and durable surfaces. The bathrooms, being a wet and dry environment, needed flooring that would be safe under both conditions and under bare feet as well as different types of shoes. With a TRRL ≥36 and Class B safety rating, along with Altro’s long warranties, 15 years sustained slip-resistance, and reputation, they knew they were in safe hands.

Dennis Stammer, Maintenance Manager at Ormond College said, “I have experienced Altro in the past and not only do they have excellent customer service but high quality, top of the range products as well. The bathrooms that we installed using Altro safety flooring and Altro Whiterock wall cladding were reasonably priced and of very high quality. I would only recommend and use Altro Aquarius and Altro Whiterock products.”

Altro is a world leading manufacturer and supplier of flooring, walling, ceilings and doorsets. The company supplies hygienic, safe and practical, yet decorative, solutions for all interior environments – without compromising on function or design.

A vast product range features traditional and contemporary, textured and smooth coverings, all in a broad palette of colours. Altro’s customers operate in the education, healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail, leisure, hospitality and food and drink sectors.

Altro is leading the way in sustainable manufacturing and is the first safety flooring manufacturer with the facility to recycle safety flooring in house.

For further information, please visit www.altro.com

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Stannah Microlifts are celebrating!

Stannah Microlifts are celebrating!

40 years, millions of journeys, 20,000 Microlifts

Light the birthday candles and congratulations all round at Stannah Microlifts. The company is marking its 40th birthday, 20,000th Microlift and 1,000,000s of dumb waiter journeys, improving customer service and manual handling everywhere.

As with most birthdays there will be a party but this time there will be no presents. In fact, in direct opposition to tradition, the birthday boys and girls will be gifting their 20,000th Microlift to a worthy cause.

Stannah Microlifts General Manager, Mark Chapman explains:
‘To celebrate this fantastic achievement we really want to donate the 20,000th lift to benefit a charitable project. Maybe someone out there is trying to raise funds for a service lift and we can provide it. Finding them may not be so easy!’

The search is on for a suitable project that will fall in line with Stannah sponsorship guidelines to ensure any donation or sponsorship supports as many people as possible in a community scheme. It might be a children’s hospice, youth project, activity centre, village hall, care home…the possibilities are endless.

Naturally the company is contacting building professionals who have had contact with Stannah before, as well as widening their search in the trade press, to invite the experts to nominate a project they think would benefit from this free Microlift and would be a befitting home for the 20,000th installation.

So where do Microlift service lifts generally make life easier? Well the bulk are food lifts in restaurants, pubs, hotels and bars moving food and drink all day, every day to help busy staff avoid the stairs with awkward loads and deliver excellent service. There are more unusual uses for dumbwaiters such as moving money in casinos, delivering dentures in dentists, bringing books in the library, whizzing widgets in the factory, shifting shoes in retail, lifting loaves at the bakery, protecting pots at the pottery and transferring toddies at a distillery. Then there’s feeding the five thousand at race courses, football stadia, schools, universities, airports, railway stations – the list goes on.

Where was the first Microlift installed? Records show this may well have been Luigi’s Italian Ristorante in Tavistock Street, London in the early 70s – a duplex pair were installed and renewed twenty years later! Close behind was a lift installed in Mayfield School , St Leonards which, 39 years later, is still used every day and serviced by the London and South East Branch of Stannah in Crayford.

Celebrity lifts? There’s been a few. Not too many we can mention! Microlifts are very popular additions to grand homes; some royal, some show-biz, some theatrical, some in well-known places. There’s the Royal Mint, the Royal Observatory, the Stock Exchange, the Shard, the set of East Enders (Argee Bargee), the Old Vic, Lambeth Palace, Sunninghill Park, Lords Cricket Ground, Twickenham Ruby Ground and many more.

All at sea? Yes, Microlifts certainly are! These indispensable mini-butlers are busy crossing the oceans on , Offshore Patrol Vessels (Trinidad, Tobago, LÉ Samuel Beckett – Irish Navy), Tattershall Castle (moored on Thames), Waverley Steam Ship, HMS Warrior, Sail Training Ships – Tenacious and Lord Nelson.

It’s amazing how useful the Stannah Microlift is in so many different parts of our lives and absolutely vital to some people’s day to day jobs too. For the chef or the retailer, the coffee bar staff or the librarian, their Microlift is essential to the success of their business. And that’s where Stannah lift servicing provides crucial support.

From a UK branch network of eleven service branches, and with more than 360 lift engineers, Stannah provide 365 day maintenance to ensure their Microlifts never let them down.

Naturally over 40 years and 20,000 Microlifts there are hundreds out there and Stannah don’t know where all of them are. Over the next few months they’ll be inviting the people who own or use their dumbwaiters to add them to our ‘map of Microlifts’. Contributors can post a ‘selfie’ with their lift too! It’s a Microlift Quest!

Lastly, Stannah would like to thank everyone who has made this milestone possible: their customers, their trade partners, their suppliers and last, but certainly not least, their fantastic staff – and that includes everyone from the last 40 years! 20,000 Microlifts and counting…1, 2, 3…

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Multikwik bathroom drainage covers all the bases

Multikwik bathroom drainage covers all the bases

Multikwik now offers a complete range of shower and wet room drainage solutions – from feature-packed shower gullies, continuous channel drainage to sophisticated linear drainage. All products in the range combine modern design and easy installation features that will make it the logical choice for specifiers and installers alike.

The Linnum range of linear drainage is slimline and unobtrusive to the overall bathroom design, yet it’s simple and quick to install. The channel can be adjusted to suit the majority of floor voids down to a minimum of 95mm, so it fits even where there are shallow floor voids. It can be adapted to accommodate tiles from 7mm to 16mm in thickness and offers a choice of two waste outlet adaptors, compression or solvent, for great installation versatility.

To meet the current trends of sleek and sophisticated bathroom finishes, the Linnum range includes a choice of grate designs in stainless steel and glass to suit any design. It comes in three different lengths – 650mm, 750mm, and 950mm – to fit different sized areas of the bathroom.

Multikwik’s stainless steel continuous channel drainage is ideally suited for changing room, swimming pools or gym applications. Despite its compact height, it can cope with flow rates of up to 0.8 l/s. Its discreet stainless steel grate offers an unobtrusive finish.

Multikwik’s trapped shower gullies for tiled and vinyl floors are the latest addition to the floor drainage range. Both versions offer a choice of grate designs, offering different styles and material options and come with the choice of 50mm or 75mm water seal depths. In addition, the tiled trapped shower gully can be adjusted to the majority of floor void heights, by cutting the adjustable riser to the required height.

For design and installation queries, Multikwik’s team of plumbing design engineers can offer full technical advice and support.

Full details of the Multikwik range, along with comprehensive, downloadable literature, case studies, technical information and nearest stockist information can be found on the company’s website at multikwik.com or by calling 01622 852654.

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Pipe sealing plugs and stoppers

Pipe sealing plugs and stoppers

The Pipestoppers® Division of Huntingdon Fusion Techniques has released a set of literature, describing their enlarged range of pipe sealing plugs and stoppers.

These accessories can be used for low pressure water or air testing of pipe systems in the water, gas, oil, and other fluid industry pipe work, as well as for debris stopping during machining operations or overnight stopping for temporary closure of piping systems.

All Plugs conform to British Standard BS8005 for low pressure testing and sealing of pipes.

The mechanical plugs are simple to work with and install with a wing nut that rotates on a friction free washer to compress the two plates together, thus expanding the natural rubber tyre to seal tightly inside the pipe or other chosen orifice.

For high temperature and aggressive applications the natural rubber rings can be replaced with Silicon, Nitrile or Viton rings as appropriate.

The aluminium range of plugs are strong and durable, non rusting and are negatively buoyant so that they can be used subsea. They are available for 1.5 to 36” pipe sizes, whereas the lower cost steel plugs are available from 1.5 to 96 inch diameter pipes.

However, the aluminium plugs are suitable for more arduous duties such as immersion in chemicals and use at higher temperatures.

All plugs and stoppers can be used to seal manholes or pipework entries so that during transportation of large vessels like fractionation columns or heat exchangers and other vessels or tanks, all entries and exits can be blocked off to keep inert gas trapped in or to keep contaminating air and fluids from entering.

The Nylon range with sizes from 0.5” up to 6” are used for clinical applications as well as in the food, dairy, nuclear, shipbuilding, aerospace, water and gas industries to form a leak tight seal inside tubes, pipes or orifices for leak testing, closure or weld purging.

Inflatable plugs and stoppers for all diameters are also in the HFT Pipestoppers® range.

As well as being lower cost alternatives to all of the mechanical plugs, inflatable versions are available in many different shapes to cater for all industrial and commercial applications mentioned above.

Inflatable stoppers can be inserted through small holes and expanded to maximum sizes inside.

Other plugs, stoppers and inflatable systems are available for use with – or containment of – drinking water and aviation fuel for example and can be used with all other fluids or gases as appropriate.

Comprehensive literature is available from the company by making a request to hft@huntingdonfusion.com.

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High end hotel choose Kemmlit Cubicles for staff rooms

High end hotel choose Kemmlit Cubicles for staff rooms

Sea Containers House on the banks of the River Thames in London was originally built as a hotel in the 1970’s but became an office building in the mid-1980s.

Following an extensive external and internal refurbishment which began in 2012, carried out by specialists Chorus, part of the Byrne Group and designed by Architects TP Bennetts, the building now features over 224,000 sq ft. of refurbished office spaces, restaurants and bars and the high end 365 bedroom Mondrian Hotel which opened in September this year.

The hotel is said to capture the essence of the original building integrated with the modern twists and sophisticated design for which the Mondrian brand is known for.

For the hotel staff rooms Kemmlit’s Apex Cubicle System was specified – the Apex cubicles are highly durable and feature 13mm solid grade laminate panels, rebated doors and stainless steel fittings.

Other scope of works provided by Kemmlit included duct panelling and vanity units.

The Apex Cubicle System is part of an extensive range of quality cubicle and locker systems from Kemmlit UK who also offer a design, project management and installation service.

Kemmlit have recently completed a number of locker and cubicle projects for The Radisson Hotel Group, the Savoy Hotel and also for Yo Sushi and 5 Guys Burger Restaurants.

For further information please visit www.kemmlituk.com

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HOPPE locksets end CE Marking confusion

HOPPE locksets end CE Marking confusion

From the July 2013, it became mandatory to CE Mark all hardware for fire and escape doors – where that hardware falls within the scope of a harmonised standard. And while the CE Marking message seems to be permeating into the marketplace, the role of products which do not fall under a harmonised standard – lever handles for escape doors for instance – seems to be causing confusion. Leading handle and hardware manufacturer HOPPE is urging specifiers to ensure that they do not fall foul of the new Construction Products Regulations when it comes to selecting hardware for emergency exit doors.

In order to comply with the requirements of the CPR, any lever furniture or push pad used on an emergency exit door needs to be tested with the EN 179 lock product supplied as a complete unit. And the CE Mark must be applied to lever locksets offering emergency escape on final exit doors, or normally locked doors on escape routes such as wages office or dispensaries.

The lockset must be manufactured under a Factory Production Control system (FPC) and audit testing is mandatory. The locks and levers (which must be tested and CE marked together) can only be used on exits where less than sixty people are likely to use the exit under the requirements of Approved Document B. These locksets can only be used in buildings where the occupants are trained in its use – an emergency door, not a panic escape door.

“When it comes to compliance for external emergency exit door use, ask for a CE marked lockset to BS EN 179, and a Declaration of Performance (DoP) from your supplier,” says HOPPE’s Andy Matthews. “Even more simply, just select the ARRONE AR915 escape lock with one of our compatible HOPPE or ARRONE lever handles and AR228 spindle supplied as standard for your complete CE Marked Lockset.”

The ARRONE AR915 is an escape mortice sashlock, for emergency exit doors hung on either side requiring key operation externally, and single action escape action internally. Available in a range of finishes, it is suitable for use on 30 minute and one hour timber fire doors and up to four hour steel fire doors. The AR915 has been successfully performance tested, CE marked and CERTIFIRE approved in accordance with emergency exit hardware standards and mechanically operated locks and latches.

Founded in 1988 HOPPE (UK) Ltd is a market leader in the field of door and window hardware. Based in Wolverhampton, where it operates from a purpose built state-of-the-art distribution centre, HOPPE UK is committed to serving customers with pride. HOPPE’s products have been tested to meet the latest European and British standards, offering quality and innovation to all sectors of the market. The company is part of the family-owned HOPPE group with manufacturing plants across Europe and North America and more than 3000 employees.

For further information please visit www.hoppe.co.uk

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Hush Acoustics: Hard wood flooring replaces carpet in apartmen

Hush Acoustics: Hard wood flooring replaces carpet in apartment

A 4 month refurbishment project has been completed by Hush Acoustics in a block of apartments in Kensington, London.

The client wanted to replace their existing carpet with a more modern timber flooring in the apartment but the lease dictated that a change in floor finish was not permitted due to potential sound transmission to neighbouring properties.

Hush Acoustics were called in to solve this problem and specified Hush Mat 15 as the acoustic underlay for the project. This allowed the carpet to be removed and a timber floor to be installed. Hush Mat 15 decoupled the hard floor from the existing floor structure. The floor construction consisted of: Hardwood floor finish 15mm, Hush Mat 15 acoustic underlay, existing timber structural deck and existing ceiling.

Hush Acoustics carried out Sound Testing before and after the works were carried out. The results confirmed that the treatment proposed by Hush showed an improvement in both Impact and Airborne acoustic performance. This satisfied the leaseholder and the management company and allowed a timber floor finish to be installed. This is a very common problem within multi-occupancy buildings and Hush Acoustics provide solutions to treat it.

Further information

For more information on the Hush product range please visit www.hushacoustics.co.uk or call direct on 01519332026.

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