Bauder delivers largest solar array in higher education sector

The University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol has recently quadrupled its solar generating capacity through the installation of 1,731 solar panels, which will enable it to produce over 400 MWh of electricity each year and making it the largest solar panel array in the UK university sector.

The new solar array has been installed on the roof of the University Enterprise Zone (UEZ) and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, which have both undergone extensive refurbishment as part of the required works. Prior to the solar panels being installed, approved contractor Mitie Tilley Roofing overlaid the original failing single ply waterproofing with over 12,000m2 of Bauder’s lightweight, robust PVC single ply waterproofing system Thermofol. The solar modules, which weigh just 12Kg/m2, were then fitted onto the waterproofing using a unique penetration-free, welding method by renewable energy specialists Dulas. This installation technique means that the roof is not compromised by penetrations for fixings nor is it ballasted, which would add additional weight loading to the roof.

The new photovoltaic system will generate at least 74.32 Megawatt Hours of solar power each year which should; cover half of the energy consumed within the building, save around 200 tonnes of carbon and provide annual savings of over £50,000 a year. The university is highly committed to sustainability and energy efficiency, and this solar project is just part of a much wider plan to achieve its carbon reduction goals and enhance local renewable energy capacity.

Fabia Jeddere-Fisher, Energy Engineer at UWE, stated, “From its conception, we chose a roofing system that would mean the flat roof would not need to be strengthened if we chose to add solar panels. Normally, panels placed on flat roofs require either weighing down or fixings that penetrate the roof membrane, which can introduce the risk of leaks. The system we have chosen means that the panels are welded into place, reducing load, and reducing the need for roof penetrations. The University will use 100% of the power generated by the PV array, which will be equal to the amount generated by nearly 200 homes with solar panels. As a large organisation we want to set an example for others to undertake similar projects.”

For more information please visit www.bauder.co.uk.
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Aico’s new website delivers essential information & support

Aico Ltd., the market leader in residential Fire and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms in the UK, has launched a new responsive website providing customers with detailed product and alarm technology information along with an extensive selection of support tools and information.

www.aico.co.uk has been completely redesigned, with a clean, modern look and intuitive navigation. The new website is content focussed, delivering information and support in formats required by a wide range of visitors.

The home page of the new Aico website provides instant clear links to the most visited pages of the previous website and links to four key areas – Products, Support, Expert Installer and a new Where to Buy feature. The intuitive navigation is also enhanced by the reactive search bar, helping to find all the relevant information needed in the quickest time.

Clicking through to the Product section allows you to filter by category (e.g. Optical Smoke Alarm), product series (e.g. 160e Series) and/or technology, such as AudioLINK data extraction. Products are automatically loaded to the page that meets the search criteria entered and can be clicked on for detailed information. Each Aico product page has everything you need on one page including product images, product description, technical specification, instructions and datasheets.

Aico has created an Innovation & Technology section of the website which explains the new technologies, such as AudioLINK data and RadioLINK+ wireless interconnection with remote data extraction functionality, that are used across different alarms Series. As alarm technology becomes more sophisticated a dedicated zone was considered a useful addition to the website to explain the technology and applications.

A new dedicated Support section has been designed in the website to house the wealth of information Aico has created and accumulated on all matters relating to Smoke and CO Alarms. This includes technical support, advice on choosing the correct alarm sensor type, alarm testing and commissioning; frequently asked questions courtesy of Aico’s technical team; standards and regulations, including BS 5839-6:2013 which covers fire alarm systems in domestic dwellings; plus a full list of Aico publications which are available to download or order hard copies.

The Expert Installer section enables customers to find their nearest Aico trained installer without even leaving the site’s home page. For more information on the scheme a link takes you to a dedicated Expert Installer page with an overview of the training scheme and a form for interested installers to apply. Created by Aico and highly regarded in the industry, Expert Installer is a training scheme that ensures electrical contractors have all the information they need to successfully install domestic Fire and CO Alarm systems.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics, Aico is the market leader in residential Fire and CO protection in the UK. All alarms are designed and built in Ireland specifically to meet the UK standards and regulations. With more mains powered domestic smoke alarms installed in the UK’s social housing than any other manufacturer, Aico is tried, tested and trusted.

For more information please go to www.aico.co.uk or contact Aico on 01691 664100 or enquiries@aico.co.uk.
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Titon strengthens security with new Overture FH flag hinge

Titon has introduced the new Overture FH flag hinge to its range of high security hardware products, which meet the requirements of the PAS 24 security standard and complies with Part Q of the Building Regulations.

Designed for PVCu doors, the hinge is available in standard and deep body versions, each with 3D adjustability. Capable of accommodating profiles with a step rebate of 14.5mm-26.5mm, each model is non-handed, as well as suitable for open-in or open-out doors.

Designed and developed at Titon’s in-house AREA 24 hardware research & development facility, the new Overture FH supplements the full range of door furniture available from the company, including Overture stainless steel handles and letter plates, as well as the Asterion 3-star cylinder and Maco range of door locks.

Commenting on the new flag hinge, Tyson Anderson, Sales & Marketing Director at Titon, said: “The Overture FH is an excellent addition to our range of high security door hardware. It boasts a number of fabricator friendly design features, including fabricator-friendly packaging and retained adjustment screws, allowing for quick in-factory and on-site work. There is also a fixing jig available to help speed up assembly on the production line.”

The Overture FH provides excellent levels of security, is easy to use and built to withstand a heavy workload. Available in a wide range of standard finishes, the new flag hinge is also supplied with fixing screws, while there is a spares pack available in the event of pieces being mislaid on the shop floor or on site, all at a competitive price.

The AREA 24 website can be viewed at www.titonarea24.co.uk, while more information about Titon and its range of products can be found at www.titon.co.uk.
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UK Construction Week celebrates second successful year

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Returning to the NEC in Birmingham last month, the UK’s largest construction trade event UK Construction Week attracted more than 30,000 trade visitors and over 650 exhibitors to showcase their latest innovations, debate the industry’s biggest issues and do business together.

Featuring nine shows under one roof, the event began on Tuesday 18 October with eight strictly trade shows running for three days: Build Show, Timber Expo, Civils Expo, the Surface and Materials Show, Energy 2016, Plant & Machinery Live, HVAC 2016 and Smart Buildings 2016. Then, overlapping the last two trade days and running on until Sunday 23 October, Grand Designs Live offered a unique crossover experience between trade and public.

UK Construction Week

Now in its second year, UK Construction Week attracted visitors from across the full spectrum of the construction industry – from tradespeople, self-builders and SME owners to architects, civil engineers, national house builders and interior designers. Organised by Media 10, the show covered over 70,000 square metres of exhibition space and featured more than 165 hours of seminar content from 100 plus speakers.

In total there were 13 different seminar theatres at the event with the main stage being hosted by television presenter and architect George Clarke, business journalist Steph McGovern and television broadcaster and business journalist Victoria Fritz across the three days. Debating topics such as productivity, the skills shortage, BIM, offsite construction and intelligent environments, the seminar theatres provided a powerful platform to share best practice, devise new strategy and drive progress.

UK Construction Week also hosted a raft of major new product launches from leading industry companies such as CEMEX, Easy-Trim Roofing and Construction Products, Condair, Cotherm, Instant Upright Ltd, OX Group UK, Irwin Tools, Banbury and SAVANT to name but a few.

Feedback from exhibitors has been very positive and the show has received a high number of re-bookings for the 2017 event. Some of the companies confirmed so far for next year include Festool, Easy-Trim, Theben AG, White Haus, ForgeFix, Ecovolt, Combilift Ltd, Creagh Concrete and many more.

Joshua Watkins, Managing Director at Swiftec (Build Show exhibitor), said: “There have been a really broad variety of people here, which has been exciting. It’s a great place to meet clients and visitors as well as getting a good grasp of what’s going on in the industry.”

Mick Jackson, IT & Marketing Manager at Joseph Ash (Surface and Materials Show exhibitor), commented: “Honestly we’ve been surprised with the footfall, which has been excellent and has lead to some strong leads. We’re excited to see what tomorrow brings!”

Ian Thornton, Specifier Consultant at Calor Gas (HVAC 2016 exhibitor), also commented: “We did our research before coming and knew we would meet a lot of relevant people here. That’s exactly what has happened and we’ve done a lot of business this week!”

Dave Cole, Sales Manager at Vandecasteele (Timber Expo exhibitor), added: “We’ve long been an exhibitor at Timber Expo and will continue to be in the future as it is a valuable meeting hub for our UK customers.”

UK Construction Week

In addition to all the new products and services on display, UK Construction Week hosted a variety of unique features and industry award ceremonies. The Business Advice Centre provided free professional advice to SMEs at the show, while the Gamification Zone offered visitors an opportunity to learn more about their leadership potential. Among the seven award ceremonies hosted at the show, the inaugural Construction Enquirer Awards were a huge success with more than 500 people in attendance to recognise the construction industry’s best companies to work with and for.

Nathan Garnett, Event Director for UK Construction Week, commented: “We are so pleased with how this year’s show has gone and want to thank all of our exhibitors, visitors, speakers, association and media partners for helping us put on such an impressive event. I believe the show is testament to the willingness to progress and collaborate within the construction industry as a whole.

“With representatives from across the entire sector it was great to see all the innovation and life present in the industry. The seminars were really well attended and engagement was high from visitors, which goes to show that we were able to hit the mark in terms of content. The interest in next year’s show has already started to flood in and with booking the NEC until 2019, we are confident that UK Construction Week will go from strength to strength over the coming years.”

Returning to the Birmingham NEC, the dates for UK Construction Week 2017 are set for 10 – 12 October. For more information about UK Construction Week or to register your interest for next year’s show, please visit www.ukconstructionweek.com or follow @UK_CW on Twitter.
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Reynaers nominated in top industry awards

Reynaers has once again been recognised as leading the industry, after receiving two award nominations this month.

The aluminium systems company has been put forward for the prestigious G16 Awards and the Construction Marketing Awards (CMA), which recognise marketing excellence in the built environment.

Judges from the CMAs selected Reynaers as a contender for the ‘Best use of advertising’ award. Reynaers designs and supplies aluminium window, door and curtain wall systems to both the commercial and domestic construction markets and its use of testimonials in its advertising this year has made it stand out from competitors.

Meanwhile, Masterline – the latest window system addition to Reynaers’ portfolio – has been nominated for ‘New Product of the Year’ at the G16 Awards.

The Masterline window system is a completely new window suite that will be launched next year in the UK. It is destined to set a new benchmark in terms of thermal insulation, weather resistance, security, strength and durability, sustainability, design flexibility, aesthetics, production efficiency, and value for money.

Running for more than a decade, The G Awards celebrate and reward excellence in the UK Glass and Glazing industry.

Hugh Moss, Reynaers’ Head of Marketing, said: “We’re delighted to have been nominated for both of these awards and can’t wait for the results. It is fitting that in 2016, our 25th anniversary year here in the UK, we have been recognised as leading the industry with our products and our marketing.”

For more information please visit www.reynaers.co.uk.
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Be safe, sound and secure behind a modern, traditional timber entrance door by Mumford & Wood

Most of the oldest buildings in the country, those that we have all admired and enjoyed – from castles and palaces, to places of learning, prayer, contemplation and recovery – have magnificent doors made from timber. Today these national treasures, protected and cosseted with the help of private trusts, public ownership and a stream of funding to support regular maintenance, look every bit as imposing as they did when they were crafted.

This cannot be said of the cheap imports, mainly from the Far East, that were much needed to support the explosion of property ownership in the 1960s through to recent times. For those who did, and can still, purchase their local authority house at a fine discount, ownership encouraged investment in new doors and windows. The market research carried out by the British woodworking industry in the late 1970s, when Taiwanese imports were at their highest level, identified that UK home owners typically paid an average of £50 for a new front door, a stark difference to their West German counterparts who would pay in the region of £3000.

“This prompted an industry-funded campaign aimed at the private home owner to invest in a new timber entrance door, made in the UK, named: What a Difference a Door Makes,” says Roy Wakeman, CEO, The Performance Timber Products Group. “The campaign was hugely successful and while it didn’t see off all the cheap imports the consumer became educated about the benefits of a home-produced timber door and willing to spend more. By the mid ‘80s the market peaked at 3m units and had a value of £400m.”

Inevitably the bubble burst, brought about by the plastic revolution and campaigns selling the virtues of double glazed fenestration with low pricing and so called ‘authentic, classic design’. By 2000 the timber market share was lost in windows alone, by some 80%, in favour of plastic. Timber doors however retained a higher share as the consumer was attracted to the greater security of timber and its performance.

More recently the industry has seen the rise of composite door constructions where modern materials have been used to make up the door core; this has then been covered with an external finish of thermal plastic; glass-reinforced plastic, GRP; and even wood fibre-based boards. These products have performed and today account for more than half of the UK market, now measured at £600m with growth of more than 5% per annum.

Security and robustness has been achieved by the strength of the door core together with good ironmongery. Today this will contain espagnolette systems that can lock all three leading edges using shoot bolts, or hooks, with a central controlling arm handle.

A national standard for security has existed, along with test methodology to BS7950, which values security, thermal performance and weather resistance to regional degrees of exposure. A police-recommended standard and marketing tool for the private housebuilding sector, Secured by Design, has prevailed for more than 30 years and is frequently a standard requested by designers, architects and developers responsible for new developments.

Only last year the new Approved Document Q Building Regulations was introduced for the new-build sector which demands even greater security standards for doors and windows. The security standard demanded by Building Regulations, to which products are tested, is known as PAS24 but prior to this all products must be tested and rated for weather and air tightness to meet BS6375 (Parts 1 & 2).

“While the requirement to meet Doc Q applies to new buildings only, existing home owners will want these security benefits applied to replacement products for the upkeep and maintenance of their properties as well as for major refurbishments and extensions,” says Roy Wakeman. “Current research suggests that the major driving force for home owners when purchasing new doors and windows is security and energy conservation.

“It comes as no surprise that the timber door, complete with all the appropriate ironmongery, factory assembled and finished, is now leading the way again to dominate the choice for new door designs and mechanics that more than satisfy today’s demanding standards.” Products manufactured by Mumford & Wood entirely in Great Britain all meet the very highest standards demanded today.

Timber is the most versatile of all materials and can be easily finished with modern water-based paints or stains, chosen from a huge range of colours and shades. These modern finishes now come with life time warranties for the complete door set, with maintenance cycles at a very minimum, and the paint itself is expected to last up to eight years before re-decoration is needed.

Composite door cores, using urea or phenolic forms, are not exactly the best products to satisfy today’s demanding consumer who knows all about active carcinogens and the toxicity of chemically-based products. For complete peace of mind it is far better to use a sustainable and naturally-replacing material, such as timber, to ensure that our children’s children grow up in a safe, sound and comfortable environment behind modern timber windows and doors.

Modern timber engineering techniques and water-based, friendly finishing treatments, do make timber the material with the very greenest credentials.

More product information is available at www.mumfordwood.com where the new product brochure, Aftercare Manual and detailed CAD drawings, NBSPlus and NBS BIM files can be downloaded.
Please also visit www.ribaproductselector.com for detailed product specifications. The company is a registered supplier on Constructionline www.constructionline.co.uk. Alternatively call the Mumford & Wood sales team on 01621 818155.
Follow us on Twitter @mumfordwood or facebook.com/mumfordwood for the latest company news and updates.
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A tasty solution from Encasement for Bradford’s Jinnah Restaurant

A stylish £500,000 restaurant serving high quality Pakistan and Kashmiri cuisine in Bradford is using Forma metal column casings from Encasement to conceal external structural steelwork and add a more aesthetic finish to the building’s extensive ground floor glazed facade.

Jinnah Bradford is part of the Jinnah Group, which runs nine restaurants in key towns and cities across Yorkshire, including York, Harrogate, Leeds and Selby, as well as operating United Foods, a cash and carry outlet also based in Bradford.

As the building has a large glazed facade, the Encasement column casings are designed to conceal the structural supports and provide a more integrated and attractive finish to the building’s exterior. This theme is also carried around the building to the main entrance, which is also flanked by Encasement’s decorative casings.

To achieve this, Encasement supplied and installed eight 832mm wide bespoke semi-circular ‘Forma’ column casings, which are manufactured from 3mm thick aluminium and range in height from 2988mm up to 3900mm. Every Forma casing is finished with a RAL 9006 metallic PPC coating to provide an aesthetic and durable finish while enhancing weather resistance.

Designed for use on both interior and exterior applications, Encasement’s Forma casings are regularly used to conceal exterior steelwork, as their aluminium construction makes them resistant to corrosion. Also the casings can be finished in a wide range of the, such as the used at Jinnah, which enables them to integrate and enhance a building’s design.

Encasement’s Managing director, Martin Taylor, explained: “Restaurants, foodservice and retail environments are areas where our column casings and wall lining solutions are widely used, as they provide a practical and versatile solution to help improve a building’s interior or exterior design while also being highly durable. The Jinnah restaurant project is an ideal demonstration of how column casings can be used to add the finishing touch and enhance the customer experience.”

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

To see more pics of this project please visit www.encasement.co.uk/gallery_column-casing-jinnah-restaurant.aspx
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COMPAC launch 6 new quartz colours

Renowned quartz surfaces manufacture COMPAC has just launched six new colours to complement their innovative technological quartz worksurface range.

Land Functional … inspired by deep green waters, Dune Functional … soft tone creams, Clay Functional…evoking chromatic images of nature, Warm Functional…calming contrasting browns, DIM Functional… conveying the harmony and warmth of nature and COOL Functional…serene neutral light colours.

Offering timeless, elegant warm tones, ingeniously combining functionality with high performance and quality, these new worksurfaces are available with a polished or glacé finish.

With a virtually zero porosity surface that does not require antibacterial chemicals to maintain a hygienic regime, these new colours from COMPAC will retain their beauty and performance with the minimum of maintenance – underpinned by a lifetime guarantee.

For more information please visit www.compac.es.
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Bauder delivers first class roofing solution for British Airways

British Airways i360 is the world’s tallest moving observation tower and first vertical cable car. At the entrance of the attraction on Brighton Seafront is an accessible roof terrace area that features over 1,500m2 of Bauder’s reinforced, inverted hot melt waterproofing system with hard landscaping.

The futuristic British Airways i360 is a 531 foot tall structure located at the landward end of Brighton’s historic former West Pier. Eleven years in the making, British Airways i360 is the brainchild of architect-entrepreneurs David Marks and Julia Barfield of Marks Barfield Architects, best known as the practice that conceived and designed the world-famous London Eye. Groups of up to 200 visitors will glide gently upwards to a height of 138 metres in a futuristic, fully enclosed, hand-crafted glass viewing pod to admire 360-degree views across Regency Brighton and Hove, the South Downs, the English Channel and the south coast east to Beachy Head.

Passengers board each flight via the alluring outside terrace deck, which features reconstructed tollbooths of the original iconic West Pier that now serve as a ticket office and café, where people can relax and socialise. Understandably this roof top area will experience significant amounts of foot traffic all throughout the year, so the client wanted to install a waterproofing system that was both robust and of the highest quality. Given these requirements, Bauder’s hot melt structural waterproofing system with hard landscaping was a natural choice. The system is designed to last the lifespan of the building and provides a monolithic, fully bonded membrane that is self-healing to minor punctures and ideal for use on protected roof areas. As part of the system approved contractor Accurate Roofing also installed inverted insulation, to deliver high thermal performance in exposed conditions and help retain heat within the beachfront building below that houses a brasserie, café and gift shop.

This new landmark is an exceptional example of how modern architecture and roof landscaping can revive a historical monument, which is expertly and intricately intertwined with over 150 years of history. British Airways i360 has already attracted significant interest and proven extremely popular, welcoming its 100,000th visitor just three weeks after it was opened to the general public in August 2016. The attraction was given a Royal opening by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh in October.

For more information please visit www.bauder.co.uk.
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Quality alarms & service make Aico no. 1 choice for housing group

Aldwyck Housing Group in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire has announced its decision to standardise on Aico Ei208 Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms, based on its positive experience of working with Aico over many years. Aldwyck will be installing Aico AudioLINK™ Ei208 Lithium battery powered CO alarms into 5,200 properties.

Darren Corsby, Asset Manager at Aldwyck, explains the decision “Rather than use multiple different alarms, we wanted to standardise on one alarm type for uniformity across our housing stock. Aico has been a long standing supplier and Aldwyck has always received very good service. We have been more than satisfied with the alarms we have installed in the past; they work well. I have used Aico product for many years, both here and in previous jobs.”

Aldwyck Housing Group will be fitting one Ei208 CO alarm per property where there is a gas supply fitted. This will be done at the same time a new boiler is installed or when an existing boiler is serviced.

The Ei208 is a quality, cost-effective Lithium battery powered CO alarm designed to encourage widespread adoption of this life saving technology. The use of sealed in Lithium batteries largely overcomes the problem of battery removal by tenants as not only are they difficult to remove, but cannot be used to replace batteries in other household devices.

The Ei208 alarms benefit from a highly sophisticated electrochemical CO sensor and rigorous testing for the utmost reliability; each alarm is tested multiple times during manufacture, which includes a test in real CO gas to ensure accuracy.

The Ei208 features Aico’s multiple award winning AudioLINK technology which allows for invaluable real time data to be extracted via the alarm’s sounder to a smart phone or tablet using the free AudioLINK App. The data is displayed in a simple colour coded Alarm Status Report, providing useful information such as any alarm activations – with details of when it occurred, if any background CO has been detected, battery life, alarm sensors status, number of times tested and removed. As the information is generated in real time, should there be an issue then it can be dealt with there and then.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics, Aico are market leaders in residential fire and CO protection in the UK. All alarms are designed and built in Ireland specifically to meet the UK standards and regulations. With more mains powered domestic smoke alarms installed in the UK’s social housing than any other manufacturer, Aico are tried, tested and trusted.

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