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.

Materials shortage affects the Below Ground Drainage

Materials shortage affects the Below Ground Drainage, Sewer and Surface Water Management Products Market

As with other sectors of the construction industry, the pandemic has had a major impact on drainage, sewer and surface water management works, more so for housebuilding rather than civils works, where most work is undertaken outdoors where it has been easier to apply social distancing measures. This has led to a decrease in sales of below ground drainage sewer and surface water management products in 2020.

For 2021, it is forecast there will be a modest return to growth as the construction industry has returned working at almost full capacity. However, several factors will have constrained growth, most notably the impact of the pandemic across global supply chains, including in the UK construction industry where there is a shortage of many types of products and materials. This has been due to a combination of the dislocation of containers around the world and the surge in global demand for materials such as timber, steel and polymers as economies return to some semblance of normality after the lockdowns of 2020.

In the UK this has been compounded by the impact of ‘Brexit’ on the implementation of new documentation processes at containers ports and Dover, where most shipping from the EU comes into the UK, and the return home of many EU construction workers.

The main polymer use in the manufacture of below ground drainage, sewers and surface water drainage is PVC-u, with PE and PP also being important particularly in the production of large diameter pipes and surface water / stormwater management products. However, ProdCom data shows that UK manufacturers sales for rigid tubes and pipes of all three polymer types were down sharply in 2020.

Abdul Tantouch, Research Manager at AMA Research, comments on the materials shortage –
“shortages of materials due to the global dislocation of containers and surge in global demand for timber, steel and polymers will likely last throughout 2021 and well into 2022. Long term issues influencing growth in the market include the shortages of tradesmen and construction professionals which was partly due to lower levels of activity in the industry thereby masking a systemic shortage of construction trades, but the UK has been compounded by the impact of new post-Brexit processes at ports and the return home of many EU construction workers.”

However, over the course of 2021, as economies around the world have been recovering from the impact of the pandemic, demand for plastic products has soared. Europe is a net importer for polymer and so is particularly vulnerable to market disruptions. Since Q1 there have been severe shortages of polymers – particularly PVC, PE and PP -and additives for plastics converting leading to huge price increases in Europe.

Over the next five years and into the longer term, it is forecast that demand will grow for below ground drainage, sewers and surface water management products and systems. The key drivers behind this are the anticipated growth in population and ‘urban creep’ and forecasts for increases in major flooding.

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HOMES BUILT FOR THE FUTURE . . . .

. . . .WITH TATA STEEL’S ENHANCED CONFIDEX® HOME GUARANTEE

 

Given the clear push on sustainability and in light of the Future Homes Standard, Tata Steel is pleased to introduce a ‘solar ready’ enhancement to the Confidex® Home Guarantee, helping developers, contractors and self-builders deliver homes built for the future.

 With the countdown to Net Zero well underway, there is a big emphasis on how we can all improve our sustainability and lessen our carbon footprint. The Future Homes Standard forms a key part of this; a new set of standards that will complement the Building Regulations, developed to ensure new homes are future-proofed with low carbon heating and world-leading energy efficiency.

Solar panels will have an important part to play in the delivery of this greener future, with the UK’s solar sector expected to double by 2030. As such, Tata Steel, the global steel manufacturer, has taken the decision to enhance the 25-year Confidex® Home Guarantee for the residential sector, making it ‘solar ready’.

The Confidex® Home Guarantee is valid on standing seam residential roof and wall systems manufactured from Tata Steel’s Colorcoat Prisma® and Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® and available via its four UK supply chain partners: Tata Steel (Colorcoat Urban®), Catnic (SSR2), Euroclad (Vieo) and EQC (Seamlap/Seamlock).

Originally launched in 2019, the revamped Confidex® Home Guarantee offers the same renowned protection against paint peeling on the pre-finished steel product for a period of 25 years, regardless of where the property is located (coast or inland); in addition to now allowing homeowners to install Clip and Fix Solar Panels on their roofs. Solar panels can be installed at any point during the 25-year guarantee period, without prior consultation from Tata Steel.

Tata Steel’s new ‘solar ready’ Confidex® Home will help developers and contractors in their delivery of greener homes, with the roofs ready for future solar panel installations. What’s more, the Guarantee enables developers to offer added peace of mind to prospective home buyers, with an additional 15 years on top of the 10-year NHBC guarantee.

While, as a result of the Confidex® Home Guarantee being a direct agreement with Tata Steel, homeowners can benefit from the assurance that, in the unlikely event of a material fault, it can be promptly resolved and rectified, without the need to go via the supply chain or their home insurance. The Guarantee is also transferrable in the event of the property being sold and is written in accordance with consumer law.

 

Speaking about the revamped Guarantee, Dr Peter Barker, New Product Development Manager at Tata Steel, said: “In the run up to 2050, the UK is changing the way it builds the homes of the future. As part of the Future Homes Standard, homes built from 2025 will have to produce 75% to 85% less carbon emissions, compared to homes delivered under the current regulations, with the installation of solar panels becoming increasingly popular.

“As such, we took the decision to update our renowned Confidex® Home Guarantee in line with the changing face of the construction and housebuilding industries to reflect the sustainable agenda. Through the new ‘solar ready’ Confidex® Home, we’re proud to be a small part of this journey to Net Zero, as well as being the only pre-finished steel manufacturer to offer a standing seam roof and wall system guarantee agreement direct to the homeowner.”

Tata Steel’s Colorcoat® pre-finished steel products are renowned in the industry for their aesthetics, durability and long-lasting performance, in addition to the comprehensive guarantees that come with them.

 

For more information, please visit: www.colorcoat-online.com/confidexhome

 

 

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Lindapter Launches New Website

Your new technical resource for steelwork connections.

 

Lindapter’s new website is now live! It’s bursting with innovative features and design tools to help Structural Engineers, Consulting Engineers, M&E Contractors and Specifiers involved with the design of steelwork connections quickly find the optimum solution for steel-to-steel connections.

Here’s just a few of the new features:

  • Girder Clamp Configurator – produces fully detailed connection drawings for you to download as PDFs.

 

 

 

  • Hollo-Bolt Selector Tool – dynamically filters products to assist your specification.

 

 

 

 

  • Application Selector – filter popular connection assemblies to find a solution.

 

 

 

 

 

  • BIM & CAD Files – design efficiently using files from our Resources library.

Users can also book in person or online technical presentations, view a range of new case studies and download product technical data to assist with product selection and specification.

Please visit our website today and register to take full advantage of its features and design tools.

Find your solution here www.lindapter.com

 

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Logik Innovation Reaches New Heights In Coventry

Winvic made an educated choice when they specified Eurocell windows and panels for a landmark Coventry development.

Home to 1,192 students, CODE Students Coventry is a flagship 23-storey accommodation block which, topping off at 76 metres, is the highest in the city.

Such a lofty achievement called for materials of equally high standing. Not only to shrug off the elements and maintain thermal efficiency. But also to cope with the rigours of student life without losing its looks.

 

 

Winvic understood that only a bespoke Logik tilt and turn widow system, designed in close collaboration with fabricator and installer Astraseal, would pass this test.

‘Eurocell were very good to work with. There was good communication, their technical teams were good to deal with. It all went very well.’
Mark McMullan, Astraseal

First off, the 2000 windows delivered an engaging lesson in physics. Their versatile design allows trickle ventilation when opened on the tilt. Or creates full purge when opened along the vertical frame axis.

To meet the safety and security requirements of a multiple-occupancy building, a bespoke pressed and perforated panel was needed for the outer frame.

Forming a strong, effective guard, this not only prevents falls from open windows, but is cleverly designed to reduce airflow by 50%. Which means even the highest windows can be left fully open to allow the right amount of fresh air in, but nothing out.

To be doubly safe, the panels are barrier loaded to prevent forcing from the inside.

The frames then delivered a lesson in economics, cutting costs by 57% against the original aluminium spec. Logik is far more energy efficient than aluminium too, which in turn means lower energy costs for the whole building.

There are three separate window frames to each apartment, joined together by specially engineered couplings to give the appearance of one continuous unit.

Taking into account the weight of the perforated safety screens and the increased wind loading at height, it was decided the frames needed to be reinforced – a challenge the Eurocell team was happy to accept, working closely with structural engineers and with fabricator and installer Astraseal to design a bespoke system that incorporates steel-reinforced bars inside the profile.

Both the couplings and the reinforcement were designed to different performance specs, depending on where they were to be used. The higher the location, the stronger the engineering. The glass was also fitted accordingly, keeping costs down by varying noise reduction performance from 30db to 42db in different areas.

 

If you would like to speak to us about how we can help on your next project, please visit Eurocell.co.uk or call 0333 005 6525

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IG Masonry Support supplies Brick Slip Lintels on Bridges Family Practice development

Medical practices are at the heart of communities across the world. IG Masonry Support was proud to play an important part in the stunning redevelopment of the Bridges Family Practice, formerly known as Bryson Street Surgery.

 

The family practice has been a staple of Protestant and Catholic communities for more than a century, and its new moniker is a reflection of the bridging of these two groups. Thanks to significant funding from Landmark East, The Northern Ireland Executive’s Social Investment Fund, this vital community asset has been transformed into a state-of-the-art-facility that will continue to serve its people for years to come.

In its new glory, the practice boasts extensive amenities including interview and treatment rooms, children’s play and waiting area, facilities and access for wheelchair users and minor surgery capabilities.

 

The Challenge

East Belfast residents will recognise the new building has retained one feature – its unique, curved wall with a projecting soffit at its entrance. In order to maximise the visual impact of the wall, funding was secured through the Northern Ireland Executive’s Urban Villages Initiative to commission a piece of art for this iconic exterior.

IG Masonry Support, a company which continually meets customers’ high expectations in terms of quality, was tasked with crafting a bespoke Brick Slip Lintel that curved with this shape of the building’s entrance.

The Solution

IG Masonry Support’s teams utilised their skill, craft and expertise to create a Brick Slip Lintel that accentuated this architectural finish and fitted seamlessly with the constructed brickwork. IG Masonry Support also produced Brick Slip Lintels above each of the windows, which required a brick soffit.

IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels can be used over small openings to eliminate the need for additional masonry support. Supplied in stainless steel or galvanised steel, IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels have the same profile as a standard lintel and are delivered to site as a one-piece unit, complete with brick slips attached, eliminating the need for specialist installation onsite. These solutions are produced off-site in a factory-controlled environment which ensures that the bonding process occurs in optimum controlled conditions free from wet weather, extreme temperature variations and excessive dust.

With thousands of installations completed over the past decade, IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip system is a proven and reliable solution which provides maximum BBA-certified adhesion of the brick slips.

The utilisation of IG Masonry Support’s Brick Slip Lintels will ensure the iconic curved wall of the Bridges Family Practice’s entrance looks good and performs well into its bright future.

 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT IG MASONRY SUPPORT

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ZENTIA PUT YOU ABOVE ALL IN NEXT PHASE OF BRAND STRATEGY

Pictured from left: Zentia managing director Dirk Jaspers and director, sales and marketing Graham Taylor.

 

Leading ceiling systems manufacturer Zentia announces brand relaunch.

Zentia, the UK’s market leader in complete ceiling solutions, is putting customers at the heart of its brand and marketing strategy.

Following Zentia’s rebrand, which evolved from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions last year, the ‘Above all, you’ campaign will communicate what that means to customers. Driven by extensive stakeholder research, it focuses on Zentia’s specifier, contractor and distributor partners and their key future challenges and opportunities.

The ‘Above all, you’ message derives from the brand’s ethos to work collaboratively with customers and create real value in every project delivered. This, teamed with the company’s reputation for anticipating customer needs, highlights their innovative mentality, and has become one of the four brand pillars underpinning the strategy.

The rebrand is only the start for Zentia, with exciting plans for the future including innovative NPD, and investments in both training and customer support, as well as a multi-million-pound investment in manufacturing capabilities.

 

Graham Taylor, director, sales and marketing at Zentia, explained: “Quality, control and endless predictability were just some of the key themes identified – any one of which may be our partners’ key concern at any one time. Our campaign recognises this reality of multiple priorities, but at the same time signs off with a constant – that for Zentia, it’s ‘above all, you’, our partners, who are our priority.”

 

He added: “In this uncertain and ever-changing world, having everything from manufacture to customer support right here in the UK means we are more agile and in control. Together with our forward-thinking culture, this allows us to successfully solve problems for our end user clients.”

The multi-channel campaign launches this month across web, trade media, social channels, and direct communications. Visit www.zentia.com for more.

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NEW ALTRO TEGULIS OFFERS STYLISH AND HYGIENIC GROUT-FREE ALTERNATIVE TO TILES

New Altro Tegulis™ innovative wall system offers the ideal alternative to traditional tiles for wet rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and retail spaces. With a range of tile-effect patterns offering a grout-free alternative to tiles, Altro Tegulis offers a more familiar feeling than traditional wall panel sheets.

Available in an extensive colour and design palette, Altro Tegulis has the look and feel of tiles, but has custom-etched grout lines that eliminate the cleaning, repair and hygiene issues often associated with traditional ceramic tile installations using porous grout.

Altro Tegulis draws on 40 years of Altro wall panel experience to create stunning looks with numerous colour and tile-effect combinations; from natural stone effects to smooth neutral satin finishes, featuring on-trend chevrons, hexagons and timeless metro tiles. Altro Tegulis is perfect for end-users looking to create a stylish, flexible look for walls. With innovative etched designs, wall panels are adaptable to numerous décor choices, rooms, and environments.

Altro Tegulis is faster to install than ceramic tiles, is low in VOC emissions, easy to clean, and stain resistant. It is easy to install using one of Altro’s unique jointing methods, with minimum disruption and significant cost savings compared to traditional ceramic tile installations.

Altro Tegulis uses a proven hygienic system as the basis for its panels. Completely grout-free, the etched grout line proves there is nowhere for dirt and germs to hide. Unlike ceramic tiles, Altro Tegulis will not discolour in any way, and with no grout lines to harbour mould, walls will continue to look fresh for years. Panels are easy to clean with a mild alkaline detergent, meaning hassle-free maintenance and a safe hygienic environment for all users.

As you would expect from Altro, the Altro Tegulis wall system is durable and built to last, with an impressive 10-year guarantee. Resistant to everyday knocks and bangs, unlike tiles, wall panels are not easily chipped or cracked, keeping walls that look like new for longer, and reducing renovation costs over time.

With a choice of installation methods, an area clad in Altro Tegulis wall panels is healthier and more hygienic, protecting people and keeping them safer.

Using the half-lap installation method combined with Altro sanitary sealant, the Altro Tegulis wall system prevents water and bacteria from penetrating below the surface, ideal for use in wet rooms and spaces with high levels of humidity. Altro’s interlock installation method works for installations where excess moisture and water are unlikely to impact the walls.

With a multitude of design options in a range of colours and tile patterns, Altro Tegulis is an innovative and functional wall system, perfect for end-users looking to create a stylish, flexible look for walls without any of the drawbacks of tiles.

Find out more at www.altro.co.uk/Altro-Tegulis

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Eurocell Aids Asset Management in Build-to-rent Scheme

Orbit Housing’s Fordham House in Stratford-upon-Avon aims to raise the bar for rented accommodation. Although initially a social housing provider, Orbit now refers to itself as a “developing housing association”, and Fordham House is designed for private rental by key workers in the town.

 

 

The 82-apartment block provides enhanced protection against noise, a superior maintenance and repair strategy and addition facilities such as secure internal bike storage rooms. Much of the budget for these above-and-beyond features has come from the specification of Modus PVC-U windows from Eurocell in place of the aluminium frames originally specified.

The result was a significant reduction in costs, with no compromise on building design and performance. Despite the building being located on the busiest road in Stratford, residents have been satisfied with the noise suppression provided. Confirmation of the Fordham House project quality came with major award wins in the 2019 Inside Housing Development Awards – Best Build for Rent Development and RICS Residential Property of the year (West Midlands).

 

Fordham House was also awarded Residential Property of the Year at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) awards, West Midlands in 2019.

Constructed from dense concrete blocks with hollowcore flooring, the three- and four-storey building is clad in a mixture of curtain walling and green wall – sections of planted walls which will be automatically fed and irrigated. The Modus windows, supplied and installed by Unique Window Systems, are tilt-and-turn so that they can be cleaned internally, avoiding the potential hazard and traffic issues of accessing them from the elevations by the two busy roads.

 

With many tenants expected to come from expanding local hospitals, acoustic improvements were high on the menu of potential value enhancing features. Orbit has beefed up the acoustic barriers between floors with a layer of insulation and screed with suspended ceilings added to the deep hollow concrete slab. It has also added fitted blinds within the reveals of the windows to provide an additional noise cushion for shift workers who need to sleep during the day.

BBA-certified to function satisfactorily for more than 35 years, the Modus range achieves a U-value of 1.2 W/m² using 4/20/4 mm sealed double-glazed units. This effective thermal performance is due to the 75mm six-chamber profile system used in the Modus system that also enables the range to achieve a U-value of 0.7 by installing triple-glazed units.

This led to Modus becoming one of the very first systems to achieve the BFRC Window Energy Rating (WER) of A++. This is only awarded to windows with an energy index value equal to or greater than +20; and Modus A++ designs include casement, reversible and tilt and turn.

Additional budget gained from savings on the window costs has also gone into upgrading the flooring material. Ceramic wood-effect flooring has replaced lino to provide a longer life and hence lower maintenance costs and down-time for Orbit.

A re-think of the building’s layout produced space for a substantial ‘spares room’ which will house items such as cookers and kitchen units. With all the apartments kitted out identically, this will enable faster repairs and reduce the time required to spruce up homes between tenancies.

To find out how Eurocell can assist in delivering private rental schemes that are lower cost, sustainable and desirable to private tenants, call our customer services team on 0800 988 7300 or visit www.Eurocell.co.uk

 

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Fast 2000 enclosure for small developer

Family-run Fernbrook Builders is redeveloping the site of a former garage and MOT test centre in Finedon, Northamptonshire. The rundown site will be home to a small supermarket, attractive retail shops and five houses to the rear of the site, which seamlessly join up with an existing housing estate.

Each of the three-bedroom homes has a family bathroom with shower bath, but the master bedroom features an en-suite with a walk-in shower in a recess. The company specified the Kinedo Fast 2000 enclosure with sliding door thanks to the simplicity and ease of installation by a single plumber.

The company, based locally in Rushden, prides itself on regenerating sites for both domestic and commercial projects and works throughout the East Midlands on projects including schools, residential new builds and conversions and industrial renovations and builds.

Employing all their own tradespeople to ensure quality throughout each project, Shaun Cherry, Owner of Fernbrook Builders, is committed to improving rundown areas in the locality and undertakes many change-of-use projects, such as brownfield sites to residential.

Delivering exceptional quality for homeowners, he specified the Fast 2000 because it combined modern looks with great quality at the right price. Plumber, Mark Edwards, is responsible for the plumbing in the new build houses and has been installing the shower enclosures;

“The unit is very simple to install once I had worked out where to position the quick release clips. There is an adjustment feature which is useful and the unit goes together very quickly. It is sufficiently light for me to assemble and install on my own and the bottom rollers make for a very smooth sliding action. I think customers will be very pleased with the shower solution.”

The 1300mm sliding door and fixed panel is ideal for a recess setting and is one model in a wide range of Fast 2000 enclosure solutions. All doors and panels are 6mm glass and 2m in height with anti-limescale coating as standard. An ideal solution for housebuilders and developers.

 

 www.kinedo.co.uk

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Greater lighting choice looms large with new LED downlight

LED lighting applications and installations are set to be transformed with the launch of an innovative, brand new downlight from Knightsbridge – one of the UK’s leading brands of wiring devices, accessories and lighting.

SpektroLED breaks through the limitations of traditional LED downlights, offering unrivalled choice in versatility, performance, and style in one unique package, doing away with the need to specify multiple LED lamp types. It is also designed and manufactured in such a way that installation is quick and easy.

The new downlight can be configured to offer 40 variants from the one product thanks to its selectable wattages and CCTs and choices of bezel. Depending on the required illumination either 5W (up to 465 lumens) or 8W (up to 795 lumens) can be pre-selected via a switch on the rear of the lamp body. Once chosen, there are four CCTs available – 2700K, 3000K, 4000K and 6000K – the desired colour temperature selected by a sliding switch also on the rear of the lamp body.

Further customisation is then possible through the various bezel options that allow the lamp to complement or contrast with a room’s décor or colourways. The bezels come in a choice of stylish finishes from popular white and matt black to chrome, polished chrome and brass.

These permutations of wattage, colour temperature and bezel choice make SpektroLED a genuine 40-in-1 solution.

Installation is both quick and simple. Each unit, which has a low-profile design, features cleverly engineered first and second fix power connectors with loop in/loop out terminals that can be terminated and hidden away while other works are finished. Then the downlight can be simply plugged in to complete the installation after decoration, avoiding the issue of paint-damaged bezels! The connectors also allow the luminaire to be removed for maintenance or even re-programming by simply unplugging them.

Furthermore, the downlight is fire rated for solid timber, web joist and I-joist installation and is also IC rated* so retaining the efficiency of any mineral wool insulation in the ceiling void. And with an IP65 rating from below, it is suitable for use in bathrooms, wet rooms or other rooms where moisture is prevalent.

 Once installed, SpektroLED will give 50,000 hours of rated LED life and can be used with leading and trailing-edge dimmers should the need arise, though compatibility should be verified beforehand. A five-year warranty guarantees peace of mind.

With the launch of SpektroLED, Knightsbridge is providing greater freedoms for user-determined lighting projects and making life for the installer so much simpler.

*check the product datasheet and instructions for further details

 

Click here to visit the website

 

 

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