Stannah lift products star in spectacular new entrance to Leeds Station

Opened on 3rd January 2016, the new southern entrance to Leeds Station features four Stannah escalators and two passenger lifts.

Following multiple escalator and lift installations at the Midlands hub of Birmingham New Street and Grand Central for Network Rail and Mace, Stannah were again the chosen supplier and installer of all vertical transport within the southern entrance building (known as the LSSE scheme.), this time working with main contractor Carillion to fulfil the brief. The work was completed by the Stannah Escalator & Moving Walkway Department and Stannah Major Projects team in just twelve weeks.

Funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds Council, the Department for Transport and Network Rail, the new extension provides an attractive new accessible entrance and additional concourse built in the River Aire. The building was created to diminish congestion at this busy commuter station into and out of West Yorkshire and the North of England, making it an attractive route for tourists again. Up to 20,000 passengers (or 20% of current footfall) are estimated to benefit from using the new entrance, shortening commute times and providing easy access from the south of Leeds.

The four escalators provide continuous vertical transportation for ambulant people. Those travellers with heavy luggage, child buggies or wheelchair-users are well provided for with two bespoke 13-person traction passenger lifts located just inside the entrance.

The tight restraints on the site meant some of the features of the lift equipment had to be modified to achieve the design and vision without compromising safety.

The escalators are to NR specification with some additional features bespoke to the Leeds station project. These features were based on the tight restraints of the site and the designers risk assessment required to mitigate those risks.

This included special software so that all the machines operate to a special design philosophy when stopped in an emergency situation, including installing an additional stop button on each machine during mid travel. Bespoke manufacture of the machines at 35 degrees instead of the standard NR specification of 30 degrees, and the reduction of the speed of the machines from the standard NR .65m/s to .05m/s all result in safe, efficient travel within the constraints of an unusual and stunning building design. With no room for housing external controllers these became an integral part of the escalators.

The lifts had restricted space so machine room-less traction equipment was installed to enable the largest capacity possible within the tight footprint of the new building.

The new pedestrian entrance will be of great benefit to people living and working south of the river, and will open up new travel opportunities providing a further stimulus to redevelopment and expansion of the city centre, and will support the continued regeneration of the southern quarter of the city.

Stannah continue to add to their portfolio of high-profile rail projects, helping Network Rail achieve their target of ‘Step-free access’ across the rail network.

The North West England and North Wales Stannah service branch, part of Stannah’s nationwide branch network, will be maintaining the lifts and escalators to ensure the safe flow of people and goods through this new entrance.

See more at www.stannahlifts.co.uk/news-and-resources/news-centre/
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Optima from Profile 22: Future-proof high performance windows

Months of rumours and speculation are now at an end as Profile 22 launches not one but two of the industry’s most eagerly awaited window and door systems. Hailed as the biggest new product introduction in the window industry for a decade, Profile 22 has unveiled Optima, developed to be the most advanced products of their type available in the UK today.

Developed specifically with commercial sectors in mind, and backed by the Profile 22 Approved Window Contractors scheme, Optima offers a compelling choice for the professional specifier. Behind this launch is a radical rethink of each of the key processes in the production of a window and door system for the 21st Century: extrusion processes that ensure superb quality and consistency whilst protecting the environment through reduced energy and ecological impact and products that easily satisfy current technical and aesthetic demands by anticipating those of many years ahead.

The two product streams are characterised by the Optima Chamfered System and the Optima Sculptured System, from which a large number of options are available including a brand new Flush Casement to compete in the burgeoning ‘heritage’ flush sash timber replacement sector.

In basis the systems offer a 6 chamber outer frame (up to 8 with RCM inserts) and a 5 chamber sash (6 with RCM), structures that provide optimal thermal performance and rigidity with the capability of U values as low as 0.8 W/m2K with appropriate Argon filled IGUs. Around these basic structures will be the widest range of ancillaries and add-ons of any system on the market to allow the production of windows in every style, for every property type. Important niche products such as a fully reversible window; a vertical sliding sash; flush tilt & turn; a flush casement; composite door; french door sets; and a patio door may be manufactured by combining existing profiles with the Optima suite. Performance is to A++ Window Energy Rating.

The Profile 22 system that Optima replaces enjoyed huge popularity for its aesthetics and Optima retains a close similarity, but with a larger rebate and stylish slim upstand. The distinctiveness enjoyed by Profile 22 over other systems will therefore continue.

The real difference however is in the details: the system is designed with a high performance centre seal option for improved weather and thermal performance, features that are unique to Optima amongst UK systems; deeper drainage channels further improve water egress and contribute towards weather performance.

Optima has been designed to offer the widest choice of glazing options on the market including 24 and 28mm double and 36, 40 and 44mm triple glazed units. Bead location has been fully researched with the result that glazing clips are unnecessary to pass security tests and are future-proof against proposed and anticipated enhancements to PAS24.

The systems have been awarded the British Standard Kitemark which includes testing to BS6375 parts 1, 2 & 3, Performance of windows and doors in addition to testing in relation to PAS24:2016 enhanced security performance requirements for doorsets and windows in the UK. Both standards are the latest to be published and allow specifiers to assess Optima against the most exacting UK standards currently available.

Products are also manufactured under Environmental and Health & Safety standards BS EN ISO 14001 and BS EN ISO 18001 respectively and BES6001 to ensure Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products. The Optima systems far surpass UK and EU Building Regulations and PAS24, and have the highly accredited Secured by Design approval. In short Optima is the most accredited window system available in the UK market today.

The increased demand in the window market for colour and woodgrain has been acknowledged with an increased stock and fast turnaround of special colour options. The Optima foil offer is superior to that of any other systems supplier boasting 28 colour options. The range of greys competes well with aluminium products.

Andrew Reid, Commercial Sales Director of Profile 22 says: “We wanted the new window systems to be the best in the market and represent innovative design and exceptional thermal performance. We designed the new products around the needs of the specifier for slim, modern and stylish aesthetics, whilst offering the most technologically advanced product features and performance capabilities to future-proof our product range in meeting future Building Regulations.

“To achieve this we have invested in the most advanced extrusion systems available today. This investment ensures consistently excellent window and door profile quality whilst also significantly reducing the environmental impact of the production process. This is a key element in the specification of modern window and door products,” added Andrew.

“Specifiers can include Optima knowing that they are choosing the most advanced window and door products available in the UK today with key benefits of exceptional thermal performance, reduced maintenance schedules and improved durability. Their clients will also enjoy the benefits of excellent design, greater comfort levels and security as well as reduced heating bills for tenants and homeowners alike.”

Those wanting to appreciate Optima are encouraged to visit the Profile 22 microsite www.profile22.co.uk/optima, the showroom in Telford or at the Building Centre, London.
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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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Birmingham dental hospital

The long awaited new Dental Hospital designed by healthcare experts One Creative Environments Ltd brings together state of the art teaching and medical facilities. Designed using BIM, this process enabled One Creative to provide a virtual building for all parties involved in the project to visualize and contribute to. This is the largest and first integrated, stand-alone dental hospital and school of dentistry built in the UK for almost 40 years.

As part of the University of Birmingham, The School of Dentistry has been specifically designed to support Undergraduate and Postgraduate dental students in world class facilities. Costing £34 million, the new hospital provides a varied range of dental services for the West Midlands and surrounding areas. Considered to be a landmark development it contributes further to promoting Birmingham as a centre of excellence for medical learning and life sciences. Totalling 15,465 sqm, the new dental hospital houses a range of services for the public including walk-in emergency dental care, restorative dentistry, oral surgery, oral medicine, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry. Opening in the second half of 2016, over 115,000 people annually are expected to be treated at the new Hospital.

This latest Hospital is only one of 10 dental hospitals in the country, and the second to have nora® rubber floor coverings installed.

The facility follows the strict hygienic requirements of an all-encompassing hospital. Clean and smooth finishes with appropriate trims are necessary to ensure a hygienic floor with easy cleaning. Due to the dense vulcanised surface nora® rubber floor coverings are perfectly suited to this type of installation. All nora® floorcoverings are hygienic, fungi-static and bacteriostatic. The dense surface means no coatings necessary throughout the long life of the floor and also results in a floor with very low abrasion. This is why nora® are able to offer unrivalled long life warranties. Finally the floors have already benefited from the efficient and effective cleaning which is achieved when using nora’s specially designed cleaning pads, which can be attached to most standard cleaning machines.

nora® floorcoverings were initially chosen for their durability and easy maintenance; however, the environmental properties for nora® are unsurpassed with the A+ individually assessed accreditation and the Blue Angel award. This award for low VOC’s provides the client with the assurance that the building will contribute to the healing environment with clean, comfortable air.

Nora floor coverings offer excellent sound reduction which is vital in such an environment where we have learning and healing/recovery environments linked together. The floors can offer up to 20dB. The rubber floor coverings provide a surface that offers high walking and standing comfort which is great for clients, patients and employees alike.
With nora® rubber floor coverings you can be sure your floor will continue to look good for decades.

For more information please visit www.nora.com/uk/products-systems/floor-coverings/noraplan-sheet/showproduct/noraplan-sentica/
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Komfort launches the next evolution in frameless glazed partitioning

Over 40 years as the UK market leader in the design, manufacture and installation of partitioning systems, specialist internal glazing, doors and access panels, the new system Polar Evolve meets the performance requirements and the demands of today’s designer.

Under independent and supportive owners, Komfort is now stronger than ever. We are investing in growth and innovation, with a fresh new identity, several new products ready to launch and BIM models available on our website. We are well on our way to making Komfort a fast paced, customer focused company designing and installing leading edge products, supported by unparalleled levels of customer service. Neil Davis, Managing Director The re-evaluation of Komfort’s Polar range of frameless partitioning has been one of the fi rst steps on the company’s innovation path. The Design & Development Team have improved, perfected and evolved our current range to push the boundaries of what is possible in partitioning.

Inspirational design

For designers, the new system is an intelligent interior solution for installing into scenarios up to 3600mm high “as standard”. This flexible system enables designers to be creative with a range of head tracks, including a standard head, 1-part deflection head and an integrated ceiling adapter, alongside interchangeable 3-way adaptors and T-junctions for single and double glazed. A unique design feature to the system is the introduction of the ‘room function indicator’ for our door frames which complies with Document M for the visually impaired.

Powerful performance

The newest partitioning system to join the Komfort range has the performance attributes to meet design and technical challenges suitable for 102mm and 122mm drywalls and glazing pockets to suit 10-19mm glass thicknesses. It offers guaranteed certifi ed sound reduction of up to 40dB (Rw) for single glazed combinations and up to 48dB (Rw) for double glazed. (BS EN ISO 10140 2:2010). All our systems are designed to deliver sustainable performance.

Intelligent integration

Polar Evolve can be used in conjunction with our standard 44mm timber, 12mm single glazed and 44mm Sonik Door.

We think.
We reason.
We solve.
We are Komfort.

 

For more information email: general@komfort.co.uk. Ref: Polar Evolve
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Saving money saving lives

Kidde Safety’s Firex range of smoke and heat alarms offers opportunities to improve fire safety during refurbishments at lower costs.

Hard-wired, interconnected smoke and heat alarms, with reliable power back-up should now be the norm for all housing, whether existing or new-build. This is spelled out in the Code of Practice BS 5839-6:2013, which takes the form of guidance and recommendations. Although not in itself mandatory, it does form the basis for Building Regulations and is used as a benchmark in housing standards (including HHSRS), specifications, legal, insurance or other situations.

Minimum Standard

While BS 5839-6 is based on a risk assessment approach, it recognises that in most cases guidance tabulated in the Code can be applied as a minimum standard. It lists the minimum Categories (locations for alarms) and Grades (power sources) recommended for different types of housing. Typically, for houses up to 3 storey and individual flats, the Code recommends Category LD2. This means smoke alarms in all escape routes and any areas where fires might start, such as living rooms, plus heat alarms in all kitchens.

The Code also recommends Grade D hard-wired, interconnected smoke and heat alarms with back-up power. This is demanded by Building Regulations for new housing and changes of use, where battery-only smoke alarms are not permitted. But Grade D is also important for existing buildings. In another important change, the 2013 edition of the Code now excludes Grade F battery-only systems from all rented homes.

Long-life Low-cost

The resulting growth of hard-wired systems has developed interest in energy saving products. In response, Firex smoke and heat alarms offer a much lower, maximum mains consumption, with substantial energy savings over previous models and significantly lower running costs. Other features include an Alarm Memory Function, identifying which alarm has triggered, as well as dust compensation and bug screens on all optical alarms to minimise nuisance alarms and call-backs. Accessories include a wired, remote ‘Test and Hush’ switch, and a relay pattress to operate other devices.

An important Firex innovation is the introduction of long-life lithium battery back-up options for all three sensing technologies (ionization, optical and heat), alongside the usual loose battery and integral rechargeable battery versions. This innovation ensures reliable back-up throughout the whole alarm life, without the need to change batteries, at a much lower price than rechargeable products.

Firex alarms can also interconnect with Kidde’s 4MCO and 4MDCO hard-wired carbon monoxide alarms, as well as with each other, using the unique ‘Smart Interconnect’ feature. Here, the alarms have different, distinct alarm sounder patterns for carbon monoxide and fire – an essential facility, supported by different display messages on the 4MDCO model. So, without the need for any further operation of the system (such as remote switches), Smart Interconnect automatically alerts occupants throughout the property of the specific hazard that confronts them. It allows them to respond quickly, making the right choice from the very different actions for either fire or carbon monoxide.

Firex is manufactured and supplied exclusively by Kidde Safety. For more information, call: 01753 766392, email: sales@kiddesafety.co.uk or visit: www. kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk.
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Repairs, refurbishment and water ingress by the sea

Stuart Hicks, from cold liquid-applied waterproofing specialist, Kemper System, discusses how a change of membrane addressed failing waterproofing at a luxury residential development in Saltdean, near Brighton.

The Grand Ocean Hotel in Saltdean, near Brighton, epitomises a bygone era of glamourous seaside elegance. First opened in 1938, the Grade II listed building’s crescent-shaped white façade makes it a classic of Art Deco architectural design.

Once a popular honeymoon destination owned by Billy Butlin it is now the central building from which a development of luxury apartments takes its name. The scheme has seen the refurbishment of the original structure and construction of four new build blocks designed in keeping with the former hotel.

Problems with the integrity of the waterproofing system that was originally specified for the project became apparent even before the scheme was completed, leading to a change of both roofing contractor and, eventually, roofing system.

Integrity Issues

Both the existing hotel building and the new builds have flat roofs and architect, Rolfe Judd, had specified a liquid waterproofing membrane. Unfortunately, the system selected was not robust enough to adhere seamlessly to the roof substrate and the assumption was made that the issue lay with the quality of installation rather than the suitability of the membrane.

A new roofing contractor, Cawston Roofing, was brought in to carry out repairs to the membrane but, as the existing roof build up was still under warranty, Cawston Roofing was required to carry out repairs using the same product.

The majority of the problems with the roofing material were around the upstands. While repairs using the same membrane seemed to address the issue briefly, the same issues recurred following the repairs.

Inverted Refurbishment

Having used Kemper Systems’ Kemperol membranes on a wide variety of construction projects in the past, Cawston Roofing was confident in recommending Kemperol V210, a cold liquid-applied waterproofing membrane.

The originally-specified membrane had been installed beneath the insulation as an inverted roof build up for the new apartment blocks. Cawston Roofing removed the paving slabs and green roof medium along with the insulation and, where possible, this was stored for re-use.

The company then prepared and cleaned the roof surface and, in the areas around the upstands where the failed membrane had not bonded, the team pulled off the damaged membrane.
The existing insulation, slabs and green roof medium were then reinstated to complete the roof.

Hotel Roof

The damage caused by the failed waterproofing membrane on the roof and balconies of the former hotel building was even more significant because the original roof build-up was not inverted.
The balconies were tackled first, with strip out of the entire roof build-up. Here, not only had the originally-specified membrane failed, but the insulation below it had begun to rot too.

Having completed the strip out, Cawston Roofing allowed the concrete substrate to dry on each balcony and the decision was taken to reinstate the build-up for each balcony as an inverted warm roof.

New insulation had to be cut to size and shape and this was done while the Kemperol V210 membrane was being installed so that the balconies could be completed as quickly as possible.

The team then moved onto the 8,500m2 former hotel roof, which comprises five ‘fingers’ with a central core. Water ingress around the roof outlets meant that the recently installed warm roof insulation was already sodden and the roof had to be stripped back to the vapour barrier.

To aid water run-off in the future, Kemper System designed a tapered Kempertherm insulation scheme, introducing a slight pitch to each section of roof. Cawston Roofing pre-primed each piece of board in an on-site workshop during the winter months to aid faster installation once the weather improved.

When weather conditions did improve, the Kempertherm sections were fixed to the substrate and joint sealed before application of the Kemperol V210 membrane began.

Holiday Heritage

Thanks to the replacement of the originally-specified waterproofing system with Kemperol V210, the building not only provides a stylish address on the coast that is warm and dry for residents but also protects a slice of the UK’s holiday making heritage and an iconic listed building.

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Bright young things

Juliet Woodcock looks at the latest innovations in the built environment from around the world.

Tom Robinson, founder of Adaptavate, has been named the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year, winning £30,000 in start-up funding for his invention Breathaboard, a plant-based alternative to plasterboard that locks CO2 into buildings.

A builder originally, Tom’s intention is to create a moisture absorbing board that will facilitate what he describes as “healthier people in healthier homes.” His invention is 75% bio-based and the remainder a mineral-binder – non-cementitious – so at the end of its life, Breathaboard is 100% compostable.

Tom explained to R&R: “We are trying to create a board that is a fundamental shift in the way we make materials that will grow into the materials of the future; but what is really important to me is that we’re trying to address the issue of moisture in buildings – that will be the main selling point.”

Financial backing for R&D is in place; as is funding with Bath University to quantify the performance of the product, while Tom is in the process of gaining accreditations such as the BRE Green Guide Rating, but as he reveals, this is a lengthy process – still being at the design stage for the factory to produce the board. The only results back at this early stage of testing is for thermal conductivity, which is half that of traditional plasterboard at 0.089 W/mK.

Meanwhile in Italy, an Italian construction firm has developed a ‘biodynamic’ mortar that is able to remove pollutants from the air automatically. The mortar, which is made from recycled scraps of marble and left over aggregate, absorbs nitrogen oxide and sulphur pollution and converts it into harmless salts. It uses a titanium catalyst that is activated by ultraviolet light to drive the chemical reaction. The salts then wash off the walls when it rains. It has already been used to create a building in Milan called the Palazzo Italia, which was completed for the World Fair in the city in 2015.

Looking further north, researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have developed a transparent wood material that could change the way we construct buildings and solar panels, as well as make glass windows a thing of the past.

The new material is suitable for mass production, the researchers say, and is a low-cost renewable resource. To create the transparent wood, researchers chemically removed lignin from samples of commercial balsa wood. Lignin being a structural polymer in plants and can be found in the cell walls, blocking 80 to 95 percent of light from passing through.

This alone, however, didn’t result in creating a transparent material.

Removing lignin makes the wood white, so researchers added added acrylic to the wood to allow light to pass through.

Cement is still one of the most widely used materials in construction, but also one of the largest contributors to harmful carbon emissions, said to be responsible for around 7 per cent of annual global emissions. Researchers at Bath University, meanwhile, are trying to overcome the problem of cracking in concrete, by developing a self-healing mix; containing bacteria within microcapsules, which will germinate when water enters a crack in the matrix. This will produce limestone, plugging the crack before water and oxygen has a chance to corrode the steel reinforcement.

Kinetic energy is another area of science under the microscope; with Pavegen creating a “transponder” type technology that enables flooring to harness the energy of footsteps. It can be used indoors or outdoors in high traffic areas, and generates electricity from pedestrian footfall using an electromagnetic induction process and flywheel energy storage. The technology is best suited to transport hubs where a large flow of people will pass over it.

Who knows what our bright young things will invent next? However if we can’t halt the slide in education standards – especially for mathematics and science – and bring on a new generation of inventors as well as savvy building professionals, we may find that we not simply dealing with a skills shortage, but a chasm our industry cannot climb out of.

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District Heating at Banbury Park in Walthamstow

Evinox Energy recently worked with Higgins Construction & Circle Housing on a development in the creative heart of Walthamstow. Banbury Park is mixed-use scheme comprising of private and shared ownership homes, with landscaped community spaces, shops, offices, a community centre and public square that will help lead the regeneration of the area.

The site was a former warehouse, industrial works and electronics factory located in Waltham Forest. Evinox engineers completed a full design of the primary network for the district heating and hot water system for a complex of 6 different types of building.

The apartments are connected to the district heat network and each includes an Evinox ModuSat® FS storage HIU to provide heating and hot water. The integrated hot water storage within the ModuSat® enables the central plant to be reduced due to the increased thermal storage facility in each dwelling.

Residents at Banbury Park benefit from the Evinox PaySmart® pre-payment system, which is inbuilt in every ModuSat® Heat interface unit. The Evinox range of ModuSat® heat interface units, is the only solution available that features fully integrated pre-pay ready billing technology.

This system enables residents to be in control of their own energy bills by paying in advance and therefore removing any burden of building up unpaid bills or debt. Residents can purchase their energy online using our Residents Website 24hrs a day, at a local Payzone outlet, by monthly Direct Debit or Standing Order, using our Web App on a smart phone or tablet any time or over the telephone.

Energy Centre

Together with our CHP partners HELEC, a complete pre-fabricated skid plant room solution has been provided to supply the district heat network. This comprises of 1794kW ADI CD boilers, 109kWth CHP unit with 5000 L thermal storage and Matic-Pro combined pressurisation, expansion and deaeration unit.

Evinox Energy specialise in Communal and District heating solutions. Contact us today on 01372 722277 or visit www.evinoxenergy.co.uk for further information.
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Appy Omes

With the advent of BIM and the apps that have been created on the back of it having received extensive attention in recent times, Juliet Woodcock reports on some other apps available to the built environment.

After reading the paper recently, I was intrigued to discover that an app has been launched that predicts birth control/fertility; while you can get an app for deciding what to wear and there are a range of apps for dieting, health and lifestyle. While many people now take these as being a part of their daily lives, I decided to see what is out there for the construction industry, apart from the numerous BIM apps available.

The Dulux Visualizer App is absolutely brilliant: it lets you take a picture of a wall in your home, and then select colours to see how they suit the space. The strapline “Picture it before you paint it” describes this app well, which is intended to be used by professional decorators as well as DIYers – plus it suggests colour schemes to compliment “the look”. This app also offers Dulux Master classes through video demonstrations, as well as the company’s nearest Dulux Tailor Made Colour stockists.

While most of us will be aware that apps have been around for some while to control one’s heating and hot water at home – which also help save energy – Mitsubishi Electrics has taken this technology one step further with its new MELCloud, a new generation of Cloud based control for Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning, Ecodan Heating, ventilation and controls. MELCloud provides users with effortless control of their devices whether they are out or are just resting on their sofa at home.

Mitsubishi Electrics has also launched ME Engineer, which it describes as the next generation of service information tailored specifically for mobile users. ME Engineer provides installers and service engineers of Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning, heating, ventilation and control products easy access to the most up to date and detailed service information direct from in-house technical experts at Mitsubishi Electric.

Cosmetic repair specialist for the construction industry, Plastic Surgeon, has developed an app called the Snag Reporter, which enables the user to report any snagging issues or defects from a housing or construction project. This app
 provides the ability to set up a site location, individual plot locations and then the various spaces such as landings, bedrooms, kitchens etc. You can then record the snag/defect by selecting the type of damage, the item damaged and the size of area affected. If required you can also take photos and annotate those images directly from your smart phone.
All this information is then compiled in a user-friendly PDF and sent directly to Plastic Surgeon, who can then quote for the repair work required.

In March of this year, Kingspan Insulation launched an app to calculate U-values, whereby the user can easily vary everything from rafter depth to masonry thickness. This makes it simple to find the right insulation product and thickness for a desired floor, wall or roof U-value. It is suitable for use with the Building Regulations/Standards and covers Kingspan OPTIM-R vacuum insulation, Kingspan TEK Building System and new, lower-lambda, Kingspan Kooltherm K106 and K108 Cavity Board.

All U-values within the application have been pre-calculated by a member of Kingspan Insulation’s Technical Services Department who is approved under the ‘BBA/TIMSA Scheme for Calculation Competency Part 1 – U-value and condensation risk’. Where appropriate, these calculations also take into account fixings and bridging factors.

Metsä Wood, meanwhile, is a well-established supplier of timber and timber-based building systems and solutions for the construction industry. Its Finnframe app has been specifically designed to aid site managers and tradesmen access a quick and easy mobile guide to joist and floor installation when using Finnframe flooring system products, providing static drawings of design details and animated sequences demonstrating the correct installation procedure – thus avoiding error. This information is currently provided in the form of technical drawings on the reverse of detailed site plans. This guidance may not be readily to hand for all contractors, so the app offers immediate on-the-spot information.

Then there are home security apps: forming part of Yale’s Easy Fit range, the SmartPhone Alarm takes home security to the next level. Using the accompanying free app, the alarm can be activated, deactivated, monitored or programmed. Once the alarm has been triggered, an external siren will sound to alert the presence of an intruder, as well as sending an email and push notification (iOS only) to communicate the situation to the property owner.

Seconds after the alarm sounds, the smartphone can receive images captured on the wall-mounted PIR device to show the cause of the trigger.

Amazingly, there is even an app that allows anyone to do a quick, visual check, to ensure the home is electrically safe. The Home Electrical Safety Check app, developed by the Electrical Safety Council, enables the user to set up lists of items that need attention for multiple properties, which can be emailed as lists to your contacts from within the app. The also enables you to find local registered electricians by searching the Electrical Safety Register database.

At a cost of just 54 pence, the Smoke Alarm Messenger sends a SMS or email to a person of your choice when a smoke detector in your property sounds. Its main aim is to inform your loved ones you’re probably at risk so they can help you. This is ideal for the hard of hearing, as a third party can be informed.

Controlfacts from Aico covers all the key information you need for Aico’s RadioLINK Alarm Controller – which allows you to control your Aico Smoke, Heat and Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms from one convenient location. As Aico says, “One button, no wires, simple.” The app shows the different functions of the Alarm Controller – how to test your alarms, what happens if a smoke alarm sounds and what happens if a Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm sounds.

In these worrying times – especially for women – I could not finish this article without mentioning personal safety apps, which I had not come across before, and which I must share because it might just keep a reader safe. Tens of thousands of people around the world are now using a free personal-safety mobile app that allows friends to virtually walk you home at night. The Companion app, created by five students from the University of Michigan, enables users to request a friend or family member to keep them company virtually and track their journey home via GPS on an online map.

Although they can do so, the friend or family member does not need to have the Companion app installed, which is available for both Android and iOS. The user can send out several requests to different phone contacts in case people are not available to be a companion or not with their phones at the time.

Those contacted receive an SMS text message with a hyperlink in it that sends them to a web page with an interactive map showing the user walking to their destination. If the user strays off their path, falls, is pushed, starts running or has their headphones yanked out of their phone, the app detects these changes in movements and asks the user if they’re OK.

If the user is fine, they press a button on the app to confirm within 15 seconds. If they do not press the button, or a real emergency is occurring, the Companion app transforms the user’s phone into a personal alarm system that projects loud noises to scare criminals from the scene, and gives you the option to instantly call the police. Here is a link to download Companion: http://companionapp.io

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