Sika provides eye-catching and hard wearing flooring system

When The Royal College of Ophthalmologists decided to upgrade the existing floor of a lecture room, the new flooring system had to be hard wearing, easy to maintain and offer superior acoustics – Sika ComfortFloor was up for the challenge.

Located near Euston Station in London, The Royal College of Ophthalmologists was refurbishing and upgrading a lecture room and required a replacement floor that was noise absorbent, easy to clean and would offer long term durability. To meet these requirements, the specification of ComfortFloor Pro, a seamless, liquid applied flooring system from Sika fitted the bill perfectly.

Sika ComfortFloor has recently become the first resin flooring system to achieve a BRE Green Guide Rating – attaining an A+ the highest rating available. This will help design teams achieve the highest BREEAM score possible for all project types, minimising the environmental impact of any building.

The successful application of 250m2 of Sika ComfortFloor Pro in a dusty grey colour by Sika approved contractor Surtech was completed throughout the lecture room and an adjacent corridor in the college. The team’s surface preparation consisted of diamond grinding the uneven sub floor which was followed by the application of the fast-setting Sikafloor Level 30 mortar at various depths to provide a flat surface to install the ComfortFloor System.

This was following by a layer of Sikafloor 161 primer before the application of the Sikafloor 330 by pin rake. To complete and seal the system, Surtech applied a topcoat of Sikafloor 305W by roller to create a joint free and seamless floor.

Available in a range of colours to meet numerous aesthetic requirements, Sika ComfortFloor Pro offers longevity, minimal maintenance and is perfect for applications where exceptional hygiene standards are vital. It can provide a seamless solution for food preparation areas, commercial kitchens, hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Combining innovation in product development, the highest standards of manufacturing and technical expertise, Sika’s comprehensive range of flooring solutions for domestic, commercial and industrial applications will meet and exceed client expectations, industry best practices, and building regulations and legislation.

The careful and considered choice of products at the Royal College of Ophthalmologists perfectly demonstrates how the Sika ComfortFloor system can meet the needs of the client with an efficient installation process suitable for the most challenging and innovative new build residential and refurbishment projects.

For further information on Sika’s range of flooring products visit www.sika.com/sika-flooring or for general inquiries including technical, on or off site support, please call 0800 1123863.

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Rinnai + Renewables = boosted DHW efficiency and legionella compliance

According to Chris Goggin – associate director of Rinnai UK – renewables technology paired with a continuous flow hot water heating unit can affect major efficiencies in domestic hot water provision.

We need to find ways of using current renewables technology, be it solar thermal, solar PV or heat pump technology, in a practical manner maximised by traditional fuel sources. One of the most ecological and economical methods is to design a system with primary renewable sources and supported by secondary sources such as continuous flow hot water heating.

There has been pioneering products in this category – this includes solar thermal store of hot water and both flat plate and evacuated tube collectors, each with specific benefits to suit the differing design aspects and building envelope needs. Either option will provide years of low-maintenance, low-cost energy for heating water during the summer months – and beyond.

Water heated by the solar panels is stored and technologically this is unlikely to come up to a workable temperature all year round, so the boosting of the pre-heated water to the required temperature by a secondary heat source will be a requirement. With this system it will guarantee maximum solar gain whilst optimizing gas input.

In this scenario a continuous flow water heater can be utilised as the secondary heat source to give the solar heated water the required boost.

These are hot water heating products which are intelligent, fully modulating units, giving an output range from 56kW down to 2.27kW, and only use as much gas as is needed to bring the required volume of water to temperature. For example, if the solar panel array can only achieve a temperature of 40°C within the stored water instead of the required 60°C, and there is a demand on the system of 15 litres a minute, the fully modulating intelligent Rinnai unit will increase the temperature by the required 20°C (±1°C) whilst only using the required 21kW. If the demand drops to say 5l/min the heater will modulate down accordingly to an output 7kW.

As can be seen a Rinnai unit used as a gas booster for solar systems will not only maximize solar gain, it will only use the correct amount of energy for the particular demand at the time. The rest of the time the unit is inactive. It is this, the booster, that ensures never-ending hot water – no matter the demand so people can shower or bath any time of the day or night or whatever the weather conditions. Fossil fuel is only used when the renewable thermal energy store is below its set-point, thus reducing the dependency on fossil fuel and reducing CO2 emissions.

This system is a blueprint for maximizing renewables gain. If you want to make it even more so, opt for one of Rinnai’s condensing water heaters and push the efficiencies envelope even further.

Another technological advantage in using a continuous flow water heat as a booster is that you can wipe out any worries about legionella being a problem with stored water.

If the store is below 60°C the Rinnai Continuous Flow Water heater always ensures that the 60°C minimum is always met, so the system will always comply with Building Regulation L8. If a secondary return system is used again there is a guarantee that the return will always be at 50° again in compliance of L8.

For all-year round domestic hot water, Rinnai Infinity HE gas fired condensing continuous flow water heaters are supplied renewables-ready and are also easily retrofitable with current renewable technology.

Both flat plate and evacuated tubes collectors work best when facing due south. However, evacuated tube collectors will outperform their flat plate counterparts in situations where only east/west facing options are available.

Evacuated tube collectors have multiple glass tubes that heat up by absorbing the sun’s energy. The vacuum insulated tube retains most of this heat and the constant profile of the round tube means that the collector is always perpendicular to the sun’s rays. The energy absorbed is therefore approximately constant over the course of the day.

In the summer months, the flat plate option will be close to that of an evacuated tube unit when facing south. However, evacuated tube collectors have better overall results in both the early and late seasons and are not affected by adverse weather conditions, producing impressive temperatures even on cloudy days. However, flat plate collectors are perhaps more suited to vulnerable locations because of their exceptionally sturdy and durable build.

Rinnai’s award-winning renewable water heating solutions are designed to offer a perfect blend of eco-friendly technologies, guaranteed to provide a constant flow of hot water 365 days of the year. The pairing of a Rinnai Infinity unit with renewables technology really is the perfect fit for a never ending DHW supply.

Rinnai’s expert team is available to help with the design, specification and installation of a renewables heating system.

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

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New Products Showcased at the RCI 2016 Show

At the forefront of industry research and development, RCM are constantly striving to innovate and develop their range of building boards and facades. Finding the latest technology is an ethos which lies at the very heart of RCM business and one that separates them from their competition.

With a comprehensive range for all applications – RCM recognise the importance of providing quality certified products which have been rigorously tested, to meet the demands of a challenging construction industry.

Introducing Tilcor Tiles and DAFA Ranges

NEW to RCM’s product portfolio for 2016 – Tilcor and DAFA ranges which are being showcased at the RCI Show on 27 & 28th January 2016 at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, stand E9.

Tilcor roofing tiles

The stone coated and satin-finished roof systems incorporate cutting-edge Zincalume protective steel, which gives the tiles longevity and service life over traditional galvanised tiles – delivering a visually appealing finish and long term durability. The Tilcor range of pressed metal roofing tiles includes five distinctive profiles.

DAFA membranes and seals

A wide range of products for creating airtight building envelopes, including: breathable membranes EPDM Weather Resistant Seals and Vapour Control Layer (VCL) Tape ranges.

RCM extensive product portfolio

These products complement the RCM extensive product portfolio encompassing:

    • Y-wallTM – a flexible calcium silicate based fibre cement building board – A1 rated offering excellent fire properties, as well as high levels of dimensional stability
    • CemboardTM – a rigid, medium density, high performance cement bonded particle building board, offering great strength and stability with the workability of wood
    • MultipurposeTM – designed for timber frame applications, a highly versatile cellulose fibre cement building board offering excellent strength, weathering and acoustic properties
    • RenderflexTM – a high performance cellulose fibre cement building board, offering excellent strength, weathering and stability properties when used in conjunction with polymer renders
    • SupertechTM – a simple to install rainscreen cladding system offering two surface finishes. With a blend of 70% wood-based fibres and thermosetting resins, manufactured under high pressures and temperatures yields a highly stable, dense panel with good strength-to-weight ratios

RCM’s stand will also feature their Trespa ® Meteon, Silbonit, Siltech and Cladcolour ranges.

If you can’t make the event – RCM Offer Informative CPD Seminars

For those interested in finding out more, RCM provide informative CPD sessions including: a guide to materials, applications and specification considerations for building boards, internal and external linings and rainscreen facades, covering:

  • What a specifier needs to consider
  • Board materials and benefits
  • Board applications
  • Work on site

For more details call 0845 1303725 or visit www.buildingboards.co.uk.

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PEL scores again with Celtic football club!

Following in depth consultation and acoustic measuring, PEL Services has provided Celtic FC with a modernised Public Address and Voice Alarm (PA/VA) system, without disrupting the day to day activities of the stadium.

Celtic is the top football club in Scotland and its stadium, Celtic Park in Glasgow, regularly hosts big European occasions to a maximum capacity crowd of 60,000. The stadium not only hosts matches, but also daily activities in the hospitality suite. Replacing the crucial safety systems therefore had to be phased to prevent disruption, taking advantage of the limited down time between football seasons. This also allowed some efficient spreading of the capital expenditure budget implications too.

Initially PEL conducted acoustic measurements (crowd noise levels) during a capacity-crowd UCL match, using the services of Acoustics Plus (an independent acoustic consultant). It identified that crowd noise sound pressure level (SPL) can consistently reach 99dB (A) for at least 10% of the measured period and can reach 112-115dB (A) during goal celebration!

Phase one has now been completed with the existing analogue PA/VA system replaced by PEL with a Bosch Praesideo digital amplification and control system for back of house, combined with an Electro Voice (EV) Netmax system for the main stadium bowl area, all connected on a Dante network controlled from Celtic FC’s IT Department. The Equalisation (EQ) of the system was handled by two Sound Web Digital Sound Processors (DSPs). This work has already improved output quality, despite the outstanding need to address speaker types and configuration in Phase three. The new racks not only increase power and quality of signal, they are more compact, more reliable and have power-saving characteristics which will save Celtic FC considerable energy expenditure.

In the design process, looking at a layout which has grown and developed successively in recent years, PEL’s experts identified and advised the Stadium Manager on additional opportunities to enhance the visitor experience as a by-product of essential works.

Phase two is already underway, with a new match-day entertainment system being installed.

David Howell of Celtic Football Club said: “We have been delighted to work with PEL once again on a project which we feel has brought great benefits to the Club and our supporters.”

PEL Services has considerable experience in providing sound solutions for stadiums, having worked with Aston Villa FC on its Holte Stand and Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow, which played a major role in the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

For over 35 years PEL Services Limited has been a leading UK systems company designing, supplying, installing and commissioning sound, fire, security & audio visual solutions. In addition PEL provides a range of service agreements including routine maintenance and fully comprehensive cover, on third party equipment as well as PEL systems, throughout the UK and Eire.

For sales information please contact PEL Services Ltd on 0333 123 2100 or go to www.pel.co.uk and www.pelav.co.uk.

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Forbo maps out the floor at Manchester Science Partnerships

Taking full advantage of Forbo Flooring Systems’ high quality, digital printing capabilities, The Sheila Bird Group has helped Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP) to create the wow factor in the main social space of their client’s Greenheys building. Their custom-designed A to Z map of Manchester, digitally printed onto Forbo’s durable vinyl floor covering, has created an eye-catching and engaging focal point.

As one of the UK’s leading science park operators, MSP wanted an events and community space on the park that would encourage its group of scientists, innovators, investors and entrepreneurs to connect with one another.

Chris Naughton at The Sheila Bird Group commented: “The interior of MSP’s Greenheys building has a lot of exposed brick and so we wanted to retain the industrial feel of the building within the space, but also install a completely unique floor covering to inject a stand-out feature in the area. Therefore, we created a custom A to Z map, pinpointing the various MSP buildings dotted around Manchester in different colours, enabling visitors to immerse themselves into the map and orientate themselves in the city by just looking at the floor covering.”

There are no limits to the aesthetic designs that can digitally printed onto Forbo’s Eternal vinyl which retains the full performance specification of the Eternal core collection; durable, high quality and easy to clean and maintain.

Chris commented: “We have used Forbo on many projects as they are able to offer good quality products at a competitive price and have the ability to deliver custom floor coverings – something we definitely desired and attained for this project. Indeed, the interior of the building could not have looked this great without Forbo. This project has been very successful and it has led to us developing a great relationship with MSP.”

For more information please call Forbo on 0844 822 3928 or visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/eternal.

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Lugano Paving from Brett Landscaping completes clubhouse at prestigious royal southern yacht club

The cool, contemporary lines of the Lugano flag paving from Brett Landscaping have helped to create an impressive yet welcoming exterior to the prestigious Royal Southern Yacht Club in Hamble, Southampton.

Established in 1837 and with a long line of royal patrons, the yacht club moved to the Hamble in 1934 and has since created a contemporary, yet sympathetically designed club house. The large area surrounding the club is multifunctional, being used as an entrance to the club house itself, an outdoor seating area, and a walk way to the pontoons – and being the first feature visitors see on arrival at the yacht club it was imperative that it mirrored the high quality of the rest of the development.

Alan Feltham, General Manager/Club Secretary at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, explains: “Our aim was to create a clean, comfortable area in which our members and visitors could relax, whilst still maintaining an impressive club house entrance and a practical pathway to the pontoons.”

It was these factors which led chartered landscape architects, Influence Environment Ltd, based in Fareham, Hampshire, to Brett Landscaping after extensive research. Landscape architect, Suzie Leiber, explains, “Our brief was to improve the external space for the Clubhouse with creating an elegant terrace area which would be suitable for future events at the yacht club. After consultations with yacht club members on the different design options from fluid to more formal, it was decided to go with the final scheme resulting the simple, contemporary terrace which addresses the relationships with the Hamble Conservation Area.

“After researching various suppliers, we decided to work with Brett. They have been extremely easy to work with and their product knowledge is second to none. The location required sustainable materials, robust enough for the coastal environment whilst providing aesthetic value. Brett also provided us with product samples, allowing us to see how the different style of paving would work in situ. We decided to use the newly launched Lugano due to its simple elegance, naturalistic feel, and choice of colours, which allowed us to distinguish between the terrace and the walkways.”

The Lugano flag paving range helped to create the required modern, elegant, and clean space around the yacht club. With a high level of slip resistance, helping to keep visitors safe, as well as exceptional durability, Lugano also met the functional requirements in an area with a high level of pedestrian traffic.

Over the 600m² area a combination of both Silver Grey and Graphite Grey Lugano paving has been used. The light Silver Grey is the predominant colour covering the majority of the area producing a light and spacious feel, whilst the darker Graphite Grey has been used to denote walkways as well as creating a striking contrast to the rest of the terrace.

The installation was completed by Hampshire-based Raymond Brown Construction, who confirmed: “The paving solution provided by Brett Landscaping was the best choice for this project, both for its appealing aesthetics but also for its robustness and anti-slip properties which are both imperative in an environment such as this.”

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

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Stephen Fry to join the building & construction industry at Ecobuild 2016

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Stephen Fry has been announced as the special guest at Ecobuild 2016, the UK’s largest show dedicated to construction and energy.

The erudite writer, actor and campaigner joins a lineup of industry visionaries, leaders and experts.

Stephen will be interviewed by broadcaster Will Gompertz at the culmination of the day’s conference programme on Wednesday 9th March.

The audience can expect to hear Fry’s forthright and entertaining views and insights around issues close to his heart – areas that will resonate with the Ecobuild audience. The session will afford audience members a rare opportunity to ask questions in a Q&A session.

Martin Hurn, Director of Ecobuild, said: “Stephen personifies the spirit of Ecobuild to inform, entertain and inspire the industry. He is the most exciting speaker we have welcomed in Ecobuild’s history of thought leadership. We couldn’t have hoped for a better conclusion to what promises to be a fascinating day on the Ecobuild Arena.”

After the discussion, Fry will go on to host the prestigious BD Architect of the Year Awards dinner held at ExCeL that evening. Recognising excellence across 13 categories, the awards celebrate the very best practices currently operating in the UK.

For further information about Ecobuild 2016 which takes place from 8th to 10th March at London’s ExCeL, visit www.ecobuild.co.uk.

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VISION – The future of the built environment

Launched in 2015, Vision is the event for architects, specifiers, clients and suppliers. Held annually, it is the place where these communities come together to discuss, debate and showcase the latest innovations and developments in architecture, design and the built environment.

The event focuses on new and innovative building products and materials and provides ideas and solutions for new and inventive ways to achieve better building design solutions and comply with changing legislation.

Through a series of seminars and case studies delivered by leading international speakers, alongside a carefully curated exhibition of cutting edge products and solutions, Vision is the meeting place for professionals connected to the built environment and a unique opportunity for suppliers to showcase their products.

With over 190 exhibitors, 160 speakers and 5000 visitors, Vision is the must-attend event of 2016 for the architecture, design and construction industries. Entry and access to all seminars is free of charge when you register in advance.

For more information please visit: www.visionlondon.com.
Email: info@visionlondon.com
Tel: +44 (0) 203 3633 2237

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‘IVY’ got a good feeling about this…

With more and more emphasis on ‘urban greening’, towns and cities are becoming eco-friendlier, even down to having ‘green elements’ specified for planning permission and architect’s drawings, in some situations this has created issues, our Cash & Carry facility for Ivy Green Screens, provides an ideal solution to many problems faced by smaller landscapers and domestic clients, holding stock within our nursery now allows customers to buy smaller quantities and for various different projects, from installing an instant green hedge, covering unsightly walls and fences to ‘greening up’ a concrete back garden!

RHS trained with over 30 years’ horticultural experience, with a nationwide service of design, installation and after care for all our products.

As approved suppliers and installers of Ivy screens we are approached by many architects to help complete their larger projects, this provides us with the ideal platform to demonstrate the many different uses that our products can provide, this is very well received and has provided us with new contacts, on which to discuss forthcoming projects and listen to issues they were experiencing for finding ‘urban greening solutions’.

We have worked on many projects from domestic gardens providing an extra bit of privacy from overlook neighbours, to Trinity Square in Gateshead where we installed over 200 Green Screens! Our recent installations include coverage of an unsightly flood defence in Cardiff which is now an attractive aesthetically pleasing, ivy focal point pleasing the local residents.

One of our more unusual products is an attractive floral wall system which creates a living wall made up of cassettes, fitted together suitable for an external or internal wall, and can host a huge range of interesting plant species enhancing any interior or exterior living space – why not have your company logo designed in the plants, it’s all possible with the right plant choice which we will help design.

Various other products we can install such as, soil stabilization matting, sedum roofs and acoustic walling are on our website, www.hederascreens.co.uk.

Please call us on 0845 504 8211 to see how we can help with your project.

Follow us on social media for regular updates, Twitter @HEDERASCREENS / LinkedIn hederascreens.

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New online resource for specifiers of ground gas protection systems

Triton has published a new website

www.groundgasbarriers.co.uk dedicated to its new range of ground gas protection systems. The site is designed to help construction professionals fulfill the guidelines set out in the recently revised Code of Practice BS 8485: 2015, which explains how to prevent the entry of carbon dioxide and methane into new buildings, and which has been substantially expanded and revised to reflect changes in good practice and to reference recent guidelines produced by CIRIA and BRE.

The new site www.groundgasbarriers.co.uk introduces all Triton’s new gas protection products and includes liquid applied and sheet membrane systems. New Triton TGS-GM500 is a sheet membrane designed to prohibit the ingress of Carbon Dioxide, Methane and Radon. Where a barrier against explosive Hydrocardon gas is also required, new TGS-HCM1000 should be specified. Both membranes are highly puncture resistant and are designed to provide protection for the life of the building.

New TWS-EX100GM provides a solution when protection against ground gas as well as water/water vapour is required. This self-adhesive membrane is designed to provide protection against Methane and Radon as well fulfilling the requirements of Type A waterproofing as defined in BS 8102: 2009.

Where a liquid applied system is more appropriate, Triton’s established TT Vapour Membrane is available for retro-application as a waterproof and gas-proof membrane to concrete, masonry and brick substrates or as an alternative to sheet membranes in new construction.

A full range of ancillary products including fans, sumps, primers, tapes and components for sealing service entries is also available, as is training for specifiers and installers, and full back up and technical support. From the new site www.groundgasbarriers.co.uk, there are links to technical data sheets, NBS specification clauses and detail drawings.

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

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