Structural Concrete Alliance sponsors new award

Structural Concrete Alliance sponsors new award

The Structural Concrete Alliance is sponsoring a new Concrete Society award to find the structural concrete project of the year.

Entries were received from members of the three trade associations which make up the Structural Concrete Alliance, with the winner to be announced by Janet Street-Porter at the Concrete Society Awards Dinner to be held at the Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane, London on 29th October.

Members of the Concrete Repair Association (CRA), Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA) and the Sprayed Concrete Association (SCA) supplied details of the solutions they had delivered to overcome difficulties encountered in a range of demanding projects.

The entries were reviewed by a panel of members from each of the Associations and three projects were shortlisted to go on to the next stage of the competition.

Ken Dykes, spokesman for the Structural Concrete Alliance declared:

“The judging panel was impressed by the high standards of the entries, which served to highlight the professionalism of CRA, CPA and SCA members. Each entry demonstrated the depth of knowledge and skills our members possess and their ability to provide innovative solutions to even the most demanding of engineering challenges.

“Although it was a difficult choice, the judging panel felt that the shortlisted projects best represented the expertise of the asset protection and repair industry.”

The shortlisted entries included Balvac’s repair and refurbishment of the Silver Jubilee Bridge complex in Widnes, Cheshire; BAM Ritchies’ stabilisation of the Hooley Cutting in Surrey; and Mott Macdonald’s refurbishment of Ryde Pier in the Isle of Wight.

The Structural Concrete Alliance is an umbrella organisation which brings together the Concrete Repair Association (CRA), Corrosion Prevention Association (CPA) and Sprayed Concrete Association (SCA) to provide a single co-ordinated voice for the structural concrete refurbishment and repair industry. It offers a single point of contact for major clients and a definitive source of information and advice for all involved in the repair, refurbishment and management of concrete infrastructure and the protection from corrosion of a wide range of structures.

The Alliance offers a series of free regional CPD seminars which aim to provide delegates with an introduction to Structural Asset Protection and Repair. Events are scheduled to take place in Exeter, London and Leeds this Autumn. For further information on Structural Concrete Alliance activities and events visit www.structuralconcretealliance.org.uk.

For details of the Concrete Society Awards or to book a place at the event visit www.concrete-awards.org.uk

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Rinnai + renewables = boosted efficiencies on hot water

Rinnai + renewables = boosted efficiencies on hot water

Chris Goggin of Rinnai UK, manufacturer of market leading Infinity HE gas fired continuous flow water heaters, believes there is a responsibility for the industry to monitor and control energy usage but warns that prevaricating until the perfect solution is developed is not helping to push things forward.

“It is time to focus on what we can do to decarbonise the UK building stock to support energy and emission target reductions by using the best available technologies today and not waiting for a ‘magic box’ solution tomorrow.”

He says there is no one, single method to achieve energy efficiencies and advocates using a mix of existing renewables and traditional technologies tied in with smart control systems as the practical way forward to a greener future. He urges the industry to act now considering multiple solutions and not one size fits all.

“Experts have warned that energy blackouts are forecast by 2017, so a smart and well engineered method of dealing with the increasing pressures on the Energy Network without over engineering and over pricing is to find ways of using current renewables technology, be it solar thermal, solar PV or heat pump, in a practical manner maximised by traditional fuel sources” says Goggin.

Rinnai award winning renewables water heating solutions are designed to offer a perfect blend of eco-friendly technologies, guaranteed to provide a constant flow of hot water, no matter how many outlets are in use at the same time. The HE Rinnai condensing continuous flow water heater can be utilised as a secondary heat source for a solar or ASHP-boosted hot water delivery system and is one of the most energy efficient. Smart internal and external controls ensures that the Rinnai system is only using the optimum amount of gas, harnessing and maximising renewable gains and not acting as a constant or wasteful secondary heat source.

For all-year round hot water, Rinnai Infinity HDC1500 and HDC 1200 gas fired condensing continuous flow water heaters are renewables-ready or easily ‘retrofitable’ with current renewable technology.

Rinnai’s Infinity condensing products incorporate two heat exchangers to achieve optimum water heating generated from every cubic metre of Natural Gas or LPG, producing efficiencies of 95-97 per cent, easily surpassing the 90-92 per cent thermal efficiency thresholds set by the new legislation in the new build arena. They are extremely low NoX, less than 50mg, with hot water supply volumes of up to 740 litres per hour at 50° Delta from a single appliance. The addition of smart controls to the commercial condensing range cuts emissions further and aid frugality in gas consumption.

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.

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

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Quality Driven by Remmers

Quality Driven by Remmers

Established in 2004 and formally known as Blackhorse Car Sales, Lex Autolease Car Select in Oldbury has over 500 cars displayed in their showroom. The 2000㎡ showroom space along with the 600㎡ workshop space required a high gloss smooth finish flooring to upgrade the executive used car sales operation.

The existing old liquid polymer screed floor surfaces were badly cracked and damaged and needed refreshing and upgrading to better withstand the frequent and abrasive movements of the cars.

Capeland Industrial Flooring took on the challenge, which involved repairing, levelling and finishing the existing flooring with a slightly flexible floor topping that complemented the high end motor car sales. Remmers Epoxyflex PH SL was chosen for its ability to provide additional protection from reflective cracking. Three different shades of grey were employed throughout the buildings for demarcation and to highlight safe pedestrian routes.

The works were completed within a stringent timescale and budget much to the clients satisfaction.

For further information, please visit www.remmers.co.uk

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Striking new single ply school roof makes its mark

Striking new single ply school roof makes its mark

Oughterard National School is a new single-storey primary school situated in the Connemara district of west Ireland. The architectural vision for this new building, which boasts 16 state-of-the art classrooms, was to create a modern and aesthetically pleasing learning environment that would add real value to the local community. Another priority to the design team was using sustainable technologies and construction techniques to help reduce the building’s environmental impact.

The school building consists of eight roof areas on a variety of different pitches totalling over 3,400㎡ in all. Aesthetics were important to the client as most of the roof areas are pitched at a 20° slope making them highly visible, particularly from the central courtyard area. Bauder’s Thermofol single ply membrane was specified for the new roof because it is lightweight, long lasting, and visually appealing – with welded roof profiles incorporated to give the appearance of a standing seam metal roof. The system build-up also included Bauder’s 120mm Thermotech Glass Insulation for superior thermal performance, ensuring the roof achieved the required 0.19 U-Value.

Due to the visibility of the roof, all aspects of the job were under high scrutiny. The roof profiles had to be lined up perfectly along all the hips and valleys of the roof, requiring a high degree of skill and workmanship from approved contractor Noel Deane Roofing & Cladding, which they well and truly delivered on much to the delight of project specifier Martin Keaveney of JJ Rhatigan who stated, “Bauder were able to provide all the roofing materials needed, which enabled them to deliver a comprehensive solution and guarantee. They satisfied all delivery commitments and the new single ply roof looks and performs just as we expected.”

Since opening in September 2013 this contemporary school building has been recognised for its innovative design and architectural excellence by many award-giving bodies, including being shortlisted for the Best Educational Building at the RIAI 2014 Irish Architecture Awards. The school has also been commended for its environmental efforts, an example of this being how they collect and store rainwater in a reclamation tank so that it can be reused throughout the building.

For further information, please visit bauder.co.uk

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Altro triumphs at National Manufacturing Awards

Altro triumphs at National Manufacturing Awards

Altro has won a coveted award at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Manufacturing Excellence (MX) Awards 2014 in the ‘Innovation in Products and Processes’ category.

Christopher Simpson, Chairman of the Manufacturing Excellence Awards Executive, said: “The judges were hugely impressed by how much Altro values its customer voice in the creation of new products and by the company’s ability to create products that break new ground and allow Altro to stay ahead of the competition.

“Altro’s safety flooring for areas where both bare feet and shoes are used, called Altro Aquarius, is one of the company’s most successful product launches. The company also has a range of flooring derived purely from renewable sources.

“Altro is a hugely exciting company and demonstrates that innovation and originality is very much alive in UK manufacturing.”

John Patsavellas, Altro’s Manufacturing & Technical director said: “It is truly a huge honour for Altro to receive this prestigious award. It recognises our core innovation competency that enables us to make a positive difference in safety, hygiene and sustainability, with our customers and our colleagues at the heart of all our innovation systems. We are delighted with this honour and determined to continue leading in this field and sharing our innovation success story with British Industry.”

The Manufacturing Excellence Awards was established in 1982 and is widely recognised in the business world for promoting the very best of UK manufacturing.

The 2014 Manufacturing Excellence Awards is run by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers with AESSEAL®, The ERA Foundation, Grant Thornton, Lombard, NatWest, Renishaw and WMG and supported by the Department for Business and Innovation, MAS (Manufacturing Advisory Service), the MTC, Hexagon Metrology and Power Panels.

For further information about Altro, please visit www.altro.co.uk

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Brent Hudson confirmed as new Head at Twyford

Brent Hudson confirmed as new Head at Twyford

Reporting to Anders Spetz, Chief Commercial Officer of Sanitec, Brent will have full responsibility for Twyford in the UK and Ireland.

Brent joined Twyford in February 2013 to head up the Commercial Operations and Marketing departments. He has previously held board level positions with Valeo Service, Saint-Gobain Pipelines and Biwater Industries.

Says Brent Hudson: “I am delighted to be appointed at such an exciting and interesting time in Twyford’s history. With the recent launch of our Energy Collection we are looking to further grow our position in the UK market, and I am greatly looking forward to leading the company as we re-affirm the Twyford brand.”

Brent’s appointment is with immediate effect.

For further information on Twyford Bathrooms, contact tel: 01270 879777 or visit www.twyfordbathrooms.com

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Sika Liquid Plastics suits iconic Liverpool Cotton Exchange building

Sika Liquid Plastics suits iconic Liverpool Cotton Exchange building

A Sika Liquid Plastics waterproofing system has proved to be the perfect fit for one of Liverpool’s most historic office buildings, The Cotton Exchange.

Registered Sika Liquid Plastics contractor and national concrete repairer, Grade 2 Specialist Structural Repairs, based in the North West, were specified for the job after the company applied to go on a Liquid Plastics contractor scheme. Part of the process Grade 2 had undertaken was to put three projects forward, The Cotton Exchange being one of them.

Grade 2 were briefed to carry out isolated concrete repairs to wall areas along with restorations to all the decoration works to the exterior of the property. The Cotton Exchange also required a Sika Liquid Plastics product that was watertight, ensured longevity and was aesthetically pleasing to the human eye; this led to the specification of the Sika 618 and Sika Reemat premium being installed.

“The building is designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building; it has a very unusual looking roof, it looks a bit like an air-raid shelter,” Grade 2’s operations manager Steve Parry comments.

“The shape of the roof caused a few problems for us, especially when the application of the first coat had been completed as we kept slipping off it when applying the final coat, due to the unusual contour of the roof. However, working with a liquid applied membrane certainly made the job a lot easier.”

“It was finished on time, on budget and the client is very pleased with the outcome of the repairs so it has been a very successful project for all involved.”

For further information, please visit gbr.liquidplastics.sika.com/

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Rinnai – a full range of fanned convection space heaters

Rinnai – a full range of fanned convection space heaters

Rinnai Energysaver fanned convection powered flue gas fired space heating solutions are suited to all types of sites – schools, community centres, libraries, conservatories and churches.

Rinnai Energysaver models deliver smart, energy-efficient and consistent warm air without the use of central ductwork. And installation is quick, easy and simple.

The Rinnai Energysaver range comprises of models that exceed seasonal thermal heating guidance under the Building Regs Part L.

Rinnai provides an innovative solution by heating from the floor up and by modulating gas usage in relation to room temperature, enabling its units to provide unparalleled levels of comfort and efficiency. They provide safe, controllable heat with maximum energy efficiency, combined with flexibility of location.

Any number of Rinnai space heaters can run off a central time clock providing heat to large spaces. The Energysaver Multi is not limited to single Energysavers as the flexibility of the system guarantees any units can be mixed and matched together to satisfy even the most unique buildings.

The Rinnai range of Energysaver fanned convection powered flue heaters includes three products – the Energysaver 309 FTR, the Energysaver 559T, the energy Saver 1004T, which are available in both Natural Gas and LPG options. All models come with a 15 year warranty on the heat exchanger.

Fully modulating burners mean heat output and energy input are reduced as the space warms up. The units, encased in a low surface temperature casing to eradicate any risk of burns, are swift to warm up, easy to control and are very economical to run. Rinnai Energysaver 559T, and 1004T heaters are also suitable for central timer control.

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

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Hush Acoustics: Hard wood flooring replaces carpet in apartment

Hush Acoustics: Hard wood flooring replaces carpet in apartment

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

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

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

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

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

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Celotex provides an exceptional degree of insulation at York University

Celotex provides an exceptional degree of insulation at York University

Sustainability is a key feature of the £30 million Goodricke College which forms part of the £750 million development of the Heslington East campus at the University of York. With this significant investment set to prepare the university for the future, and materials chosen to meet the development’s high performance criteria as efficiently and effectively as possible, PIR insulation from Celotex was specified to create a thermally efficient building envelope.

Designed by architects BDP and built by Shepherd Construction, the 16,000㎡ college has incorporated a range of energy saving measures such as high performance insulation to achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating. To aid with this, Celotex provided its innovative EL3000 insulation board, specially designed for use in flat roofing applications.

For six campus buildings, specialist contactor Roofdec Ltd of Rotherham installed 7,500㎡ of 100mm thick Celotex EL3000 boards onto a vapour barrier which was adhered to the roof’s metal structural decks. The built up flat roofing system was then finished with Sarnafil G410-ELF single ply membrane, attached directly to the surface of the insulation boards to create a thermally efficient bonded roofing system.

Celotex EL3000 has an excellent lambda value and with a glass tissue facer which is perforated on one side, it removes the requirement for a two layer solution and is suitable for either bituminous or single-ply roofing. It provides a quick and easy method of achieving effective thermal insulation in flat roofing structures and does not allow a build-up of moisture below the waterproofing membrane.

Alongside its U-value, which lowers heating requirements and thereby CO2 emissions, Celotex EL3000 has low Global Warming Potential and zero Ozone Depletion Potential. Available in a range of thicknesses from 50mm – 150mm and in two different length of boards – 600mm and 2,400mm – it is versatile and easy to cut to shape on site, providing Roofdec with an easy method of constructing the roof.

Celotex insulation is incredibly durable, dimensionally stable and unaffected by temperature cycles. It also does not corrode or degrade on contact with welding chemicals used in conjunction with many flat roofing systems.

With Phase 1 and 2 of the development now complete, this project demonstrates the versatility of Celotex’ products – and with flat roof applications well established in the UK building industry, the company’s portfolio of solutions offers specifiers and installers thermally efficient, simple and cost effective methods of insulating such rooftops.

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

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