Titon provides efficient ventilation for Essex barn conversion

Nine Solitude constant flow decentralised mechanical extract ventilation (dMEV) units from Titon have been installed throughout two residential barns – collectively known as “North End Barns” – in Felsted, Essex. Not only is Solitude the most efficient dMEV available according to BRE tests, it also meets stringent 5 Pa back pressure requirements.

Of the two North End Barns properties, the first – the two-storey “Barn 2B” – has five bedrooms and benefits from three Titon Solitude units fitted on its ground floor. Elsewhere, “Barn 5” is a single floor property, boasting six Solitude products installed throughout.

In addition to the dMEV fans, the converted barns also benefit from a ground source heat pump-powered central heating system and high levels of insulation. The entire project was managed and built by local builder R.E. Butler Construction, while M&E works were carried out by Bates FMC Ltd. All work was completed in April 2017.

Discussing the installation, James Hughes, Business Development Manager at Bates FMC Ltd, said “We’ve used Titon on previous projects and have always been impressed by the quality of their products, as well as the sales team and level of customer service. In addition to offering exceptional levels of performance, the Solitude dMEV units also proved straightforward to install. It was simply a matter of the builders setting the flow rates according to the architect’s brief and then reporting back to building control.”

Solitude dMEV fans can be wall, ceiling, panel or window mounted and benefit from a unique impeller design, resulting in a combination of powerful performance and minimal noise. Additionally, the units use a boost with overrun timer that is adjustable between 0-30 minutes, manually activated via a remote switch (in the form of a room light switch).

All Titon dMEV fans are fully compliant with Part F of the Building Regulations and are supplied with a 30-month guarantee in the UK.

For more information about Titon and its range of whole house ventilation products, please visit: www.titon.co.uk
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Council upgrades all sheltered housing with Aico Multi-Sensor alarms

Sheffield City Council has completed a programme to upgrade its fire safety throughout its 1,134 sheltered housing properties using Aico’s Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm for an enhanced level of safety; this will enable residents to live safely in their homes for many years to come, even should their health or mobility deteriorate. An additional 261 properties within three tower blocks will also benefit from this premium fire alarm, following a fire risk assessment and advice from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.

A long standing Aico customer, Sheffield City Council is committed to providing tenants with a high level of fire safety. This latest move to a single alarm specification – the advanced Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm – not only provides greater safety but also enables the Council to standardise its fire detection systems across its entire sheltered property portfolio, making it easier to manage and reducing the chance of renewal using the wrong type of detector.

Aico’s Multi-Sensor Fire Alarm contains two sensor types, optical and heat, to constantly monitor smoke and heat levels, sending and receiving information via its intelligent detection software. This sensor information alters the alarm’s sensitivity and trigger points, automatically providing the best response to all fire types and reduces potential false alarms.

Steve Batty, Electrical Team Manager, at Sheffield City Council, explains the decision to standardise on the Multi-Sensor “The choice of detector depended on, amongst other things: the speed of response needed to provide adequate warning, the nature of the perceived fire hazards, the suitability for the environment and the need to minimise false alarms. Being a Multi-Sensor it allows for better coverage where there is more than one type of fire risk i.e. a broader spectrum of fire detection.”

“As these properties are now monitored, nuisance tripping needed to be reduced and the dust compensation feature of this model reassured us that this could be achieved over the lifespan of the unit.” The Multi-Sensor has a unique self-monitoring dust compensation mechanism incorporated into its software that monitors minute changes in dust levels, recalibrating the alarm trigger point as required. This reduces the number of false alarms and maintenance costs.

The Multi-Sensors are officially being installed to Category LD2 (medium protection) but with alarms also in the bedrooms; which in most properties actually equates to the higher LD1 category. This level of protection was carefully chosen by Sheffield City Council for their sheltered properties, and consideration was given to the guidance within the Local Government Association’s “Fire Safety in Purpose-Built Flats” publication.

This same publication, published following the Lakanal House fire, recommended two way verbal communication between residents and the monitoring station and/or warden call system prior to summoning the fire brigade. As a result, Sheffield City Council has also installed Aico’s Ei414 Fire/CO Alarm Interface, which provides a dedicated connection between Aico Alarms and Warden Call systems. The Ei414 is also used by the Council as an interface with the sprinkler system in a sheltered tower block. “Connection of the sprinkler flow switch into the Ei414 enables us to monitor both sprinklers and smoke detection activations in individual flats, dealing with activations effectively and reducing response times for the fire brigade.”

In addition, Aico’s Ei450 Alarm Control Switch is being installed for residents’ convenience. The Ei450 is wall mounted and allows residents not only to test all alarms on the system, but also silence them and locate the trigger alarm from a safe, accessible location.

All elements within the fire safety system are being interconnected wirelessly using Aico RadioLINK+ RF technology “to mitigate disturbance for residents wherever possible.”

But it’s not all about product, as Steve comments: “As part of Sheffield City Council’s initiative to improve fire safety to residents and properties, we have been working closely with Aico as well as South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue to invest in fire safety. The service we receive from Paul Cartwright (Aico Regional Specification Manager) has always been excellent. He is continuously available to advise, gives frank and trustworthy advice which is much appreciated within the industry.”

A wholly owned subsidiary of Ei Electronics, Aico is the market leader in residential fire and CO protection in the UK. All alarms are designed and built in Ireland specifically to meet the UK standards and regulations.

For more information please go to www.aico.co.uk or contact Aico on 01691 664100 or enquiries@aico.co.uk.
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Wise-Up to Smart Buildings

GEZE UK’s smart-thinking, innovation and latest system solutions will be showcased at the Smart Buildings Show (8 -9 November 2017), at the Barbican, London.

The only company to offer both door and window automation, GEZE UK will demonstrate how its products can transform buildings into ‘Smart Buildings’, more economical for owners and more functional for occupiers over the building lifecycle.

Kaz Spiewakowski, GEZE UK managing director said “This, the UK’s first dedicated smart buildings event, will provide the ideal platform for us to demonstrate our expertise in intelligent building networking. Uniquely able to provide both door and window automation, we will reveal how our responsive and multifunctional systems can optimise building performance, whilst providing cost-effective and comfortable working environments.”

Products on display will include the Powerturn swing door drive for opening large, heavy doors and Slimchain and Powerchain electrically operated chain drives for vertically installed window ventilation.

The new interface module IO 420 allows automatic door systems, window technology and smoke and heat extraction systems as well as safety technology to be integrated into buildings via the BACnet communication standard.

Clever technology, such as the IQ box KNX interface – which uses the KNX operating standard – will also be showcased. This ‘intelligent thinker’ can talk to technology solutions around a building – enabling functionality and security at the touch of a button. It interfaces with GEZE’s IQ window drives and enables windows to be opened to desired positions, facilitating timed ventilation, automatic opening and closing and more, controlled internally or from a mobile end device.

For details of the event visit www.smartbuildingshow.com.

For more information about GEZE UK’s comprehensive range of products and system solutions call 01543 443000 or visit www.geze.co.uk.
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Rinnai Infinity 1600e offers lowest low-Nox guaranteed

Rinnai, designer and manufacturer of the A-rated Infinity range of Infinity continuous flow condensing gas fired water heaters, supplies the best energy efficient range of low-NoX water heaters on the market.

Advanced condensing heat exchangers combined with innovative down firing pre-mix burner technology ensure every cubic metre of natural gas or LPG is utilised to the maximum in the Infinity HDC 1600e. The units are renewables-ready and suitable for use as a temperature booster for solar thermal and heat-pump installations. The HDC1600e is also future-proofed against future regulatory and legislative changes.

The renewables-ready low-Nox Infinity HDC 1600e external wall mounted boiler along with the interior HDC 1600i version) utilises Rinnai’s patented pre-mix burner technology with a 14-1 turn down ratio – the largest on the market – of 58.4kw-4.05kw and is ultra quiet in operation.

Integral controls on the units are also a major step forward in achieving best efficiencies whether locally or when integrated into a building management system. Legionella proliferation is also significantly reduced too.

Rinnai has also invented additional ‘SMART’ controls for secondary return DHW systems in the form of an advanced temperature control system which allows for safe running of water at 42°C core temperature during the day and 60°C at a time when the building is closed. By the time the building reopens, core temperature is 42°C for safe use.

“The uptake on the whole series of Rinnai’s low-NoX, high efficiency product, across all sectors, has been nothing short of phenomenal,” says Rinnai UK Associate Director Chris Goggin.

Rinnai Infinity HDC range offers condensing technology with up to 107% gross efficiency, ultra-low-Nox of less than 20 ppm, a widely expansive modulation range of 54kW-4kW and high flow rates of 37/ltr/min. Add to these benefits the peace of mind of an extended warranty, a top A-rating exceeding the demands of eco-labelling legislation, the flexibility of external wall mounting and delivery to site with all relevant accessories and the knowledge that the HDC1600e is future-proofed against future regulatory and legislative changes and it is easy to see why the Rinnai brand is fast growing in popularity among H&V professionals.

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.
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SFS intec extends support with structured BIM data for fasteners

Architects and designers working on BIM projects can now benefit from information on fastening solutions for the building envelope with ease, thanks to the ready-to-use structured data on the most widely used roofing and cladding fasteners now available from SFS intec.

The structured product data published exclusively by SFS intec, the world’s leading fastener manufacturer, is available to download at www.sfsintec.co.uk and is the first stage of the company’s initiative to provide a comprehensive library of product information to support BIM Level 2. It represents another dimension to SFS intec’s market-leading support for specifiers and contractors which already includes easy to reach, UK-based Technical and Specification Teams offering on-demand expertise to help achieve the highest performing building envelopes.

Andy Stolworthy, Product and Market Development Manager at SFS intec, says “We believe that through standardising data, clients and project teams will be able to compare and select products based on value and life cycle benefits rather than just price. This should allow for better quality products to be selected, so that life cycle costings reduce. It is obviously a far more sustainable approach to construction and something that resonates with our values at SFS in terms of delivering higher quality buildings.

“The fastener plays a fundamental role in the roof or façade system, but with current working practices and BIM software technology we believe at this time that a 3D BIM object would not be as widely beneficial as structured data. This presents product information in plain language with simple questions and answers allowing integration into a greater system element, be that data or 3D geometry. That’s why we are leading the way, by developing data for our products that can be used now.”

In addition to CAD drawings, ETA and Technical Value sheets, SFS intec has defined its own structured product data template, initially for self-drilling fasteners, with five Structured Data Sheets available for fasteners SL2, SX3, SX5, SXC5 and SXC14. These data sheets provide information content that defines the product, its properties and functional characteristics. The Data Sheets are available in PDF format for free download from www.sfsintec.co.uk, with Excel files also available by request from gb_technical@sfsintec.biz.

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Gatic appoints Keith Lambourne MBE, MIEx to support record year in exports

Gatic, a global leader in engineered surface water drainage and access covers, has appointed Keith Lambourne MBE, MIEx to support its strong growth in exports. Following a record year, Gatic is expanding and investing in its teams to lay the foundation for further international growth and to boost the Alumasc Water Management Solutions (AWMS) brand. Keith boasts 40 years’ experience in construction exports and 50 years in the construction industry. His wealth of knowledge will help drive the business forward and strengthen Gatic’s leading position in international markets.

Keith previously worked for global players such as Peter Savage and SKK Cyprus, and subsequently spending 26 years as Export Director for ACO International. In his new role, Keith will be responsible for identifying new export markets and promoting the benefits of AWMS and Gatic’s systems and solutions to specifiers and engineers around the world.

Keith comments: “I’m looking forward to developing and seizing new business opportunities for Gatic and AWMS. Both are leading brands in their own right with clearly defined benefits and USPs across their wide range of rain-to-drain water management solutions. I’m ready to hit the ground running and help make a difference.”

For more information, call 01304 203 545 or visit www.gatic.com.
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Zero Waste Goal and CO2 Savings for SFS intec in Latest Sustainability Boost

Leading fastener manufacturer, SFS intec, has strengthened its position as one of the sustainability innovators in the roofing and cladding sector by implementing two new initiatives that significantly reduce the environmental impact of its Leeds HQ and production site.

The company, which is one of the world’s largest producers of fastening systems for the built environment, has just made a major investment to reduce energy consumption within its premises located close to Leeds city centre. Working in conjunction with its OEM customer Kingspan, SFS intec has installed a new ultra-low energy LED lighting system that will save 65 tonnes of CO2 per annum, in addition to providing a much brighter and more comfortable working environment for SFS personnel.

By removing the 349 original light fittings and replacing them with 155 low-energy LED lights, SFS intec is cutting its annual electricity consumption for lighting by nearly three quarters. The new LED lights allow for customised lighting levels which adapt to the amount of natural light entering the building through rooflights and windows.

In a separate programme to reduce its carbon footprint, SFS intec has also appointed a new partner to help it maximise recycling and eliminate landfill waste. Working with waste management specialist ACM Environmental PLC, new processes implemented right across the site will ensure all the company’s cardboard, dry mixed recyclables, wood, scrap metal and general waste is separated and sent to recycling plants, with none sent to landfill.

Luke Wood, QES Manager at SFS intec, who led both sustainability programmes, said “We’re always looking at utilising new technology, services and processes to ensure we’re operating in a sustainable way, guided by the three ‘P’s of sustainability – People, Planet and Profit.

“Cutting our energy consumption and waste help us to minimise our carbon footprint and maintain our position as an environmentally sustainable supply chain partner for all our built environment customers. Our next programme is looking at our consumption of gas for heating and to power our air-handling systems and, when implemented, could deliver even further CO2 savings.

“The fastening systems we manufacture and supply are often used in low and zero carbon buildings, so it is important for our customers to have confidence that each SFS intec product used is manufactured sustainably. That’s where we add value and give the industry a ‘greener’ choice.”

SFS intec manufactures a wide range of fastening systems for all types of roofing and cladding applications. The company is part of the Swiss-based SFS Group which has annual sales in excess of £1.1bn and a history dating back to the 1950s serving customers in the construction, automotive, electronics, industrial and medical products markets.

Full details about SFS intec are available at www.sfsintec.co.uk.
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Vortice Twin Fans selected for Axiom Belfast

The prestigious Axiom building situated in Great Victoria Street, Belfast has undergone an upgrade of its washroom and shower areas across five floors and Vortice fans have been chosen for the ventilation installation.

Belfast based Crystal Air undertook the project and Director Mark Mawhinney said: “This is a well specified project where every element has been selected both for its quality and subtle appearance. The new 250 diameter silent twin fans by Vortice were chosen for their excellent performance levels as well as their sleek Italian design.”

The Vort TF acoustic twin cabinet range of fans is IPX2 rated and comes in four different models which can be selected according to the specific fan power required. The range is ideal for the application required in the Axiom building where quiet running, high performance ventilation was needed.

For more information about Vortice ventilation fans visit www.vortice.ltd.uk.
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Titon helps keep the noise down at new Birmingham apartments

75 SFX Sound Attenuator vents from Titon have been installed at the newly constructed Honduras Wharf project in Birmingham. Located in the heart of the city centre, the building comprises 99 residential apartments and penthouses, each with between one to three bedrooms. The project, which was completed in June 2017, was overseen by Leicester-based Unique Window Systems Ltd, while the contractor was J.A. Ball Ltd.

Titon’s SFX Sound Attenuator is a compact slot ventilator which provides high levels of sound attenuation compared to similar ‘acoustic’ products. The vents and accompanying canopies for the Honduras Wharf project were coloured RAL7024 Matt Graphite Grey in line with the décor of the building’s façade and window frames.

Commenting on selecting the vents, Gary Burrows, Project Manager at Unique Window Systems, said “Due to the city centre location, acoustic vents were required in order to adhere to the necessary building and planning regulations. Having used Titon’s products for many years now, we knew the SFX Sound Attenuator was perfect for the application in hand. Not only are these vents easy to fit, they are excellent at minimising noise while maintaining the required levels of background ventilation.”

The SFX Sound Attenuator is part of Titon’s renowned SF Xtra range – and is widely specified throughout the UK. It can be purchased in a number of combinations based on different sizes of inner (ventilator) and outer (canopy). Combinations can be chosen depending on the acoustic requirement and can achieve up to 44 D,n,e,w attenuation when the vent is open.

These vents have also been subjected to independent EA testing (measuring airflow through the product) conducted by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and acoustic testing by SRL Technical Services Ltd. The EA tests were carried out in accordance with UK Approved Document F (ADF) 2010 and the Scottish Technical Handbook 3.14.6 using the recognised test method to BS:EN 13141-1 clause 4. The independent testing substantiated the claimed performance data of the Titon Trimvent Select, SF Xtra and SFX Sound Attenuator trickle vents.

The SFX Sound Attenuator is a cost effective method of reducing incoming noise in situations where conventional slot ventilators are unable to assist with acoustic issues. It comes fitted with a Titon SFX and/or SF Ventilator Canopy and fits over the standard SF, Trimvent Select or Select Xtra slot size.

For more information about Titon and its range of window and door hardware, as well as its whole house ventilation products, please visit: www.titon.co.uk.
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Gatic appoints new Sales Director to drive growth

Gatic Civil Drainage, part of Alumasc Water Management Solutions (AWMS), boosts its growing team with the appointment of a new Sales Director Martin Neale.

Martin joins the team at an exciting time for the business and will be central to driving Gatic’s commercial strategy to its next level of growth. He comes with over 27 years’ in the civil drainage sector, working in senior roles and building relationships across the supply chain from architects and specifiers, through to contractors and builders’ merchants.

Martin comments: “I’m extremely pleased to be joining Gatic and its team and am looking forward to contributing to Gatic’s lead in the market and strengthening its position in civil drainage. Gatic is a global leader of precision engineered access covers and surface water drainage, with over 50% of our business in exports. We manufacture the widest range of slot and channel drains, and recently introduced Filcoten® to the range which is the first in a new generation of concrete channel drainage based on High Performance Concrete.

“My new role in Gatic is timely,” continues Martin. “We have lots of great developments to shout about and many more to come!”

For more information, call 01304 203 545 or visit www.gatic.com.
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