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SFS intec’s Powder Coated Fasteners Deliver on Aesthetics and Performance in Prestigious Retail Project

Powder coated high performance fasteners from SFS intec have played a key role in enabling leading roofing and cladding contractor Roofdec to create a striking new building envelope for a major extension to the White Rose Shopping Centre in Leeds.

The prestigious £13.7m project completed by Morgan Sindall for client Land Securities expands the popular shopping centre with an additional 65,000 sq ft. This space incorporates an 11 screen Cineworld cinema with IMAX technology, numerous restaurants and an extension of both the existing Primark and Debenhams stores.

Meeting the colour consistency and long-term performance brief across the various elements of the contemporary façade, Roofdec turned to SFS intec for 40 variations of fasteners, many of which were powder coated in-house to match the different forms and colours of the rainscreen exterior. This included ensuring that fastener heads complemented the building’s unique curved facias which were formed of purpose-made anodised panels in various colours.

Jon Barnes Senior, Managing Director of Roofdec, says, “For all of our prestigious jobs, we choose SFS intec’s fasteners for their excellent quality, ease of installation and value for money.  SFS intec provide excellent technical support throughout the design and construction phases of a project and with their production facilities being located in Leeds with in-house powder-coating, the logistics to get the right coloured product on-site were a breeze.

“With their unbeatable warranty, we’re confident that we will have no teething problems on site and the sustainability of the building is secure for a longer warranty period.  Once the project is finished, we can move on to our next project with total confidence in our work.”

SFS intec powder-coats fasteners, available to meet any RAL colour and in bespoke finishes, at its UK HQ and production plant in Leeds. This ensures it can provide complete consistency in fastener design, manufacture and colour-matching for total peace of mind – all within industry-leading lead times.

The company’s sales and technical teams are available to advise on how best to colour-match fasteners with panels. Currently, SFS intec’s most popular requests for powder coated heads reflect the trends in contemporary architecture, and include Goosewing Grey, Poppy Red, Light Metallic Silver, Solvent Blue, Hamlet and Sargasso Blue.

David Osborne, National Sales Manager at SFS intec says: “With architects continuously pushing the boundaries of façade design, and OEMs leading the charge with constant innovation in panel design and construction, maintaining the visual appeal of the building envelope is vital, particularly for clients in the fiercely competitive retail market.

“Our powder coated fasteners, which provide a high-quality finish for our A2 (grade 304) or A4 (grade 316) stainless steel fasteners, is the ideal way to ensure a façade retains its integrity over a long service life, without suffering significant visual defects that will inevitably impact on the visual appeal of the structure.

Powder coating is an advanced alternative to using moulded nylon heads. Finely ground particles of pigment and resin are sprayed on to the metal fastener head using an electrostatic spray process, causing the charged particles to permanently bond to the metal surface. The powder is then heated and fused into a smooth coating in a curing oven at up to 200 °C, melting the powder onto the metal, to deliver excellent weather resistance and colour stability in even the most exposed locations.

Customers can access detailed information about all the fastening solutions available from SFS intec through its 2017 Roofing and Cladding Catalogue which is accessible via the new website www.sfsintec.co.uk. Customers can also benefit from UK-wide sales and technical teams, both dedicated to providing market-leading customer service, along with extensive resources and training facilities to ensure the best possible result in the finished building envelope.

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Grenfell fire increases demand for building works

A survey carried out by US recruitment firm Manpower has found that of more than 2,000 UK employers confidence among public sector firms had improved radically in the last three months, in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Participating British businesses were asked how they viewed the jobs market and whether they had plans in the pipeline their workforce over the next 12 months. Those in the UK construction trade reported a net employment outlook of +11% for the final quarter of 2017.

That represents the strongest outlook of any UK sector and a 6% increase on the third quarter.

The Grenfell Tower fire in June spread through cladding on the building which subsequently failed safety tests, claiming at least 80 lives.

Many other public housing projects — predominantly high-rise buildings — have since failed safety tests due to unsafe cladding.

James Hick, managing director for Manpower Group Solutions, said expansion in the UK construction trade was driven by those bids to improve public housing.

Hick commented “Construction hiring often slows in the winter months, but the UK is set to buck the trend this year — our data suggests this could be the strongest fourth quarter for hiring since 2005.

“Some of this work is the urgent testing and repair that is being carried out up and down the country on much of Britain’s public housing stock.

“The state of housing in the country is under the microscope like never before and the need for both building and remedial work have caused demand in the construction industry to shoot up.

“The tough reality lurking beneath all these positive indicators is that these hiring intentions may not come to fruition because of difficulties attracting and retaining skilled employees.”

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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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First cladding system to pass government fire tests

A cladding system using stonewall insulation has become the first to pass new fire safety tests ordered by the government since the Grenfell tragedy in June.

The fourth in the government’s series of large-scale fire safety tests, that will allow experts to better understand how different types of cladding panels behave with different types of insulation in a fire, has been completed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

This fourth test was of a wall cladding system consisting of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding with a fire resistant polyethylene filler (category 2 in screening tests) and stone wool insulation (a form of mineral wool). This combination of materials has passed the test.

The government’s Expert Panel advise that the results show that this combination of materials can be compliant with current Building Regulations when installed and maintained properly. It could therefore offer a possible solution for some buildings with other cladding systems which have been identified as a hazard.

However the Expert Panel note that cladding and insulation materials can vary between manufacturers and can have different calorific values. The way materials have been fitted and maintained can also affect the safety of the cladding system.

Therefore the clear advice from the Expert Panel is that building owners need to continue to take professional advice as to whether any remedial work is necessary to ensure the safety of their building. The test results will help inform this work but they must also take into account the specific circumstances of their building.

13 buildings over 18 metres tall in England are known to have this combination of ACM with a fire resistant polyethylene filler (category 2) and stone wool insulation. Following initial screening tests, government issued advice to building owners detailing immediate interim safety measures that needed to be undertaken. These measures have been completed for all 13 of these buildings.

The Department for Communities and Local Government concluded “The clear advice from the Expert Panel is that building owners need to continue to take professional advice as to whether any remedial work is necessary to ensure the safety of their building.”

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Expert panel recommends further tests on cladding and insulation

Large scale tests will help establish how different types of ACM panels in combination with different types of insulation behave in a fire.

The independent expert panel on safety has advised further testing as the next step to be conducted in helping landlords to ensure the safety of their buildings.

These large scale tests will help establish how different types of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) panels in combination with different types of insulation behave in a fire.

The results of these tests will help landlords make decisions on any further measures that may need to be put in place to make their buildings safe following the Grenfell Tower fire. These tests will be undertaken by the BRE and will not require any new samples from buildings.

Earlier this week the panel brought together a group of technical experts from a wide range of professions and organisations. The group discussed the processes that had been followed to identify whether buildings had ACM panels and the advice provided to building owners on interim measures and agreed that these were the right first steps.

The further tests – which will look at 3 different types of ACM cladding combined with different types of insulation – will be in accordance with British Standard 8414 in line with the panel’s advice. This involves building a 9 metres tall demonstration wall with a complete cladding system – including panels and insulation – fixed to it, and then subjecting it to a fire that replicates a severe fire in a flat breaking out of a window and whether it then spread up the outside wall.

In addition, the Expert Advisory Panel recommended issuing further practical advice on immediate steps landlords can take to identify their wall materials including insulation, which will be published shortly.

The government has now commissioned the Building Research Establishment to undertake these tests as a matter of urgency. The results will be made publically available. Landlords will be expected to take their own professional advice on what is required for their buildings in the usual way.

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Three hospital buildings fail fire safety tests

Buildings at three NHS trusts in England have failed fire safety tests in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster, according to NHS Improvement.

Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London and North Middlesex University Hospitals NHS Trust failed the cladding safety test and are now being removed.

A spokeswoman for NHS Improvement stated that “measures are being put in place to ensure the safety of the building while the cladding is removed.”

“Patient safety is paramount. There will be no disruptions to patient services or continuity of care.”

All NHS trusts and foundation trusts now have been to carry out urgent fire safety checks in wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

This news comes after the recent announcement that all 181 tower blocks tested for flammability since the Grenfell Tower fire have failed.

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Grenfell Tower update: insulation and tiles failed fire safety tests

Police have confirmed that the blaze was started by a faulty Hotpoint fridge freezer and that the insulation used in the refurbishment was actually more flammable and contributory to the inferno than the cladding tiles.

In a statement to the press, Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack said “preliminary tests show the insulation samples collected from Grenfell Tower combusted soon after the tests started. The initial tests on the equivalent aluminium composite tiles failed also.” McCormack also confirmed that the police are now planning on investigating the manner in which the tiles were fixed to the building and how the installation process attributed to the fire.

Although the current death toll sits at 9 at the time of writing, it is expected to rise to 79 as more of the charred building becomes accessible to recovery teams. Manslaughter charges are currently being considered.

Thousands of households across the UK have been warned this week that the buildings they live in are also clad in similar flammable systems, or around 600 towers according to estimates from the Communities and Local Government. This is now a matter of high urgency to rectify, to prevent similar accidents happening in the future.

David Orr, Chief Executive at the National Housing Federation, said “Since the tragic fire that took place last Wednesday at Grenfell Tower, housing associations across the country have worked tirelessly to reassure tenants, carry out additional safety checks and, in London, offer support to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

“Right now, housing associations are working closely with DCLG to identify and test any tower blocks with ACM (aluminium composite material) cladding. And, while the cause of the fire and its spread remains unconfirmed, housing associations will be scrupulous in carrying out other fire safety checks for example on sprinklers, smoke control systems and emergency procedures.

“We want to reassure residents of these blocks that testing on your building does not necessarily mean that it is unsafe, and in instances where cladding is found to be combustible, action will be taken.

“As always, the sector’s first priority is its residents. We will work in partnership with local authorities and fire services across the country to ensure people in tower blocks are safe and secure.”

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Chancellor confirms cladding used on Grenfell Tower is actually banned in UK

In an interview with the BBC Chancellor Philip Hammond has confirmed that the non-fire-resistant cladding attributed to the quick spreading of fire at Grenfell Tower is in fact banned in many countries, including the UK.

In an interview with Andrew Marr, the Chancellor said “My understanding is the cladding in question, this flammable cladding which is banned in Europe and the US, is also banned here. So there are two separate questions. One, are our regulations correct; do they permit the right kind of materials and ban the wrong kind of materials? The second question is; were they correctly complied with?

“That will be a subject that the inquiry will look at. It will also be a subject that the criminal investigation will be looking at.”

The fire prevention industry comments:

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) said “The incident highlights a number of concerns regarding fire safety in the built environment and demonstrates how vigilant we must all be when designing, supplying and installing fire protection in buildings.

“Compartmentation and structural fire protection play a vital role in protecting escape routes and slowing the spread of fire and smoke. But there can be tragic consequences which may ensue if such systems are not adequately specified, installed and maintained; or are bypassed by rapid fire spread outside the building as may have happened at Grenfell House.”

The Fire Sector Federation (FSF) added “Although a fire on such a scale is unprecedented in the UK, there have been a number of similar incidents both here and around the world. The FSF has long expressed major concerns about the apparent disjoint in the processes which aim to ensure fire safety within the built environment, as well as concerns about the combustibility of certain modern building materials.

“While we must wait for a full investigation into the cause of the fire and the reasons for such rapid fire spread in this tragic incident, the Fire Sector Federation will be continuing to campaign for improvements in fire safety legislation and in ensuring the safety of the public and our built environment.

“This tragedy will be felt throughout the fire sector, where all our efforts are focussed on ensuring the safety of our communities and of ensuring that our buildings are adequately protected.”

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Metsec launches new wide flange Purlins product

voestalpine Metsec plc has launched its newest purlins product line, the wide flange purlin.

Metsec is first to market with the product after identifying a need in the claddings market for a flange with a wider surface for fixing to. Previously, cladders working on a project that required a larger fixing face would have to engineer a solution from existing products and work around the problem.

The introduction of this product means that the roofing contractor has an on-hand, bespoke, engineered solution which reduces the amount of materials and labour needed, as well as providing a cost saving.

Kevin Jones, sales director for Metsec Purlins, said “Our focus is on service and meeting our customers’ needs at all times. In speaking with our customers we realised claddings that needed a larger fixing face was a pain point for them, and so we developed our wide flange purlin product that would give an engineered, fit-for-purpose solution.

“By introducing this into the market, we aim to save both time and money for our customers as well as providing an easy-to-use solution that we hope will become the standard for claddings with larger fixing faces.”

The product will feature in Metsec’s new purlins brochure, the first major update for four years, due for release in spring 2017. The user-friendly brochure contains case studies to give examples of application and load tables for specifying solutions.

Designed to be more user-friendly, the brochure will be released to market at the end of May.

For more information please visit www.metsec.com.
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Abet shelters the rescuers

Abet Laminati’s MEG exterior grade laminate has been used to clad the exterior of the new offices and crew rooms of the RNLI Station in Brighton Marina.

Designed and supplied by Aliva UK, MEG 414 was chosen to match the ceramic facades of the surrounding buildings and was face fixed with colour coded rivets. The cladding envelopes the Station, keeping staff and crew warm and dry in the harshest of weathers.

This scheme is a perfect example of high performance MEG in action where the need for incredibly high performance and durability is married up with low life-cycle costs and aesthetic design.

Carrying a BBA Agrément Certificate, MEG is a self-supporting high pressure laminate (HPL) for cladding the exterior of buildings, balconies and other applications. It features high resistance to temperature, climate shock, weathering, UV light and impact. Furthermore, its chemical resistant nature and closed structure do not allow paint in spray cans, various inks, emulsion paints, lipstick or pastel paints to penetrate into the decorative layer negating the need for any anti-graffiti treatment and making the surface easy to clean.

The range is available in over 91 colours in a mix of traditional plain colours, wood finishes, simulated concrete colours and metal. MEG is also able to incorporate Abet’s digital printing technology. This means that almost any design, photograph or pattern can be reproduced in stunning detail to give architects and designers unparalleled freedom to create unusual and dramatic building facades.

Samples and technical literature are available from Abet Ltd’s sample line on tel: 020 7473 6915 or visit uk.abetlaminati.com.
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