SFS Group Fastening Technology Ltd

refurbishment project posed particular challenges in respect of the flat roof, which consisted of a solid concrete deck, followed by screed laid to falls, a thin dense concrete layer and three bituminous membrane layers. The new roof specification required the application of new insulation to upgrade the thermal performance and a new single ply waterproofing membrane. Due to the location of this project and the presence of existing bonded layers, adhesive application was ruled out at an early stage and a mechanically fastened solution was sought.Initial pull-out tests confirmed that fixing was required through the existing screed and direct into the concrete deck. With the roof’s high exposure rating and dimensions, wind load calculations indicated that only corner and perimeter zones should be used, which demanded a high density of fasteners in these areas.the solutions provided by SFS included its TIA adjustable fastener in combination with the isoweld® 3000 heat induction welding system. This fastener system included specially coated isoweld® stress plates combined with 230mm and 300mm FI-R-20 sleeves and the 150mm long TIA fastener. These were installed through the insulation and screed layers and were mechanically fastened into the concrete substrate.The fasteners were applied through the insulation boards in a field fix grid pattern followed by the Protan SE single ply waterproofing membrane, which was then installed using the specialist isoweld® 3000 system, welding the membrane directly onto the isoweld® stress plates. This provided an extremely secure fix, without having to duplicate fasteners, and the associated drilling, and without the need to penetrate the waterproof membrane as would be necessary on seam fix systems.

Weston Homes have developed 182 luxury apartments across four blocks, overlooking the River Lea navigation canal. Situated on a former industrial estate, the apartments are designed with functionality, style and comfort in mind. The beautifully landscaped grounds include gardens, a central courtyard, a wildflower meadow and river walkways. The development also includes underground parking and balcony space for residents to enjoy the river views. The impressive curved roof was installed across three buildings. This included vertical installation of a Kalzip standing seam secret fix system.SFS supplied fixings to the project, including stainless steel self-drilling SX fasteners with an irius® (L12) head. The irius® head is an ideal solution for when aesthetics are paramount, like on a luxury project such as this. A low profile head form, the irius® has been designed specifically for applications where the fastener has to fulfill all its normal structural requirements whilst, at the same time, blend in unobtrusively with the roof or cladding. It can be powder-coated for colour matching purposes and the innovative underhead drive system enables ease of installation, whilst also offering a high level of tamper-resistance.This project was nationally recognized, with the contractor winning the 'Roof Sheeting' category in the NFRC UK Roofing Awards 2016.

SFS specialist fastening systems were used to secure the striking shingled, multi-coloured, metal façade on the first direct Leeds Arena.Using SFS fasteners resulted in significantly reduced fixing times and helped keep the project on its critical timeline.Comprising of 6,000 square meters of aluminium shingles in five different colours, the cladding was installed in layers onto stainless steel clips and held in place using 35,000 SFS aluminium BULB-TITE® rivets.In addition, 3000 self-drilling SL3/2 fasteners were supplied to fix the perforated, aluminium mesh rainscreen panels to the structural backing wall. 7000 low profile, irius® fasteners were also used to fix Kalzip’s Kal-Plank system, at the rear of the building. The design and construction achieved a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating.The result provides a spectacular display surface for the coloured lighting which transforms the exterior façade at night by reflecting the mood of the concert within.The 13,000 capacity concert venue features an impressive uninterrupted interior construction, designed to allow all seats perfect sight-lines to the stage. The complex 3500 ton steel structure was topped out by a 45 meter long proscenium beam spanning the width of the building.Headed up by Leeds City Council, the £60 million project was completed in 96 weeks and opened in September 2013. The venue has helped increase job prospects and the region's economy.A success story for Leeds, Yorkshire and all involved in designing and building this venue.

SituationBoasting a prime location within the regenerated southern gateway to the city, First Street North is a flagship £500m creative and commercial development in Manchester. The four-star 11-storey Innside hotel, which is part of the internationally recognised Melia chain, is the first of its kind in the UK.isoweld® is an innovative induction welding system for the attachment of single ply membranes. Suitable for both PVC and TPO membranes, the isoweld® system uses heat induction to weld the membrane to a specially coated metal stress plate located underneath the membrane which is mechanically fastened to the substrate; a sophisticated field fix solution which allows for higher wind loads and offers economic installation costs.By using the isoweld® system with runs of 20 magnets, this significantly reduced the application time required at the Manchester site. Combining this with a requirement for only three FI-R-20 sleeves and three TIA-T25 fasteners per square meter on the complete installation, certainly made order procurement and site management much easier and helped to significantly reduce costs for the project.With the North West region being renowned for mixed weather conditions, mechanical fastening is a stronger, safer method for fixing single ply roofs and is unaffected by most of the site issues that traditional adhesive membrane applications face.The isoweld® 3000 tool also features a very useful "search and control" function, which allows you to identify whether the inductor is correctly positioned over the stress plate. This means we can ensure absolute accuracy, because the welding will only begin when the tool is correctly in place.

Our client had an ambitious vision - to construct a property that would be a true testament to innovative architecture. After collaborating extensively with the architect, they conceived the idea of a residential property that would seamlessly blend into its surroundings, almost appearing invisible to the eye.The challenge was to securely attach these extensive reflective panels to a timber frame structure using our NVELOPE® system as the framing material.For this project, we incorporated our NVELOPE® NV1, a thermally broken, isolated bracket system, in collaboration with a specific SFS fixing suitable for the timber substructure and the SDA5 fixing for the T-rail frame. Additionally, we utilized the L-Rail extruded aluminium 6005 which can be cut-to-length on site or pre-cut using the SFS Optimised Cutting Service.One significant advantage of our solution was the aesthetics of the cladding, which remained level without any bulges, ensuring a flawless reflection. This was achieved using our cost-effective and adjustable NVELOPE® NV1 system, along with an appropriate adhesive. 

Designed by Grimshaw, with master planning by Arup, the Istanbul New Airport is a new ‘mega-airport’, replacing the city’s Atatürk Airport, which will have six runways and the capacity to handle up to 200 million passengers annually once fully operational by 2030.Heralded as the major hub at the intersection of Asia, the Middle East and Europe, the scale of the €7bn project is illustrated by the fact that 20,000 workers were employed on-site at one time, supported by 58 cranes.To protect maintenance teams with restraint systems, removing the possibility of a fall, the responsible contractor selected to use the Horizontal Lifeline system from SFS. This UK-designed and manufactured system has been installed across the 400,000 sq. m standing seam roof, with 2,200 high load posts, which feature a special customized surface finish, interlinked by 18km of stainless steel wire. The result is a highly effective fall protection solution that is aesthetically sympathetic and comfortably accommodates the design intent.The system was part of a package of building envelope solutions provided by the SFS Group. This included a range of high performance SFS SL2, SD6-5.5 and SD14 fasteners for the standing seam roof, plus thousands of GESIPA BULB-TITE® blind rivets. Close collaboration between the SFS teams in the UK and Turkey ensured the client could take full advantage of a tailor-made package backed with market-leading technical support and a team resourced to fulfill the tight delivery schedule.SFS Fall Protection Systems are designed to provide fall protection on trapezoidal roof profiles, standing seam and flat roofs. The system is fully stainless steel manufactured, tested and certified to EN795:2012 and CEN/TS16415:2013.

SFS have partnered with a leading building envelope contractor,  on the construction of two iconic towers in the heart of Birmingham, one clad in brass, the other silver. The buildings will transform the city's skyline and deliver a mix of luxury apartments and retail space. The striking Left Bank development, in Birmingham's popular West End, will create the tallest exclusively residential building in Britain's second largest city.Alucoil larson® ACM FR - Brass Brushed panel, with a fire-rated mineral core, was chosen for the façade. This drained and back-ventilated rainscreen cladding system for Tower 1 is being fitted with an NVELOPE® bracket and rail system and powder-coated SLA3 frame fasteners, SLA5 fasteners, as well as SX3 and SX5 A4 (grade 316) stainless steel fasteners from SFS. The choice of surface finishes for the envelope demanded high quality fastening solutions that would stand the test of time, and perfectly complement the crucial aesthetic goals.

The Centre Parcs model for all UK locations focuses around a central area housing a subtropical swimming paradise and restaurant facilities. Keeping the central area open without impacting guests was key to this project. A tall order, achieved through meticulous and effective planning. Originally completed in 1994, the existing membrane and glazed rainscreen systems were in need of refurbishment. The brief was to remove the existing glazing and coverings, deck support frame re-modelling and install new insulated deck with simple large expanse blown ETFE roof-lights whilst maintaining unrestricted, safe guest access.Center Parcs and the consultant team were rigorous in their specification of fasteners and method of containing the chlorinated environment of the pool areas. SFS provided all fasteners for deck attachment. Specifically for the pool area this included the TDA-S, TDB-S and TDB, R5 (1.4547) grade stainless steel fasteners for the attachment of the deck and also RV6604-6-4W aluminium rivets for the deck stitching requirements.SFS helped to come up with suitable fastening systems that included R5 grade stainless (EN 1.4547) self tappers to fix the aluminium deck. These were manufactured by SFS, and supplied with certificates of conformity at the request of the client. Super austenitic R5 grade stainless steel fasteners were especially developed for chlorine rich swimming pool environments and are now specified by pool specialists. This is to offset the risk of chlorine induced stress corrosion cracking, a particular type of corrosion that can occur in such environments.

Radisson Red, is a striking building situated on the north bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow's events hub, it is located near the SECC, the Clyde Auditorium (locally known as the Armadillo) and the Hydro Arena.The £30m, ten-storey boutique hotel will be Europe's first new build for the Radisson Red brand and will be the first hotel owned by Forrest Hotels, part of the Forrest Group. With 176 bedrooms and an impressive roof top sky bar with views over Glasgow, the hotel's opening was hotly anticipated by the city's tourism leaders as it continues to grow as a business and leisure destination.Work commenced on the 3,500m2 aluminium rainscreen system in May 2017. This consisted of a Booth Muirie Alucobond Spectra ACM panel system, finished in a distinct Red Brass colour with Iridescent “Colour Shift” properties. The colour stands out as the main feature of the hotel, carefully matching the Radisson Red brand and continually changing shades with the reflection and refraction of light.SFS, who lead the market with powder coated fastening solutions for the building envelope, provided fasteners to perfectly match the iridescent red of the Alucobond Spectra ACM panel. Chosen for its superior aesthetics, SFS's self drilling SX3 fastener with its unique patented irius® head has a low profile, smooth, unblemished appearance that can be perfectly colour matched to any finish.Grade A4 316 stainless steel fasteners were chosen for the application due to their enhanced performance and anti-corrosive properties, helping to extend the life of the building and, therefore, qualify for SFS's extended warranty.

The world’s most extensive rapid transit systems is currently being built in Saudi Arabia's most populous city. The new network will provide a sustainable transportation solution to accommodate the rapidly growing urban area, which is projected to grow from its current 6.9 million inhabitants to 8.3 million by 2030. Scheduled for a light open in 2019, the Riyadh Metro system will consist of 6 metro lines, complete with 85 new stations and maintenance sheds for each line spanning a total length of 176 kilometers.ith project build costs of approximately $22.5 billion, the large scale development utilises technology, products and services from global leaders in their respective fields to ensure the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) delivers a rapid transit network that will be the envy of cities across the world.SFS UK has been commissioned to supply construction fasteners for three of the six maintenance buildings in a contract totaling over £1 million in direct sales. Arabian Profiles in Sharjah installed their Aluminium Aluform standing seam with SFS SX3 A4 halter fasteners, and SXC sandwich panel fasteners for the Zamil panels on the walls.Dark Globe secured the contract for Line 3 on the East Line Depot, with the main contractor Salini choosing to purchase over 550,000 SFS AP14 coloured rivets and 100,000 TDB-S fasteners to fix the decking into the 25mm thick steel.Pete Hamby, SFS Regional Manager - Middle East, said: “The Riyadh Metro has been an exciting project to be involved in as it is so important to the city’s sustainable growth ambitions. Our team has worked extremely well to rise to the challenges of this demanding project - both in terms of the technical element with on-site pull out tests required by the client, and on the supply chain element in meeting the delivery schedule of a tight programme."

Two jointly developed buildings in Harpenden have been highly commended in the 'Best Kalzip project under 1500m2' category at Teamkal 2015. Both buildings - the Lawes Innovation Hub and the Rothamsted Conference Centre Extension - are part of the Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprise.The two building projects involved installing a Kalzip insulated site-assembled standing seam roof system. They also installed secret fix fascias and soffits across both buildings.SFS supplied stainless steel fixings to suit the project. The solution included a range of fasteners: SX, ASC-D, TDC-S, and powder-coated SX-L12. The package also included the SXL3-SV16, with its flexible V shaped washer, allowing secure thick to thin fixing,