"fire protection"

Gradus has supplied and installed a range of bespoke wall protection solutions throughout the ground-breaking new Proton Beam Therapy Centre at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester. Gradus supplied and installed its SureProtect Pure® hygienic wall cladding in White and Iceberg shades. Specially designed to create an impermeable barrier to moisture and bacteria it features a smooth, easy-to-clean surface to ensure a hygienic solution that meets ‘Health Building Note 00-09: Infection control in the built environment’

Project: The Castings, Piccadilly EastLocation: Heyrod Street, ManchesterVCL membrane system supplier: ADA FastfixSystem used: illbruck ME060 A2-Membrane Pro Air and Vapour Control Layer, illbruck TF448 High Performance Bonding Tape, ME322 Internal Tape 100illbruck, a part of CPG UK, have celebrated the successful installation of their new A2 fire classified vapour control layer within an exciting new residential development in the heart of Manchester.The projectThe Castings, Piccadilly East is on a 0.7-acre site in the Manchester Piccadilly regeneration area and includes four stepped building elements rising to 25-storeys high. The development will consist of 352 build-to-rent (BTR) apartments, including a mix of studio, 1, 2, and 3 bed units, alongside roof terrace gardens, retail and amenity space, and a public square. The project was designed with a focus on sustainability, to deliver low energy consumption with highly efficient building fabric.ADA Fastfix, a leading supplier into the construction industry, were approached to find an airtight vapour control membrane which would ensure high levels of thermal performance and energy efficiency in the building. As a ‘relevant building’ according to Building Regulations Approved Document B, the installed membrane needed to be a fire classified solution; an A2 fire classified solution was requested to provide enhanced fire safety for the building and its occupants.The solutionADA Fastfix selected illbruck ME060 A2-Membrane Pro Air and Vapour Control Layer due to its enhanced reaction to fire classification of A2-s1, d0 to EN 13501-1, excellent product performance, and the accompanying technical support from the illbruck team. illbruck ME060 A2-Membrane uses advanced technology to combine reinforced glass fibre with an aluminium and laminated coating, providing long lasting strength and durability. The special coating also improves thermal performance by reflecting up to 95% of heat.  Its airtight and vapour-tight properties, which can be used to comply with Passivhaus, helps improve energy efficiency whilst protecting the building fabric from moisture vapour and condensation.The applicationOver 6,000m2 of illbruck ME060 A2-Membrane Pro Air and Vapour Control Layer was attached to the Steel Frame Structure using TF448 50mm high performance tape. The lap joints and window details were then sealed with ME322 70mm tape. This system can be used on the internal structure of a timber frame or lightweight steel structure to manage air and moisture flow, as well as enhance the building’s thermal performance, energy efficiency, and fire safety. Alongside providing high performance products, the illbruck team also helped the client with detailed drawings, technical service and application guidance, and on-site support – to ensure a smooth installation process and great finished result.Project overviewScott Hurry, Area Sales Manager at CPG UK, said, “illbruck ME060 A2-Membrane was the ideal choice for this fabric first build due to its enhanced reaction to fire classification as well as helping to improve thermal performance in the building. This is the first major installation of our new ME060 A2 fire classified membrane - we’re delighted to work with ADA Fastfix to see our products installed in this development, where our membrane will be helping to protect the building and its residents for years to come.”

This work at Holborn’s Chancery House  — The Office Group’s largest location to date spanning 127,000 sq ft — focused on a design that accommodates multiple working zones and breakout spaces, enhances wellbeing and offers an abundance of natural light.Radii’s design department provided multiple bespoke solutions for this fit out, working on four of the building’s nine floors.For glazed fronts, our elegant Parallel 50 (Rw 45 dB) double glazed partitions in emulated satin stainless steel finish — a reference to the historic London Silver Vaults that are located at the base of Chancery House — were utilised along with wraparound framing and a custom blade detail to create an eye-catching visual effect.On the Ground floor, single glazed Linear 59 partitions (Rw 39 dB) with a bespoke pocket sliding door into drywall was installed for platform lift access.Finally, E30 fire rated double doors were placed on the Lower Ground Floor to provide fire route protection.

THE PROJECTThe Building a Safer Future Charter has been created to promote an urgent and positive culture and behaviour change in the safety of the built environment. It is about putting people’s safety first in how we plan for, design, build, maintain, and look after the safety of the buildings we live, work or play in and protect those that use them.THE PRODUCTSLB’s 2 hour Fire-rated mailboxes were used on this project at Cambridge Road, London for a large Housing Association and arranged on a radius, providing an interesting yet highly functional arrangement of 2-hour integrity only fully tested mailboxes. The Fire-rated range from SLB is tested at Exova Warrington and exceeds 2 hours in temperatures beyond that of molten lava without distortion, flame or deterioration. This system was polyester powder coated in a burnt orange RAL colour, powder used conforms to London Underground specifications.This arrangement is also comprised of manual parcelboxes positioned underneath with a manual locking option.

Asset management firm, BAML has signed-up to use FireDNA’s Fire Door and Doorset Monitoring Software and Mobile App.With the introduction of Regulation 10 back in January 2023 which requires the owners of buildings over 11 metres to carry out quarterly inspections on all fire doors. The FireDNA software and Mobile App allows users to undertake on-the-spot audits and inspections, capturing the data in real time; the data is then stored and managed through the FireDNA cloud.The programme is being rolled-out in 10 developments across London, managed by BAML, including Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms, Wardian London’s iconic two towers in Canary Wharf, Royal Wharf in the Royal Docks area and the Brentford town centre regeneration project adjacent to the River Brent.“We are delighted to be awarded this contract and look forward to working in partnership with BAML.” said Tony Millen, FireDNA’s Operations Director. “Across the 10 developments, our FireDNA Inspection Partners will inspect, tag and monitor 25,000 Fire Doors using our Mobile App, making the inspection process efficient and compliance easier.”(About BAML – BAML is a property management organisation providing customer-focused services to residents in more than 11,000 homes across London. This includes managing the planned maintenance, capital expenditure programmes and financial accounting and onsite services).

A significant milestone for not just the tidal sector, but for the development of renewable energy technology, Scottish engineering company Orbital Marine Power, Ltd. (Orbital) will soon launch the Orbital O2 – the world’s most powerful tidal turbine – in the waters off the Orkney Islands.We have been involved in the project since Orbital’s prototype SR2000 turbine was built in 2015, proving their technology and leading the way for the further optimised O2. As well as high-performance anti-corrosion coatings to protect the steel structure, we supplied Hempaguard X7 for the turbine rotor blades.

PhotonCheck-A1 VCL Protects Katara Lusail Hotel Qatar

​​This project at Manchester Airport has now been completed by Monarch Resin Floors. The previous floor was a twenty year old tile and resin cementitious screed which was decaying and water damaged. Due to the level of decay and disrepair, the floor was dug out by a third party and re-concreted ready for the resin. Monarch installed 9mm thick FasTop TG69  polyurethane screed in 3 different colours to help the fire engines to see the tyre lines when they were reversing. White line marking was also installed.The total area was about 600m2 and included six bays and six fire tenders.

A complete wall protection package from Gradus has been installed at the 3Ts development (Trauma, Teaching and Tertiary care) for the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The project, planned in three stages, comprises of the replacement of the buildings to the front half of the Royal Sussex County Hospital. In their place will be two brand new clinical buildings and a much-needed service and logistics yard.

In this wooden building in the center of Vienna, the walls, ceilings and floors are made from solid wood(CLT). The construction protection covering and sealing for the individual elements were achieved with the SIGA products Wetguard and Rissan.

Nestled in a secluded location, the village of Lavenham has been a picturesque place to live since its mediaeval origins. But with housing supply limited within the bounds of the existing village, in 2016 residents voted for a new development to go ahead – providing it was in-keeping with their historic homes.The designs of The Paddocks’ 25 new properties therefore draw on influences from the Tudor and Regency homes and cottages already lining the streets of the village, reflecting their style and materials. Ranging from two to four-bedrooms, each home has been gifted its own individuality, with traditional finishes, such as rendering and weatherboarding linking them back to the original properties. Attention to the quality and scale of landscaping around the site has also been factored in to mirror the countryside that embraces the site.However, while the new homes certainly have similar characteristics to the houses already in the village, they do not share their energy inefficiency. Beneath the traditional finishes are contemporary homes with ambitions to keep carbon emissions to a minimum. To do this, Hartog Hutton decided to take a two-pronged approach to reducing CO2 emissions: by installing solar panels and electric car charging points, and by using thermally insulative fabrics, including blockwork.For the structural foundations, the housebuilder therefore turned to Lignacite’s 100mm and 140mm Lignacrete blocks, which are designed for high-strength uses. With an A1 fire rating, Hartog Hutton could also ensure that future residents would have an additional layer of fire protection.Lignacite Ash GP blocks then form the bulk of the buildings. With strong and durable characteristics, these blocks are ideal for all kinds of applications. More importantly, they also have great thermal insulation of 0.298 m2K/W (for 1400mm blocks at 3% moisture), which satisfies all the latest requirements of the Building Regulations Approved Document L.The remainder of each structure uses Lignacite’s Fibo 850/950, which forms the substrate for the weatherboarding and rendering. They provide an excellent surface for these finishes while also adding to the overall thermal insulation of the property. A final advantage is that these blocks are extremely lightweight and can be put into place one-handed.

TekTherm™ AK-FR A2 Fire Rated Thermal Break

Oscar Acoustics achieved a 90-minute fire rating at BRE Group’s testing facility for its Iso-Mount Type1 acoustic ceiling hanger. Iso-Mount Type1 significantly reduces transmission of noise from the floor above with minimum ceiling height loss. The mount was tested to BS EN 1365-2:2014 Fire Resistance Tests for Loadbearing Elements at BRE Group’s laboratory in Watford in December 2018. Iso-Mount Type1 can be specified for projects ranging from house conversion to flats, both new build and renovation, as well as shops, restaurants and other commercial soundproofing applications.

Promat UK is providing architects with a 360 degree ‘wheel of assurance’ for SYSTEMGLAS® fire resistant glazing systems. Guidance is offered at every stage of the project, the system is manufactured in-house, it is fitted by a network of approved installers and a certificate of conformity is issued upon completion by a Promat specialist. Promat can provide this assurance because it is in complete control of the design and manufacture process, and it has in-depth knowledge of the installation requirements. This means supply chain risks, such as product substitution or poor installation, can be eliminated.

Customer ordered our fire rated FlipFix panel. We dispatched the same day and the customer received their access panels the following day. Customer comments:-"Easy to order and delivery was quicker than expected which was a bonus for us as we were able to complete the job earlier than planned."

MSA Safety’s recent Height Safety Day gave nearly 100 workers at INOVYN’s Runcorn site a first-hand look at how the global safety equipment manufacturer is innovating in fall protection and brought them up to speed on the latest regulations. The information day took place at the INOVYN site in Runcorn, owned by INEOS Group, a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products.

Using Solo Onecoat Lime Plaster to restore walls in a fire damaged home

Split over basement, ground and three upper floors, the Charles Doll Building on Grape Street, London, offers a contemporary and functional specification in this stunning office refurbishment. The development mixes industrial elements with a crisp modern aesthetic by carefully combining characterful architectural features, including vaulted ceilings with exposed brick and steelwork.Named after its architect Charles Fitzroy Doll, the building is clad in decorative thé-au-lait (“tea with milk”) terracotta – Doll's use of grand façades is understood to have resulted in the expression, ‘all dolled up’. The first floor has been fitted out to a high standard with office furniture from Vitra, providing the perfect space for those who want to move in and get straight to work.The lobby mixes vibrate contemporary wall art with industrial light fittings and brickwork. Forza’s in-house CAD team planned the bespoke black oak Firescreen partition wall to match the architect's design. As a market leading passive fire product, this Firescreen provides both integrity from Smoke and Fire and insulation from heat. This is important because in a fire emergency heat has been shown to ignite secondary fires to items, such as curtains or carpets, that are near the other side of non-insulated partitions.Via the Thinking Space Design & Build, Forza Doors supplied twenty FD30 Fire Doors with stained frames and skirting boards to match throughout the five floors of The Charles Doll Building. Chosen to match the steelwork throughout the development, the dark satin finish of the doors was selected from Forza’s Creato range of dyed veneers. This ‘Illunis’ finish is one of twelve fashionable choices in the range. Dyed veneers are an increasingly popular choice with designers as they offer cost savings over stained veneers without compromising quality.The Doors with glass vision panels, required to allow light through to the stairwells, feature our flush and quirk bead. A minimalist design option where one side of the doors is completely flush right up to the glass vision panel and the other side has a very simple elegant bead detailing.

Richard Richardson-Derry of GEZE UK looks at how a properly fitted fire door with the appropriate components can give occupants vital time to escape in the event of a fire.Despite what most people believe, toxic smoke is the cause of the most deaths in fires, as opposed to the fire itself. So what constitutes a fire door?The BWF Fire Door Alliance states the term usually refers to a fire door leaf which is the main component installed into a fire-rated frame, along with ‘essential ironmongery’ to make the door perform correctly in the event of a fire.However therein is the challenge – when not required to be a fire door it must still perform everyday functions of providing safety, security, privacy, separating different areas and reducing noise in a building.When an architect specifies door products, it is imperative that as well as achieving the everyday design requirements, factors relating to fire resistance are also a key consideration in order to achieve regulatory compliance.Under the spotlightApart from the frame and door leaf, a fire door includes a door closer, smoke seals, hinges, push pads or handles, signage, and maybe a vision panel. Each and every component must be fit for purpose; should any component fail then the whole fire door assembly could fail. And any item that is badly fitted or wrongly specified could contribute to the spread of fire.For each part of the fire door there are standards that must be adhered to.The door and frame should be installed securely and plumb and true with a maximum gap of 3 mm to all sides for a fire door with smoke protection (for a general fire door the gap can be up to 10 mm).The door closer is an important part of the fire door assembly and it is critical to specify a suitable unit and ensure minimum size EN 3 is used.All doors must be fitted with intumescent seals – they play a major role in fire safety as they will expand to around 10 times their volume when significant heat is applied.Hinges are a critical part of a door, carrying its weight and allowing free movement of the door leaf but also helping to keep the door straight during a fire episode. There should be three hinges in a fire door up to 2,100 mm high. For doors over 2,100 mm high, exceeding 150 kg, or over 100 mm wide there should be four. All hinges for fire doors should be made of steel or stainless steel and have a melting point of no less than 800°C.All relevant push pads, handles and kick plates must have the required test data and standards and should have a melting point of at least 800°C. Locks need to comply with BS EN 12209 and lever handles with BS EN 1906.Signage on a fire door is required, such as ‘Fire Door Keep Shut’ or ‘Fire Door Keep Locked’. They need to conform to BS 5499: ISO 7010.Vision panels can be introduced to a door specification for reasons of safety, aesthetics, or to allow transfer of light, however the relevant seals must still be used so as not to compromise the integrity of the fire door and only suitable fire tested glass should be used.Specifying a closer for a fire doorThere are four main types of closer – surface mounted with link arm, surface mounted with guide rail, concealed, and floor mounted closer. All should be tested, approved and certificated to harmonised standard EN 1154, BS EN 1634-1 and have Certifire or similarly approved testing. In addition, a closer should be CE marked or hold the new UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) certificate (effective fromJanuary 2023).There is also the application to consider: which closer is best suited to the door type, size, location and intended use of the door? Another consideration is the best fitting arrangement, and again this is dependent on door type, size, location and use.There are several different configurations for a variety of applications that also need to be taken into account including fitting configurations, using brackets, mounting plates or spindle extensions to overcome specific site details. All should be specified in accordance with test evidence.Another consideration is being able to adjust the closer. The correct adjustment of the closing force is needed to ensure it meets the requirements for access under Part M and BS 8300 with Part B of the Building Regulations for fire as well. Correct adjustment refers to electro hold open, back check, closing speed, and latch action to ensure the door opens and closes safely and securely.All door closers complying with EN 1154 will have a six figure classification which should be marked on the door closer.The power of door closers according to the EN 1154 standard are rated from one to nine, for example a size three door closer has a closing force of 18 Nm (Newton Metres), where Nm is the closing force exerted by the door one metre from the hinge point. It should be noted that the minimum size allowed for any door closer on a fire door is size three.In summary, while all the component parts of a fire door must be thoroughly tested and conform to all relevant standards, the most important aspect is that they must work together as a doorset.Richard Richardson-Derry is national specification manager for GEZE UK

Pyroguard’s fire safety glass was recently specified for The Netherlands’ Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. A stunning ovoid shaped building standing 40 m tall, with reflective mirrors covering its surface, the depot receives anywhere from 150,000 to 250,000 visitors a year.

Raybloc (X-ray Protection) Ltd takes great pride in presenting our latest case study showcasing our outstanding collaboration with Singleton Hospital in Swansea. This partnership entailed the manufacturing and installation of cutting-edge radiation shielding solutions, including a Frameless Operator Screen, a wide range of lead-lined doorsets, and internal viewing windows to match. As well as these fixings, Raybloc also supplied and installed the lead-lined wall panelling to the controlled areas, making the process of lead shielding as simple and hassle-free as possible for the contractor and Trust. These advanced products not only prioritise the safety of patients and staff but also significantly enhance workflow efficiency and create a therapeutic environment.

Bowline in Renshaw Street, Liverpool is a new development; a combination of student accommodation and apart-hotel rooms. Liverpool City Council approved the demolition of the existing Renshaw Hall building and the construction of the hotel and an 11-storey block of student accommodation; 49 clusters totalling 357 bedrooms with shared kitchen/lounge; and 47 self contained studios. The students communal facilities include a sky lounge, private dining room, fitness studio, karaoke room, and cinema room.Multiple residents in a building means more food being cooked and a higher risk of kitchen cooking fires. The Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard was fitted in all kitchen areas to help keep all the residents in the building safer. A fire on an induction hob can start in just 1.5 to 2 minutes and a fire on a traditional electric hob within 6 minutes.

Yeoman Shield HessianEx wall panels at 1250mm high and 50x50mm Corner Protection Angles in Lilac was fitted on the ground & 1st floor corridors and plaza area. HessianEx panels, cut to 300mm wide was fitted as an attractive protection strip in waiting areas, to protect against chairs being pushed up against walls and causing marks and scuffs.

Ahmarra manufactured Q-Mark certified FD30 fire doorsets for Octavia House School, an independent specialist therapeutic school in Great Baddow, Essex. Selected from our Education Range, the pre-hung doorsets were manufactured from sustainably sourced FSC® certified timber and supplied with fully compatible ironmongery. The client chose colourful Formica F6901 Vibrant Green, F8820 Leaf Green, F4177 Lime and F8755 Lemon high pressure laminate facings, in line with the Octavia brand’s colour scheme.

The project was to refurbish the roof and improve the drainage and insulation and bring it up to current building control standards. A thermographic survey of the roof was carried out by IKO, which confirmed that it was sound enough to have an overlay of IKO UXPL bituminous membrane rather than stripping it back and rebuilding. IKO UPXL was primarily chosen by the client for the 30 year guarantee. One section of the roof to be repaired was on top of dormers. Flame-free IKO UPXL membranes were used because of the potential fire risk of the abutting pitched tiled roof.

Rockpanel is busy working across the UK on projects where regulations amended in 2018, regarding buildings over 18 meters high, mean their exterior cladding systems must comply with stringent fire safety performance characteristics. One such project sits at the heart of the Bermondsey Spa area, near to the River Thames and Tower Bridge in London.

UNITE is the UK’s largest provider of student hospitality and accommodation. UNITE focuses on the provision and management of high quality, well-located student accommodation and hospitality services at affordable prices.Our patented 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® which are Secured By Design approved were installed in selected accommodation and on-site hospitality management offices providing security for the students and offices whilst making sure rooms felt welcoming and homely.Steve Pinder, National Security Manager at UNITE said; “My role within UNITE is to look after the security needs of all managers within the business and our student customers who live in our accommodation. The safety and security of our 38,000 student customers is of high priority to us. I look after physical security, CCTV, access control, locks, doors, windows and anything to do with the security internally or externally. CCTV is a major part of our every day lives, it deters criminal activity but it doesn’t solve crime. 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® is a trusted partner of UNITE and are integral to the overall physical security decision process. When looking to enhance the security at a small number of our sites, 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® was the only supplier that met our requirement to better protect our accommodation and our customers. We have also used 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® to secure our on-site hospitality management offices.”“The 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® system has been effective and a great success for us because of the versatility of the blinds. It allows for the windows to be opened while still having window security. We have not had any security incidents since and 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® has never been breached.""𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® looks like traditional vertical blinds yet it is an effective deterrent because each aluminium blind blade has a steel rod within it. We haven’t found another product that is better or more cost effective. “The feedback we get from customers is that when they see their room and see the blinds, they are reassured by having this added protection on the window. We didn’t want to put grilles on the windows as our student accommodation is like a home from home. Presently 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® has been solely retro fitted, however longer term UNITE may look to design-in 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® for their future developments. The fact that 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗦® have their own installation team has always been a benefit and the product has always been delivered on time and to budget.” Steve Pinder, National Security Manager at UNITE

AboutThe Dubai Metro Red Line, at 52.1 km (32.4 mi), is the world’s longest driverless single metro line. The planning of the metro was in response to a rapidly growing population and severe traffic congestion to relieve motor traffic and provide infrastructure for development.Project/doors200 Insulated Roller Shutters, both fire rated and non-fire ratedThe ChallengeThe Hart contract to manufacture over 200 industrial roller shutters to Dubai Metro, one of the most advanced urban rail systems in the world, was secured through the Al-Futtaim Group, who in turn were awarded by Chadwick Technology Group. Hart not only manufactured the doors but provided training to JT Metro JV, Dubai Metro Project.The SolutionManufacture over 200 Insulated Roller Shutters, both fire rated and non-fire rated for the Jebel Ali, Rashidiya and Al Qusais train depots. The shutters are designed to work in very sophisticated and complex systems including depot protection when driver-less trains are in operation.The SuccessThis was Harts largest export order to date and came on the back of large orders for Hart products for Heathrow’s T5 and the international railway terminal at St. Pancras. Once again Hart successfully delivered on a large scale project due to the engineering knowledge and project management experience.The ReviewYou have shown a high level of technical competence and professionalism in dealing firstly with the lengthy approval process, mainly due to the critical importance of the shutters for the automated operation of the Metro system, and secondly with the various site issues that invariably arrive on a project of this scale and fast track nature. Peter W. Mansell, Project Director, Chadwick SEC

Made-to-measure brushed satin stainless steel sinks and worktops, from GEC Anderson, have been installed in the breathing apparatus rooms, kit cleaning rooms and kitchens of the new Winchester Fire Station.The station relocated from its home of 74 years at North Walls to its new state-of-art facility inEaston Lane, Winnall,Winchester. The new five-bay fire station is operationally and strategically located on the outskirts of the city on a major access route, close to the M3. The new facility can accommodate 70-plus personnel and provides a continuously crewed facility as opposed to the previous just day-crewed arrangement, thus providing faster emergency cover over a greater area.Freestanding worktops, totalling more than 10 metres, were installed in the breathing apparatus (BA) room and kit cleaning area of the fire station. Industrial sized sinks were included to provide an effective washing facility for the fire crews specialist equipment. Sarah Collins, architect for Hampshire County Councils Property Services Department said, The specialised sinks were chosen for their ability to cope with an environment of high usage. We wanted a material that was robust enough to take the everyday knocks and last for the lifetime of the building. GEC Anderson sinks certainly met this requirement and are performing extremely well.

Planet’s northern contracting team joined Wates and architects tp bennett to work on the Cat A fit out of 11 & 12 Wellington Place, manufacturing and installing 40 pairs of double leaf FireTec Ei60 fire rated doors with bronze handles across over 250,000 sq ft of grade A office space on Levels 1 to 10. These doors were installed to be ‘future proofed’ to facilitate any future automation requirements once sub-let to tenants.Manufactured using an ultra-slim precision engineered framework, the durability of the FireTec system suits high foot traffic areas while providing fire route protection and acoustic performance up to 39dB Rw.The multi-award-winning 11 & 12 Wellington Place achieved a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ sustainability rating and is the first UK building outside of London to attain a NABERS Design for Performance rating of 5* or above.Wates handed over the completed shell and core works to clients MEPC in early 2023, with the building already securing several high-profile companies as tenants.

Ahmarra manufactured fire doors for Brunel University London, on behalf of the main contractor. Made from sustainably sourced FSC® timber, these doors are faced with Formica’s stylish Terril (F2297) dark grey high pressure laminate. As with all of our Education Range, these pre-hung doorsets were supplied with factory-fitted stainless steel ironmongery, ensuring full compliance.

The Fitzalan is a high-end student accommodation building located right in the heart of Cardiff city. As well as a variety of modern bedroom accommodation ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments, the communal spaces include a cinema room, game rooms, luxury ‘snugs’ , an on-site gym, a common room and a communal kitchen.The present accommodation was created back in 2017 when a series of one- and two-storey vertical extensions were added to the existing buildings to increase the size of the accommodation to a total of 357 beds.The Fitzalan’s present owners McLaren Property, are in the process of selling the building. The new owner has requested a full upgrade of all electrical installations and fire safety measures prior to completion. As all accommodation has a fully kitted out kitchen with a combi microwave and hob, fire prevention in these areas was considered of particular importance. The buildings new owners specified that the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard be fitted as standard in all 313 apartments and studios in addition to the existing fire suppression system.

An 11-storey student accommodation facility on Liverpool’s Hotham Street marks the second phase of an exciting redevelopment project for the city. Cladding contractor, BAK UK, has specified URSA’s Façade N35 slab across the vast new build structure.URSA has supplied over 1000m2 of URSA Façade N35 slab to cladding contractor as part of a £35m student accommodation project in Liverpool.Under the scheme, 500 student homes are to be created in a multi-storey environment on the site of the former Odeon cinema on London Road/Hotham Street. A swimming pool, gym and two landscaped gardens also form part of the ambitious city centre development set for occupation later this year.As appropriate for a prestige, high-rise residential and multi-occupancy building, superior materials have been specified throughout including URSA Façade N35 slab.The scheme has been halted for several years due to issues surrounding development funding. Now under new ownership, the design and construction have been scrutinised and it appears that a combustible insulation may have been used in the original cladding system. This has since been replaced and new work completed using URSA’s specialist product.  Ian Claydon, Technical Manager at URSA commented: “As with many high rise buildings developed only a handful of years ago, unsuitable products have been installed that don’t offer the necessary levels of protection to ensure the safety of occupants.”Rainscreen cladding is a lightweight, non-load bearing system attached to the outside of a building using a bracket and rail system. The cladding system provides protection from wind and rain, improves the thermal performance and limits solar gains.  Ian added “URSA Façade N35 is totally non-combustible, Euroclass A1, so doesn’t add any fire load to the building or prejudice the overall fire performance of the wall. The presence of the ventilated cavity behind the cladding system means that cavity barriers are required to prevent the spread of fire and/or smoke. This is a unique and highly effective product that we are seeing specified increasingly across UK and European sites.”    

A busy access corridor linking one wing to another at a major Yorkshire Hospital now benefits from a wall protection system supplied and installed by Yeoman Shield.The heavy footfall, wheeled equipment and bed trolleys continually traversing the path between two busy wings was starting to take its toll on the walls and corners of the corridor in the form of marking, denting and scratching.Keen to maintain the high smart standards as well as lifecycle and sustainability of the property, the hospital choose a protection system from Yeoman Shield to overcome such damage.200mm Protection Rail was fitted “flat-back” to the wall on one side of the access way with FalmouthEx Wall Protection Panels installed below the rail.Rubber stop ends/returns (new to the Yeoman Shield range) were applied to the rail as added defence against heavily laden trolleys and carts that may come into contact.The opposing wall was also offered protection by the same Yeoman Shield 200mm Protection Rail this time installed on 60mm “stand-off” allowing the system to become a supportive rail for those who require it. The rail was again finished with the durable hardwearing rubber accessories.Matching 75 x 75 mm Corner Protection Angles were put on vulnerable corners on both sides of the walkway completing a comprehensive wall protection system that will help to reduce the time and money spent on redecoration and repair over the lifecycle of the building.More information on Yeoman Shield’s cost-effective wall & door protection systems can be found at www.yeomanshield.com or by calling 0113 279 5854.

Our coatings look after the world’s most iconic and acclaimed buildings. Among them is the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. Since its redevelopment in 2011, the principal public gallery in Auckland, New Zealand has won 23 awards and counting, including the prestigious World Architecture Festival's 2013 World Building of the Year. The redevelopment plan aimed at restoring and preserving heritage elements and sensitively combining them with 21st-century design. This included earthquake-proofing and heritage restoration of the 1887 and 1916 components of the main building and the addition of new, contemporary elements that increased display space by 50 per cent. One of the most distinctive features of the new building is its roof design, which forms a series of fine ‘tree-like’ canopies that define and cover the forecourt, atrium and gallery areas.Our coatings complemented this architectural challenge of blending old with new. A coatings system comprising of Interzinc 42, Intergard 251 and Interthane 990 was used to protect structural steel, while Interchar 963 was used to provide essential protection from the effects of fire.

A busy service corridor in a medical education and research facility, has recently been refurbished with the help of products from Yeoman Shield’s heavy duty range.Wanting to protect vulnerable walls and corners throughout the heavily used service corridor, the facilities management invested in a complete Yeoman Shield heavy duty wall protection system installed by their directly employed fixing operatives.A striking and durable protective finish to the corridor walls was achieved with Yeoman Shield Chequer Plate Wall Panels. The panels were paired with heavy duty Rubber E-Fender running at the top and the bottom of the chequer plate at such levels to absorb impact from the most frequently occurring and heaviest of blows from footfall, trolleys and motorised carts.Yeoman Shield HD75 heavy duty Rubber Protection Angles were fitted full height to vulnerable corners protecting the structure.Designed specifically to protect areas in a building that experiences heavier footfall such as warehouses, storage and service facilities, the heavy duty protection products, when installed, keep areas damage free, providing an easy clean hygienic surface whilst putting an end to frequent costly re-pair and re-painting, offering long term savings on maintenance budgets.