"cavity barriers"

Vienna Central station is a new, state-of-the-art railway station. The key architectural idea: Vienna should be open and free of barriers. Open halls, wide stairways and ceiling apertures create a sense of space and freedom. Simplicity and lightness are balanced by the use of high-grade materials such as natural stone and glass. About 1,100 metres of Q-railing’s oval-shaped, stainless steel Easy Glass cap rail on staircases throughout the station is a perfect example of this preference for quality. It also responded to the project’s demanding safety and accessibility requirements.

Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMet) is a leading provider of further and higher education courses in the UK Midlands. The project architects required a balustrade and staircase railing that reflected the dynamic, high-tech environment of the college. Q-railing’s Easy Glass Slim and Easy Glass 3kN systems were ideal for use on the staircases, and as balustrades on the upper floors, as they create a safety barrier without blocking views or compromising on design in any way. The installation included a bespoke cladding, which makes the railings appear to rise directly out of the floor or stairs.

The O2 arena's roof needed state-of-the-art acoustic engineering to eliminate virtually all nuisance ambient noise (bass thumping) outside the arena contributing to fantastic acoustics inside the structure.The complex roof design featured several layers of different density barrier materials to deaden even the lowest bass frequencies, all carried on special acoustic deck structures. The structural deck troughs were filled with ROCKWOOL RW4 insulation, with ROCKWOOL Acoustic membrane over and a 50mm Rigidal intermediate deck.

When developing new buildings, it is always important to consider the environmental impact. Responsible sourcing of materials is high on every priority list, along with reducing waste to landfill. But what about the local impact, such as the effects on local wildlife? A living roof/green roof system, such as the one installed by the Premier Contractor at Seaford Head Golf Club, is a very clear example of the steps that can be taken towards reducing this impact and providing an alternative space for wildlife to inhabit. A warm roof system was installed onto a structural plywood deck, after which a vapour barrier and insulation boards were mechanically fastened to provide both thermal efficiency and air leakage control. After the underlying installation had been suitably restrained in accordance with a site-specific wind uplift calculation, the roof membrane was mechanically fastened to complete the waterproofing system. Our PVC roof membranes have been tested and can be utilised without the need for additional root prevention barriers (test standard EN 13948), and because PVC is extremely lightweight, they are the perfect choice for these applications, reducing pressure on the underlying structure. In conjunction with our Living Roof/Green Roof specialists, a site-specific living roof system was supplied and installed over the completed waterproofing.Waterproofing System:DANOSA Single Ply 1.5mm - AnthraciteConstruction Type:New BuildWarm RoofSector:LeisureApprox. Size:900m2Warranty Period:20 Years

The ChallengeLocated in the city of Nancy, the Centre Prouvé offers a flexible conference space complete with a 3000 m² exhibition hall, two auditoriums, thirteen meeting rooms and a panoramic reception area.With glass playing an integral role in the building design, the architect required a proven smoke control solution that would not distort the aesthetics of the development while adhering to safety regulations. Additionally, due to the high footfall of visitors, the chosen solution would have to be maintenance-free.As a leading fire-glass specialist, Pyroguard was approached by the architect Marc Barani of Atelier Barani to offer a suitable solution.The SolutionTo meet these requirements Pyroguard recommended Smokeguard – a permanent, maintenance-free glazing solution that acts as a smoke barrier, keeping low-level toxic fumes at bay for up to half an hour to give visitors maximum time to exit the building safely.Thanks to its perfect transparency, Smokeguard also met the aesthetic requirements with the 8 mm thick tempered monolithic glass offering 87 percent light transmission, to provide the perfect transparent protective barrier with minimal visual impact.As a result, over 100 m² of Smokeguard was installed in the atrium, escalators, and lift areas utilising its patented fastening system to mount the system to the ceiling areas.Click here for further information on Smokeguard or for further advice and support please contact us.

A series of 10 newly built affordable Council houses in Montrose, Scotland has been fitted with a high-performing variable-permeability vapour control layer from the A. Proctor Group. Procheck® Adapt is designed to protect the building fabric from the potential risks of condensation and act as an effective airtight barrier.The project, led by Angus Council comprises of a mix of one, two and threebedroom properties which will be built with energy efficiency in mind, providing residents with high-quality affordable homes which will be low-cost to heat and run.Jason Noble, Architect with Angus Council commented on the requirement for a high-performance solution to achieve the desired levels of vapour control and airtightness. “We required a high performing vapour barrier and air tightness layer, that could be installed on site by our contractor and achieve our performance specification. We wanted an effective vapour barrier and airtightness layer that when installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and in combination with the timber kit construction would provide an effective airtightness rating of 4 when tested.”Contractor, Andrew Shepherd Construction proposed the use of the Procheck Adapt available from the A. Proctor Group, who has been serving the construction industry for 50 years with an extensive portfolio of technically advanced thermal, acoustic and membrane products.Thanks to its unique design, the Procheck Adapt membrane offers variable permeability which adapts to changes in humidity levels and allows the structure to dry out in the summer and in sunny days during spring and autumn while protecting it from moisture overload in the winter. This is possible because the membrane adapts its vapour resistance to the environment i.e., vapour tight in the winter and more vapour open in the summer.This ensures that the building fabric is protected from damaging moisture levels during cold, wet winter months, and allows the fabric to dry out effectively in warmer, drier months. The introduction of Procheck Adapt will ensure that it provides a high level of protection throughout the lifespan of the properties.Procheck Adapt has a translucent structure which eases fixing to structural frames and in combination with its integral tape allows for a fast installation time. Procheck Adapt is suitable for a variety of commercial and residential applications and provides airtightness to the structure as well as vapour control.

Recognising the urgent requirement for the Co-op Group Food stores to continue to operate safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, dormakaba worked closely with the Group to create the Safe Entry Flow system. The solution can effectively control the flow of people in and out of premises to ensure social distancing guidelines can be maintained, and in store staff can be protected. Acting as an automatic door operator to control the flow of people into a store, Safe Entry Flow is a people counting system that uses 3D and Thermal Imagining to capture footfall data within a store. The counting system links to an automatic door operator, only allowing entry when the number of customers in the store is within a pre-set range (depending on the size of the retail unit), therefore creating a physical barrier to prevent overcrowding. The enhanced solution also provided Co-op with a wealth of data metrics of footfall within their stores, including turn-in rates.A traffic light system and sound box are also linked to the system to provide visible and audible signals to customers at the store entrance, providing a simple and enhanced end-user experience. This innovative solution enabled Co-op Food stores to comply with social distancing requirements, as outlined in the Government’s operating guidelines. The hardworking and dedicated team at dormakaba went from concept to rollout in just 44 days, to allow Co-op Food to operate as efficiently as possible within the COVID-19 climate. Ricky Walker, UK Delivery Director at dormakaba says, “the Co-op Group was looking for solutions for the Food stores to operate as conventionally as possible in unconventional times. Other measures had been trialled to ensure operations continued, however they did not find these as effective in maintaining Government guidelines. “The Group specifically required something to integrate with the automatic doors, that would create a physical barrier to controlling footfall, ensuring customers and staff are kept safe.” “Recognising this, our dedicated project team have developed a solution that forms a physical barrier for people, to ensure guidelines on limiting footfall are met. Safe Entry flow is supported with a designated Technical Support Program to provide assistance from installation through to aftersales maintenance. We’ve had extremely positive feedback from the Co-op Group, with installations still ongoing.”

When HSP Architects and Price & Myers wanted to transform a listed commercial basement in Temple Fortune to create a new community centre, they needed to look no further than Newton Specialist Contractor Arti Construction to perform the waterproofing.ning three of the walls were either fully or partially below-ground and suffering from water penetration. Arti recommended the Newton CDM System, as it is the most safe and reliable form of waterproofing that would deliver a completely dry internal space and cause the minimal amount of disruption to the Listed structure.The basement, part of a four-storey Listed building, was built into a hillside, meaning that three of the walls were either fully or partially below-ground and suffering from water penetration. Arti Construction worked with the design team at an early stage to design a waterproofing solution.With existing Listed basements such as this one, Arti Construction were quick to recommend a Type C cavity drain waterproofing solution in the form of the Newton CDM System. Type C waterproofing is the safest and most reliable form of waterproofing that will deliver a completely dry internal space, whilst also causing the minimum amount of disruption to the Listed structure.Before Arti could proceed with the installation, they first had to re-level the existing concrete slab in order to provide a flat and stable floor.With the structure fully prepared, Arti could then proceed with installing a full cavity drain waterproofing system. This consisted of installing Newton 508 with minimal MultiPlug fixings to the walls and floors to capture the ingressing water. The water is then directed via Newton Basedrain channels to a Titan-Pro sump chamber, for removal by dual NP400 clean water pumps.The complex basement space included existing columns, windows and an internal staircase which all had to be factored into the waterproofing design.Regardless of this, Arti Construction completed the 280m2 installation within budget in just one week, delivering a reliable Type C structural waterproofing system that is also compliant with British Standard 8102:2009.

Reckitt’s unrivalled range provides health, hygiene and nutrition for people in 200 countries around the world, and at its offices in Slough, Berkshire Style worked with architects, Tetris Design & Build and contractor, BW Interiors, to create flexible space throughout the building.What made this installation particularly notable for Style was that it was the company’s 300th installation of a Skyfold – the market leading, fully automatic, vertically rising, acoustic moveable wall.Installing Skyfolds in both the main boardroom/meeting room and also in the lounge and shop/display area, the moveable walls offer incredible 59dB acoustic ratings and are housed, out of sight, in a ceiling cavity when not in use.“When we introduced Skyfold into the UK market 15 years ago, it was a completely new, ground-breaking moveable wall solution,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director.“At the push of a button it descends gracefully from a ceiling cavity, and once in place it offers superb room separation with top end acoustic integrity.“Initially it took time to raise the profile of Skyfold with architects, contractors and potential end-user clients, however once the benefits of this operable wall became recognised the numbers of specifications grew rapidly, as it is a truly outstanding form of room separation.”At Reckitt, the Skyfolds enable staff to very quickly divide the rooms, and when not in use they take up no floor space whatsoever and are completely out of sight.Finished in a stylish Kvadrat Steelcut Trio fabric, they also complement the interior design of the building creating a real showcase for anyone visiting the offices.In addition to the Skyfolds, Style was also specified to install a Dorma Huppe Variflex semi-automatic moveable wall in a ground floor studio, also with a 59dB acoustic rating and in an Egger laminate finish.Style is the UK market leader in moveable, partitioning and folding walls and the exclusive UK partner to Skyfold, Dorma Huppe and SWG.

Skyfold has launched a pioneering, fully automatic, moveable wall solution into the UK.The Skyfold Prisma, which is exclusively available from leading moveable wall specialists, Style, is a new and streamlined glass vertical partition which not only allows light to shine in but does so without the use of any wall or floor tracks, rendering it completely invisible when stored in the ceiling.“This is a real breakthrough in moveable wall technology from our global manufacturing partners, Skyfold,” said Style’s group managing director, Julian Sargent.“As a fully automated, acoustic glazed moveable wall that stacks into a ceiling cavity, its slim metal frame, clean lines, and sleek design will add elegance and an abundance of light to a wide range of rooms. We see demand being very strong in the corporate, hospitality, education, healthcare, religious and public sectors.”Skyfold Prisma's glass panels combine with a minimalist frame to allow light penetration into otherwise dark rooms and corridors, creating an open plan feel to any area, positively impacting both mood and productivity.With an impressive 52 Rw dB acoustic rating, Prisma also delivers privacy between divided spaces, allowing confidential meetings, classes, and collaborations to occur simultaneously. With space always at a premium, the panels of this innovative new partitioning wall cleverly ‘taper’ down into position, making it suitable for restricted areas or where there is potential for obstructions. Further maximising space, when not required, the partition can be quickly retracted into the ceiling cavity where it is neatly stored, completely out of sight. Skyfold has announced that Prisma is available in a variety of materials including glass, frosted glass and solid panels, with almost any combination being possible. Solid elements can be finished in fabric, vinyl, paint, laminate or even marker-board, allowing a true showcase feature to be created that is both superbly aesthetic as well as highly functional.

Skyfold has launched a pioneering, fully automatic, moveable wall solution into the UK.The Skyfold Prisma, which is exclusively available from leading moveable wall specialists, Style, is a new and streamlined glass vertical partition which not only allows light to shine in but does so without the use of any wall or floor tracks, rendering it completely invisible when stored in the ceiling.“This is a real breakthrough in moveable wall technology from our global manufacturing partners, Skyfold,” said Style’s group managing director, Julian Sargent.“As a fully automated, acoustic glazed moveable wall that stacks into a ceiling cavity, its slim metal frame, clean lines, and sleek design will add elegance and an abundance of light to a wide range of rooms. We see demand being very strong in the corporate, hospitality, education, healthcare, religious and public sectors.”Skyfold Prisma's glass panels combine with a minimalist frame to allow light penetration into otherwise dark rooms and corridors, creating an open plan feel to any area, positively impacting both mood and productivity.With an impressive 52 Rw dB acoustic rating, Prisma also delivers privacy between divided spaces, allowing confidential meetings, classes, and collaborations to occur simultaneously. With space always at a premium, the panels of this innovative new partitioning wall cleverly ‘taper’ down into position, making it suitable for restricted areas or where there is potential for obstructions. Further maximising space, when not required, the partition can be quickly retracted into the ceiling cavity where it is neatly stored, completely out of sight. Skyfold has announced that Prisma is available in a variety of materials including glass, frosted glass and solid panels, with almost any combination being possible. Solid elements can be finished in fabric, vinyl, paint, laminate or even marker-board, allowing a true showcase feature to be created that is both superbly aesthetic as well as highly functional.

The Wraptite external air barrier system from the A. Proctor Group has been chosen for its airtight benefits for a Department for Education (DfE) funded project of the offsite construction of Northampton School for Boys Multi-Academy Trust.The new project forms part of a full turnkey solution provided by Algeco, acting as Principal Design and Build Contractor alongside Watson Batty Architects. The project includes a total of 210 modules using Seismic technology, plus a hybrid structure for the halls, to create the 1200-place new secondary school, including sixth form.

As the leading manufacturer of fire and smoke curtains, Coopers were appointed to develop a smoke curtain system to provide an unintrusive method capable of controlling smoke migrating from the lower floors. It was also necessary to protect the un-insulated glazing installed above the atrium’s reception area with an approved fire curtain barrier system approved to provide a one hour insulating zone. Coopers manufactured, installed and commissioned two SmokeStop smoke curtains developed to control smoke generated in the event of fire and effectively channel it away from occupants during evacuation.

The cast iron flyscreen air brick has the advantage of protecting the property from insect and rodent ingress but can help stop flooding with this innovative and simple barrier. The flood screen is a cork gasket for our single and double flyscreen air bricks and is simply inserted in the air brick when flooding is likely or imminent in place of the fly mesh. Once the danger has passed the copper fly mesh is replaced and the cork flood screen stored away safely until require again. It is available with our 9x3 and 9x6 cast iron air bricks here

London Wall Place is a new development, with more than 500.000m2, located in the heart of London, between Moorgate and Barbican. This development is comprised by two commercial buildings and will add a large green area to the city. The largest building has about 300.000m2 and rises to a height of 12 floors, and the remaining building, with about 12.000m2, has 16 floors. For this project’s façade weatherproofing, three Effisus solutions were used: Effisus VAP (vapour barrier), Effisus Breather+ (breathable membrane) and Effisus 2Bond DS (double-sided solution for sealing between two surfaces).

This brownfield site had potential contaminated ground conditions where upon Geotechnical and Environmental Investigations were carried out to assist their client with their Planning Application.The JUTA Team carried out a free technical assessment of the scheme, and showed a cost saving to the client against the existing specified product to satisfy planning conditions and were able to offer our GP®1 Proprietary Gas Barrier protecting personnel from the ingress of Radon, Carbon Dioxide and Methane in accordance to BS8485:2015+A1:2019 Table 7 Resulting in a cost saving to the client.

We supplied a range of Flooring Accessories and Barrier Matting Systems to Colindale Gardens, an ongoing development of luxury townhouses and apartments in north-west London. James Holmear, Sales and Marketing Director at Redrow’s Greater London region, commented: "We wanted to create interior solutions that would reflect the luxury nature that Colindale Gardens offers and would also be hard-wearing and long-lasting for our customers. The solutions provided by Gradus not only fit with the premium feel of the development, but also provide a high level of safety for our residents and visitors."

During a basement construction project in Surrey it was revealed that there was no functioning vapour barrier installed under the concrete raft slab. Koster Aquatecnic designed and assisted in the installation of the Koster VAP I 2000 system followed by Koster epoxy decorative coatings to prevent damage caused by vapour release and leave a beautiful finish.Please visit our case study via the link. If you would like further information or have a similar project you would like assistance with designing, please contact the Koster Technical team at technical@kosteruk.com.

Faversham Linen Services are one of the leading commercial laundry service providers in the South East and recently moved into their 28,000ft2 state of the art factory. The factory is responsible for washing over 14 million garments every year and the company take great care to minimise their impact on the surrounding environment. With the disruption caused by industrial sized machines working long hours and HGV's going to and from the site throughout the day, Faversham Linen Services chose to install 76m of Jakoustic® Reflective Acoustic Barrier to help minimise the impact of their operations on local residents.

BMI The Somerfield Hospital is part of BMI Healthcare, a leading provider of independent healthcare with a nationwide network of hospitals. Gradus SureProtect Pure hygienic wall protection in White was specified for use in the anaesthetic and sluice rooms, specifically designed for areas of a hospital where cleanliness is a priority, the hygienic wall cladding creates an impermeable barrier to moisture and bacteria and has a smooth, easy to clean surface. It offers a tough and durable finish helping to protect against impact and abrasion from passing equipment, trolleys and beds, thus reducing any ongoing repair and maintenance costs.

Overlooking the River Mersey, the iconic Royal Liver Building is the most prominent structure in Liverpool’s famous skyline. Classic on the outside yet modern, light and chic on the inside, the recent programme of investment aimed to reposition the building offering, with a new reception area, large open plan grade A office suites, gym and café. A first-class offering is key to attracting and retaining tenants – and Intraform Low Profile entrance barrier matting protects the flooring to maintain the interior aesthetic and create the right first impression. Read the full case study to learn more...

The vibrant city of Amsterdam has a stunning new architectural highlight. Discover De Boelelaan, a modern building containing both residential and office space. The feature that really sets it apart is a magnificent rooftop garden. Safety barriers are an essential feature. Q-railing’s Easy Glass Pro glass balustrade system offers maximum transparency with the highest standards of safety. In this case, the balustrade is frameless, with a minimalist U-shaped stainless steel Q-railing profile on top. The 245 metres of glass railing also provide a useful wind break.

Pioneer Square is a mixed use retail and leisure development in the the heart of Bicester in Oxfordshire, anchored by a Sainsbury’s superstore and including a 7-screen cinema, offices, library and hotel.As a regeneration project within the city centre, it included a 526 space car park over two levels. Lang+Fulton supplied 134 panels of Terra-34 open mesh grating to act as a security barrier over an area of 1010m2. In addition, 85 panels of Italia-100 louvres in various dimensions were supplied to cover an area of 231m2 which required visual screening.

Vattenfall is one of Europe's largest producers of electricity and heat an have markets in Sweden, Germany, Denmark and further.We have designed, fabricated and supplied the steel and GRP grating, barrier handrails and ladders to the Ormonde Wind Jackets wind farm.The 150MW wind farm is the first offshore wind farm to use steel jackets for the turbine and substation foundations. The jackets were transported offshore on cargo barges and secured onto the seabed by inserting the four legs into pre-driven piles the longest 'single-pull' electricity export cable installation in UK waters (42km).

A stunning project, the Gothia Towers Exhibition Centre in Sweden benefits from the installation of five, state-of-the-art, fully automatic, Skyfold vertical-rising partitioning walls. Dividing the cavernous space, the row of Skyfold walls can be individually lowered at the press of a button, forming an exceptional acoustic barrier in minutes. “The exhibition centre now has incredibly flexible function space, allowing various rooms to be created to match the needs of the moment.” said Julian Sargent, group managing director of partitioning experts Style, sole distributors for Skyfold in the UK.

Kingsway Gardens, located in a leafy suburb of Hampshire, is made up of 5 residential blocks of flats that had been experiencing a large number of leaks across their balconies on multiple levels.The existing asphalt was showing signs of wear and tear with age degradation, where the lack of a full cavity tray, had meant the perimeter upstand had not been sufficiently protected for many years. With many attempts being made to patch the repairs, eventually, the insulation beneath the asphalt had become saturated, severely reducing its effectiveness as an insulator and having a detrimental effect on the U-Value of the buildings.Garland Technical Manager, Paul Boole and Technical Assistant, James Hiscock was instructed by property and construction consultants, The Welling Partnership, to provide their technical expertise and support to survey Kingsway Gardens and propose a tailored waterproofing specification for the residents.

TRC been appointed by Milestone Contracting to survey, remove, manufacture, install and replace over 200 spring balance sash windows at Lorraine road in London.Engineered to a high standard, spring sash windows exude quality and style.Modern spring sash windows operate in a smooth and seamless manner. By replacing the original cord with a spring-loaded mechanism, the windows are much easier to slim down. This enables sections of the frame to need less room for housing the extra reveal space (where the heavy weights and pulleys were once placed). This modern solution has become ideal for housing slimline window cavities.The windows installed had to comply with the following spec requirements:Windows to meet PAS24 enhanced security levelThe whole window U value to meet 1.4 w/m²K.FSC certified Hardwood timber.