"steel"

With RoofDek as the structural deck, the school’s roofs feature rainwater harvesting, high levels of thermal insulation, natural ventilation, green sedum roofs and solar thermal panels.

A conversion project in Somerset has utilised a number of products from Catnic to provide practical and sustainable living accommodation, suitable for retirement. Coates Farm has employed Catnic's® Urban standing seam roofing and cladding system as well as Catnic lintels to ensure the environmental impact of the building is kept to a minimum.Situated in Kittisford, a small picturesque village near Wellington, Coates Farm is owned by Maurice and Penny Stanbury. “We decided, that due to our advancing years, we wanted a practical and sustainable home that would require very little maintenance,” said Maurice. “Having received go-ahead to repurpose an old cow shed, we wanted to ensure that the materials specified would contribute to the building’s eco credentials.”To ensure the work was allowable under permitted development, it was essential that the development was kept within the same building footprint. Working alongside architect Nigel Pearce at Pearce Practice for the planning and design of the conversion, the decision was made to specify Catnic's® Urban standing seam roofing and cladding system.A cost-effective alternative to traditional copper and zinc standing seam roof systems, the Urban system is manufactured to meet all relevant legislation, including load bearing for wind speed in accordance with EN 1991-4 and weather tightness in accordance with BS 5534 Parts 1 and 2. Furthermore, helping to meet requirements for sustainable building solutions – Urban is BRE Green Guide Rated ‘A’ and at end of life – the panels are 100% recyclable.“Maurice came to us with an idea that he wanted something different for the roof that would improve the eco footprint of the building whilst being aesthetically pleasing on the eye,” said Nigel Pearce.“Because of the permitted development, we were restricted by the low roof pitch. As we couldn’t specify slate or tiles, we remembered that we had used Catnic® Urban on a recent conversion and found it to be a great option; not only could it accommodate the low pitch at Coates Farm, but it also matched the contemporary look and feel that Maurice was looking for,” added Nigel.Initially to be specified for only the flat section of the roof, it was decided that Catnic® Urban would be utilised for the complete roof due to its crisp lines and strong aesthetics.Maurice Stanbury said, “During the initial specification, we were really happy with the service received from Catnic. Having decided upon Catnic® Urban, we began exploring the possibility of getting our lintels from them too. Alongside standard lintels, we required a bespoke corner lintel to ensure we could match the intended design of the building. We submitted technical drawings to Catnic and the technical team made the process very easy.”Whilst Maurice project managed the redevelopment, the installation was undertaken by Kevin and Ashley Drew – local builders known to the Stanbury’s. After specification, but prior to ordering Urban, it was decided that Maurice and Ashley would attend an Urban training day at Catnic’s training centre in Caerphilly, to learn how to correctly install the standing seam roofing system.During the course, Ashley and Maurice spoke with Catnic’s Technical Director Richard Price, who then visited the site personally to measure up and give guidance to apply what they had learnt in Caerphilly into practice.Throughout the conversion, Kevin and Ashley Drew worked closely with Catnic to guarantee the successful delivery of the project. Using Catnic’s Lintel Advanced Scheduling System (CLASS) ensured that they could adopt a ‘just in time’ approach to deliveries.“Having ordered both lintels and Urban from Catnic we were able to delay the delivery of the system until we were ready to install it,” said Kevin Drew.“We found the system incredibly easy to work with – particularly as this was our first experience of Urban - managing to install it quickly between the two of us,” added Kevin.“We are thrilled with the end result, and we now have the property we had always dreamed of having,” concluded Maurice Stanbury. “Catnic made the process incredibly easy from start to finish, and with Catnic® Urban we are safe in the knowledge that the system will now require minimal maintenance.”

Lorton Park development has been designed and built with energy and water conservation in mind. With a particular importance placed on the selection and quality of the materials used, Catnic’s innovative TBL was specified for all 46 luxury properties.BRE certified, the Catnic TBL range delivers industry leading linear thermal transmittance Psi values of 0.02 to 0.05 W/mK and safe working loads in line with Catnic’s existing Cavity wall lintels.Chris Watts, Sales Manager at Jewson, worked with Mr Hidari on the product specification,“After comparing different lintels on the market it became clear that Catnic TBL’s were best suited to the specific project requirements.“Due to the medium density concrete blocks being used onsite, AKI Ltd needed a product that could meet its thermal performance requirements and easily achieve the build’s load requirements – the composite design of the TBL made it the perfect choice.”The specifically designed flat top of Catnic’s Thermally Broken Lintel provides a simple, consistent junction with the cavity wall insulation. This removes the reliance on site workmanship, reducing the risk of a ‘performance gap’. There are also no brackets connecting the inner and outer leaf of the lintel and therefore there are no additional point thermal bridges that need to be considered.The large scale development project also benefited from Catnic Lintel Advance Scheduling System (CLASS). Through the fully comprehensive scheduling service, Catnic’s expert team created a concise document which detailed lintel descriptions, price, delivery time and a guaranteed structural accuracy.“This has been a huge, complex project and we needed a product that could deliver on the specific structural and thermal requirements,” commented Mr Hidari. “As the only lintel on the market with a complete thermal break, it seemed like the ideal product. I was particularly impressed by the Catnic team who provided us with a full design and specification for the entire development.”For further information on Catnic’s Thermally Broken Lintel range, please visit https://catnic.com/products/lintels/thermally-broken-lintels/overview

Catnic's lintels have given definition to Beaumont, a stunning Country and Coast Homes development of 6 large houses in Highcroft, Exeter. Approximately 60 1.25inch CX cavity lintels were supplied, which support the sharp, unusual shape of the architect-designed buildings, were chosen for their strength, reliability and thermal capabilities.The lintels support the exterior window and door features; special corner lintels support the external over-eaves, while large window openings elegantly contour the shape of each house. Chosen specifically to support the specialist architectural features of the development, offering both the structural and thermal performance required for the building envelopes.Constructed using the traditional brick and block method, the building facades were then finished with a white K-render to all external elevations.Consistent with Country and Coast Homes' portfolio of luxury contemporary homes, the development features superior quality fixtures inside and out. As a brand synonymous with quality in the construction industry, Catnic reflects this too. County and Coast Homes focuses on exceptional attention to detail, it only uses the most reliable and durable products in the construction of its homes. Chris Dodge at County and Coast Homes said: "We have been using Catnic Lintels for over 10 years, they are by far the best. A superbly well organised company who offer exemplary service, their lintels are extremely capable and well suited to our high quality homes."Country and Coast Homes prides itself on a high level of sustainability in each development. Catnic lintels surpassed the energy targets in this particular development by helping deliver the efficiency required to achieve a B on the EPC rating.

This elevated balcony project in Taunton is a great example. The goal of the project was to make the addition of large balcony areas to the rear of two adjacent houses, with large steel frameworks to be designed to provide the balcony level to the first floor.

Trent is a village and civil parish in northwest Dorset, in the beautiful Yeo Valley. The Trent Conservation Area was designated in February 1970. Many of its structures are listed due to their historical and architectural significance, including Medieval and Tudor buildings.  From 1835 to 1875, Reverend Turner and his wife occupied the village rectory. Together, they built a great number of the buildings that are still in the village today, including the Alms Houses. In 1862, the Turners constructed the National School which was to be for girls and infants. Throughout the years, the National School has seen many changes, including the introduction of boys and the expansion of the buildings. Unsurprisingly, the original metal windows at the school were not fit for purpose and the time came to replace them. This required sensitivity, as it was imperative the new windows looked similar to the originals. The Clement Brooking range was specified because the slim, strong frames could replicate the wonderful shaped heads of the existing windows and they could be fixed directly to stone. The 16mm krypton filled units offer the much-improved thermal performance required and, like all Clement windows, the frames could be fitted with restrictors, essential for safety.Ros Baker, the Deputy Headteacher said: “We are so pleased with the finished result! The transformation the windows have made to our school and local area is fantastic. Many local residents have also commented positively on the ‘new look’ windows. They have been sympathetically upgraded, in keeping with the original school building, and have had a positive impact on our school environment. Furthermore, there was no impact on the staff or the children during the refurbishment.”

City of London Freemens first opened in Brixton in 1854 for ‘the maintenance and the religious and virtuous education of orphans of Freemen of the City of London’. Paid for by the Corporation of London both boys and girls were enrolled from the outset making it the one of the oldest co-educational independent schools.In 1926 the school moved to Ashtead Park in Surrey. The Grade II* listed Main House at Ashtead Park had been the home of Sir Robert Howard, Chancellor of the Exchequer during the 17th century.In 2016 an ambitious development project was commenced, due to span the next decade. The modernisation of the Main House, now the Sixth Form Centre, involved a redesign of the building and the new layout required fire screens to ensure the building met with current Building Regulations. Clement Windows Group supplied the internal fire rated doors and screens at the top of the adjacent internal stairs which are access controlled and linked into the main fire control of the building.

The Cooperage is located on a former industrial site in Central London and is believed to have been built in the early 1900s. Following an unsympathetic earlier restoration in the 1990s, Chris Dyson Architects were invited in 2011 to prepare a scheme for the extension and complete renovation of the property, turning it into a spectacular five bedroom family house. The Cooperage has been nominated for the RIBA House of the Year 2017 long list. Photography by Peter Landers.

The impact a school provides starts from its outside appearance. This allows the pupils, parents and teachers to maintain a positive attitude about where they study and work creating a positive vibe. This often follows suit internally with design as well as the performance of a school feeling proud to be part of. The choice of material required was initially zinc but we also needed to ensure the product was as light as possible, we therefore proposed Falzinc which is a Zinc coated Aluminium.

Primark’s flagship store on Edinburgh’s premier shopping street has undergone recent refurbishment. This has included the installation of stainless steel grating, supplied by Lang+Fulton, as flooring within the window display. Apart from its stylish contemporary appearance, the grating serves as a light-well, introducing natural daylight to the shopping area in the basement. Product: Stainless Steel

ASF were approached to manufacture bespoke stainless steel guardrails for Hammersmith Gyratory. For this project drawings were supplied by the client to work from, although these drawings were design intent rather than working drafts.ASF re-drew to a full working draft, 3D modelled and produced a set of GA drawings for approval.Once approved the guardrails were manufactured.Posts were manufactured form 101mm diameter, grade 316 stainless steel and topped with a machined cap with a shallow coned top and deep decorative recess. Rails were from 60mm diameter grade 316 tube. Posts and rails were polished to a high 2k finish and the capes were left machine finished.The finished product is a very stylish and heavy duty, low maintenance guardrail.

Due to the increased popularity of outside living space, this property in Northwest London has maximised this opportunity to increase their privacy from one neighbour with an unusually shaped extension providing the freedom of opening up the entire area. To try and keep in with the local surroundings they wanted to use copper for their cladding that would complement their design. Natural copper can take a long time to weather to a green finish. Metal Solutions offered Aurubis Nordic Green which is a pre-patinated copper where they can benefit from the aged finish from the day it was installed.

Aluminium is an established and well used metal in Architecture. In the development of the Eastern Gateway apartments, Accord Indesign have been courageous in combining colour with shape and form creating a multi-layered, multi-coloured and highly visual façade. The variety of cladding solutions is successful breaking up the façade as well as providing a strong commercial versus residential statement. Interlocking Shingles breaking up the central core and interlocking reveal panels that create a linear regimentation in close keeping the traditional brick-built buildings along the High Street. Blended colours deliver a high level of interest.

The ever popular and practical ASF 3000 stainless steel tree grilles were specified for the fashionable Spinningfields area of ManchesterWith stylish and simple lines, these tough and resilient tree grilles were the ideal choice for this area, offering a modern look and ensuring tree root protection, aeration and irrigation.Uplighters were added which further improved the aesthetics of these productsManufactured in high grade 316 stainless steel and finished passivate dipped, these grilles offer excellent longevity with no maintenance other than appropriate cleaning and housekeeping of the general area

Stowford Mill, built in 1787, is one of Devon’s oldest historic industrial sites to still be expanding.Because of its iconic features and characteristic atmosphere, Stowford Mill has long been established as one of the trendiest places to work, eat and shop, bringing commerce and prosperity to the surrounding area, and forcing the town to expand to make room for tourists who just never wanted to leave.Part of this expansion will eventually include Burrington Estates’ eight-acre vibrant community of contemporary new homes. This new development, for which the main contractor is URBN, is due for completion in 2023.Started in March 2018, the existing homes already include Alumasc Rainwater Infinity Steel gutters and downpipes, specified to provide eco-friendly, discreet and resilient water management that will last. Crucially, this system was favoured to the use of plastic systems, to meet the demand for a readily available product that was both environmentally- and price-conscious.As the new development creates a unique new environment in which to live, work and relax in the midst of the historic area, the most important part of the project was to keep the best of the stunning architectural heritage already there, whilst finding innovative ways to incorporate the latest modern building design. Helping to bridge this gap between the historic and the modern, AWMS offered a solution.“Alumasc systems were chosen as it was the project’s requirements to specifically use steel for gutters and downpipes,” David Loader, Key Account Manager at Alumasc, explained.

BLÜCHER recently supplied our BLÜCHER EuroPipe system to the new Terminal 2 car park at Manchester Airport. The new multi-story car park has space for 3,800 vehicles and is part of the £1 billion transformation programme at the airport. The installation was overseen by G Beverley & Son on behalf of the M&E Contractor, Crown House. Our stainless steel drainage systems are the ideal choice due to our lightweight push-fit pipes and fittings are easy to handle and install, and provide rapid discharge of rainwater and waste water.

The Corinthia Hotel London is a historic luxury hotel, formerly the Metropole Hotel and used as a government buidling during the war. Regarded as one of the most luxurious and important hotels in London Kaldewei worked closley with IHI and GA Design to establish and deliver a specification consisting of our Ellipso Duo Oval 1900x1000 baths for the executive suites and Centro Duo 1800x800 for the standard suite rooms. The scheme was delivered 2010/11.

One Hyde Park is a major residential and retail complex adjacent to Hyde Park. Owned by a consortium consisting of Christian Candy owned CPC group and the Qatar Royal family, designed by Sir Richard Rogers (Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners) the development has 86 residential properties ranging from approx. £20m, making it one of the most prestigious & luxurious residential developments in the world. Kaldewei were able to establish and deliver a specification of our Classic Duo 1600, 1700 & 1800 bathtubs to be under-mounted by marble. The scheme was delivered 2009/10.

Standing derelict on the south bank of the River Thames, Battersea Power Station renowned for its four chimneys and art deco design is undergoing a massive phased transformation in a multi-billion redevelopment programme.A ComFlor® composite floor system throughout was chosen for a number of reasons including its ability to provide a solution that is strong and robust and one that was capable of achieving the load and long span requirements. It has a low floor self-weight, obtains good load optimisation and offers fast build times.Prodeck Fixing installed over 135,000m2 of our ComFlor® floor decks on this project which will support the flooring system for the whole project using a mix of ComFlor® profiles

Wakefield has had a sporting boost with the construction of its new Minsthorpe Leisure Centre which was opened February 2018, after the 14-month project was completed on schedule. Facilities at the centre include a 25m, six-lane swimming pool, a 60-station health and fitness club and a group exercise studio.The project cladding design underwent a value engineering programme and the originally specified product was changed to include our Trimapanel® smooth faced insulated panels for the external building envelope.

Industrial building case study using Colorcoat Prisma in Seren White

1500m2 of RoofDek D100 and D200 structural metal roof decking profiles were used to support the roof system of Hull’s Bonus Arena, a state-of-the art, music and events complex with up to 3,500 concert auditorium capacity that has the flexibility to adapt to a 2,500 all-seated event and 2,000m2 exhibition space plus 800 capacity conference auditorium.

The £64m hospital and healthcare facility on the Orkney Islands is a state-of-the-art clinical environment for the delivery of health services, and ComFlor® composite floor decking played a major role in its construction.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the new landmark Antwerp Port House comprises of a new highly architectural four-storey extension positioned above a restored former fire station. Providing 12,800m2 of office space, the project has given the Port Authority a single headquarters building for the first time.ComFlor® was the preferred flooring option out of five put forward, based on its light weight and cost. The system also provides the required strength, could achieve the required load and span requirements and offered a fast build time.5,000m2 of ComFlor® 80 in 0.90mm gauge, as well as a quantity of ComFlor® 60 in a 1.20mm gauge for the sloped stairs, was used to deliver the flooring solution, all supplied by Dutch Engineering.

The second tallest building in the United Kingdom, and tenth largest building in the world is home to an impressive amount of BLÜCHER EuroPipe! All 62 floors are equipped with stainless steel drainage, from RWP, SVP and food vacuum systems to interceptor foul drainage and disconnecting traps for rainwater.The project spanned over two years, and it was a no brainer that our lightweight, adaptable and push fit system was chosen as the sole supplier.

The front of the property is single story blending in with the local style of properties, with the rear providing a totally different aesthetic. Traditional Textures Dark Zinc Patina Aluminium has been used to provide the roof with a modern but yet village/barn feel depending which side of the house you view it from. The finish is matt which minimises any reflection and also gives out the same warming feel across the property. The aluminium has been used for all the ridges, verges, fascia's and soffit to continue the minimalistic crisp edge finish.

British Land commissioned Adam Richards Architects to design a custom-built barge for a new London restaurant, The Cheese Barge. The floating restaurant creates a distinctive focal point and destination for Paddington Central and the wider area. The boat’s curving, sloping roof is clad externally in Traditional Textures Copper Patina Precoated Aluminium metal to replicate aged copper. On the underside of this roof, a copper colour is visible from inside the boat, creating a warm and convivial interior as it gathers the light reflected off the surface of the water.

The owners of this property wanted to maximise their outside space but also create a calming relaxing feel while sitting in their garden in London. By using GreenCoat PLX Pro Mountain Grey they were able to match their bifold door colour so the whole extension worked together. Rather than a traditional standing seam the installer handmade these shingles creating a very different finish. These shingles were also replicated for the Roof as can be seen in the background.

Situated in the heart of Coventry and clad in Traditional Textures precoated aluminium using an angled standing seam. The colour Blue Zinc Patina captures the colour, tone and textures of real pigmented zinc at a fraction of the cost. The range of pre-coated Aluminium come in a wide variety of surface finishes with a warranty of up to 20 years. Aluminium is lightweight, offers a flat surface aesthetic. Ease of handling and excellent formability even in low temperature conditions make it an installers favourite. Commissioned on this project as a Value Engineered solution

This old Bakery in Ashford Kent was no longer in use, it was purchased by a developer and planning was granted to bring this back in to use by refurbishment into habitable residential flats. One of the requirements were to sustain the commercial properties of the building but also to give it a modern look. Metal Solutions offered ZM Silesia Pre-aged zinc in a 0.8mm gauge, the light catches the characteristics of the slight oil canned aesthetics this angle seam cladding provides and delivered exactly what the planners were looking for.

Secreted within the grounds of a Victorian villa these 2 new Mews properties and 3 new Townhouses replaces demolished 1980’s office facilities. A strong masonry base envelopes a timber clearstory and gables, aluminium dormers and a Zintek Mediterranean Blue zinc roof, to give a truly contemporary interpretation of a traditional mews building. The Townhouses are formed with complex twisted geometries. As with the adjacent mews, materials were selected incorporating a solid masonry base, timber cladding to the projecting cantilevered boxes, aluminium glazing systems, white render and topped with blue zinc mono-pitched roofs.

Client: Grove Developments/Arora HotelsContract value: £362kProducts used:  0.74kN loading stainless steel with glass balustrade to stairs1.5kN loading structural glass balustrade to link bridgesThe dual-brand Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express, which operates under Arora Hotels, is located at Heathrow Terminal 4 and opened in 2018. It consists of 300 rooms as well as business and meeting facilities. The building is directly connected to Heathrow’s Terminal 4 via an air bridge and also offers convenient access to the London Underground, Heathrow Express train service and nearby major motorway routes. We were instructed to supply and install more than 600 metres of balustrades, as well as over 300 metres of wall fixed handrails during the hotel’s construction phase. The balustrades used for the project were 1.5kn structural glass balustrades to bridges and 0.74kN loading stainless steel with glass balustrade to stairs. We provided approximately 300 metres of structural glass balustrades to the hotel’s link bridges. At the design stage of the project, we were advised that the bridges could deflect by 25mm, so our balustrade design had to accommodate this. The solution was simple but very effective – we left a 5mm gap in between each five-metre length of track, which was not noticeable when walking along the bridges but allowed for adequate movement in the structure with no damage to the balustrades or the finishes, and no compromise to the overall look. In addition, we adapted our handrail system to provide protection to the walls where guests wheel trollies and luggage into the hotel. By fixing handrails along the flooring close to the walls, it provided a functional yet attractive solution to avoid any marks or scratches that luggage might create.The overall result was a mix of balustrades to the hotel’s stairs and link bridges, plus handrail finishes to the high-traffic areas of the premises that all fit in with the building’s modern and clean design. 

Located in the East Midlands, Mountsorrel Quarry supplies the construction industry with large volumes of essential materials, which are used for construction projects throughout the UK.Due to an industrial fire which left a screen house beyond repair, a complete rebuild was required which included the design, supply and installation of safe, compliant access solutions.RequirementWright Engineering Group required four floors of open mesh flooring, handrail, stanchions and treads to re-build an industrial building at Mountsorrel Quarry that burnt down in November 2022, for the site to be back to full working capacity.SolutionLionweld Kennedy Group designed, manufactured and installed four floors of steel and GRP access solutions to the Mountsorrel site, enabling the building to be rebuilt safely. LK 20mm ball proof Safegrid flooring was required due to the height of the building and permanent access needed under each floor.Customer FeedbackLionweld Kennedy Group were by far the standout choice of all of the suppliers we contacted. From the beginning theservice was second-to-none, all items arrived on their project critical specified delivery dates, and the quality of the products were of a very high standard.Lionweld Kennedy Group remain a preferred supplier within the Wright Engineering Group due to the high quality of products and the excellent customer service always received.Luke Fagan, Construction Manager, Wright Engineering Group

Aspext is located close to the Lea Valley, a short walk from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and its range of facilities. The area, known as Hackney Wick is a community full of culture undergoing a wealth of regeneration following the London 2012 Olympics and boasts an wide array of galleries, bars and restaurants. The apartment building, one of six individual buildings on the Wick Lane development provides a selection of one, two & three bedroom apartments.The design incorporates Standing Seams at 200mm, 300mm, 400mm & 500mm centres in a random arrangement wrapping both the vertical façade and across the roof areas.GreenCoat PLX RAL 6027, Glacial Green was selected as it offered the Architect the bespoke colour selection. A separate low level building on the site is clad and roofed using GreenCoat PLX Metallic Silver in a similar random seam layout. 

Club Venu is a premier destination for dining, dancing, arts and culture. Set in a beautiful waterfront location, it’s undoubtedly one of the most stunning attractions in North Wales. The architectural plan included a roof terrace on the second floor, which incorporated a balustrade. In total, more than 40 metres of stainless steel Q-line balustrade with glass clamps, handrails and offset handrail brackets were mounted. Modern and minimal in appearance, this solution nevertheless offered considerable time and cost savings. The exterior balustrade delivered unbeatable safety without sacrificing transparency. The result is a stunning, uninterrupted view of the waterfront.

North Kent Police HQ is a four-storey landmark building of 11,500 m2. In addition to the perimeter fencing, Lang+Fulton supplied the steel louvred cladding panels and support steelwork for the generator housing. The panels were made from Italia-100 which is an extremely robust louvred material, providing 100% visual screening and a high level of security. Italia-100 was considered to perfectly complement the overall architectural design as well as providing the required functionality at a sensitive site.