"basins for accessibility"

Brookfield is the new home for School of Business at University of Leocester. Sympathetically renovated, Brookfield House was built in 1870 and is the former residence of Thomas Fielding Johnson, founder of the University of Leicester.University of Leicester engineer: Rick SturgessContractor: Henry Boot Construction LimitedArchitect: ChG Architecture & Joseph GoddardAspex supplied: Salto access control solutions, Novista concealed doorsets

Gripsure decking has been used to provide safe outdoor areas at a learning centre and holiday lodges owned by a Cornish sailing charity. The Children’s Sailing Trust has taught more than 5,000 youngsters to sail since it was established in on the Helford River in 1997. The charity offers accessible sailing to children who might not otherwise get the opportunity to get out on the water, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.Gripsure’s non-slip decking has been used to create safe outdoor spaces at the trust’s recently opened public waterside Learning Centre at Trevassack Lake on The Lizard, as well as outside six holiday properties at the same site. The three accessible lodges and three cabins, all with inset hot tubs, are available for people to rent and help to raise important funds for the charity.Charity staff say the decking areas had to be non-slip and accessible, as well as in keeping with the style of the site. Up to 3,850 linear meters of Gripsure’s Contemporary profile boards have been used around two sides of public waterside at the Learning Centre, including the outside eating area.The Contemporary boards also form the large decking area outside each of the holiday properties. The lakeside has three architect designed lodges, two of which are fully accessible with integrated ceiling hoists, adjustable kitchen facilities, wide doorways and other aids.There are also three double-depth cabins, more suitable for non-disabled guests or those with some mobility limitations.Katie Chown, marketing manager at Children’s Sailing Trust said: “The non-slip surface is very important because we have children running around and people with mobility difficulties who need to have safe, level walkways. We chose the Contemporary profile because we are a brand new site with purpose-built, modern facilities to welcome all ages and abilities, so all the finishings and furnishings are classic, modern and good quality.”Gripsure’s low maintenance Contemporary profile boards are made from high-quality Northern European Redwood Pine. They have an expected service life of 15-20 years and a 15-year non-slip performance warranty.Katie said: “It does the intended job and looks smart,” adding that it is “very practical in day-to-day use.”The decking areas at Trevassack Lake were fitted through contractor Brady Construction. Alastair Knight from Brady said although tough to cut, the boards blended in with the look of the centre and holiday properties. “It all looked really good in the end,” he said. “Apart from blunting a few cutting tools, everything else was brilliant. The decking fitted in very well.”The Children’s Sailing Trust was established for local school children. The opening of Trevassack means it can offer a wide range of accessible and inclusive facilities.Trevassack is open to the public, for all ages and abilities or disabilities.To find out more, see childrenssailingtrust.org.ukAll media is courtesy of The Children's Sailing Trust. ©2022 The Children's Sailing Trust

D-marc 105TM demarcation system – a collective protection demarcation solution. The doctrine “prevention is better than cure” is one that rings true in so many instances. Common sense tells us that it much better to prevent a fall than it is to arrest the fall once it has occurred. The Working at Height Regulations (WAHR’s) 2005 reinforce this argument. Whilst in many instances it is not always practical to remove the risk of a fall; rainwater outlets will always require cleaning, rooftop plant will require regular maintenance etc.. there are a number of ways to protect the worker from the immediate hazard the fall presents. The simplest way and that which much closely echo’s the doctrine “prevention is better than cure” is to keep the worker away from the fall hazard. The most effective way of achieving this and that which is advocated by the WAHR’s is through the provision of a Collective Protection solution. A collective protection solution is one which will “collectively protect all those who access the area”. In a rooftop situation where the hazard is a fall from the roof edge, Collective protection can be achieved by raising the parapet or through the installation of a full perimeter guardrail. Alternatively the worker can be kept a safe distance from the roof edge through the installation of a demarcation system. –Health and Safety in Roofwork HSG 33 states that “where work is not done at the edge, demarcation barriers can be provided at a safe distance from the edge (usually at least 2 meters), e.g. work on an air conditioning unit in the middle of a roof.”.      An example of where The D-marc demarcation system has recently been specified and installed at Crown Woods College, Eltham to provide safe access to rooftop mounted plant. The client was looking for a solution that would;Provide a collective protection solutionNot penetrate the existing roof covering and therefore not compromise the roofs waterproofing or air-tightness.Be lightweight so as not to require an additional support structure.Provide easily identifiable access routes ensuring no exposure to fall hazardsBe low maintenance and ideally have good environmental credentials.  D-marc was able to meet all these criteria and has the additional benefit of giving the customer the piece of mind that whilst it does not rely upon any means of mechanical fixing to the roof structure, it is tested to withstand wind speeds in excess of 105 mph. Such testing is a requirement of BS6399-2 Code of Practice for Wind loads which states that all components that form a building are required to withstand a 1 in 50 year wind speed.   D-marc was used extensively on the project as part of the collective protection demarcation system to create clearly defined safe access routes across the roof to theplaces requiring regular maintenance work. Having created the safe routes to the places of work, the D-marc was then used to demarcate the safe working zones upon the roof top. To ensure a complete collective protection solution was provided in isolated areas where it was not possible to keep the worker away from the fall hazard a guardrail was used. The easy to install, non penetrating D-marc system creates a clearlydefined access route and a safe working zone for all those undertaking regular rooftop maintenance works.

application area: commercial ventilationuse type: offices, choir roomsproject scope: reline with minimal access to ductadded value: 25-year guarantee on air-tight and one-piece linerBackgroundThe 12 existing chimney flues had to be lined to be made suitable for ventilation to serve the newly refurbished building. From each room the flues were lined with VentilFlex-25 Green up to the attic level and out the top of the chimney. The team had to carry out a precision job in a confined space with minimal access to the duct.Statement of workVentilFlex-25 Green was chosen for this project because of its versatility and its long life span. The liner is light and comes as a soft and folded tube, which makes it easy to transport and to lower into the ventilation duct. Once in position, the liner is inflated and heated up, gradually assuming and maximising the internal dimensions of the existing ventilation duct. The resulting one-piece liner is corrosion resistant, completely air-tight and it carries a comprehensive 25-year guarantee.

The Ruskin Square car park in Dingwall Road was fully modernised to help accommodate growing car parking needs. It is conveniently located to local attractions such as the Whitgift Shopping Centre and BoxPark Croydon. With these local retail and leisure facilties on the car park’s doorstep, it was necessary to ensure that it is secure and compliant for all its users. The car park itself is fully accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so safety was a key priority throughout the project. It houses 565 parking bays for people to use and resembles an effective resource in the local area to provide access to these key sites. We ensured that all of the products specified on the project were fit for purpose and met the client’s needs. We installed a combination of RB1X posts, handrail, mesh and our patented BS EN 6180 restraint strap to create a total solution. Pedestrian protection was a key priority so we specified our BS EN 6180 restraint strap that offers limited deflection on the handrail from pedestrian loading. The strap reinforces the handrail to provide additional protection to the vehicle restraint system.

Brett Landscaping, a leading provider of innovative landscaping solutions, partnered with Darcliffe Homes on the Stoneham Park housebuilding project in Reading. Stoneham Park is a prestigious development perfectly located on the Western edge of Reading, offering residents unparalleled access to both urban conveniences and scenic countryside. With beautifully landscaped grounds and a variety of residential options, Stoneham Park aimed to provide a desirable living environment. Brett Landscaping’s role in the project was to supply permeable paving, specifically their Alpha Flow range in Autumn Gold and Brindle colours, along with Chaucer paving slabs in Buff and High Kerb in Autumn Gold to complement the paving. The Stoneham Park project commenced in November 2022 and is scheduled for completion in December 2023. The development encompasses a diverse selection of 1 & 2 bedroom apartments, as well as 2, 3, 4, or 5 bedroom houses, catering to a wide range of potential residents. The project aimed to create a harmonious blend of urban and rural elements, with a picturesque backdrop of open fields, views of Sulham Woods, and convenient access to Reading’s amenities.

AJ Wells designed, manufactured and installed just over 1000m2 of vitreous enamel wall cladding with a metal ceiling to modernise the public areas of Three Bridges Station and provide easy access to hidden electrical and telecommunication services.The metal soffit was designed and installed to act as both a water management system and create an aesthetically pleasing ceiling in the subway and platform access areas. The ceiling also incorporated inspection hatches so that the underside of the rail bridges could be inspected periodically by the relevant parties.AJ Wells carried out the installation work under extremely challenging conditions as Three Bridges station is open 24 hours a day throughout the year. As a result the majority of works could only be carried out during the evening and in the early hours of the morning when customer traffic flow was at a minimum.AJ Wells worked closely with the other trades on the project in order to ensure that all interfaces achieved their required purpose.KEY FEATURES:• Vitreous Enamel Cladding system• PM13 ceilingA.J WELLS SERVICES:• Design• Manufacture• Installation

Working on the Ground Floor Lobby, First Floor Gym, Level 10 and Level 17, Planet’s southern contracting team provided an extensive range of fire-rated and non-fire rated partition and door solutions to Building D of the Nine Elms development in Battersea.In the Ground Floor Lobby, non-fire rated single-glazed automatic bi-parting sliding doors were installed along with with 3150mm high LOFT20 XL partitions with reeded film. IsoPro doors (40 dB Rw) provided access to co-working spaces and meeting rooms.FireTec Ei30 fire rated doors and LOFT transom bars provided exit route protection on Level 1 in communal areas and on Level 10 along with a FireTec Ei60 window.On Level 17, two FireTec Ei30 double door sets with overhead panels provided access to the indoor lounge area and bar area, while a single LOFT20 screen offered additional natural light passage between the lounge and adjoining demonstration kitchen.