"cavity barrier"

As part of the development of Birmingham New Street to transform into Grand Central, key infrastructure works were undertaken. Berry Systems installed a bespoke barrier system that was designed, manufactured and installed as per our client's project specific requirements.

FIREFLY ZEUS Lite™ Safeguards Ceiling Spaces Across Wakefield Food WarehouseForming a fresh element to the UK’s critical food supply infrastructure, a new distribution warehouse in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, is near to completion with the specialist suspended ceiling installer making use of ZEUS Lite™ 90:30 from the range of TBA FIREFLY™, to create vertical fire barriers at intervals within the roof-space across the footprint of the building.The 15,300m2 facility at Headways in Stanley, on the outskirts of Wakefield, has been built by GF Tomlinson for the Kitwave Group, a national distribution business with a fleet of over 500 vehicles supplying hotels, restaurants and many other venues across the country. The installation of the ZEUS Lite™ was undertaken by Nottingham Suspended Ceilings, as the sub-contractor well experienced with the performance and user-friendly characteristics of the Firefly range.All the rolls of ZEUS Lite™ 90:30 material and the well proven FIREFLY™ fixings, including stainless steel staples and fire-resistant adhesive, were supplied to Nottingham Suspended Ceilings by the merchant, Minster On-line.The site agent for Nottingham Suspended Ceilings, Mark Prescott, commented: “Our company carries out commercial contracts right across the East Midlands and beyond, where we have made use of Firefly barriers on a large number of past projects. Although you have to be a competent contractor and follow the manufacturer’s guidance precisely, we find the ZEUS Lite™ and other products in the FIREFLY™ range straightforward to install. In the case of the warehouse here, we have now completed the installation of the fire barriers up to roof level in dozens of locations across the building; as well as installing all of the suspended ceilings throughout.”FIREFLY™ ZEUS Lite™ is ideally suited to this type of application, comprising a flexible woven fabric fire barrier that has been specifically developed for the vertical separation and compartmentation of extensive concealed spaces within buildings.By offering 90 minutes integrity and 30 minutes insulation, FIREFLY™ ZEUS Lite™ 90:30 exceeds the minimum requirements regarding fire barriers under the Building Regulations’ Approved Document B (Fire Safety). The specially treated glass fibre fabric is strong and resilient as well as flexible while, crucially, the system’s certification covers the inclusion of service penetrations; which many alternative products do not.

Gradus supplied R95XT11 PVC-u and CXT3 aluminium stair edgings to the main staircases to help protect against the risk of slips, trips and falls. Gradus also supplied a range of barrier matting to the development, including Esplanade 5000HD and Boulevard 5000HD.

Twickenham Studios was established in 1913 and is one of the UK’s oldest and most celebrated film and TV studios. The Lounge is the Studio's new rooftop bar. This fabulous facility is accessed through brand new Clement steel screens. Made from strong EB24 steel sections, they are robust, but also incredibly slim and elegant. The bespoke doors have genuine T bars and a high glass specification, including Guardian Sun Guard offering solar protection and an argon gas filled cavity which improves thermal efficiency.

This luxurious residential project incorporated a double level basement with the lower level extending out underneath the garden. In regards to the below ground structure Knowles & Associates Ltd undertook the following works: Excavation and formation of a basement to footprint and under 7 metres below garden level. Two/three stage underpinning. Internal steel staircase frame. Piling. Mass excavation of spoil. Construction of rear extension. Below slab drainage. Cavity drain Waterproofing. Insulation and screed. Swimming pool shell within lower level basement.

The Comet Hotel is located in Hertfordshire at the junction of the Barnet by-pass with St Albans Road. Formerly known as the Ramada Hatfield, the Comet’s multimillion pound refurbishment which began in 2017 is now complete. The hotel had retained the building’s original crittal sash windows but this did not provide the required level of noise insulation to a number of the guestrooms, restaurant and function spaces for meetings and networking events. St Albans based Selectaglaze installed 104 secondary glazed units, with a cavity between the primary windows and the secondary units to improve noise insulation.

A good example of the before and after effects of laying a sedum roof garden and accompanying deck and paved area onto a small domestic roof terrace. All these products are designed to sit on top of the waterproof membrane (in this case single ply) there was no issue of damage to the roof. The support pads lifted the decking off the roof, eliminating the risk of the timber piercing the membrane, and drainage was maintained through the roof surface since the green roof system has a cavity beneath its own reservoir and drainage layer to allow water run-off.

NV Buildings is one of the most prestigious and iconic residential sites in Greater Manchester.The distinctive sail-shaped buildings are a major landmark in Salford Quays. The blocks have a curved main elevation providing a unique aesthetic on the skyline and are one of the most popular developments in the area.With a prominent location in Salford Quays, adjacent to the Lowry Theatre and Media City TV headquarters, the apartment blocks feature in many iconic photos of the area.The project itself was funded by the Building Safety Fund, the Government’s £4.5 billion fund to remove unsafe non-ACM cladding on residential and mixed-use properties that are 18 metres and over and do not meet building safety regulations.Our Approved Installer QFF Facades were contracted to complete the exterior wall insulation and rendering which upgraded the fire performance of the cladding, ensuring the safety of both the building and residents.Three 15 storey blocks were refurbished, with a safe and thermally efficient façade solution.Our ServiceWe worked in close partnership with QFF Facades throughout the duration of the project.Deliveries and install were strictly monitored and a very systematic approach was followed. A planned install programme was agreed to ensure minimal disruption to the residents of N V Buildings, who remained in their homes while the work was carried out on this prestigious site.We produced a bespoke specification which included various detailing such as soffits, balconies, and full height panels.A partnership approach was vital, as we worked with QFF Facades, Thomasons Consulting engineering, and the fire officer to agree upon and deliver specific detailing at abutments, openings, and for the drained cavity of the façade system.Particular attention to detail was afforded to the drained cavity fire-stops, including fire-stop details between floors, at party walls for each apartment and around openings.As part of our service commitment, our technical team were available to provide hands-on-guidance, offer support, technical guidance and ensure high levels of quality.Technical Project DetailsAfter testing, the existing cladding had been deemed a fire safety risk by experts and therefore needed to be removed and replaced with anon-combustible alternative.The project was a strip-and-refit of a drained cavity external wall insulation system, which included an expanded polystyrene insulation system.Our Approved Installer QFF Facades installed a K Systems Exicco M, Drained Cavity External Wall Insulation System for steel frame buildings, utilising Mineral Wool insulation. This high performing system provides high levels of fire resistance and non-combustibility.The fire classification of the façade for N V Buildings was upgraded to A2-s1, d0 and therefore complies with the latest building regulations, ensuring the safety of its residents.For the finish, high-performance thin coat silicone render (Silicone TC) was specified. Our Silicone TC render has a number of fantastic advantages including ease of application, and its hydrophobic properties make the render low maintenance. Available in a wide range of colours the topcoat finish used on NV Buildings is a light grey to match the original façade, meaning aesthetically the iconic buildings maintained their distinctive design.

Eurowall®+, Recticel’s innovative full-fill cavity wall PIR board, has been chosen for a new affordable housing development. With its advanced tongue and groove joint, it helped to achieve the project’s desired U-value whilst ensuring a ‘built as designed’ envelope.In total, 2000m2 of Eurowall®+ board was installed as part of a £3.3m new-build project in Bedmond Road, Abbots Langley – a large, picturesque village in Hertfordshire. On completion, the 17-home development on behalf of housing association, Thrive Homes, will introduce ‘good quality’ properties to the area. In order that the buildings achieved the regulatory U-value, the insulation needed to ensure a high-quality build whilst being simple to install. Eurowall®+ met both requirements comfortably.  Jarvis Contracting, in conjunction with architects, Avebury, was selected to deliver the scheme. It included the installation of 90mm-thick Eurowall®+ insulation, which earns its billing as Recitcel’s ‘flagship’ product due to its innovative composition and exceptional thermal performance. The boards have a tongue and groove joint on all four edges to ensure they lock tightly together. This inventive format helps to eliminate moisture ingress and possible heat loss through poor joints, whilst offering bricklayers a faster way to build. Once fitted together the boards created a thermally tight envelope, ensuring the fabric-first approach resulted in warm, efficient homes for the Bedmond Road project.  Eurowall®+ can achieve a 0.18 U-value with a 90mm-thick panel in a 100mm cavity. To reach the same thermal performance with mineral wool, for example, the project would require a much thicker insulation. Therefore, Eurowall®+ helps reduce a building’s footprint; a crucial characteristic where plot size is limited.  Indeed, the 10mm air gap, which is created by a 90mm Eurowall®+ PIR board achieving a U-value of 0.18 W/m2K in a traditional 100mm masonry cavity wall, helps speed-up installation times for a more cost-effective build in comparison with other rigid full-fill solutions.Simon Blackham, Technical Manager at Recticel Insulation explained:"Eurowall®+ benefits the installer, due to its slim composition facilitating a more rapid, effective installation, whilst its performance ensures regulation energy requirements are achieved. Such all-round capabilities made it ideal for the Bedmond Road project. It didn’t disappoint on either count."Strong and durable, Eurowall®+ will not degrade or deteriorate due to moisture. This means its thermal performance will be maintained for the long-term comfort and wellbeing of the future occupants of this fine-looking and much-welcome new housing development. About Eurowall®+:Eurowall® + is a premium, high performance full fill insulation board with precision cut tongue and groove joints on all four sides. This ensures that the boards lock tightly together minimising heat loss through thermal bridging. This unique joint offers increased protection against wind driven rain as well as improved windtightness. Eurowall® + is also designed with a 10mm cavity requirement in mind, so that space can be left for conventional bricklaying techniques.

A range of premium and high performance products from Kingspan Insulation has been installed on a stunning new beachfront home on the Isle of Wight, featured on Grand Designs. This includes Kingspan Kooltherm K8 Cavity Board, which was used to insulate the majority of the walls throughout the property, and Kingspan Kooltherm K7 Pitched Roof Board, which was were applied to the ground floor overhang. With thermal conductivities as low as 0.020 W/m.K, the products delivered the required thermal performance with a slim build-up, helping to maximise space within the rooms.

The now disused St Margaret’s Head Tunnel was a structure originally formed as part of the Dunfermline to North Queensferry railway line, providing a link to the ferry service until the opening of the Forth Bridge in 1890 and remaining in limited use for freight until 1954. The vaulted roof and brick lined tunnel is located 15 metres below the A900 trunk road and the B981, adjacent to the northern approach to the Forth Road Bridge. Cordek were asked to supply a structural fill solution, encapsulated within a protective membrane to fill the entire cavity of the tunnel.

Although we have cast iron slotted air bricks in metric sizes to perfectly engage with modern plastic ducting and periscopes, there may come a time when the installation requires imperial old patterned cast iron air bricks. Connecting these can be especially difficult which is why we've introduced these aluminium sleeves known as the metimp adapators (short for metric imperial). They are available in two sizes, single air brick size to connect up to a periscope duct and cavity wall sleeve or the double brick size for connecting to a larger wall sleeve

Surespan manufactured a FGL non-opening Glazed Rooflight for a residential house in London to fit structural opening 1465 x 4200 which was divided into four panes. The 28.4mm sealed glazed unit will comprise Pilkington Insulight™ Therm comprising 6mm Optifloat™ Clear ‘T’ (toughened), 16mm Argon filled cavity, 6.4mm Pilkington Optilam™ ‘K’ Glass Laminated. This sealed glazed unit has a U-Value of 1.5 W/m²K. This hatch was a new design with thermally broken extruded sections.

With floor space at a premium, partitioning expert Style strives to deliver solutions that minimise space needed to create an effective room divide. For example, the fully-automatic Skyfold Zenith is stored out of sight in the ceiling cavity. At the touch of a button it slides down as almost entirely flat panels, allowing a room to be quickly divided without even moving furniture. There are four Zenith models capable of delivering laboratory tested acoustic performance ranging from Rw48dB right through to an incredible Rw59dB. There is also the sound absorption Zenith with a 0.65 NRC rating.

In Clerkenwell, McLaren constructed a new office building with a basement to provide a total 97,000 sq ft of office space. McLaren utilized the existing basement structure which meant the exterior of the structure wasn't accessible. This meant that it was appropriate to use a cavity drain system. FIS worked closely with Henry Construction Projects and Veretec to provide a complete waterproofing service. Designing a system to fit around the existing structure was the challenge. FIS were able to advise on the correct installation process and provide regular quality control checks. Images courtesy of turnmillec1.co.uk.

This was a major refurbishment and landscaping project for an office development in the City of London. A podium deck had been re-waterproofed and the area landscaped, by contractor Scotscape, with a mixture of hard surfaces, grass lawns, planters and borders. Wallbarn has a very wide range of pedestals for a variety of applications. So we were able to supply exactly the right pad to best support the 6 x 2” joists the landscaping contractor needed to hold their decking boards. The timber joists were fixed into a frame and rigid insulation placed into the cavities between the beams.

Fully compatible products from the range of TBA FIREFLY™ have been chosen to compartmentalise roof voids between apartments and communal lobbies of a large apartment building in the London Borough of Lewisham, providing 120 minutes fire integrity protection as part of a wide ranging refurbishment programme carried out earlier this year.The contract on Lewisham Homes’ Commodore Court in Albyn Road has been led by the sector specialist construction company, Mulalley & Co. with London/Sevenoaks based CLM Fireproofing carrying out the installation of the TITAN Lite™ 120:60 barrier system, in combination with Collaroll and the use of ancillary products from the FIREFLY™ range.CLM Fireproofing was founded 30 years ago by Clive Miles and has established a reputation as a leader in the fields of both passive fire protection and fire-stopping; working in a variety of sectors on projects right across the UK. A regular user of the FIREFLY™ range, many of its operatives have attended courses at the company’s premises in Rochdale to become trained FIREFLY™ installers.The Site Agent for CLM, Virginijus Pasvenskas, commented: “There was initially an intention to use a mineral wool flexible fire barrier, but the product was not tested for the scenario installed around the services such as a downpipe and it was upgraded to the use of the FIREFLY™ system by the client/project team. The installation of the TITAN Lite™ and the Collaroll to wrap the trusses and the services went very well and, as well as supplying specific details for the work, FIREFLY's technical team came to site to inspect the works. We completed our contract on schedule back in the summer.”TITAN Lite™ 120:60 has been developed for use in vertical separation or compartmentation situations, offering 120 minutes integrity and 60 minutes insulation and is able to be sealed around penetrations. It is widely specified to form fire barriers within roof voids and floor voids in many different property types, including tower blocks and other HMOs.The flexible woven material is easy to cut and fix, and is chemically treated to improve its cooling properties and therefore prevent temperatures rising in adjoining areas. The system has been fully tested to BS 476 Parts 20 & 22 and is third party certified by IFC. The six metre long rolls of TITAN Lite™ 120:60 have a minimum thickness of 6mm and are installed using special staples as well as high temperature adhesive.Employed as part of the FIREFLY™ System and also to wrap the services which penetrate barriers such as PHOENIX, ZEUS Lite™ and APOLLO Lite™, Collaroll comes in a roll which unwraps to 10m long x 300mm wide with a sewn in concertinaed skirt. The skirt can be moulded to shape to seal it neatly to the upright barrier, which is usually at 90 degrees to the Collaroll and fixed into place using the FIREFLY™ high temperature adhesive. The R31 Staple Gun and Staples are used to staple the Collaroll to itself tightly around the penetration.

Products used: CW-FS | Perimeter Barriers and Firestops for Curtain WallingWhen it came to providing a proven range of fire protection solutions for a revitalised building in London highlighted by a sweeping and technically ambitious curved façade, Siderise was able to meet the challenge with its CW-FS curtain wall fire stop system.

The ECO PASS SKY axxent barrier-free threshold from SIEGENIA was awarded the prize "Red Dot: Best of the Best 2020" for its pioneering design. It is the highest distinction in the 'Red Dot Award: Product Design 2020' and is exclusively awarded for revolutionary solutions by the jury, consisting of international experts in diverse specialist fields

Japanese knotweed was identified on a site where refurbishment was due, including small extensions to the building and new paving to the outside space where Japanese Knotweed was located Following a limited level excavation to remove most of the knotweed rhizomes in the soil, CuTex composite root barrier was installed horizontally and vertically to cap any remaining rhizomes.

Station Square Parade, located next to Colchester North Station is undergoing a substantial conversion from a large office building to 67 one and two bedroom apartments set around a terraced courtyard. Buzon UK have been commissioned to supply and install the DPH pedestal system to support 20mm Rucker Rowe porcelain paving to create an external courtyard and private balconies for many of the apartments. The DPH pedestal system offers excellent water control for raised external floors as the system allows for simple, fast removal of rainwater via access cavity and is fully adjustable from 17 to 1070mm.

Delta Registered Installers, Oaks Damp Proofing having previously undertaken work for the client were commissioned to design and install a Cavity Drain Waterproofing system that would meet BS8102:2009 the British Standard for the protection of structures against water from the ground, Grade 3 (no dampness or water penetration acceptable) to the cellar area of The Blonde Hedgehog. The Cellar having been used historically to store beer was not waterproofed historically. Beer cellars are notable for being very cold and wet. For hundreds of years beer cellars were always underground – because underground rooms are generally quite cool.

Schroders’ modern new headquarters at 1 London Wall Place provides an innovative and collaborative working environment for 2,500 employees based in the City. Adding flexibility to the meeting rooms and auditorium area, partitioning expert Style recommended installing seven, high-end Skyfold Classic 60 operable walls. Vertically-rising, the Skyfold fully automatic partition is conveniently concealed in the ceiling cavity, descending gracefully at the touch of a button to sub-divide rooms in a matter of moments. Divided areas benefit from the incredible 59db Rw acoustic integrity, allowing concurrent activities to run in peace.

As part of a major Heritage Lottery funded refurbishment project to transform Hull’s Grade II* listed Maritime Museum, Limelite Whitewall One Coat Plaster was chosen as part of a damp proofing system for the converted basement. The moisture resisting properties of the plaster makes it ideal for use with cavity drain membrane systems and tanking systems in underground and humid environments. By helping to control humidity it would protect museum artifacts while in storage . The tough, impact resistant finish would also help protect the walls from accidental damage when items were moved in and out of storage.

A quaint family home in the South Downs Conservation Area has recently seen upgrades to its noise and thermal insulation with Selectaglaze secondary glazing. A total of 13 Series 10 – 2 and 3 pane horizontal sliders were specified and installed across the front elevation openings in 8014 matt sepia. Noise ingress was reduced due to installation with a 100mm cavity and 6.8 laminated glass. Draughts have been dramatically reduced with the high performance seals and close fitting of the secondary glazing. Selectaglaze is the leading specialist in secondary glazing, established in 1966 and Royal Warrant Holder since 2004.

A quaint family home in the South Downs Conservation Area has recently seen upgrades to its noise and thermal insulation with Selectaglaze secondary glazing. A total of 13 Series 10 – 2 and 3 pane horizontal sliders were specified and installed across the front elevation openings in 8014 matt sepia. Noise ingress was reduced due to installation with a 100mm cavity and 6.8 laminated glass. Draughts have been dramatically reduced with the high performance seals and close fitting of the secondary glazing. Selectaglaze is the leading specialist in secondary glazing, established in 1966 and Royal Warrant Holder since 2004.

Recently refurbished, Vodafone’s Manchester office is the first building in the UK to combine two electric moveable walls, delivering an entirely automated system for dividing room space. Working with architects, CMI Workplace and main contractor, Overbury, Style was specified to install a fully automatic Dorma Moveo Glazed ComfortDrive moveable wall adjacent to a Skyfold, the fully automatic, vertically rising operable wall, housed in the ceiling cavity. At the push of a button, the walls open and close with ease, offering a phenomenal lab tested 50dB Rw acoustic integrity for the glass system, and 51dB Rw for the Skyfold.

Style has installed one of the UK’s largest Skyfold vertical-rising partitioning walls, delivering an exceptional acoustic divide to the new Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall, Oxford Brookes University. Just under 19m wide and with a clear opening height of 7m, the fully automatic moveable wall is housed in the ceiling cavity and descends gracefully at the push of a button to be fully opened in just 2½ minutes. Skyfold takes up zero floor space when not in use whilst the acoustic performance is second to none, ensuring concurrent events can take place either side of the divide, completely undisturbed.

Vetrotech supplied their very own Pyroswiss fire-resistant glass, which resists fire for up to 30 minutes, thus building a physical barrier against flames, hot smoke and toxic gases. The glasses were supplied in various colors, which bring a warm and creative touch to the facility while marking the different departments within the hospital.

Safeshield XT Reflect A2-s1, d0 fire rated wall membrane was used in the recladding of the Genting Casino, Premier and Holiday Inns.RIVERLIGHTS DERBY, MORELEDGEA complete re-cladding on the exterior of the Genting Casino, Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, part of the Riverlights location in Derby city centre, including Safeshield XT Reflect A2-s1, d0 fire rated construction membrane.Oakleigh Contracts were chosen to undertake this large-scale project, their first re-cladding project of this size, with technical input from Permavent to ensure the correct technical specifications were achieved. Genting Casinos are a large chain of popular gaming destinations with locations across the UK and America. The property owner of the Riverlights location decided to take no risks with their new cladding, in an effort to protect people and the building in the face of the recent issues with fire spreading through and behind exterior cladding. They chose to change the existing boards to non-combustible alternatives and added Safeshield XT Reflect A2-s1, d0 fire rated construction membrane to the walls under the new boards. Safeshield was chosen for it’s high fire rating, adding another layer of protection against fire behind the cladding and inside the cavity, but also for its superior thermal properties. Safeshield XT Reflect’s reflective technology allows for greater energy efficiency in the building as it reflects heat, decreasing the emissivity of the wall cavity and reducing energy loss. Oakleigh Contracts also praised Safeshield for it’s easy and intuitive installation, as well as being extremely robust both during and after installation

TRC Windows have been appointed by Bournville Village Trust for the first phase of a six year planned works program to supply and install bespoke sash and casement windows to 46 properties in the Bournville Village estate.The rented dwellings in Bournville Village consist of bungalows, maisonettes, flats and family accommodation.The estate also features a variety of special needs housing particularly for the elderly and people with learning disabilities.Two areas of the estate have been declared conservation areas and there are a number of buildings of architectural interest and historical importance.Window profile & thermal performanceTo meet conservation requirements, window profiles will match the style, configuration and visual appearance of the existing windows (including glazing bars, horn detail, beading, etc).For each building, they will be be supplied and manufactured in preservative-treated softwood.The thermal performance of all windows and doors will meet the requirements of the Building Regulation Part L1B and have a minimum Window Energy rating of 1.4u-value.Measurement and surveyThe process will involve the removal of existing windows and doors where necessary and installation of the new timber frames and glazing.All equipment, scaffolding and materials employed to fix and seal the windows and doors inside and outside the dwelling will be in accordance with the BS 8213-4 specification for surveying and installation.In instances where the structural box frame is to remain, allowances will be made for minor repairs and redecoration.Narrow cavity glazing (A rated)Narrow cavity insulated glazing units (IGU) will be installed so as not to compromise energy-efficiency and authenticity.These units will meet the requirements of BS EN 1279 and be manufactured by a Kitemark or similar accredited manufacturer.

Four years ago, sustainable developer Citu set out to create homes 10 times more energy efficient than typical UK houses. To do this, the company invested in a state-of-the-art production facility where all the components for its properties are built offsite.Thermal performance is critical to energy efficiency. Citu wanted to go far beyond the regulations to achieve wall build-ups with an extremely low U-value of just 0.10W/m2K. This is at least three times better than the U-value achieved in most new build homes and fifteen times better than older houses.Adding offsite capabilityCitu turned to Knauf Insulation for advice and support in developing the offsite capability required for this level of thermal performance. Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team undertook extensive calculations and recommended the Blowing Plate Insulation System to install Supafil® Frame – a high performance, non-combustible blowing wool.Supafil® Blowing Wool lends itself to offsite production because it completely fills the cavity, without any voids even around complex penetrations – something that can occur when insulation slabs or rolls are cut to size. It is also a dry process, so operatives are not exposed to any harmful chemicals and it doesn’t require a dedicated production line.Instead, the system comprises a blowing machine and a filling plate. The system is modular allowing for phased investment. Citu opted to install the blowing machine in phase one, which allowed them to manually fill the panels. Phase two saw the addition of the blowing plate, semi-automating the process.Supafil® Frame can be run by a single operator, fits easily into the existing production line, and can even be moved quickly and swiftly to other areas in the manufacturing facility depending on Citu’s volume capacity requirements.Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team provided full training and support during each phase of installation.Insulating the panelsCitu homes are manufactured from wooden panels with a 300mm cavity. The blowing plate is positioned over the panel completely covering the cavity. Supafil® is then blown into the wooden frame to the specific parameters of each panel. All cavities are filled to the correct thickness; something that has been carefully calculated and tested by the Knauf Insulation Technical Support Team to ensure settlement does not occur. And because the machine is programmed to install the exact quantity of insulation required, there’s no waste.Supafil® is a high performance Blowing Wool. It is non-combustible with Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification as well as providing excellent thermal and acoustic performance. It contains a silicone-based additive to ensure it is water repellent.As well as providing excellent thermal performance, Supafil® has great sustainability credentials. Knauf Insulation’s Glass Mineral Wool contains up to 80% of recycled content. This reduces the amount of virgin materials used and prevents around 60,000 tonnes of glass a year (350 million bottles) from going to landfill or polluting the environment. Knauf Insulation has also invested in advanced compression packaging. This means there’s less packaging used, so fewer lorries on the roads leading to a reduction in transport carbon emissions. All of which helps to support Citu’s goal that every home should be carbon zero to manufacture.By combining modern methods of construction with the very highest levels of thermal performance, Citu and Knauf Insulation are creating homes that reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions – homes that are fit for the future.

South Hampstead High School is situated in Hampstead, North-West London. The girls’ school began a substantial rebuild in 2014 as part of an ambitious 8-year plan, which included the transformation of Waterlow Hall (originally constructed in 1988) into an adaptable performing arts centre.Five Series 15 2-pane horizonal sliders were installed, along with one Series 15 3-pane horizontal sliding unit for a primary window with a wider opening. The secondary glazing was installed using bespoke timber fixing grounds into which it was fully sealed and secured. Selectaglaze was able to achieve the largest cavity available to maximise the acoustic benefits. 

As part of an extensive refurbishment at the School of Biomedical Sciences, Newcastle University, Style installed the unique Skyfold dividing wall system, delivering fast and effective flexible room configuration to laboratory teaching facilities. Skyfold is a fully automatic, acoustic moveable wall that's housed discreetly in the ceiling cavity and offers unparalleled acoustic integrity of 59dB Rw. “The wall has exceeded our expectations acoustically, visually and practically,” confirms Dr Alison Gregory, technical manager, School of Biomedical Sciences at the University. “We can run independent activities in adjoining labs with large numbers of students with virtually no sound transfer between rooms.

This historic landmark required revitalising to enhance its appearance whilst maximising floor space within the existing retained Grade 2 listed facade. This project required a flexible yet robust structural waterproofing design supported by the appropriate warranties. FIS were able to provide a strategy within the budget constraints exceeding the clients requirements whilst ensuring practicability of installation. The waterproof layer beneath the basement slab incorporated a combination of a bentonite membrane and a cementitous coating to the top of the piles caps providing full protection. This deep basement construction required a maintainable cavity drain system applied to the secant piled walls.

TBA FIREFLY™ System Sub-Divides Supermarket RoofspaceDuring the recent pandemic supermarket chains have had to continue with property maintenance and improvement programmes to ensure the safety of their premises, including a store in Staffordshire where the APOLLO Lite™ 30:30 barrier, manufactured by TBA FIREFLY™, was installed within the roof-space as part of a major refurbishment project.The work at the store was carried out by sector specialist, The B Team. All of the APOLLO Lite™ 30:30, together with the heavy duty stainless steel staples and other ancillary Firefly products, have been supplied by distributor, CCF.Commenting on the success of the work, The B Team Site Manager Adi, said ”as the architects specified vertical fire barriers in the strategy according to the Approved Document B from the Building regulations, we decided to use APOLLO Lite™ 30:30 from TBA, as we have used it and other FIREFLY™ products on other project in the past: in supermarkets and other types of building. It is easy to cut and install, fixing it vertically to the metal profiles with stainless steel screws to create 20 metre by 20 metre compartments and we used the stainless steel staples to secure the joins in the material, all in line with the manufacturer’s installations manuals.”All of The B Team’s work had to be carried out while minimising any disruption to the store’s long hours of business, with the new APOLLO Lite™ fire barriers being concealed above the building’s reinstated suspended ceilings.The APOLLO Lite™ 30:30 has been developed for use in vertical separation or compartmentation situations, offering 30 minutes integrity and insulation thereby exceeding the minimum requirements of the Building Regulations.It is widely specified to form fire barriers within roof voids and floor voids in many different property types, including tower blocks and other HMOs.The flexible woven and non woven glass fibre material is easy to cut and fix and is treated with a proprietary coating to improve its fire performance properties and therefore prevent temperatures rising in adjoining areas. The system has been fully tested to BS 476 Parts 20 & 22 and is third party certified by IFCC. The six metre long rolls of APOLLO Lite™ 30:30 have a minimum thickness of 6mm and are installed using specialist staples as well as heat resistant adhesive.