"composite rigid sheets"

Located at the first locks of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal, the second phase of the £1bn Middlewood Locks development in Salford delivers 546 apartments across 4 new buildings with private podium gardens. Phase 2 of the development is part of the wider mixed-use scheme to regenerate 25 hectares of brownfield land with new apartments, office space, a hotel, bars, restaurants, car parking and a gym.The large catchment area of the development discharges to the newly renovated balancing basins that service the confluence of adjacent canals and the River Irwell. An extensive podium drainage landscaping design was required to meet the site’s strict discharge limits and reduce the impact of surface water run-off to less than that of the pre-developed brownfield land.The ABG blueroof storm water attenuation system specified for the scheme covers over 9,500 m2 and restricts rainfall outflows to below the 16 l/s discharge limit on Plot G of the site and within the 20 l/s limit for Plot H. The system incorporates 27 ABG restrictor chambers above rainwater outlets which are configured to restrict outflow rates to within the discharge consents.The system is designed to attenuate a 1-in-100 storm event (data extrapolated from the local FEH 2013 flood report), plus 30% allowance for the effects of climate change. The geocomposite drainage and attenuation layers and network of restrictor chambers serve to filter surface water run-off pollutants to treatment train stage one of the SuDS process, meaning no other filtration measures are required. The top of the chambers are designed to sit flush with the porous resin paving surface, and different configurations and thicknesses of drainage composites were used to achieve the correct height of system to match the different surface levels. The ABG Deckdrain geocomposite layer provides multi-directional flow capacity to efficiently channel rainwater to the nearest restrictor chamber outlet whilst the integral geotextile filter helps to prevent the cuspated drainage core from becoming blocked.The choice of hard and soft landscaping materials specified for the development are of a very high standard and the inclusion of large areas of green spaces and substantial planting creates valuable new private gardens and amenity spaces for the area.The attenuation system configuration was designed and supplied by ABG and installed over a 6 month period by ABG Installs. As part of the storm water attenuation system design, a new restrictor chamber diffuser was developed to fit directly onto the downpipes of the apartment buildings. The attenuation voids were modified to allow for cable ducting to pass through them and a method was also developed to provide structural drainage beneath the concrete footings of the stone planter walls.

Altro provides durable solution for seclusion room at psychiatric hospitalAltro Zodiac, Altro Aquarius, Altro Whiterock DigicladSpringfield University Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Tooting, South London and also the headquarters of the South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust. Springfield University Hospital has been the primary location for mental health services in south west London for over 175 years. The Trust serves 1.1 million people across the London boroughs of Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth and employ more than 2,000 staff who provide care and treatment to about 20,000 people from south west London and beyond at any given moment.The hospital has a seclusion room with ensuite bathroom facilities for service users. The room was already installed with Altro Zodiac smooth flooring in the room, and Altro Aquarius safety flooring in the bathroom. The Trust added Altro Whiterock Satins and Altro Whiterock Digiclad on the walls to create a fully tanked room with one part joints, making the room resilient and secure. Altro Whiterock was also thermoformed into all the window frame reveals for extra security.The Director of Nursing and Quality commented: “In creating a new seclusion space on the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), we wanted to create a secure but therapeutic environment for our service users. We were able to take advantage of the ability to print a large image across one complete wall. The result is that we have a fantastic soft- focus leaf image with warm autumnal colours, which helps create a sense of calm.”Altro Whiterock Digiclad is created by reproducing a photographic image or vector art onto Altro Whiterock wall sheets, with consistent, photographic quality. Hard-coat technology provides scratch-resistant properties for added surface protection, making Altro Whiterock Digiclad ideal for areas where durability is important. In the seclusion room a calming image of autumn leaves was used to brighten the room and create a visual focal point.Altro Aquarius is a specialist safety flooring developed for use in wet and dry environments, providing optimum slipresistance for shoe and bare foot use for the lifetime of the flooring, and a colour range ideal for creating home from home environments. Combined with Altro Whiterock Satins, it can create an impervious and easy to clean surface from floor to ceiling that meets strict hygiene standards.

IssueSheffield Olympic Legacy Park Stadium was created after a collaboration of key institutions decided to deliver an Olympic legacy through the four themes of sport, community, environment and economy. The park has an ethos to achieve physical and mental health and wellbeing by providing world-class facilities for community sports, from grassroots up to elite levels.ApproachWith the need to provide inspirational interiors for aspiring Olympians, Alex Parojcic, Architect at Whittam Cox knew that a high-end design, complemented by technical performance and ease of maintenance was required for the new changing areas, showers and physiotherapy suite. “Ceramic tiles had originally been specified for the showers and changing rooms, but we switched to Altro Tegulis when we realised the installation would be quicker, give a fantastic look and feel to the areas,and provide the cleanliness and hygiene standards required for such busy areas.”Joe Richardson of Richardsons Cladding who completed the installation, added “Altro Tegulis was a quick and easy install which assisted with the contractor’s tight programme. If this had been done in the ceramic tiles it would have impacted the programme massively.”SolutionAltro Tegulis, partnered by Altro Aquarius were specified for the showers, providing safety from slips in shoes and barefoot. For the changing rooms, where traffic from football studs, sports shoe spikes and bumps/knocks from sports bags and equipment would be experienced, Altro Atlas 40 was specified. Altro Wood provided a less clinical finish in the physiotherapy suite.Altro Tegulis tile-effect wall panels offer the ideal alternative to traditional tiles for wet rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and retail spaces. With a range of tile-effect patterns offering a grout-free alternative to tiles, Altro Tegulis offers a more familiar feeling than traditional wall panel sheets.Altro Atlas is well suited to areas where the risk of a slip is high, including heavy duty industrial use and sports changing rooms. Hard wearing, stable, and resistant to mechanical damage and chemicals, Altro Atlas 40 provides long term durability and slip resistance, and is easy to clean and maintain.Altro Aquarius is a specialist solution for combined wet and dry, shoe and barefoot areas. Keeps you safe with common contaminants such as shampoo and conditioner.Altro Wood is a general purpose 2mm wood-effect vinyl safety flooring available in a range of designs with different plank sizes.

Copenhagen’s Amager Bakke is a visionary project in Denmark that doubles as a recreational playground and a waste-to-energy plant.The towering structure is over 280 feet high, has an estimated cost of $670 million and is a part Copenhagen’s commitment to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital by 2025. Part of the facility is already on line.The waste-to-energy plant, a giant incinerator that burns household garbage to generate heat for approximately 160,000 households and electricity for 62,500 homes, began operating in March. The recreational component is still under construction.Kalwall® translucent sandwich panels provided a critical solution in this truly global project, with their aesthetic beauty, energy efficiency and, most importantly, their best-in-class explosion-venting properties.Kalwall panels are used in areas of the building where a potentially volatile event could occur. The panels work to vent pressure out of the building, allowing it to withstand an explosion without collapsing roofs or floors. The panels are designed to release from their mounting system, but remain attached to the side of the building to avoid becoming falling debris. The interior of the panels are shatterproof and include a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer(FRP) face sheet that can be customied to withstand 230 ft-lbs (312J) of impact.Staying close to the project’s mission of being environmentally conscious, Kalwall panels provide dramatic savings in energy consumption through exceptional thermal and daylighting performance that reduces heating costs and artificial light usage.Working through Sipral, a leading supplier of external building envelopes based out of Prague, the panels were delivered on schedule and required no on-site modifications. Amager Baake was designed by the highly-acclaimed architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and has the world watching as it merges two completely different applications.BIG founder Bjarke Ingels hopes that Amager Bakke will “change public perceptions of what a public utility should be” by providing a social and physical infrastructure.Amager Bakke provides Copenhagen with a rooftop ski slope that is comprised of 1,600 feet of trails, as well as 10 running and walking trails. There is also a 260-foot climbing wall along the facade.Ingels said the concept of a structure that brings together two diverse interests can be lasting. “If you make a building that remains relevant to the people living around it, and using it and inhabiting it, it can last forever,” Ingels said in an interview with CNN Style.Photography: Christoffer Regild

Black POSIglaze Side-fix channel installed as Juliet balcony. What is a Juliet Balcony? A glass Juliet balcony (also known as a French balcony) is a type of glass balustrade that is fitted to a first floor window, directly outside a set of inward-opening French doors, as a safety feature. A Juliet balcony creates a feeling of space within the room, as well as allowing more light and fresh air into the room than could be achieved with a regular window. All within a secure and stylish translucent framework. This beautiful installation by Terry Lisgo and his G&T Design & Build Team, features two Juliet balconies on one property in Cheshire March 2022. The home owner didn’t want any handrails blocking their view, so 17.5mm toughened laminated glass has been used as this eliminates the need for the extra safety measure. Toughened laminated glass has a layer between the glass sheets which adds strength, removing the need for a handrail.To pass building regulations, the glass must be 1100mm high across these Juliet balconies. If you’ve ever been involved in a building project, you’ll know that elements must be signed off before the next building phase can begin. The black Juliet Balconies look stunning with the matching windows and French doors and have fulfilled the customer brief perfectly. POSIglaze side-fix balustrade channel is able to hold glass thickness between 12mm and 21.5mm. and is suitable for many projects and balcony styles. The cladding is the black element used to make the channel look black, simply clipped on to the channel it transforms the look from silver to black balustrade. You might be wondering why people like Juliet balconies so much when you can’t actually stand on them! Well they can actually add value to your home, they increase natural light into your room and also improve the air flow. If you love the feeling of bringing the outdoors in, then these are ideal for you as they increase your view in a safe and stylish way.  Frameless glass balustrades used for Juliet Balconies are low maintenance and cheaper than the conventional balcony design. If you are interested in having a Juliet balcony please contact our helpful technical team and they will provide guidance on how to get started, chat about your balustrade ideas and we can also let you know about installers local to you. 

Black POSIglaze Side-fix channel installed as Juliet balcony. What is a Juliet Balcony? A glass Juliet balcony (also known as a French balcony) is a type of glass balustrade that is fitted to a first floor window, directly outside a set of inward-opening French doors, as a safety feature. A Juliet balcony creates a feeling of space within the room, as well as allowing more light and fresh air into the room than could be achieved with a regular window. All within a secure and stylish translucent framework. This beautiful installation by Terry Lisgo and his G&T Design & Build Team, features two Juliet balconies on one property in Cheshire March 2022. The home owner didn’t want any handrails blocking their view, so 17.5mm toughened laminated glass has been used as this eliminates the need for the extra safety measure. Toughened laminated glass has a layer between the glass sheets which adds strength, removing the need for a handrail.To pass building regulations, the glass must be 1100mm high across these Juliet balconies. If you’ve ever been involved in a building project, you’ll know that elements must be signed off before the next building phase can begin. The black Juliet Balconies look stunning with the matching windows and French doors and have fulfilled the customer brief perfectly. POSIglaze side-fix balustrade channel is able to hold glass thickness between 12mm and 21.5mm. and is suitable for many projects and balcony styles. The cladding is the black element used to make the channel look black, simply clipped on to the channel it transforms the look from silver to black balustrade. You might be wondering why people like Juliet balconies so much when you can’t actually stand on them! Well they can actually add value to your home, they increase natural light into your room and also improve the air flow. If you love the feeling of bringing the outdoors in, then these are ideal for you as they increase your view in a safe and stylish way.  Frameless glass balustrades used for Juliet Balconies are low maintenance and cheaper than the conventional balcony design. If you are interested in having a Juliet balcony please contact our helpful technical team and they will provide guidance on how to get started, chat about your balustrade ideas and we can also let you know about installers local to you. 

Technical representatives from F. Ball have provided flooring with a cost-effective alternative to completely removing and replacing a weakened screed as part of a flooring refurbishment at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, part of Aberystwyth University. Upon removing old floorcoverings, flooring contractors were faced with an extremely rough screed with weak patches, possibly the result of poor installation or curing techniques, environmental factors or age, that was unsuitable for the application of subfloor preparation products and the installation of floorcoverings. Some weak sections were mechanically removed, leaving about 75mm thickness to be made up. A structural engineer confirmed that the concrete bases were, otherwise, structurally sound. New P5 chipboard was affixed to the wood subfloors with screws and glued at the joins. It is often necessary to completely remove and replace a weakened screed. However, F. Ball technical representatives called upon to conduct a site assessment were able to recommend a less costly and time-consuming solution to make the surface suitable to receive floorcoverings, including quickly raising the level of floors where sections had been mechanically prepared. Firstly, any remaining weak spots in the base would need to be removed by mechanical means along with any surface contaminants to create a clean, sound micro-textured finish. Any dust and debris should also be swept away. Moisture tests indicated subfloor relative humidity (RH) levels in the concrete subfloors were as high as 78%, meaning a moisture management solution would be required. Contractors therefore applied a single coat of Stopgap F77 solvent-free epoxy waterproof surface membrane over the entire area to obtain a continuous barrier against subfloor moisture. Flooring contractors then used Stopgap 600 Base deep section levelling compound to raise the level of floors where weak patches of screed had been removed.  It was also recommended that the chipboard over the raised access floors was checked to ensure that the surface was clean, secure and undamaged before applying a minimum thickness of 0.2mm of Stopgap Fill and Prime over the entire area.  The whole subfloor area was then capped with a layer of Stopgap 1200 Pro high performance levelling compound to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of new floorcoverings. The final phase of the refurbishment was to install Nora rubber sheet floorcoverings using Styccobond F48 PLUS. 

Belvedere CourtBauder Hot Melt structural waterproofing systemSynopsisThe impressive Belvedere Court 4-storey building, which was converted from a hotel into 16 prestigious residential apartments in 2008, recently underwent further development including extensions for additional accommodation, basement housing, a communal swimming pool, a theatre and an underground car park.As part of the refurbishment of the site, the failing waterproofing of the green roof on the car park roof deck needed to be removed and replaced. Bauder approved contractor, The Complete Roofing Company (TCRC), initially proceeded to remove the existing pathways and landscaping before removing the failed system and providing remedial repairs to the damaged roof.Bauder Building BoardProject:Belvedere Court​Location:Sidmouth, Devon​Roof Area:1,316m²​Specifier:The Complete Roofing Company LtdApproved Contractor:The Complete Roofing Company LtdEnvironmental Focus:Intensive green roofThe specificationWith the car park roof also being used as a recreational green roof for the residents of Belvedere Court, the Bauder Hot Melt Intensive Green Roof System was an obvious choice. The Bauder Hot Melt Bakor 790-11 EV with Polyester reinforcement creates a resistant monolithic waterproofing membrane whilst the Bauder AP2 root barrier provides resistance to the system allowing for a green roof to be installed above. As stated by BBA certificate 06/4350, this system provides a durable waterproofing solution for the service life of the structure that it is incorporated in. The resultOn completion of the waterproofing elements the roof was leak tested to ensure the roof’s integrity. The TCRC then installed the Bauder green roof components; PE foil, FSM600 protection membrane, DSE40 drainage layer, filter fleece and over 300 tonnes of Bauder intensive substrate. Finally, Rowland Gold turf was then installed with a drip line irrigation system installed under the turf. Upon final assessment, this project met the criteria to be issued a 20 year product and workmanship guarantee.System Installed1 BauderPLANT E 42Torch-on root-resistant, green capping sheet. Reinforced with spunbond polyester fleece to allow the finished product to cope with structural movement without fracture.2 790-11Hot melt rubberised bitumen asphalt with a percentage of post-consumer recycled materials that infills and fully bonds to all minor deviations in the deck.3 DeckPrimed concrete.