"construction plant equipment"

Furnitubes provisioned a number of AKRI raised planter beds for the scheme, the flexibility of the product permitted the creation of a unique stepped solution that was required at specific intervals in the planter to allow for the various changes in levels. A total of 26 meters of AKRI retaining walls were provided in heights of 670mm to accommodate the stepped solution, each planter comprising two internal soil retaining supports to provide increased strength to retain the contents. A return fold with additional anti-skates outlined the rim of the planters to maximise strength and not form a potential harmful edge.

Leading timber processor, James Jones & Sons Ltd, specified EGGER Protect at its new facility near Lockerbie. The 18 acre Hangingshaw development is a strategic investment for the company, and EGGER Protect contributes to its successful implementation. EGGER Protect flooring was installed on all of the high-level walkways and access platforms around the advanced production machines. This application brings health and safety benefits, with the textured surface of the board offering market-leading anti-slip characteristics.The product is durable, easy to install and keep clean.

One of the first residential developments created and offered for sale by Westminster City Council, Cosway Street, in Marylebone, London is a collection of 49 contemporary homes set around an attractive communal garden. Vandersanden’s Cayenne, Woodland Mixture and Lima bricks are integral both to the pre-cast Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) panels, forming the facades, and the traditional hand-laid brickwork lining the balcony spaces. This landmark building was inspired by the area’s Georgian terraces and Victorian mansion blocks. From the choice of materials to the precise proportions and the gentle curves of the scalloped panels, every element of the architecture has been considered to help stitch the scheme into its setting. David Miller Architects took over the project post planning approval. The design intent was to craft the building as if it had been carved from brick. A key decision was to employ pre-fabricated DfMA brick panels for the main facades, alongside traditional hand-laid brickwork for the inset balconies. Using this approach allowed the construction team to build quickly to a precise, high quality and efficient standard in a controlled manufacturing environment, using less energy and carbon and creating less waste. The idea was to split the building’s mass using the materiality, colours and textures of the three different bricks and the scalloped form of the panels to respond directly to the context of the site. The choice of bricks was incredibly important and had to meet the planning design intent explains Sundas Rohilla, project architect at David Miller Architects. “It was essential to ensure we were picking up the right tones of reds, yellows and greys from the existing buildings; Vandersanden’s Cayenne, Woodland Mixture and Lima do this perfectly. They also harmonise with the pigmentation of the concrete sills and copings, as well as with the window and balcony railing colours.” “We’d used Vandersanden products on a previous project for Westminster City Council and we’re now using them to deliver two other projects in the same area, Ashbridge Street and Ashmill Street. It comes down to the hues and the textures that the bricks offer and the company’s commitment to sustainability.” The mass of the building is reduced not only by the different blocks of brick colours but also by the gradation of the mortar colours across the façade. In all, there are five mortars with the darkest at the base of the wall and the lightest at the top. Using mortars in this way meant that there was no need to use different brick types to achieve the same effect, but it did mean that it was essential to have bricks of the right texture and consistency. The brick panels were pointed off-site in the factory. With such a complicated design, off-site construction meant that precise tolerances could be achieved, and the quality of the brickwork could be seamless. In all, 285 precast panels were manufactured by Decomo in Belgium to create 3.500m2 of finished facades. Dueto the façade’s differing curvatures, Decomo had to cut and bond the bricks to various sizes with 117 different shapes for each of the three brick colours. The bricks used by Decomo in Belgium exactly matched those being used on-site by the bricklayers, with Vandersanden working closely with the design team and directly with Decomo to manage this process. “Vandersanden was incredibly helpful and responsive from the start, providing samples and initial quotes during brick selection,” notes Rohilla. “The company’s approach to sustainability and collective wellbeing resonates with ours as an architectural practice. Knowing that Vandersanden has Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that are super open means that we can easily compare against other products. It feels like sustainability is really embodied into their culture.”  “Our experience with Vandersanden has been great and their products have helped us deliver top quality housing. Everyone involved is very proud of the building’s aesthetic and that is due to the bricks. It’s been a very good experience and we hope to keep working with them.”The design for Cosway Street was by Bell Phillips, realised by Osborne and David Miller Architects as their delivery architects. To find out more about the bricks used in this project or to see the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, click on the 'View more' link

Owned by Shaanxi Tianhong Silicon Materials Co. Ltd., the Shaanxi Yousr Polysilicon Plant in China will produce polycrystalline silicon material for the solar photovoltaic and electronics industries. When engineering company Fluor was asked to design the plant, it was faced with a specific challenge.Much of the plant’s pipework and equipment is exposed to high temperatures, making it prone to corrosion under insulation. Fluor knew that conventional anti-corrosive solutions are often not able to protect equipment in these conditions, and the company was looking for an alternative but reliable and proven coating solution.Fluor chose our Versiline CUI 56990 coating to provide long-term protection for pipework, equipment and other hot surfaces. Versiline CUI 56990 can resist temperatures up to 650°C/1202°F and thermal shock and cycling in dry or wet service conditions. Versiline CUI 56990 is extremely resistant to micro-cracking and corrosion, even in tough operating conditions.

Max4 installation on refurb project.

This self-build project was looking to improve the quality of the 1st floor construction, eliminate any danger of floor creaking that is common to timber floors and include an efficient underfloor heating solution.Underfloor heating work at its most efficient when it is installed within a screed, this is the way ground floor system are installed and being able to replicate this pipes in screed arrangement upstairs makes sense for the performance of the complete system.Also, by including some stiffened mass to the upper floors, the feel of the floor is replicated from the ground floor and also provides some very useful solar thermal buffering to keep summer temperatures under control in a building technique that otherwise has very little mass to to achieve this, especially on the upper levels.A timber frame structure requires the floor to provide racking to prevent the building from twisting. Meaning the floor needs to be secured to the joists below so the floor can stop twisting. There are 2 ways of installing Lewis Deck in timber frame structures. Firstly is to fix the Lewis Deck down or, alternatively, fix a timber deck on top of the timber joists and the Lewis is then laid loose on top of the timber with the resilient acoustic strips in between , thus, further enhancing the acoustic performance of the floor.

It’s not everyday you get a phone call from an architect asking for help on a grade 2 listed mill building, but that is what happened to us back in April 2017 when Stephenson Studios contacted us with a problem they were having with floor to ceiling heights on their Brownsfield Mill project in Manchester.Their design criteria was for the existing 75mm thick timber mill boards to be retained and each of the apartments in the building would have these as an exposed ceiling. The idea was to keep the building as rustic and to retain as much of the original look and feel of the listed mill building as possible. Because of this all of the acoustic (Part E.) and fire Building Regs. (Part B.) requirements would have to be installed above the existing floor.The drawings we were sent through identified a floor build up, on top of the mill boards, at nearly 300mm thick. This started with a self levelling compound on top of the mill boards, to level them to, and then a timber on timber solution with a final layer of cement particle board prior to the oak flooring being installed.This thick floor section was causing a problem due to the original oak beams that were in place meaning the floor to ceiling heights weren’t as high as they needed to be. This design was compounded flowing the removal of the bitumen floor covering. When the mill boards were exposed and then levels were taken across each of the floors it was clear that the original design was no longer suitable for the project.With the age of the building some of the mill boards were beyond repair and each of the floors needed levelling up so the use of self levelling compound and a timber/ cement board solution also became a very expensive solution. We were asked if we could come up with a solution that was able to reduce costs and time and also to be able to achieve the required acoustic and fire requirements for this type of conversion project.Our initial thoughts on the project was to use timber ferrings, 100mm wide at 600mm centres, to lay our Lewis Deck system onto. This was reducing the number of ferrings by 50% (these were originally at 400mm centres) and it also removed 4 layers of timber/ cement board as well as the self levelling compound from the project. Following a meeting on site however, and after being able to fully talk to the design team and developer about what the Lewis Deck system can do we agreed that we would look at putting the ferring strips at 1400mm centres with the Lewis Deck being laid across at these centres. Rubber granulate acoustic strips would be installed on top of each of the timbers and mineral wool insulation would then be installed between. This would allow more material to be removed from the project but crucially still hit both the acoustic and fire requirements of the project.A test floor was commissioned, by the acoustic engineer, and built in August 2018 which passed all tests. You can see from the photos below the Lewis Deck laid at 1400mm centres for the middle section of the test with the 15mm thick rubber granulate acoustic strip laid on top of the timber ferrings. These timbers, due to the nature of the mill boards below, had to be installed individually to differing heights.The first full delivery of Lewis Deck arrived on site at the beginning of June 2019 following on from the steel strengthening works that were being carried out on site.The deck was quickly installed across the whole first floor in just a couple of days and the first screed pour was scheduled for the following week. The whole floor was poured using an anhydrite screed in just a few hours.The project continued on and the last main section of floor was poured on 19th December 2019, exactly 6 months after the first of the pours.This grade 2 listed mill building was a great project to work on. One that gave us a lot of challenges to overcome from the outset and one that helped overcome a number of issues that kept dropping up as the remedial works on the building progressed. We are delighted with the final result.Developer: Urban SplashFloor Installer: Trent Construction Services Ltd.

The SSE Hydro is the biggest performance arena ever designed by Foster + Partners. Lang+Fulton have now supplied a decorative solution for the stage entrance constructed from their STEREO-KINETIC cladding system. Each stainless steel sheet is engraved with name of an artist, commemorating their performance. When the Hydro first opened in 2013 Lang+Fulton supplied the Roma-3 grating fence which secures the perimeter of the complex and storage compounds, as well as a Micro-15 balustrade for the elevated walkway which connects the car parking facilities with the venue. Product: STEREO-KINETIC cladding

JACKOBOARD® by BEWI offers many benefits for installers of wetrooms and bathrooms. JACKOBOARD® is a waterproof, weight-loading and thermally insulating construction board for use in all types of tiling jobs.Critically, because it is manufactured from 100% waterproof XPS, there is no need to tank wetrooms constructed using JACKOBOARD®, either with a waterproof membrane or a paint-on solution. This saves the installer both time and money, since a separate tanking system is not required and only the joints where the boards meet need to be taped.The NHBC Standard states that “backing surfaces may require protection from a suitable tanking system”.“This guidance is completely correct,” says Martin Harragan from JACKON by BEWI, “but it should not be interpreted to mean that if you are using an XPS backerboard, such as JACKOBOARD®, you have to tank the entire substrate of your wetroom. The closed structure of an XPS board means that it is totally impossible for water to pass through it, in the way that it would through a fibre cement board for instance.”JACKOBOARD® is keen to communicate this message to the many different trades who get involved in the installation of wetroom systems, from the shower tray upwards. Although there are wetroom specialists, this job is often down to plumbers, M&E contractors, tilers, dryliners and flooring contractors. So, as wetrooms continue to increase in popularity, there are different trades who need to be aware of the benefits of XPS backerboards.While offering the benefits of XPS, JACKOBOARD® can also offer a price advantage in the marketplace, due to the fact that the company manufactures its own foam, giving it complete control over cost, product quality and sustainability of manufacturing processes. These factors have enabled JACKOBOARD® to become the UK market leader in XPS construction boards.

Unrivalled in scale in the UK as a hub of engineering and material science expertise, the new Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) embraces the refurbished, Grade II listed Oddfellows Hall, the MEC Hall and buildings on Upper Brook Street and York Street. Brick played a crucial role in creating the campus and, to find the perfect products to fulfil their aesthetic vision, the architects turned to Vandersanden.The new campus is one of the largest construction projects undertaken by any higher education institution in the UK. It will allow 1,300 staff and 7,000 students to work and study in spaces that enable connection, collaboration and concentration across the faculty.Working with Mecanoo, Penoyre & Prasad and Balfour Beatty Construction, BDP provided detailed design consultation services for the entire MECD project. The collaborative team completed the sensitive renovation and extension of Oddfellows Hall to accommodate a suite of conference rooms, academic workspaces and a restaurant.Originally built in 1857 and rebuilt in 1916, Oddfellows Hall anchors the new MECD to its formative past. Set back on the north side from the listed building, the modern extension presents a neat facade where Vandersanden’s Berit water-struck facing brick, which is white with a light texture, is coupled with areas of glazing and tile. “The approach to the scheme has been to add a twenty-first-century building of its time but in continuity with the existing language, using materials such as brick and glass,” explains Paul Owen, architect associate at BDP.Configured horizontally, the elements wrap around the façade of the extension to create a strong connection to both the north and south facades of the older building. The aesthetic is enhanced further by a combination of narrow brick piers and vertically proportioned windows. A defined brick plinth at ground floor level achieves additional visual interconnection between the old and the new.On the roof, the plant enclosure uses the same Vandersanden Berit brick as the façade, but the structure is set back from the parapet line. A hit and miss pattern allows for ventilation of the mechanical and electrical equipment inside as an elegant alternative to standard ventilation grilles.On Upper Brook Street and York Street, the new buildings are of solid brick that includes feature brick vertical and horizontal elements to articulate the façade and frame the window openings. Again, the brick is from Vandersanden; in this case, the company's Herning water struck brick with a dark brown-purple-blue multi-coloured appearance.“The technical advice the team at Vandersanden gave was incredibly helpful while the bricks offer great visual appeal. In the long term, they will age gracefully in combination with the existing material of Oddfellows Hall, ensuring the new extension sits well in its context,” says Paul Owen.For more information on the development go to https://www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk/science-engineering. For details on BDP visit, www.bdp.com and to find out more on Berit, Herning and the wide range of high-quality bricks available from Vandersanden, visit Together we build greatness | Vandersanden

Featuring the UK’s longest indoor real-snow ski slope, Soar at Intu Braehead is Scotland’s largest retail and leisure complex, attracting up to 17 million people every year. Construction Specialties were asked to provide an expansive entrance mat for the centre’s main entrance. The chosen product was CS’ Pediluxe entrance mat with Platinum covered exterior grade carpet inserts. They have stronger bristle than interior grade carpet inserts, assuring dirt and moisture is effectively removed from the soles of shoes. This enormous entrance mat strongly protects interior floor surfaces and maintenance budgets from foot and wheeled traffic.

Initial project meetings first started in early 2008, the clients owned a small cottage on the site which had been extended several times during the 80’s and had permission to make further adaptations. The mixture of building standards meant that their home was extremely drafty and very energy inefficient. The site itself is particularly exposed. The design which achieved planning permission was a crescent form which steps and slides into the slopes on the site. The crescent formation is in direct response to solar orientation.The brief was to design a building which would accommodate the family for many years into the future, the planned occupancy would be for 5 adults. Additionally, the home will be used for large family occasions. A requirement was set for a minimum 16 seated spaces to be available for dining during these family occasions.Op-Deck was added into the scheme very early into the design process as the way of creating the highly insulated structural floor as the house was being designed under Passivhaus standards. The overall U-value of the property is 0.1w/m2K as standard. The system was installed on the lower and ground floors and also the roof.

This new-build house was in a remote location and off-grid for mains gas, the house was to be heated by a heat pump and so efficiency was a major consideration for the project. The Lewis Deck system was chosen for the 1st floor of the building to provide the same efficiencies for the underfloor heating as the concrete ground floor as well as providing a high level of acoustic separation for this quality timber frame project. The build-up included the Lewis flanking and resilient strips, Lewis Deck, Anhydrite liquid screed and underfloor heating pipes.

The recently opened Tameside Macmillan Unit offers cancer treatment and support services to local residents. To help create a calming and healing environment for patients, bespoke artwork, bright colours and natural finishes were incorporated into the interior design. CS Acrovyn wall protection solutions were used to help create a welcoming and functional facility. Stylish HR6CS timber Handrails provide mobility support in general circulation areas, whilst Acrovyn Crashrails, Corner Guards and textured Sheet offer necessary impact protection to walls and corners in waiting and clinical areas. CS wall protection solutions ensure the centre remains functional, damage free and easy to clean.

We supplied our partner, Fast Floor Screed Ltd with SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed for the renovation job in Fleet Screed in Dublin city. This is a high-quality pumpable, factory-produced, CE marked, self-levelling screed based on calcium sulphate.German-made SMET LiteFlo® is unique because it’s the first pumpable lightweight flowing screed available. Made from specially selected aggregates – means it’s 30% lighter than conventional flowing screeds and can be laid in reduced thicknesses. The screed offers a high yield, 43kg per m2 @ 40mm.Innovative SMET LiteFlo® is particularly suitable for use in timber-frame builds, suspended timber floors, tower blocks, apartments, and high-rise buildings.LiteFlo® complies with EN 13813: 2002, is CE-marked, and is available in 27Kg bags or bulk silos.Have a look at the Northern Builder MagazineTop 5 Liquid Screeds Article.  Read about SMET LiteFlo® in the Irish Construction News.SMET demonstrates best practice in construction partnerships - providing a superior level of customer service to their Smet Supported Partners during the installation process.Whether your job is – self-build, retro-fit, floor renovation or repair, design floor, commercial or shop, sustainable build, historical renovation, ECO build, Lightweight, or an industrial flooring venture – SMET has a flooring compound or ready to use product suitable for your application.www.smetbuildingproducts.com or www.smet.ie

Safety Technology International have donated protective covers to help a local community charity with false alarms at a time when they need it most.Wildgoose Rural Training is a charitable care farm in Hallow, just outside of Worcester, that supports adults and young people with a variety of learning disabilities.Starting in 2000 with just a handful of students, Wildgoose has grown into a 42-acre site with a thriving 6-acre farm where students from all backgrounds can learn horticulture, animal care, woodworking, arts and crafts, and carry out conservation work.Wildgoose supports students in a ‘happy and inclusive family atmosphere’ and focuses on teaching practical and meaningful land-based skills.One student had recently taken a liking to setting off the fire alarms in the main building at Wildgoose, resulting in frequent unnecessary evacuations.Not only did this cause a great deal of upheaval in having to evacuate the students from their buildings to the fire assemble points, but in students with sensory sensitivity and hearing issues these fire alarms caused a great deal of distress, panic and shock.On contact with STI, Wildgoose were recommended the Euro Stopper® call point covers with a sounder alarm to discourage the student from setting off the fire alarm. The protective covers were duly installed over the call points in their main building to prevent accidental or malicious tampering with the fire alarm without restricting legitimate operation in an emergency.Managing director of Wildgoose Rural Training Centre, Jim Hidderley said: “The call point covers provided by STI have reduced our regular false fire alarms from a weekly occurrence down to 0, the covers with sounders prove to be a sufficient deterrent from any mischievous hands.”“More importantly, the cover has ensured that our students are not put under any stress that is unwarranted due to false fire alarm triggering”The Euro Stopper® is a tough polycarbonate cover that can withstand the toughest of knocks and has an optional 96dB integral sounder that draws immediate attention to the area to dissuade unwanted activation of call points, therefore reducing false fire alarms.

As a specialist in the automation of access control, Automatic Systems is well aware of the issues faced, especially in the light of recent events, and can offer tailored solutions that not only meet student and staff security needs but also the health and wellbeing of all.

Restoration was carried out on office building The Garment Factory combining the original building’s key features with contemporary finishes. Because this is a big office building with many tenants, foot traffic was likely to be a common occurrence in the main entrance. To support interior floor surfaces, CS provided the stylish and efficient Pedimat Ultra entrance matting, along with Platinum Exterior Grade Carpet Inserts and Pedimat Ultra Rails (Black Anodised). Pedimat® Ultra has an 11mm slim depth profile and can be fitted in customary matwells as well as alongside floor tiles and carpets to create a flush floor finish.

We keep on being asked about how to lay our Lewis Deck system and the previous installation video wasn’t ideal when it came to showing how simple this was. So, in conjunction with the manufacturer of the deck we’ve had a series of new videos produced.

The Royal Bournemouth Hospital’s ‘Jigsaw Building’, housing cancer treatment facilities and a new Women’s Health Unit opened in 2015. As part of the interior design, expansive wall murals featuring familiar seaside scenes were specified for key locations within the hospital. Due to its durability, resistance to damage and easy clean qualities, CS Acrovyn by Design® was identified as the best medium for delivering the artwork in busy hospital areas. Installed in the Oncology Recliner Bay and in the Breast Care Subwait, vibrant murals create a positive distraction and a calming, soothing environment for patients and visitors.

Smet Supported Partner, Adston Construction, machine applied the LIDL External Render System onto Poroton blocks consisting of a Base Coat of Bauprotec 850 M – Lightweight Lime Cement Render, Façade System Primer and a Finish Coat of Mineral Finish Coat. The Plinth Render used is Bauprotec SLP – Lightweight Plinth and Tanking Render. Key Coat: Change of substrate concrete/steel pillar/Poroton block or mass concrete: Bauprotec RHS was used.The Internal Render System specification onto Poroton blockwork consists of Single Coat: Bauprotec 850 M, Lightweight Lime Cement Render. A smooth finish is required in the sales area, so either 850M steel trowelled smooth or skim finished. Key Coat: Change of substrate concrete/steel pillar/Poroton block: Bauprotec RHS used.The LIDL render system, available from SMET:Bauprotec 850 M is a factory-produced Lightweight Lime Cement Render, specially designed for machine or hand application produced to EN 998-1: 2010 and is CE Marked.Bauprotec RHS is a CE Marked, factory-produced highly polymer-modified render specially designed for hand and machine application produced to EN 998-1: 2010.Mineral Finish Coat – K is a CE marked, factory-produced, mineral-based, high-quality finish-coat render, specially designed for hand and machine application to EN 998-1, 2010.CASEA Bauprotec SLP is a CE Marked, factory-produced Lightweight Sand & Cement Render specially designed for hand and machine application produced to EN 998-1: 2010.The special render properties; lightweight, low thermal conductivity, high yield, and Smet Supported Partner superior technical backup, are key factors in choosing SMET. SMET is committed to delivering consistently superior quality, German-made Render Systems to Lidl Plastering and rendering/plastering Contractors across the UK and ROI. If you need to speak to us - click to contact SMET.All LIDL spec SMET Render System products are available from Smet Building Products Ltd, which ensures the contractor has a superior level of technical backup in the machine application of the LIDL specification.

The developer of the new build flats was Jensco Holdings Ltd and the main contractor was Clegg Construction. The design, manufacture and installation of the windows on the project was undertaken by Profile 22 Approved Window Contractor Kingfisher Windows. As a member of the Approved Window Contractors Scheme, Kingfisher has demonstrated a wealth of experience in the management of large contract supply and installation and working proactively towards on-time and on-budget completion. The company’s track record was one of the factors that saw Kingfisher secure the window contract for Agard Court through competitive tender.

DescriptionLocal Smet Supported Partner, master builders NRS Group Construction, machine-applied the LIDL External Render System onto Poroton blocks externally using as Base Coat: Bauprotec 850 M – Lightweight Lime Cement Render, and as Key Coat: Change of substrate concrete/steel pillar/Poroton block or mass concrete and insulated plinths: Bauprotec RHS Multi-Purpose Render.The internal Render System specification onto Poroton blockwork consists of a base of Coat: Bauprotec 850 M, Lightweight Lime Cement Render, sponge floated in warehouse areas, and skim finished in sales areas. Key Coat: Change of substrate concrete/steel pillar/Poroton block: Bauprotec RHS is used.The Irish LIDL render spec, available from SMET consists of:Bauprotec 850 M is a factory-produced Lightweight Lime Cement Render, specially designed for machine or hand application produced to EN 998-1: 2010 and is CE Marked.Bauprotec RHS is a CE Marked, factory-produced highly polymer-modified render specially designed for hand and machine application produced to EN 998-1: 2010.The special render properties; lightweight, low thermal conductivity, high yield, and the Smet Supported Partner’s superior technical backup, are key factors in choosing SMET. SMET is committed to delivering consistently superior quality, German-made Render Systems to Lidl Plastering and rendering/plastering contractors across the UK and ROI.  If you’d like to speak to us about your Lidl job – contact SMET.All LIDL spec SMET Render System products are available directly from Smet Building Products Ltd, who ensures the contractor has a superior level of technical backup in the machine application of the LIDL specification.SMET is committed to delivering consistently superior quality, German-made Render Systems to Lidl Plastering and rendering/plastering contractors across the UK and ROI.  If you’d like to speak to us about your Lidl job – contact SMET.

Aspen Stainless supplied bespoke stainless-steel solutions to the UK’s leading food producer Cranswick. Aspen worked closely with Trundley Design to design effective hygienic plant equipment for a number of food processing plants across the UK.The drainage system was installed to support the cleaning regime and water flow around the factory. This blended perfectly with the John Lord flooring design and allowed for waste to drain effectively into the surrounding channels and gullies; creating a seamless connection between the systems and prevented any standing waste and bacteria from building up.

Great emphasis is placed on safety in Pasadena, a suburb of Houston, Texas. As America’s oil stronghold and home to NASA’s legendary Space Center, the region is famous for its particularly dangerous and hazardous working conditions. The Houston Area Safety Council (HASC) was therefore established back in 1990 on the initiative of local industrial operations as a non-profit institution to provide safety training. The objective here was to train workers in order to raise their safety awareness as a way of preventing workplace accidents. Some 25 years later, this idea has developed into a leading international training and occupational safety center that trains over 1,500 people every day. Construction of a dedicated occupational health clinic with emergency care represented another key step on the HASC’s holistic support program. The clinic design by Kirksey Architecture gets its distinctive face from the semicircular main entrance. GKD-USA used a new etching technique for the design of the 100 square meter roof parapet, which is made from semi-transparent Omega 1510 stainless steel mesh from GKD – GEBR. KUFFERATH AG. This led to a silhouette-like panoramic view that reflects the dynamic economic region and the everyday working life of the people that live in it.Oil and gas have been produced in Houston for more than 100 years. However, the region experienced a genuine boom from shale oil drilling and fracking. Today, around one third of all oil produced in the US comes from Texas. With its Mission Control Center, which has enjoyed worldwide fame since the Apollo flights to the moon, the Space Center Houston has been just as important for the development of the city. Space flights are still monitored here to this day and astronauts from across the globe are trained for future missions. The city’s skyline is characterized by massive production plants from the oil, gas, chemical and food industries, as well as research institutes and countless buildings of the supply industry, construction and service sectors. The huge influx of workers resulting from the oil boom led to enormous growth of the city. With 2.3 million residents, Houston is today the fourth largest city in the US – behind New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Starting in 2009, the new campus of the Houston Area Safety Council was created in three construction stages. It was constructed on a 34 hectare site in Pasadena, just 15 kilometers from Houston, that was acquired one year previously. Local architecture firm Kirksey, which specializes in green buildings for industrial operations, planned the entire project. It designed the campus as a one-stop shop for employee selection, training and development, background screening, workplace and site safety as well as company health and welfare services. The first phase of construction focused on the 6,300 square meter training center with twelve classrooms, a 220-capacity auditorium, computer laboratories with 650 workplaces, various convention and common rooms, as well as a car park for 1,000 vehicles. It was opened in 2013 as the new HQ of the HASC. Just one year later, the campus then opened two further large areas, boasting 2,700 square meters each. Providers of tool and workplace equipment, as well as a training center for practical training, complemented the location’s offer from then on. Construction of a 1,580 square meter occupational health clinic with emergency care marked the third and last major construction phase to date. This meant that within a period of just six years a state-of-the-art campus employing the latest training facilities was established, offering 1,500 practical and computer-based training sessions every day – which represents over a million units per year. To cater to these requirements all buildings were equipped to the latest technical standards. They also set standards in ecological and energy-usage terms and are all LEED-certified.Visualization of identityThe Occupational Health Center of the HASC was also planned with a keen eye for detail. Ceiling-high windows create friendly rooms in the clinic that are flooded with light and whose inviting ambience is underlined by a carefully coordinated interior color concept. The challenge for the planners was to make the atmosphere light and pleasant, yet robust enough to withstand the rough day-to-day operations with heavy footwear or soiled work clothing of the patients. A fully-glazed semicircular entrance area underlines the building’s welcoming effect. Its raised canopy bears the clinic’s name and also creates the stage for one of the rooftop parapets made of stainless steel mesh that follow the semicircular building form. The shimmering texture combines technical aesthetics with a large number of functional performance characteristics. The mesh thereby guarantees efficient solar protection for the recessed windows on the top floor, while granting unrestricted views of the beautifully sculpted green spaces on the campus. Despite its sophisticated appearance, it also offers reliable protection from the hurricanes regularly encountered in the region. Low-maintenance, durable and almost completely recyclable at the end of its useful life, the mesh supports the LEED-certified sustainability of the building. For the architects, however, the decisive impetus for selecting this material came from the specific mesh design, which facilitates imaging by etching. Their design included an illustrated balustrade as an identity-creating element of the clinic that visualizes working life in the region and thereby also the focus of the HASC. The image developed by Kirksey shows the skyline of Houston with skyscrapers, drilling rigs, chimneys and cranes together with the people that work there. This complex perspective was applied to the stainless steel mesh in a silhouette-like form using a special etching process developed in-house by GKD-USA. The smooth surface and relatively tight structure of the Omega mesh provided ideal prerequisites for this. Using blasting abrasives, GKD modified the metallic surface in such a way that the template, which was highly filigree in places, appeared finely contoured. When using etching, all surfaces that are to remain untouched are usually masked off carefully. However, the complexity of the motif specified by the architects at Kirksey presented the mesh specialists with the challenge of designing multiple levels to lend the image the desired spatial depth. Unlike a painting, with etching it is not possible to achieve dimensions, perspective and depth simply by using different colors. In comprehensive tests, GKD therefore developed a process with which the design template could be blasted with the desired level of detail and spatial effect. This led to a visually seamless panoramic view of the hustle and bustle in the region over a total area of 100 square meters, comprising seven panels – each measuring 3.4 x 4.3 meters. Without any further surface treatment, this imagery is both permanently weather-proof and UV-resistant. Depending on the incidence of light and the viewing angle, the images can appear either transparent or opaque. At night, spotlights lend the scenery the appearance of a shadow theater using targeted light accents.

The Down to Earth Training Centre, built almost exclusively with natural and locally sourced materials required an anti–root roofing system, ready for the install of a green roof.

The project involved the conversion of the 1st floor of the Grade II listed Princes Building in Newcastle’s Quay side area into 10 apartments. The building, which was designed by William Parnel, who was responsible for some of the best architecture in the City, was built back in 1863 and as such posed some interesting problems when it came to bringing the building up to current standards. The introduction of the Lewis Dovetailed Metal Deck and screed system on top of the existing joists provided the necessary performance for airborne and impact sound and fire separation.

Coopers installed and commissioned two FireMaster® Plus fire curtains, the first to protect the property from fire and smoke migrating from the kitchen whilst the second to protect the internal balcony from smoke and fire travelling between floors. Both fire curtains provide 2 hours fire and insulation zone protection and were installed into the ceiling to remain hidden from view until deployed by a fire alarm.

This major redevelopment of Charlton Park Academy school involved replacing temporary mobile classrooms and a single storey building with a two-storey steel framed brick building to better meet the needs of students, teachers and carers. A structural flooring solution was required for use over precast planks, covering 800m2 on the ground and upper floor at a depth of 75mm to 120mm. Space and access would be challenging, due to the small footprint of the site, proximity to the existing school building and access from a busy main road. Given the large floor area, a traditional sand cement screed would have been very time consuming to place. Tarmac’s TOPFLOW SF a self compacting steel fibre reinforced concrete was chosen as the solution. Its flowing nature would allow it to be quickly pumped into place and adapt to the variable thickness criteria. TOPFLOW SF is designed to act as a structural topping with both, steel mesh & fibre reinforcement. The steel fibres added to the TOPFLOW SF gave its robustness and flexural strength as it was being placed over a precast plank system that could flex with loadings. They also reduced the risk of cracking. By replacing steel mesh reinforcement, it helped avoid problems with access, storage and handling and kept the site open for parallel trades. Using TOPFLOW SF rather than a sand cement screed or reinforced concrete, improved productivity and saved time. This saved 13 days or just over 2.5 weeks on the programme. 

A major global company selected Andel to install leak detection systems in multiple data centres, based on our approach, experience, quality and price. The end-user customer is one of the world’s leading digital infrastructure companies, providing a secure, sustainable, global collaboration platform to numerous industry-leading organisations in finance, manufacturing, retail, transportation, government, healthcare and education. The challengeThe data centres were built to the latest design specifications employing cutting-edge features and technologies. Mile upon mile of data network and power cable is installed under raised access floors where it can be organised and routed safely out of sight. The problem is that the same void, hidden from view, also contains water service pipes feeding air conditioning units, toilets and kitchens. A tailored, robust, hybrid solution needed to be installed meeting multiple requirements, primarily at low level, within the floor voids around the perimeter of the data halls with distance measuring systems monitoring CRAC units, plumbing and other plant. Additionally, a range of zonal systems provided early warning alarms and automatic isolation for water, refrigerant gas and oil leak detection.The solutionFloodline® HLD, Ranger® distance measuring system and a range of zonal senorsAndel’s Floodline® is a flexible, future-proof, zonal and distance measuring leak detection system. State-of-the-art, hybrid, Floodline® HLD multifunction control panels were installed in conjunction with Floodline Ranger® distance measuring systems and a range of zonal leak detection sensors including water, refrigerant gas and oil. Floodline® HLD control panel can monitor up to 224 zones using a combination of resistance-based and Modbus-enabled sensors.High-visibility Floodline Ranger® cable provides up to 1500 metres of continuous leak detection, detecting the presence of water and conductive liquid at any point along its entire length. Conductive-polymer technology construction makes the the sensor highly resistant to corrosion and abrasion. Sensor cable was strategically installed in floor voids to continually monitor the server halls, ensuring early leak detection through alarms and automatic valve shut-off systems.  The system triggers audio-visual alarms as well as sending onward communication to BMS. Resilient, sustainable, cost-effective, easy to install and maintain, Andel’s Floodline® is a flexible, future-proof, zonal and distance measuring leak detection system. Proactive approachPrior to installation, great care was given to ensure the customer was happy with all Andel’s Floodline® equipment and to demonstrate the superior build-quality and functionality and to allow the customer to see and handle the equipment first-hand. The customer was provided with all relevant technical specifications and user information. The project involved detailed assessment and planning for the five sites. Bespoke installation kits were manufactured in advance for each installation team. Andel put together mobile crews to visit each of the sites. The installation took 20 days from start to finish, meeting the deadline. The resultA successful leak detection installation that fulfills the customer’s brief, protecting priority servers and IT infrastructure in new major data centres. Installing Andel’s Floodline® leak detection systems now means the customer has:A cost-effective, reliable and low-maintenance leak detection system across five mission-critical sites.A bespoke, tailored solution for each site.Peace of mind with a leak detection system that will give early warning alarms and onward communication, allowing for evasive action to be taken to avoid any damage.A future-proof solution with a leak detection system where additional zones, sensors and upgrades can be added easily and cost effectively. What the customer said;We are delighted with the installation of the Ranger leak detection system across our sites. We feel at peace knowing our servers are protected with high quality systems providing realtime leak detection monitoring.Robert Gilbert, Project Manager

Soap chiefs have moved Weatherfield from Manchester to nearby Salford so they have more space for filming. Builders have recreated The Rovers Return, The Kabin and Dev’s corner shop as well as the characters’ homes down to every minute detail. Builders laid about 11,000 cobbles, 190,000 bricks of different types and used seven colours of mortar so it looks realistic. The new set is full size so two cars will be able to pass each other on the Street. Broughton Brickwork used Naylor lintels whilst building the Coronation Street lots.

Providing 21 affordable homes in the first ‘carbon negative’ housing community of its kind in the UK. The initial concept began in 2009 with the aim of creating carbon negative housing. The project is ground breaking with a plan to lock away as much carbon as possible whilst generating excess energy from systems installed.Lewis Deck light weight steel/ screed composite floor system providing acoustic floors improving Building Regulations Part E standards by at least 8dB was installed in the apartments.This project achieved a Zero Carbon certification under the Code for Sustainable Homes and achieved Passiv Haus standards, but was not certified under this system. The performance was monitored by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) as well as how the social tenants found the experience of living there given the lifestyle adjustments that were needed.The Lewis Deck was used as it achieved the enhanced acoustic and fire performance required in this project, especially given that this was a timber frame development. The elements of the building also had to achieve an A+ Green Guide to Specification rating from the BRE, this was achieved by using a liquid screed on top of the deck that contained a high recycled content.The project won a number of awards and was marketed as the UK's 1st "Carbon Negative" social housing scheme.

Birmingham New Street Station and the old Pallasades shopping centre has undergone a £600m redevelopment and has now become Grand Central Birmingham. Heavy duty movement joint covers were required for both the centre and its adjoining multi-storey car park to prevent damage due to excessive traffic. CS provided the heavy duty APF Series for the shopping centre’s interior. They are very strong against rolling loads as well as distortion and wear. The robust KB Series joint covers were provided for the multi-storey car park, featuring a unique centre plate with a 1000kg loading capacity.

The Perry Barr Residential Scheme forms part of an exciting £700m regeneration project in north-west Birmingham.When complete, it will welcome thousands of new residents to over 1,400 modern homes. They’ll also have vibrant restaurants and retailers right on their doorstep, along with upgraded transport infrastructure.Towelrads provided radiators for Plot 7, a six-storey residential building with ground floor retail. These included bespoke non-UK market sizes which Towelrads successfully manufactured and shipped into the UK, fulfilling a quick turnaround on a prompt call-off basis. Towelrads also supplied all the chrome electric towel rails in the apartments’ bathrooms.Originally planned to be the Athletes’ Village for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the first residents are due to move into the former Birmingham CityUniversity site in 2023. They’ll be setting up home in houses and apartments spanning the private sector, shared ownership and social housing overseen by BirminghamCity Council.

SMARTPLY ULTIMA OSB/4, manufactured by Irish wood panel producer MEDITE SMARTPLY, has been used to form part of a new specialist product specified for a major roofing project in Kilroot, Ireland.

CS provided a comprehensive wall protection package for the King Edward Building, Bristol Royal Infirmary. The scheme included: impact resistant, textured Acrovyn Sheet, a range of Acrovyn Corner Protectors in circulation areas, and Acrovyn bed head protectors in the hospital’s wards. In addition, custom printed Acrovyn by Design wall mural was installed at the entrance to a new multi-faith sanctuary space. Installed by the company’s in-house installation team, Conspec Contracts, durable Acrovyn products will protect the facility from the effects of impact damage and wear & tear, ensuring the interior is easy to clean and maintain for years to come.