"fire hose reel systems"

Dacatie's TF Multicloser and SF Multicloser profiles were used in the Phoenix Wharf development of 4 bedroom homes.Phoenix Wharf is located within the Sandwell and Swan Village area of West Bromwich, less than six miles northwest of Birmingham.

Brunswick House is a superb new residential scheme of 251 bedrooms, incorporating a mixture of studios and cluster rooms. The scheme is designed to offer outstanding student accommodation for undergraduate, postgraduate and international students in the heart of Cambridge. The client required stair nosings for 7 staircases meaning a total of 296 steps that would be durable enough for high traffic student usage. There was an additional design restraint in that the staircases would be made out of cast metal and therefore no mechanical fixings could be used.

Hadrian’s Tower is the tallest building in Newcastle at 82 metres high. Located in the heart of the city, it is a residential skyscraper with 162 luxury apartments. The tower has 26 storeys, and incorporates a champagne lounge and a coffee house among other communal spaces.

St Richard’s Hospital provides a full range of acute services for the people in Chichester and the surrounding area, including an Accident & Emergency department. A new entrance to A&E was being created and as with all healthcare projects, the aim was to help the hospital maintain clean, safe and effective treatment spaces, which is especially challenging in an extremely high traffic environment in 24 hour use such as the Accident & Emergency department.

The ProjectsThe Northern Health and Social Care Trust and The Southern Health and Social Care Trust are two of the largest healthcare associations in Northern Ireland. Between them, they provide services to over 850,000 people. Among the facilities under the Northern Trust’s control is Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. The Southern Trust has Craigavon Area Hospital as one of its major healthcare sites.H&J Martin was established in 1840. For well over a century and a half it has been delivering the highest level of quality work in every aspect of construction and fit outs. For this reason, the company was chosen to oversee and facilitate the work on these prestigious hospitals.The hospitals needed new flooring to be installed throughout the buildings. The floorcovering would need to be made from a resilient material such as vinyl, making it easy to maintain high standards of hygiene using industrial cleaning machinery. The flooring would also need to be supported at the floor-to-wall junctions and around corners, to prevent flooring failure or collapse and to protect against the heavy-duty cleaning equipment.The ApproachH&J Martin decided to use Quantum Flooring’s CCFM1 internal and CCFM2 external floormitres to help protect the flooring around corners in the hospitals. Vinyl or other resilient floorcoverings can be particularly vulnerable where the flooring meets the wall at corners, as it can be difficult to mitre the angles correctly. These floormitres help to create a uniform finish every time, leading to greater structural integrity along with improved aesthetic results.Quantum’s QCF35 cove former was utilised to complement the CCFM1 and CCFM2. This profile fits perfectly with the curve of the floormitres, helping to create a flush and hygienic finish every time, at each floor-to-wall junction and around corners. The coving and the floormitres protect the floorcovering from damage at the join, and make the flooring easier to clean. For wet rooms, the vinyl can be fitted all the way up the wall where the floormitres can also be used in the wall-to-roof corners.The UCS3 slimline flexible capping strip was used to create neat finishes to the floorcovering up the walls of the hospitals. The UCS3 profile is specifically designed for healthcare environments. It has a slimline cap, reducing the accumulation of dirt and dust over time, and providing a smaller surface area to be cleaned than traditional capping strips. UCS3 is available in 25 metre coils making the packaging compact and the product easy to fit.The OutcomesCauseway Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital were fitted with over 2,000 metres of floormitres, cove formers, and capping strips between July 2022 and July 2023. Sean O’Reilly, the Flooring Supervisor for H&J Martin, says: “As you can see from the finish, high quality work was made easier with floormitres.”The profiles used have been expertly fitted by H&J Martin employees, resulting in great looking and hygienic installations for both hospitals. The floormitres, coving, and capping strips will be protecting the floorcovering for many years to come, and helping to keep the facilities safe and clean for both patients and healthcare professionals.The Northern Trust and the Southern Trust can rest assured that H&J Martin’s professional work with Quantum Flooring’s excellent product range will help them to continue providing their vital services to the people of Northern Ireland. Cutting Corners cove solutions are perfect for healthcare and pharmaceutical projects, improving the quality and standards of cap and cove, cleanroom, as well as wetroom installations.The CCFM1 Internal and CCFM2 External Floormitres are specified and fitted in countries worldwide.www.cuttingcorners.org.uk

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is located in the iconic Royal Pavilion garden, at the heart of the city’s cultural quarter. It’s diverse collections brings together the arts with local, world and natural history. The institution attracts approximately 260, 000 visitors per year.

The frontage of the Ocean Terminal shopping centre in Edinburgh has received a radical makeover as part of a major investment to increase footfall by enhancing the visitor experience. The extension has been covered with STEREO-KINETIC cladding; hundreds of freely-moving stainless steel sheets suspended from grating panels. Gusts of wind, traffic, even people walking by cause the metal rectangles to ripple in an ever-changing display. The kinetic artwork has been designed in such a way as to allow the passage of natural daylight through the underlying window openings on the second floor level.

The ChallengeAs the building has listed status, any expansion would need to be carefully considered, allowing the building to become more suited to modern demands without losing its heritage.As part of this, meeting the necessary safety requirements of today’s building regulations was crucial – something which could be achieved by specifying materials appropriately.The SolutionTo ensure a product that could meet all the fire and loading requirements was specified, Pyroguard provided expert technical guidance to cater for the project’s constraints of working within a listed building, helping with the specialist design of additional fire-rated glazing to be incorporated in existing timber windows and doors.Due to the ambitious nature of the project, more than 300 square metres of Pyroguard toughened glass, including Pyroguard Firesafe T EW30/6, Pyroguard Rapide Plus EI30/EI60 and Pyroguard Protect T-EI60, was chosen for its unrivalled quality and safety features.Protecting against flames, smoke and radiant heat, the selected glazing range has the advantage of providing Marr College with additional radiant heat control and greater fire protection.In tests this glass demonstrates the ability to maintain the amount of radiant heat to below 15 kW/m2 on the unexposed face, protecting critical evacuation routes for occupants.

The unique and stunning curved blue glass cladding specified for the new hospital posed several design challenges. The insulation used needed to provide high thermal performance, be able to conform the curved surface and be completely non-combustible since the building is in excess of 18m. SuperFOIL Insulation was approached to provide replacement insulation that would meet all fire safety standards and which could be applied without requiring changes to the exterior or interior design of the building. After careful consideration as to what would be the most suitable solution, we supplied 5,500m² of our non-combustible SFNC insulation. SuperFOIL SFNC is the only insulation of its kind to be certified by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) as European Class A1 Non-Combustible, which is the highest possible rating of fire safety.

The unique and stunning curved blue glass cladding specified for the new hospital posed several design challenges. The insulation used needed to provide high thermal performance, be able to conform the curved surface and be completely non-combustible since the building is in excess of 18m. SuperFOIL Insulation was approached to provide replacement insulation that would meet all fire safety standards and which could be applied without requiring changes to the exterior or interior design of the building. After careful consideration as to what would be the most suitable solution, we supplied 5,500m² of our non-combustible SFNC insulation. SuperFOIL SFNC is the only insulation of its kind to be certified by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) as European Class A1 Non-Combustible, which is the highest possible rating of fire safety.

The children’s hospital is the largest centre for child heart surgery in the UK and one of the largest centres for heart transplantation in the world. The hospital is constructing a new building which will contain an Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance suite as well as physiotherapy and rehabilitation facilities. The suite will enable surgical teams to check whether complex procedures have worked, before patients wake up.Dortek supplied our specialist hybrid doors which are hygienic, lead-lined, fire-rated, automated and hermetically sealing. Our doors are specifically constructed for high hygiene areas and are completely free from timber or other organic materials which can harbour bacteria. The doors play an essential role in preventing cross-contamination as well as providing certified fire and x-ray protection and ensuring safe and efficient access for patients and staff.

Does the new library bring the Bilbao effect to Alexandrina?The cultural centre Bibliotheca Alexandrina opened in April 2002 was built under the auspices of UNESCO, and aims to build on the glorious past of the ancient library.dormakaba's contribution to the projectOnly 30 metres separate the library from the Mediterranean. Its deepest sections lie 18 m underground and 12 m below sea level, calling for sophisticated structural measures. Library stocks had to be wellprotected against both water and fire.To guarantee this protection and user comfort, the architects turned to dormakaba. The fire protection and smoke check concept includes TS 93 cam-action door closers and ITS 96 integrated door closers, some with electromechanical hold-open, plus BTS 80 and BTS 80F floor springs.

Doors in underground stations not only have to meet fire protection, security and safety requirements, but in particular they have to be able to handle pressure. This was also one of the key requirements for the doors of the new Crossrail stations in London. Here, security doors were required that had to be fire, sound and pressure resistant. Teckentrup was able to offer appropriate door solutions with corresponding conformity, which also complied with the revised, stricter version of LPS 1175 for proof of product certification. In addition, all required values for soft impact tests, structural strength data, „U“ values, cycle tests and life cycles could be met. This tipped the scales in favour of the German manufacturer when the project was awarded and, with the stations Whitechapel and Liverpool Street marked the start of a successful collaboration.

Radii manufactured and installed Parallel 50 double glazed partitioning (45dB Rw) with adjoining Parallel 100 (50dB RW) for TS&W’s glazed fronts on the Ground floor and Level 1, including a number of stunning curved glazed elements. Linear 25 single glazed partitions (38dB RW) were used on Levels 2 to 5.Enhanced acoustic timber doors (40dB Rw) in veneered and painted finishes and with adjoining timber pilasters were utilised for the executive meeting rooms and offices.Auto-operated framed glazed pivoting doors, with visible overhead operators mounted on our top channels, were also installed to give easy access to ‘den’ and collaboration areas.Finally, a fire rated package comprising of structural Ei90 fire rated glazed screens was added on Level 5.

Eternit has supplied fibre cement sheeting in Sherwood to a new livery stable in Reading, Berkshire. The previous stable had burnt down during a ferocious fire, which was fuelled by bitumen based roofing materials used on the original building.

Western Red Cedar Shingles with FRT Exterior® Fire Retardant Treatment (AA Rating) provided the Welsh Primary School in Swansea with feature cladding to the curved external walls, in order to create what the architect described as a ‘cedar shell’.

Swaffham Assembly Rooms is a Grade II Listed building, built in 1776 in the marketplace in Swaffham, Norfolk.The building has recently undergone restoration work, funded by Breckland Council, Historic England and the Iceni Partnership.Previous, non breathable paints had resulted in damage to the façade. A complete strip of the building was carried out, followed by re-decoration using the KEIM Soldalit system.Cliveden Conservation contacted Dave Smith of KEIM Mineral Paints to produce a detailed specification for the project.KEIM Mineral Paints were chosen due to their longevity, breathability and sustainability credentials.KEIM Soldalit was recommended onto these substrates due to it sol-silicate properties, which means it can be applied onto both unpainted and previously painted without the need of a primer. It is fire resistant and is the only mineral paint to be A2-s1, d0 classified.KEIM Soldalit in colour 9312 was used, which not only allow the surface to breathe, but won’t fade and will last for years to come.

The redevelopment of Yatala Prison in South Australia is supporting the advancement of the state’s public prison structure, reinforcing the security and reducing the rate of offending. Dart Valley Systems have contributed to the completion of the $149 million project with the installation of their products.The products used were as follows:·       138 x VR01-010 High Security Ligature Resistant Toilet·       4 x VR01-072 V2 High Security WC Pan Less Abled with Grey Top·       140 x VR01-080 High Security High Sided Integrated Basin (not including sensors)·       2 x VR01-031 High Security Single Spout Integrated Basin (not including sensors)Our GRP High Security products are designed for the toughest environments, manufactured using specialist mould tools, the layers of thick gelcoat give it a hygienic, clean, and durable finish. The material is robust and fire retardant, making it ideal for high security or correctional facilities. The construction of Yatala Prison is set to be completed by April 2022. 

One of the first projects we worked on with Vox Ignis was a 16-storey student accommodation development in Bournemouth with an adjoining car park and office building, that required an Emergency Voice Communication System (EVCS). The property developer was – and remains to this day – one of our largest clients, so we knew we had to work with a partner we could trust and that had the capability to provide us with products that were really at the cutting-edge of the safety and security industries.Prior to this, just after they’d launched Vox Ignis, the two founding partners of the firm had both paid a visit to our headquarters in the South East to show us their marketing material.  Once they demonstrated a few examples of their products, we were sold on them As a company which specialises in the design, installation and maintenance of fire and security systems, we know that the products we buy have to be not only innovative but also aesthetically pleasing, as a lot of the people we work with are architects and creatives. This is what really made Vox Ignis stand head and shoulders above everyone else we’d worked with. Not only were their products leaders in their field in terms of technology but they were also, by far, the best-looking products out there from a design point of view.3x VILX-TMS-W-8 Master Stations6x VILX-EX-8 Expander Panels44x VILX-OSB Type B Outstations

The ChallengeLocated in the city of Nancy, the Centre Prouvé offers a flexible conference space complete with a 3000 m² exhibition hall, two auditoriums, thirteen meeting rooms and a panoramic reception area.With glass playing an integral role in the building design, the architect required a proven smoke control solution that would not distort the aesthetics of the development while adhering to safety regulations. Additionally, due to the high footfall of visitors, the chosen solution would have to be maintenance-free.As a leading fire-glass specialist, Pyroguard was approached by the architect Marc Barani of Atelier Barani to offer a suitable solution.The SolutionTo meet these requirements Pyroguard recommended Smokeguard – a permanent, maintenance-free glazing solution that acts as a smoke barrier, keeping low-level toxic fumes at bay for up to half an hour to give visitors maximum time to exit the building safely.Thanks to its perfect transparency, Smokeguard also met the aesthetic requirements with the 8 mm thick tempered monolithic glass offering 87 percent light transmission, to provide the perfect transparent protective barrier with minimal visual impact.As a result, over 100 m² of Smokeguard was installed in the atrium, escalators, and lift areas utilising its patented fastening system to mount the system to the ceiling areas.Click here for further information on Smokeguard or for further advice and support please contact us.

Emaar Address Residences Skyview Terraces is a striking hotel, residence and serviced apartment twin-tower complex offering 360-degree vistas of Downtown Dubai.Lorient supplied its intumescent protection kits, fire seals and LAS4001 threshold plates.

Prepping decking with PrepdeckAfter cleaning their decking with bleach and removing any loose or flaking bits from the surface, our customer then used our professional stripper, Prepdeck to remove the old stain from their decking.Our customer applied Prepdeck in small areas that he could complete in 15-30 minutes, then, after leaving it to do its magic, used a stiff nylon brush to ‘lift’ the stain from the wood, ensuring that they worked in the direction of the grain.They then thoroughly rinsed the product off the decking using a garden hose – again, working in the direction of the grain.If you want to make this part of the job a little easier, you could opt for hot water instead.This is a great product, as it can also be diluted to make a powerful cleaner for weathered woods and can even be used on thermo (burnt) wood.Next neutralise with Net-trolThe customer then used our wood cleaner Net-trol to neutralise the surface of the decking, in preparation for the finish.After applying Net-Trol to the wet decking, they scrubbed the surface with a brush.They then left it to stand for around 15 minutes, keeping an eye on it to ensure that the surface of the decking didn’t dry.If it had begun to dry, he would have had to dampen it with a mist of water.They then scrubbed the decking again, this time whilst rinsing it.Now, it was just a matter of leaving the wood to dry for 48 hours before applying the finish.Choose a finish to protect your deckingThis customer opted for Aquadecks, our water-based penetrating finish. One of the great things about this product is that not only does it protect the wood from warping, splitting, cracking and UV damage, it is also easy to apply and maintain, as our highly penetrative formula guarantees there will be no peeling or flaking.Plus, it dries quickly and has a low odour, so you can be back on your decking with a glass of wine in hand, in no time at all.Our customer applied an initial coat of Aquadecks and allowed it to penetrate into the wood. Then, after around 15-20 minutes (when the ‘wet look’ of the first application had disappeared), they applied a second application and allowed this to penetrate.After a further 15 minutes, they brushed out any puddles so that the decking wouldn’t dry with shiny spots on the surface. Aquadeck’s place is in the wood, not on top of it!“Very pleased with all products purchased.”This customer was so delighted with our products, they got in touch to tell us how well everything had gone.“On advice gratefully received from Ken I had several stages to complete. It’s looking great and I am hopeful the results will last”, he continued.For more information on Aquadecks, please click here.

United Living approached Sertus to supply automatic smoke ventilation products for all seven blocks, to keep fire escape routes via stairwells and communal corridors free from smoke in the event of a fire.Project Name: Dagenham FlatsLocation: East LondonSector: ResidentialClient: London Borough of Barking & DagenhamInitial BriefUnited Living is one of the UK’s leading providers of refurbished and new build dwellings. The company was tasked with the refurbishment of seven apartment blocks in the London borough of Dagenham and Barking. As multi-storey blocks occupied by demographically-diverse residents, including families and the elderly, the requirement for safe escape routes in the event of a fire was clear; and the existing ventilation within this 1970's building had been identified as less than optimal.Sertus' Façade Louvre Blade (Glass) vents were used in this project. View the product here.OutcomeThe addition of windows has improved overall quality of life in the building by introducing more natural light, increasing ventilation and comfort, and reducing the energy costs associated with both.Fitting into the existing window frames and supplied with full wiring schematics, the window vents proved simple and speedy to install, which kept costs down and reduced disruption for residents during the scheme of works. All products are certified to residential building regulations, including EN12101-2, delivering total peace of mind for client, contractor and residents alike.

As a leading provider of renewable energy across the UK, SSE Energy Services aims to drive the transition to a net zero carbon world through the development, construction and operation of state-of-the-art renewable energy assets. To support this mission, in 2017 SSE built a wind farm in Stronelairg - a remote area of Scotland near Loch Ness. At an elevation of around 600 meters above sea level, it is one of SSE’s windiest sites. The site includes 66 wind turbines and has the capacity to generate 228 MW of energy.As part of the project, SSE needed to create three transformer enclosure bays on the site, each of which had to meet a demanding four-hour fire-rated standard. This required the installation of walls and ceilings - as well as internal access doors for maintenance personal - that would all meet this high-level of fire resistance. It was also necessary that various penetrations, including wall bushings, were able to safely pass through the barriers in the enclosure bays.An additional challenge was that the project would have to be completed in an isolated setting where the work would be constantly exposed to cold, wet weather conditions. Having worked with Promat and its products for more than a decade, the project’s subcontractor, Invicta, knew its fire protection solutions would be a perfect fit for the wind farm’s unique requirements.

An historic landmark in the Lake District has been given a new lease of life with the installation of StoTherm Mineral K external wall insulation and StoSilco finishing render. Built in 1937, the building in Keswick originally housed the UK’s first pencil factory, and now provides new headquarters and site for the Keswick Convention for the Keswick Ministries organization. After being used by the Cumberland Pencil Company the building had fallen into disrepair. Set at the entrance to Keswick, this important local landmark has now embarked on a £10.5m redevelopment project, split into four phases. The Sto materials have been used on the first phase which has seen the building’s front elevation fully restored, and they have also been specified for the remaining three stages of the work.The BBA-certified StoTherm Mineral K system combines impressive insulation with unrivalled fire protection characteristics. It features Sto-Mineral Fibre thermal insulation boards, which in this case were fixed to the substrate using StoLevell Duo Plus mineral bonding and reinforcing mortar.  “This allows any unevenness in the surface of the substrate to be accommodated and makes installation a fast and easy process,” comments Alan Rees of Eco Rend North East who installed the Sto system. This efficient single-leaf construction allows for excellent thermal performance without reducing the interior space, and as it requires no additional expansion joints, a smooth and unbroken exterior surface can be created.  An additional mineralic reinforcing coat was applied and the exterior surface was finished with StoSilco silicone resin render.  With high CO2 and water-vapour permeability, StoSilco render allows a weather- and water-repellant outer surface to be created in any of the 1,000+ colours available in the StoColor System.  

ChallengeFor the air traffic controllers at Birmingham Airport, concentration is critical to ensuring the safety of the hundreds of passenger jets that take off and land every day. Studies show office workers lose concentration when noise levels hit 55dB; however, the sound of just one medium-sized aircraft descending at 1,000ft is 70dB.SolutionWith this in mind, noise reduction was an essential factor in the specification of the insulation for the 105ft air traffic control tower. The airport’s developers consulted Knauf Insulation’s Technical Support Team for advice. The Technical Support Team recommended Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab, a non-combustible Rock Mineral Wool insulation designed for use in high-rise rainscreen façade systems.Mineral Wool insulation has superior acoustic performance because of its open structure, which traps sound between the individual strands and turns it into heat energy.Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab is quick and easy to install and adapts to minor imperfections in the substrate. Slabs are flexible and knit together eliminating air gaps for maximum acoustic and thermal performance, making it perfect for use on the curved walls of the funnel shaped control tower. The same level of acoustic performance could not have been achieved with rigid foam boards, which have closed cell structures that offer virtually no sound absorption. Rigid foam boards are also more prone to air gaps, reducing acoustic performance further.As well as excellent acoustic and thermal performance, Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab is non-combustible with Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification. This means it will not contribute to the spread or development of fire should it occur.Another factor in the specification of Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab was sustainability. It is manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, Knauf Insulation’s unique bio-based binder, which contains no added formaldehyde or phenol. It is made from natural raw materials that are rapidly renewable, and is 70% less energy-intensive to manufacture than traditional binder, so it is more environmentally friendly. Products made with ECOSE® Technology generate low levels of dust and VOCs, and have been awarded the Eurofins Gold Certificate for Indoor Air Comfort.Thanks to Rocksilk® RainScreen Slab the air traffic controllers at Birmingham Airport can enjoy a quieter, warmer, safer and more sustainable workplace."Acoustic protection, energy performance, fire safety and sustainability were all crucial factors taken into account during the design of the air traffic control tower and so all materials specified with the project needed to meet these multiple requirements. We are extremely pleased with the building."Will Heynes, Birmingham Airport’s Development Director

Deansgate Square, one of Manchester’s highest profile city centre residential developments, is using mechanical smoke control and ventilation solutions from SE Controls to protect residents by keeping corridors, stairwells and escapes routes clear of smoke, should an apartment fire occur.

Following a £15 million restoration of the Grade-II listed building, renovating and transforming the site, the UK’s largest casino and entertainment venue opened in 2012.Lorient supplied LAS8001 si automatic drop seals and DS acoustic, smoke and fire seals to this historic site.

After considering various products, PABIA Consulting engineers chose FIRETITE as the ideal solution for upgrading the Newtown EUROSPAR building complex in Cobh, Co Cork. FIRETITE met the insulation requirements, fire regulations, and could be retrofitted externally with minimal disruption to tenants and customers.

Four Formica® Laminates were specified for fire doors in Octavia House School, an independent specialist therapeutic school based in Essex, UK. Doors were designed for high traffic areas including classrooms, offices, toilets and communal spaces such as corridors and halls.

This is a BLASTguard glass balustrade installation by Miller Fabrications at the University Station in Birmingham. As a busy train station, a top-of-the-range balustrade was required to provide the highest quality of safety. More and more transport locations are upgrading their sites in order to improve the security of the public. This could be as a result of the new upcoming Protect Duty that is coming into force as a result of the terror attack at Manchester Arena in 2017. Pure Vista developed an anti-terror glass balustrade system with two variations. BLASTguard to withstand a bomb blast and BULLETguard that utilises bullet-proof glass. The BLASTguard balustrade system was designed in line with Pure Vista’s range in being a frameless system where the glass is only required to be held by the base shoe. A through-glass handrail can be added as required on many projects, such as this one. The glass can be at 1800mm high and still withstand the 3kN public area loading and achieve the blast testing. For this station development, the design team specified that a blast-proof system needed to be installed. Miller Fabrications took part in this large project and were the team who successfully installed BLASTguard, they stated that the installation was successful because the system is straightforward to install.  At University Station BLASTguard can be found of staircases around the main entrance. Within crowded spaces, anti-terror barriers can be used to protect different groups of people. By positioning the product on stairs and walkways, a blast will be more contained and therefore, the area becomes safer. If you would like to know more about Pure Vista’s anti-terror balustrade products, we run a CPD session on these products and how they can be used. As well as the key information on Martyn’s Law (protect duty), you’ll discover the fundamentals of Protect Duty, PALs, and the key information on anti-terror glass balustrade products. Learn about our commercial strength balustrade channels including the fire rated balustrade which can be used on installations over 11m high. The session will end with a Q&A where we can discuss your upcoming projects and ensure you leave this CPD with an increased knowledge of Martyn’s law and anti-terror glass balustrades. 

Since the Grenfell tragedy in 2016, there has been an increased focus on fire-safety compliance in all communal buildings. This focus sharpened even more when, early in 2018, the media unearthed evidence of some non-compliant products having been installed there, including internal fire doors that had been fitted without smoke seals. As a result, there has been heightened attention on every aspect of safety, not least on fire doors. Fire officers and building management personnel understandably want to ensure they have covered every possible safety angle.To this end, they are now often insisting on going beyond the specifications required by regulations.However, in trying to ensure doors provide the maximum protection against fire and smoke, another potential problem can arise that, if not addressed, can undermine those good intentions.The problem:One of our customers, a door manufacturer and installer, had recently supplied doors but then been informed by their customer that they were not successfully self-closing as they were meant to. The assumption was that the door closer was not performing correctly, so the ‘fault’ was relayed to Rutland with a request for a resolution. We agreed to visit the site swiftly to assess the situation. Our inspection found that the door closer was correctly specified for the width and weight of the door, but that the smallest possible door gaps had been specified. These, coupled with substantial smoke seals around the doors, were causing significant resistance to the doors closing. Although the resistance was due in part to the physical aspects of the small gaps and the seals, the main problem was actually the build-up of differential air pressures on either side of the doors.Given the increased focus on maximum fire defence at doorways on all new-builds and building refurbishments, this problem is arising ever more frequently. Tighter door seals have the effect of creating separate, near air-tight pockets within a building, each holding air at slightly different pressures. The bigger the building, the more such pockets and the greater the pressure differentials that can potentially build up.These pressure differentials can have a significant additional effect on the amount of force needed to close each door and must be taken into account when choosing and setting closers.The Rutland response:Rutland’s technical team attended the site as required to support the customer in achieving a solution, first to identify the issues with air pressures and then recommend and implement a solution to the problem.Initially, we made hinge and latch adjustments to the door sets to overcome some of the resistance. This proved to be insufficient to ensure all the doors correctly closed first time, so we advised upgrading to stronger door closers. This recommendation was supported by supplying the door manufacturer with relevant data from previous tests on an equivalent door set to verify the product’s suitability.The new closers were delivered to the site and our technical team remained on hand to provide extensive assistance with the installation. Rutland created a bespoke jig to aid the door manufacturer’s installers in fitting the replacement door closers, significantly cutting down the time it took to rectify the problem.Outcome and key learning points:The project was successfully brought back on track, to the full satisfaction of the property owner and the door set manufacturer. All doors now function as they should and are delivering the intended fire safety for all building occupants.This case highlights that, due to heightened protective sealing around doors, there is an increasing likelihood of air locks forming in buildings, which means that specifying of door closers cannot be based simply on weight and width of doors, as has traditionally been the case. The pressure differentials that result vary building by building, based on each one’s layout, so it necessitates careful assessment to ensure that appropriate closers are specified.

ChallengeTo insulate one of Marks and Spencer’s most carbon efficient premier stores with a holistic approach taken towards key sustainability factors such as water, carbon, biodiversity, the community, materials and waste to landfill.SolutionKnauf Insulation’s FactoryClad Roll 40 was utilised within the 11,000m2 multi-wave form standing seam roof, which was supplied by Euroclad to achieve an outstanding visual, functional and environmentally friendly element of the store design, plus achieving a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. The number of BREEAM credits available from using Knauf Insulation’s Factory Clad Roll 40, played a part in its specification for Marks and Spencer’s flagship sustainable retail store at Cheshire Oaks.Gethin Williams, Euroclad’s Elite Systems Coordinator said: “FactoryClad Roll 40, in 280mm, has a 90/90 lambda value, a generic BRE Green Guide rating of A+ and has excellent thermal and acoustic properties. Thanks to these many characteristics, we thought it was perfect for this project, which resulted in it achieving the relevant BREEAM credits. Being lightweight, flexible and with a high tear strength, fitting was fast and error free, ensuring the thermal integrity was uncompromised.”Knauf Insulation’s FactoryClad Roll 40 is manufactured with ECOSE® Technology, has a thermal conductivity of 0.040W/mK and also has the highest possible Euroclass A1 reaction to fire classification when tested in accordance with BS EN 13501-1.In addition to this, Knauf Insulation’s mineral wool products with ECOSE Technology benefit from a revolutionary, bio-based, formaldehyde-free binder technology, based on rapidly renewable materials, instead of petro-based chemicals – delivering superior environmental sustainability and enhancing the environmental credentials without affecting the thermal, acoustic or fire performance. What’s more Knauf Insulation FactoryClad Roll 40 represents no known threat to the environment and has zero Ozone Depletion Potential and zero Global Warming Potential."Knauf Insulation FactoryClad Roll 40, in 280mm, has a 90/90 lambda value, a generic BRE Green Guide rating of A+ and has excellent thermal and acoustic properties. Thanks to these many characteristics, we thought it was perfect for this project, which resulted in it achieving the relevant BREEAM credits. Being lightweight, flexible and with a high tear strength, fitting was fast and error free, ensuring the thermal integrity was uncompromised."- Gethin Williams, Euroclad’s Elite Systems Coordinator

This project involves the partners Fremek AB, Totech AB and PCP A/S.Fremek is a workshop company in Dals-Långed that is certified according to EN-1090, EXC1, EXC2 and EXC3. Fremek specializes in welding, cutting, painting and assembly of large projects throughout Sweden.PcP’s solution includes CUBE® gratings and treads for a modern design and ladder systems for worker safety. Fremek and Totech chose PcP’s solution to install a new fuel station for Air BP, one of the world’s largest aviation suppliers.Project criteria - Slip-resistant steel platformFor this project, Air BP required an anti-slip platform due to the use of oil during maintenance.Although the platform is new construction, it was erected on an existing outdoor structure with nothing but a roof and fuel tanks. Thus, there were specific dimensions required.Therefore, PcP provided a more efficient fuel station platform and a safe working environment for personnel carrying out aircraft maintenance.The project had a strict timeline of 10 weeks as the construction had to be finalised before winter.Fremek was responsible for designing the air-plane fuel station and for sourcing the correct materials. Fremek contracted Totech for the works. Totech has more than 25 years of experience managing complex projects for a range of industries and, therefore, extensive knowledge of industrial construction and of which materials to use.PcP has delivered gratings to Fremek in several previous projects. Totech, therefore, approached PcP to showcase gratings with high slip-resistance for the platform. Totech seeked to use standard sizes to meet customer requirements of lead time and budget. At this point, Totech discovered that PCP also could provide handrail and ladder systems.Project solution - CUBE gratingsThe PcP CUBE® gratings, treads and toe-plate were provided for the platform in standard sizes. For easy access to the platform, PcP provided fire escape ladders and safety handrails. PcP CUBE® gratings and treads benefit from outstanding high PTV slip-resistance reducing trip and fall risk, lightweight but strong and fitted perfectly into the existing construction from the ground to roof.Fremek installed the platform, and the workers on-site made cut-outs to suit various plant equipment. Additionally, PcP provided escape ladders to mount on fuel tanks. In case of fire incidents/emergencies, enabling workers to escape rapidly.

We were approached to design & manufacture a range of steel fire-resistant riser doors and personnel doors for Europe's most advanced data centre, located in Canary Wharf, London.This 8-storey building offers 73,400 sqm of space - they needed simple yet secure riser doors to provide fire protection to the internal ducts, containing all the cabling and plumbing required in a sleek, discreet solution that provided maximum access, performance and safety.Alongside the riser doors, Eurobond designed & manufactured personnel doors that could be electronically controlled to control the access and provide an audit trail of personnel movement.The 2 key elements of this project were the riser doors - and the sheer volume required to cover the 8 levels and the access control requirements that had to be well planned and coordinated by Eurobond, the security contractor, end-user and architect.

In an opera production a 3D HDD projector was supposed to project images onto the stage during performances. Standing as it did on a trolley, which was to be moved over a tiled floor, the projector was virtually unusable. The problem was solved by combining an increase in the projector frame to 10 kg with the assembly of pneumatic levelling mounts PLM-1 from ACE. PLM is located in the low-frequency range and is primarily used when measuring tables, test equipment and high-performance machines need to be perfectly isolated.