"floor fixings and trims"

This 2,000+ m² project was a new build for a Special Free School in Croydon for children and young people with autism and learning difficulties.Addington Valley Academy is a co-educational Special School with 150 places for children and young people aged 2-19 who have autism and social communication, cognitive, sensory and social, emotional, and behavioural needs in the Croydon region.Valcan’s A1 non-combustible cladding systems were reviewed and after working closely with the architects on the project, Ceramapanel was specified installed back using our Vitrafix VF1 carrier system and colour matched fixing solutions.

With its team of experts in the polycarbonate and roof glazing fields, Twinfix works on developing the best, newest and most cost effective roof glazing products. A family business, Twinfix has been involved in the polycarbonate roof glazing market for nearly 30 years. Its innovative Multi-Link-Panel has been used in many markets, such as in the replacement of broken glass or failed PVC in station canopies and depot roof lights, where its patented fixing method results in incredibly quick installation times, a real bonus when working with limited possession times.

Selectaglaze helps create and enhance a computer suite at London homelessness charity, Caritas Anchor House as part of their on-going relationship with the CRASH charity. CRASH Chief Executive, Francesca Roberts contacted Selectaglaze asking if they would be willing to donate secondary glazing for the computer suite at Caritas Anchor House. Selectaglaze was happy to contribute and involved Pilkington with them donating the fire-resistant glass to support the installation. Three Series 40 units with 10mm Pyrodur fire-rated glass were installed, which has a beaded fixed frame system offering 30 minute fire integrity protection.

Luxury commercial washrooms to create the right impression at 110 Queens Street, Glasgow, a mixed-use development offering retail and office space, located on the former Bank of Scotland Building in Glasgow City Centre.Sylan Products Supplied:Sylan Real Wood Veneer Toilet CubiclesFlush frontedStrong and SecureInvisible fixing systemIdeal for where low environmental impact interiors are neededAvailable in 11 Real Wood VeneersReal Wood Veneer Duct PanellingCo-ordinating panelling to cubiclesInfinite repetition of colourAvailable in 11 Real Wood Veneers

Location: Lots Road, Chelsea, LondonProject Type: HousingDevelopment Cost: £60mProduct: Rainscreen CladdingMeridian Wall CopingsShadex 150 Privacy ScreensPerforated Secret Fix Soffit Panels (To Balconies)Finish: Syntha Pulvin RAL 7012 Matt Basalt Grey S4L0891: Qualicoat 2Fire rating: A2 s1, d0 Non-combustible (Reaction to Fire EN BS 13501-1:2018)Client: CK Asset Holdings LtdArchitect: FarrellsMain Contractor: Rollecate Facades LtdSub Contractor: Rollecate Facades Ltd

ASF were approached by artists Lucy Strachan and Fred Baier who had produced conceptual drawings of laser cut tree grilles. Alongside these drawings was a brief that the guards should fit with invisible fixings into the ASF 303 cast iron tree grille. ASF took these concepts forward and produced a set of tree guards that met the needs of both the artistic concept and the required practical applications. The guards were first laser profiled and then rolled to the desired diameter. The guard halves then had to be hand fettled and blended so the pattern carried perfectly through 360 degrees.

ASF worked with artist Bernadette Hughes to develop these spectacular products. Highly decorative laser profiled panels were used to make seats, litter bins and signage. The detailed profiles themselves were manufactured in stainless steel plate and then powder coated, to retain the intricate laser cut details that would be lost is the sheets were galvanised after cutting. The outer shapes were then profiled from heavy duty mild steel sheet that was galvanised, and the two sheets mounted cheek by cheek with invisible fixings. The result isa highly visible design that is decorative, strong and has zero finger traps.

A hugely popular handrail design that ASF have supplied to projects in many locations. The full sized bollards that are used as post uprights give a sense of solidity and permanence, whilst the mitred top gives them just enough of a decorative nature to lift the product beyond a simple post and handrail job. In this project all welds and interfaces were polished back on site so the finished product becomes a complete unit with no visible fixings. With both double and single handrails over multiple flights and angles, this project shows how ASF can manage any project need.

Cibes installed their A5000 lift in Dyno Plumbing’s colourful and modern office in Trimdon. This one stop lift provides the ideal accessibility solution to this industrial inspired office. Homage is paid to the towns mining history with artefacts proudly displayed on the walls. The white steel panels and glass door sit perfectly in the bright and colourful surroundings. The plumbing and drainage experts have 50 years of experience, offer free call-outs 24/7 and fixed prices. They cover just about any commercial and private work, from the largest projects right down to unclogging your kitchen sink!

Location: Bexley, Greater LondonProject Type: EducationalDevelopment Cost: £1.1mProduct: Curved Plain Fascia with THX Soffit PanelsMeridian Wall CopingShadex 260 Drop-in Cassettes (Structural Steel Supports)Contemporary Rainwater Pipes​Finish: Syntha Pulvin RAL 7011 Matt Iron GreyFire rating: A2 s1, d0 Non-combustible (Reaction to Fire EN BS 13501-1:2018)Client: Beths Grammar School, BexleyArchitect: Ingleton Wood ArchitectsMain Contractor: Horizon ConstructionSub Contractor: Specialised Fixings of Ipswich

Green Park Station provides access to the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria Lines. The £60 million refurbishment to achieve step-free access included a copper canopy, a Portland stone entrance and a ramp from the ticket hall into the Park featuring green wall screening. Lang+Fulton designed and supplied 300sqm of panels to clad the raked inner facade of both retaining walls and the tapered wall-heads, which would support the green wall planting. The panels were made to custom sizes from Terra-34 grating and fixed with varying lengths of bracket to accommodate the stepped areas in the walls.

Riverside Leisure Centre in Exeter is run by Exeter Leisure and boasts a Gym, Swimming Pool, Health Suite, Sports Hall, Squash Courts and more. Following Helmsman’s work with Exeter City Council on the changing rooms at St Sidwell’s Point Leisure Centre, we were asked to return to Exeter for some repair work at the Riverside Leisure Centre.Whilst Helmsman had not fitted the original lockers and locks, our service department are equipped to help with repairs and replacements for lockers and other products provided and/or fitted by other manufacturers. The Riverside Leisure Centre lockers had a number of faulty digital locks, and so we recommended a new lock that would stand the test of time.Our team removed 290 doors and re-drilled to fix the new Ojmar OTS Advanced RFID locks. The existing doors with new locks were then re-fixed to the lockers. The new locks allow users to open or close lockers by simply pressing a proximity media: card, bracelet or Wellness® key against the doorknob. With a high battery life and vandal proof design, this lock is the perfect choice for a leisure centre changing rooms.It was great to be invited back by Exeter City Council and highlights the high quality of work Helmsman provided at St Sidwell’s Point. We look forward to working alongside the team at Exeter City Council again in the future.If you have a similar project you need updating, replacing or refurbishing, even if Helmsman didn’t supply the products, contact our Service Department on 01284 530427 or email service@helmsman.co.uk

Friesland Campina CHALLENGE An absolute must for refrigerated warehouses or dairy processing facilities is to try to keep the building as cool as possible and to avoid all causes of heat, in order to keep the cooling costs as low as possible. Some decisions can have detrimental effects though. Mechanical fixing of the roofing membrane for example, in case the wrong fastenings are used. Thermal bridging may cause cold – or in this case heat - penetrating through the flat roof fasteners resulting in higher energy bills. And, quite important as well, mechanical fixing will perforate the vapour control layer, which in the case of cool buildings sits uppermost on the insulation. The result being moisture-related damage to the insulation! Furthermore, it has also been proved that the darker the roofing membrane, the less the sunlight will be reflected, the more heat will be absorbed. Again resulting in escalating energy costs. Waterproofing a cool storage warehouse is definitely not easy! In this regard Friesland Campina were looking for a durable and ecological roof solution for their brand new refrigerated distribution centre in Maasdam. SOLUTION RENOLIT came up with the perfect answer: the RENOLIT ALKORBRIGHT cool roof membrane. Here’s why! RENOLIT ALKORBRIGHT is a completely white PVC membrane reflecting the sunlight up to 90%. Absolutely the highest solar reflectance rate ever. Thanks to this membrane, which prevents the interior from warming up, there will be no extra air conditioning expenses. In addition, an extra protective coating makes sure less dirt sticks to the roofing membrane. This layer will in turn help to maintain a durable reflection. 

The Burton Borough School development is a brand new sports hall for Burton Borough School in Newport, Telford. As this building will be used primarily by schoolchildren, it was especially important that it was built using a durable solution which can stand up not only against weather conditions, but is fully non-combustible.Ash & Lacy worked through Kynaston Contract Services with Pave Aways Building Contractors and TACP Architects to deliver for Telford & Wrekin Council a MechSlip façade employing Ibstock’s Himley Ebony Black brick. Developed in conjunction with Ibstock Kevington, MechSlip is a lightweight, mechanically fixed system that offers significant advantages including reduced installation times and associated costs, as well as being classified A1 (non-combustible) to EN 13501-1 fire testing standards by Exova Warringtonfire.This project shows some of the design versatility of MechSlip as well, with the projecting header pattern on the building’s front elevation being achieved by alternating between half bricks and full bricks to create a memorable impression which manipulates shadow well. MechSlip allows specifiers and architects to create distinctive façades thanks to the flexibility of different sizes of brick slips and choice of multiple colours and textures.As well as offering the reassurance provided by a mechanically-fixed design, MechSlip has been rigorously tested to the Centre for Window & Cladding Technology (CWCT) standards, for wind resistance, water tightness and impact resistance. The result is that it eliminates the weather dependency of traditional building methods without compromising on the choice of brick finish.

As part of the £25 million Wolverhampton Academy Trust sponsored Bilston Academy, BCL are proud to have been part of the overall process. This project was delivered through the BSF programme by Carillion PLC and was designed by Capita. The academy was designed with the ability to deliver a modern multi-disciplinary education centre for the 1200 students of Wolverhampton Academy in mind. The building is made up of 4 differently themed zones, a dedicated engineering hub, a science super-lab and a combination of grass and astro-turf sports pitches.Using 69 x 44 mm of Siberian Larch, the external walls were covered, with the timber installed vertically at 100 mm to form an open screen detail across the building, including the plant room and roof areas. Each slat was treated to Class 0 SSF, using the non-com impregnation system from Lonza Wood Protection. In doing this, BCL ensured the building would have complete fire protection for its entire life without requiring any maintenance.As per all BCL panel systems everything was designed and pre-fabricated off site into a panellised system, fitted using secret fixings. Installation time was dramatically reduced along with on-site waste, meaning the 3000 m2 envelope was constructed quickly and efficiently.Client: Wolverhampton AcademyArchitect: CapitaContractor: Carillion PLCLocation: WolverhamptonCompletion: April 2013 Siberian LarchFSC CertifiedSecret FixingsClass 0 SSF

Fircroft House in Essex has been completely transformed from a tired 1980s detached property into a distinctive home with a contemporary edge.Renovated throughout, Fircroft House features a new ground floor extension, pale grey timber-effect external cladding (replacing a brick and render façade), and brand new Rationel alu-clad windows and doors. In fact, sixteen new windows are installed across the property, including opening and fixed units, two large sliding patio doors, and a solid, grooved front door flanked by glazed side lights and set beneath an arched portico. When planning the refurbishment of Fircroft House, window and door replacement was a project priority, as the original property had single glazed, leaded, all-timber windows which made the interior very dark and were thermally inefficient. All-aluminium glazing was initially considered because the homeowners wanted an affordable, durable and contemporary frame design which looked more attractive than uPVC. They changed their mind, however, when they saw Rationel AURAPLUS alu-clad windows installed at a friend’s home: ‘The idea of a frame which combined timber and aluminium was very appealing,’ they say. ‘It offered the best of both worlds with hardwearing aluminium outside and thanks to the wood, a more tactile finish to the inner frames, so we decided to find out more.’ The homeowners are delighted with their new windows and doors and would happily recommend Rationel: ‘We are very impressed with the package offered by Rationel,’ they say. ‘The windows and doors are all high quality, low maintenance and look great, and the service we received from okoHaus was amazing from start to finish.’

Beneath the streets of Central London lies a network of Grade 2 Listed underground vaults. As Newton Specialist Contractors, Stonehouse were called in to waterproof four of these impressive structures and turn them into a completely dry commercial space. The four vaults were situated just North of the River Thames in Central London, a short walk from such famous landmarks as Smithfield Market and St Paul's Cathedral.The Grade II Listed structures are each over 4 metres in height, and form part of an impressive below-ground infrastructure network. Newton Specialist Contractor Stonehouse were asked to waterproof four of these impressive vaults for the multinational service provider KPMG, in order to turn them into useful commercial spaces.When waterproofing historic vaults such as these, the Newton CDM System provides the ideal solution as it is maintainable, requires minimal fixings and therefore avoids damaging the structure, and crucially is deemed as reversible should the structure need to be returned to its original condition in future.As an experienced contractor, Stonehouse proceeded with an expert installation of a full CDM System to the tricky vaults, including:508 Mesh membrane to the walls, for a direct plaster finish508 membrane and Fibran XPS 500-C insulation boards to the floor.Basedrain channels to direct any captured water towards two Titan-Pro sump chambers, each containing two NP400 pumps.Victron Inverter and a NorthStar battery for reliable backup power.Stonehouse completed an extremely complex and detailed cavity drain installation with precision, resulting in an exceptionally neat waterproofing system, and proving the benefits of using a specialist waterproofing contractor.

Burton Green Primary School is located in the historic city of York, an outstanding school at the heart of a local community this primary school strives for excellence. The challenging and nurturing learning environment allows children to learn and grow, while achieving the highest potential possible in all areas of the 21st century curriculum.When the roof began showing signs of ageing, it was clear that a long-term solution was required. Working with Project Managers Charles Garth and Principal Contractor Castle Special Projects, Polyroof would work towards providing the best solution to refurbish the ageing roof.The work required and condition of the roof needed to be established first, to do this a survey was scheduled to take place. The survey was conducted on roofing area and it was determined that there were 6 flat roofs that required refurbishment. Areas 1 to 2 were constructed of a built up felt with mineral cap sheet, 50mm PUR insulation, bituminous vapour control, asphalt, 12mm fibreboard and a 50mm woodwood slab deck with timber joists. Areas 3 to 5 were constructed of a built up felt with mineral cap sheet, 50mm Jablite insulation, bituminous vapour control, asphalt, 12mm fibreboard and a 50mm wood wool slab deck with timber joists. Roof area 6 was made up of built-up felt with mineral cap, plywood and timber joist. The original build-up of roofs 1 to 5 needed to be stripped back to the asphalt due to the aged condition of the built-up felt, numerous leak reports were reported. Roof 6 and its original waterproofing was to be retained and made good, later this surface would act as the substrate for the new waterproofing system.Once the survey was completed, a bespoke specification was written and it was recommended that the roofing areas would all benefit from a high-performance waterproofing system. In addition to this it was specified that the roof would be thermally upgraded to reduce the risk of condensation and provide lower fuel bills and energy consumption for Primary School further adding benefits to making improvements to the roof.Liquid Roofing Limited an experienced roofing contractor and Polyroof Approved Contractor was chosen to undertake the work to this project. The proposed system for this project would be Polyroof Protec Warm Roof System. Protec’s liquid roof membrane has a unique flexible hybrid polymer formulation and can be applied to virtually all common roof surfaces.The areas that were required for installation firstly needed to be stripped and removed back to the asphalt, areas 1 to 5 required this. Area 6 was then repaired of any defects and made good where necessary. All roofs required a deep clean, removing any dirt or debris that remained from the first stage. Once this preparation was completed an Air & Vapour Control Layer (AVCL) was then installed to roof areas 1 to 5 making sure that all surfaces are smooth and without voids.Using a Polyroof Twin Pack Insulation Adhesive the Polyroof RES insulation (T&G) boards were bonded and laid to each of the 6 roof areas completing the second stage of the warm roof upgrade. Before the last stage of the installation could begin all joints in the insulation were sealed using taping matt and Polyroof Protec Resin. Polyroof’s extra-tough GRP trims were then installed to create neat and robust edge detailing for exposed perimeters before the main Protec system application commenced.During the project there were some challenging aspects that required care and attention. The project featured a large array of different details ranging from installation of new substrates and trims for parapet walls to the removal of and preservation of tiles/cladding so that the Protec system could be applied correctly. These features required delicate work so that the original tiles/cladding could be reinstated after the application of the system was completed. During the project the rooflight that was originally in place was removed and replaced with a new, before this could happen the Protec system was taken up the upstands and then sealed under flange.Once the project was completed within the relevant time frame of the client and within the budget specified, the Polyroof Technical Services team conducted a detailed inspection showing a high level of workmanship which lead to the client gaining the trusted Polyroof Accredited System Guarantee.

The architect has created a connection with the outdoors in, utilising large fixed rooflights from Glazing Vision to bring daylight into the house and frame the surroundings.‘The most beautiful spot in the Netherlands’; that is the description of this country house in the marina ‘t Raboes according to the owners. Located on the Eemmeer, a place in the middle of nature, and away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The architect has created a connection with the outdoors in, utilising large fixed skylights from Glazing Vision to bring daylight into the house and frame the surroundings.Bringing in daylight with large minimalist skylights was a key requirement for the architect. The horizontal application of large glass surfaces demands a lot from the design and after many discussions, the architect was confident that Glazing Vision was the rooflight manufacturer that could implement what they had in mind.No framework in sight. Insulated glass with excellent insulation values. Glass that blends seamlessly into the architect’s design. A way to bring the outdoor feeling inside.Three multipart skylights have made this architectural vision become a reality.The back-to-back angles fit in very well with the rest of the modern contemporary interiors. To make it possible to darken the rooms, Glazing Vision has applied custom-made sun protection from Topshade.At the spot where the river Eem flows into the Eemmeer, architect De Kort van Schaik designed the country residence ‘t Raboes. The clients wanted to create a place where they could fully experience nature, but also withdraw from the hustle and bustle of the city.The house consists of three parts, connected by three covered terraces. Concrete walls and floors which blend seamlessly into the environment and large windows that frame the polder landscape.All energy on ‘t Raboes is generated locally. The solar cells on the roof of the marina building supply electricity. A heat pump that uses the surface water of the Eemmeer provides heating for the house and swimming pool.In the living areas, wood stoves have been used, all which use wood from their own grounds, providing readily available extra heating capacity.A beautiful contrast is created by the yellow epoxy bathroom furniture, designed by Sabine Marcelis. A piece of furniture consisting of a bath, wash bath and shower stands as a free-standing sculpture in the concrete bathroom. The skylight forms a completely frameless glass roof, which gives you the feeling of being outside even more.Sabine Marcelis states that she has designed her dream bathroom. The subtle rotation of the furniture gives you a fantastic view of the landscape from the bath.Taken aback by this stunning property, the architectural press has been impressed with all aspects of the design. De Volkskrant gives the Huis op ‘t Raboes five stars. “The Rotterdam architectural firm De Kort Van Schaik designed a house in which you live with the elements and at the same time are protected against them, thanks to a thick concrete coat.”

Within London’s sought-after area of Victoria is situated the architecturally cutting edge commercial and residential development, Howick Place.This 143,000sq ft. of Grade A office space and 23 luxury apartments is a flagship development by joint developers Doughty Hanson & Co and Terrace Hill Group PLC. The building is modern, stylish and full of light due to its impressive floor to ceiling windows delivering a perfect working space for the luxury brands it has already attracted. Responsible for the impressive design were Rolfe Judd Architects. Not only did they want to create an exterior that that was visually stunning but also an interior that show modern design at its best.This inspirational working environment had to make an immediate impact with potential occupant’s right from the moment they step in to the expansive reception area to rinsing their hands in the washrooms. To help achieve this Rolfe Judd appointed Sylan to supply and install their modern and luxurious washroom products so the building represented the highest quality craftsmanship no matter where you are in the building.When discussing the importance of a quality washroom fit out project architect Andrew Wall said: “Our clients are becoming increasingly concerned with the quality of their washroom facilities. More and more people are cycling to work in the city and so we needed washroom and changing areas that met our client’s high standards”.Sylan's Real Wood Veneer toilet cubicles were specified for the washrooms. With 44mm Real Wood Veneer doors and totally invisible fixings, Sylan was the perfect choice for this project given that quality was such an important factor:“We were very impressed with the Sylan system. We needed a totally bespoke system and Sylan gave us just that. We needed flexibility from our cubicle choice so we could achieve the level of detail required for this project”.Being offset against contemporary Lime Stone Vanity Units, also supplied by Sylan, the cubicles gave the perfect contrast between the traditional and the modern.To further enhance this cutting edge design Glass Duct Panels were also installed in the washrooms. Being fully aware that accuracy and precision was critical to the build, Sylan ensured due care and attention was paid when installing all products but particularly when dealing with this delicate and intricate design element.Sylan Products Supplied:Real Wood Veneer Toilet CubiclesFlush frontedStrong and SecureInvisible fixing systemIdeal for where low impact interiors are neededAvailable in 11 Real Wood VeneersReal Wood Veneer Duct PanellingCo-ordinating panelling to cubiclesInfinite repetition of colourAvailable in 11 Real Wood VeneersQuartz VanityExtremely hard wearingClassic style that will last for years to comeAvailable in 9 coloursSupplied with or without cut outs

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

Dural worked in conjunction with Northern Star flooring to renovate a section of floor within the new south entrance concourse. Northern Star Flooring is an experienced resin floor contractor based in the North of England. The first phase began in 2018 and the project involved the redevelopment and modernisation of the main southern concourse. The plans also included a new roof and stunning glazed façade in addition to more floor space. The flooring specified will be used by the station’s 100,000 daily users. Dural has been integral in offering technical advice on how to install their coloured movement joints for this huge expanse of floor. 

Coopers Fire installed a large, multi-faceted FireMaster Concertina Closed fire curtain on floor 12. The client utilising floors 12 and 13 wanted to keep an open plan feel between floors to allow a more free flowing environment for the staff. To achieve this, a bespoke staircase was designed connecting the floors. The spiral staircase was a major feature on floor 12 and meant that staff were able to move freely between floors 12 and 13 without using the lifts.

300 m2 of Optima XTR Contour in 6063 T6 Aluminium Extrusion and 3000 m2 of Optima TFC+ in Aluminium 3103 Grade has been used in the completion of Bromley-by-Bow in East London.Bromley-By-Bow is a visually striking array, comprised of five high rise residential blocks with community spaces and commercial areas at ground level.Sotech’s newest system innovation – XTR Contour – was chosen as it allowed the design team to mimic the pre-cast concrete fluted panels in a consistent manner.In order to form the fluted decorative areas below the windows, a new extrusion profile was developed – XTR Contour Concave. The profile of the design was a copy of the pre-cast concrete façade panels which are fluted in the same general locations.Whilst systemised testing wasn’t carried out on this project, the design team invested significant time in 3D printing profiles to prove concepts prior manufacturing the physical die. This saved time and money in the overall project scheme.Mohamadrez Jenaban, Technical Lead at Sotech “I have undertaken a number of simulation analyses for this project to ensure panel safety, adequate performance and stability under the given conditions. We were able to determine 1- number of stiffeners required for these panels to keep deflection below CWCT recommendation 2- the maximum fixing span to keep the stress below the material permissible stress value”. The main challenge on the scheme was implementing a cap to the XTR Contour profiles upon the request of the Fire Engineer. On such a shallow profile this is challenging as there is little room for any form of fabrication works. In response to this challenge, we therefore developed internal screw ports within the extruded profile. This allowed us to mechanically fix plates to the head and the base of the profile and conform the Fire Engineer’s requirements.Sotech’s was able to provide key advice and guidance in the creation of the XTR profile, as well as key guidance on how to rationalise the arrangement to standardise die quantities, shape and size.TESTIMONIALSJamie Smith, Commercial Manager at Sotech: “The extrusion process has some restrictions and requires knowledge of the extruding process to determine what can be manufactured through a die. Flow rates of aluminium, hollow elements and wall thickness all play a significant part in the final die composition. Sotech’s technical team are able to remove the risk to the client and advise on what is physically capable, saving time and money through failed dies.”“The Optima XTR Contour – Concave systems gives an aesthetically pleasing visual and the powder coating enhances the system giving more definition to the fluting vs the contrasting brickwork surround. Our Optima TFC+ system, finished in Axalta Textured Powder to the recessed balconies, mixes well against the pre-cast concrete. The discrete fixing of the system is perfectly suited for this type of application when secret fixing systems by be burdensome in confined spaces.”Reece Barnes Commercial Director at Alliance Facades said: “Bromley-by-Bow is our flagship project and largest to date, providing over 500 homes, and requiring over 3,000m2 of rainscreen cladding…We worked closely with Sotech to deliver phases 1 and 2 of the mixed-use development, selecting the Optima XTR Contour and TFC+ range respectively.“XTR Contour was the perfect solution for the scheme as it’s extremely hardwearing and versatile, and enabled us to conform to the fire engineer’s requirements. The design team at Sotech proved themselves again and again in the way they rose to the challenges of this scheme and found innovative solutions. The project looks fantastic – well done everyone!”

Howe Green supplied nearly 70 floor access covers to Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield. The £200 million redeveloped hospital is the newest and most digitally advanced hospital in the NHS estate. The Visedge Series Flexible Floor Access Covers and 7500 Series Medium-Duty Aluminium Floor Access Covers were specified for the project by international architects IBI Group. The Visedge floor access covers were infilled with vinyl flooring. The floor finish for the 7500 Series varied depending upon the location of the access cover. The access covers enable safe and easy access to building services concealed under the flooring of the hospital.

The enormous redevelopment of the site around Broadcasting House is situated between the Bakerloo and Victoria underground lines and the tube trains are clearly audible in all the buildings. Therefore, CDM Stravitec was asked to install floating floors using the Stravifloor Deck system.To protect the BBC W1 technical boxes from structure-borne noise each one was built off a concrete floating floor.The construction of the floating floors depended on the location within the building: in the basement the floors were 125 mm concrete on 100 mm void supported by bearings with a natural frequency of <8Hz.On the ground floor the floors were 90 mm concrete on 100 mm void; the 2nd floor was 90 mm concrete on 75 mm void and the 3rd and 4th floors 90 mm concrete on 50 mm void.

The waterproofing to a large residential flatted development in London was carried out using the Koster TPO membrane.This warm roof design incorporated the Koster TPO Fleecebacked membrane mechanically fixed through PIR insulation, Koster Vapour Barrier and into the timber substructure as per the wind load calculation.An interesting project with many challenges that were all individually designed by the Koster technical team in collaboration with the project architects.The final roof incorporates hard standing areas, sedum and green roof sections, a solar panel farm and decorative stones.A beautifully deigned and usable area providing residents an amazing view over London.

Monarch Aircraft Engineering (MAEL) is part of the Monarch Group, the UK’s leading independent travel group, with core activities concerning scheduled airline operations, tour operations and aircraft engineering. MAEL maintains its own fleet of aircraft, as well as those of other airlines and the UK military. Due to business growth, in 2013 MAEL opened a new maintenance hangar in Birmingham. Hangars have traditionally had fixed docking solutions, where the aircraft must be positioned in place under overhead safety rails or lifelines. However, MAEL’s new hangar was built to offer far fewer restrictions as to working location.

Brooklands Museum recently completed a project refurbishing a WW2 hangar with a mezzanine viewing platform. The stairs were unsuitable for disabled access, so required a lift with minimal support points, no head fixing and small footprint. Gartec's 7000 passenger platform lift was installed in 2 days - Valerie Mills, Commercial Director, commented “Once features and prices were compared, the 7000 was an easy choice. Gartec provided everything to make an informed decision. We're surprised how quickly the team completed the installation – efficient, clean and professional. The lift ticks all the boxes and opened the upper space for everyone to enjoy”

The Riverside Resource Recovery Facility is the largest project of its kind in the UK. Waste from Central London is brought in by barge along the River Thames as well as by road - the creation of this pioneering facility is expected to make a significant contribution to London's landfill diversion targets.The building's design demonstrates the trend away from the bleak industrial structures of the past, towards aesthetically pleasing buildings that complement the local environment.Fixfast assisted with the creation of the distinctive 'swoosh' by providing unique powder-coated rivets to fix the curved and coloured panels to the face of the composite skin."Fixfast - all good"Andy Rolfe - Purchasing Manager at Lakesmere Ltd

The Mildenhall Hub is on of the first projects of it's type and combines a number of community facilities, including the Mildenhall Academy, Leisure Centre, Children’s Centre, Pre-school, Public Library, Advice Centre and offices for councils, and the NHS. This provides the town and surrounding area with integrated access to community services. Benchmark worked with the Architect at an early stage to develop FF&E solutions to the variety of areas and comply with the relevant government guidance and regulations. The contractor then engaged with us to develop the furniture schemes throughout the project to complete the FF&E design in collaboration with the Architect and End Users, before proceeding with manufacture and installation of all fixed furniture items.

Project: Bidfoods Distribution Centre, GlasgowDate: 2022 Background:·        APL were initially engaged directly by the main contractor due to previous supply-chain issues experienced by the client ·        Due to APL’s strong supply-chain relationship, all material was able to be procured and delivered on time to meet the projects programme·        APL provided all thermal and structural calculations Systems:·        10,000m² of APL built-up wall system with steel half-round AP50HR in RAL 9006 and RAL 9007 as the external profile·        APL Tritherm™ GALV sub-framing·        All fixings and accessories  Building Location:·        Glasgow

The Flat Glass Skylight allows you to enjoy natural daylight. The skylight will provide you with a clean appearance in the external roof scope, the toughened outer glass pane has a ceramic edge coating giving you an immaculate and stylish finish. The range comes complete a 160mm high vertical insulated PVC kerb/ upstand. The slim aluminium frame has a internal thermal break allowing it to be energy efficient whilst also reducing the risk of internal condensation. The skylight comes complete with fixing screws which once installed are fully concealed beneath a flush cover creating a sleek and tidy external appearance.

The Northern General Hospital in Sheffield chose Yeoman Shield fire rated door protection systems to refurbish doors in the Radiology Department. The configuration and refurbishment of the department was undertaken to improve patient flow, the overall environment and to rationalise inpatient and outpatient areas to satisfy privacy, dignity and capacity issues. Yeoman Shield’s (Harrison Thompson) directly employed fixing operatives, who have been assessed as being competent to install such passive fire-resistant products by FIRAS, installed fire rated door protection panels, PVCu clad Glazing Bead Units and Door Edge Protectors to various doors throughout the unit.

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

Wedding ceremonies are made more peaceful in the Grade II and II* Listed Reading Town Hall following acoustic secondary glazing adaptations to block noise from the town centre. 23 units were installed. Each gothic arch was treated with a combination of transom coupled secondary glazed units with a Series 42 curved fixed light system affixed at the top. Series 10 horizontal sliding units were specified for the lower units on the wider windows, whereas the Series 45 side hung casement was selected for the narrower windows. 6.4mm acoustic laminate glass was specified which reduced noise levels by 40-45dB.