"pipes tubes"

The Royal Albert Hall in the heart of vibrant west London is distinctive for its unique circular architecture and Victorian styling, and famous for bringing a wealth of high-brow art and culture to the city since it opened in 1871.A building such as the Royal Albert Hall is not only a building, but part of the heritage of its surrounding community. For this reason, the Royal Albert Hall Grade One Listed and meaning all proposed renovation works must meet strict regulations put in place to ensure the preservation and respectful enhancement of the building.Sir Robert McAlpine were awarded the overall contract to deliver a programme of upgrade, renovation and refurbishment work. So, when it came to replacing the original water management systems that had been in place since it’s opening, the challenge was on to find a manufacturer and installer that would bring the Hall the best products possible that were also in keeping with these requirements.Gutterworks, an Alumasc approved installer, installed Alumasc Rainwater management systems during the refurbishment in 2018. Alumasc was chosen for its ability to analyse and precisely recreate the original gutter and pipe mouldings that were used in the originally installed systems, therefore contributing to the preservation of the historic building. Over ten years ago, Alumasc Rainwater management systems were installed in a similar project at Kings Cross St Pancras Station.

CHALLENGEIlam Park was a popular tourist destination in the Peak District with a parking problem. The main car park is paved with asphalt but their sloped overflow car park suffered from rutted, unsafe and uneven surfaces due to poor drainage and puddling. More asphalt would create water runoff and drainage problems elsewhere so a permanent and durable permeable paving solution was required.SOLUTIONHanpaveTM was chosen as it’s a freedraining system that’s tested to bear almost any vehicle. There are no more problems with rutting or uneven surfaces. It’s also highly durable, weather-resistant and made from 100% recycled plastic. When installed on a properly engineered permeable base (no pipes or ducting required!), it can be in-filled with gravel or grass for an attractive, stable base that becomes virtually invisible to the average user.CONCLUSIONHanpaveTM was installed in 2019. We called in on a very wet day in November 2022 and the HanpaveTM grids were in excellent condition. Surfaces were even, rutting was gone and, even in torrential rain, puddling could only be found in areas paved with asphalt – not HanpaveTM. Despite some extremely hot summers, Hanpave’s unique expansion absorbing design and professional installation have given Ilam Park an effective, longlasting and attractive solution to their overflow parking problems.

Avoiding gas reliance when building a new house.Traditional self-build projects have always had heating systems such as gas central heating and solar panels installed. However, with the increasing costs of gas, and the uncertainty of future supplies, a secondary heating source is required.There are options such as ground heating pumps, etc. but a real heating system independent of the grid, plus a stunning focal point has to be a wood burning stove.In fact, wood logs are now the cheapest domestic heating fuel. According to the Stove Industry Alliance, wood now is “costing households 74% less per kWh than electric heating and 21% less than gas heating”. The benefits don’t end there. “Using a modern wood burning stove also costs 29% less to run than an air source heat pump. Wood logs are 87% less carbon intensive than gas, 88% less than electricity and 74% less than an air source heat pump.”Building a traditional steel pipe flue system is always an option, but steel systems are more suitable in retrofit projects where minimum disruption is required. When you are building a house from the ground up, then a more permanent and ultimately lifetime option is the better one.

We were delighted to have succeeded in a competitive tender to carry out the playground refurbishment works at Decoy Park, Newton Abbot, Devon, in the summer of 2021. Decoy Park is a beloved recreational space in the town, with a large lake, woodland trails, and adjacent football pitches complimenting the play equipment at the park. Our design reflected the semi rural nature of the landscape, with a huge Treehouse structure sitting as the centrepiece of the area, standing almost 6m tall with a tube slide coming off the top level.A dynamic area aimed at older children featured two aerial runways, a beautiful glue laminated hardwood robinia climbing frame, and an overhead rotator. A spinning machine, a unique play piece that spins the seated user vertically 360 degrees, added a unique twist to the zone, something not seen in your everyday playground!The toddler zone is a heaven for the smallest children, with tastefully designed animal graphics, a variety of spinning, balancing and rocking activities, and a fun play ship featuring telescopes, play panels and steering wheels.A variety of different safety surfaces were laid at the area, to suit the various requirements of each zone. Wet pour rubber was used for the Toddler area, as its array of colours made designing and creating the animal graphics a possibility. TigerMulch was chosen for the adventure zone, with its natural looks and hard wearing properties ideal for the dynamic activities taking place here.Decoy Park was one of those special, unique projects that don’t come around very often, and we had so much fun designing and building the new playground. Thanks to Teignbridge District Council for commissioning us to do the works, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it!

Not what you would normally expect a pressure vessel to look like? This unusual toroidal design was driven by our customer’s requirement to pressure test high technology components at high pressure but with minimum foot print and floor load in their test cell.Designed and fabricated entirely by FlexEJ’s in-house team, it’s been a long and successful project for us.Working in close partnership with our customer over many months, using SolidWorks 3D modelling and extensive Finite Element Analysis, our engineering team came up with this shape as the best way to meet all the design constraints. It’s light and compact yet capable of operating in excess of 120 Barg.Fabricated in 5” 304 SS pipe with 100% X-ray Weld examination; dimensions are approximately 2.6m long x 1.6m wide. The flanges are all 1500# and act as the test ports. Complete with the stainless steel support frame underneath designed with ease of installation in mind.FlexEJ specialises in high specification pressure vessels and pressure fabrication in general; if you have a project in mind, our in-house design team is always pleased to discuss.If you are interested in finding out more about FlexEJ's design and manufacturing capabilities, please contact our Technical Sales Team on +44 (0) 1384 881188 or send an email to sales@flexej.co.uk.

The 'HOOLA' in Tidal Basin Road in East London, gateway to the soon-to-be regenerated Royal Victoria Docks area, has transformed a brownfield site into two rippling 23 and 24 storey glass towers, that offer 360 apartments with a mix of studios, along with one, two and three-bedroom units.The buildings are super-insulated and the concrete frame will act as a heat sink – absorbing heat on warm days and releasing it back into apartments when it cools. An innovative link-up with the neighbouring ExCel Exhibition Centre will also see excess heat piped directly into the two towers. This will provide all the necessary heating and hot water requirements and significantly reduce maintenance costs by doing away with the need for individual boilers. A critical design requirement for such a super-insulated building was the avoidance of any risk of thermal bridging at the many concrete-to-concrete balcony connectivity points – so highly efficient structural thermal breaks were required throughout. The preferred solution was the Schöck Isokorb® T type K for cantilever balconies.Luke Smerdon-White, Technical Director at Thorp, takes up the story: "We had to design, manufacture and deliver 1410 precast concrete balcony sections that had to then be cast integrally with the in situ concrete structure." "The exposed front-face is curved, with almost 50 different dimensional configurations, while the internal face has a facetted line that had to correlate with the glazing line and opening doors."

Gerico France designs, manufactures and installs bulk solid storage and handling equipment. It offers bucket elevators, conveyors, pipes, silos, warehouses, milling machines, feed producing equipment, heat treatment devices, and accessories.Project/doors: 21 Speedor Storm High Speed DoorsThe challenge Gerico France delivered a turn-key flour mill project in Mombasa, Kenya for a Grain milling company at their state of the art milling plant. They required a solution to stop dust going out of the building instead of being aspirated by the installed system when emptying grain trucks into the wheat grain intake pit.The solutionHart installed three Speedor Storm doors from 4m wide x 5m high to 7m high. The Speedor Storm is the next generation of large external door which has improved wind resistance on both sides of the door and is suitable for larger openings, greater than 6m. This door does not require separate wind bars as the curtain contains wind bracing every 1m and is held securely into the guide channels with rollers at either side. The success Hart Doors sent an experienced engineer to Mombasa to supervise and assist in the installation and commissioning of the doors along with the training of staff to install future orders. 18 more Speedor Storms were ordered for a specialised dry bulk discharge and handling terminal for grain imports, located in Shimanzi, Mombasa.

F. Ball and Co. Ltd.’s rapid-setting, ultra-smooth floor finishing compound has delivered a fast-track solution for refurbishing the iconic Nelson Staircase at Somerset House, London.As part of ongoing maintenance and improvement works, flooring contractor Carpet Culture was commissioned to restore the steps and one of the main landings of the historic Beaux-Arts staircase, which spans six floors and dates back to the late 18th century, when the Royal Navy occupied the building.Contractors began by removing old floorcoverings and adhesive residues from the steps and the 40m2 landing.The landing was destroyed by a bomb in the Second World War and subsequently restored with concrete, meaning that it would require raising in order for floorcoverings to meet the level of the original stone border, but less than the minimum application thickness of a smoothing compound. Additionally, work required completing over two nights, between the hours of 6-11pm, while the building was unoccupied, meaning there was not time to mechanically prepare the concrete area.Contractors, therefore, applied two coats of Stopgap Micro Rapid floor finishing compound to create a perfectly smooth surface for the receipt of floorcoverings.Stone effect LVTs were then installed on the landing and risers and treads of the stairs, and Stycco Flex rapid-curing, flexible tube adhesive was used to affix Gradus stair nosings. The high strength build-up and fast curing time of the adhesive means it can secure stair nosings and trims in as little as 60 minutes, without the need for mechanical fixings.Tom McCullough, senior flooring manager at Carpet Culture, said: “We were grateful to our F. Ball technical representative for suggesting using Stopgap Micro Rapid as an alternative to applying a smoothing compound so that we could complete the work out of hours, on time. It worked a treat, and we received compliments for how it looked even before the floorcoverings went down.”

Heated Lockers were the focus of Helmsman’s most recent project. We travelled up to South Kirby in Pontefract, Yorkshire to work alongside Triton Construction at the brand-new Innovation Hub at Production Park. Production Park is a unique support environment for the live events industry, uniting technology, creative spaces and education. Their newest venture is the brand-new Innovation Hub, with a large research studio with connected offices and teaching spaces. The new innovation hub features specialist equipment designed to support the live events industry as well as a business support programme focusing on assisting SMEs.In an area off the main entrance lobby, Helmsman installed a set of Wet Specification Heated Lockers. With a mix of 1, 2 and 4 compartments, these lockers are designed with a single or twin tube heater at the bottom of the locker, hidden within the locker stand, and perforations throughout to allow warm and/or damp air to circulate and escape the locker. Triton Construction requested a modern, heavy duty laminate finish for these heated lockers. The body of the lockers was manufactured from aluminium and powder coated in colour Ice, whilst we used Biocarbon’s Solid Grade Laminate in colour Elegant Grey for the locker doors, end panels and cladding. This laminate is a great choice as it is carbon neutral as well as being moisture resistant and easy to clean, perfect for a semi-public area such as this project. Our heated lockers can either come with a standard 3 pin power plug or can be available with a spur to wire into a fused switch. Triton construction requested a plug which was positioned on the end panel of the bank of lockers.We paired stainless steel numbers recessed into the doors with Lowe and Fletcher camlocks for a seamless finish to the lockers.  This option of lock is simple and cost effective, whilst also safe and secure.It was great to work with Triton Construction on this project and we look forward to hearing about the success of the Innovation Hub at Production Park in the future. If you have a similar project, or want to know more about our Heated Lockers, contact us today on 01284 530427.

Two renowned Alumasc brands, Harmer and Wade, were recently specified and installed for a new striking residential development in London.Newfoundland Tower, also known as “The Diamond Tower”, due to its unique diamond shape and diagonal structure, is a build-to-rent development in Canary Wharf, London. Harmer SML Cast Iron above ground, and Wade gulliesand linear drainagewere installed to provide an effective water management solution.The Harmer SML lightweight cast iron pipework system is dry-jointed, BBA & Kitemark certified, and has a proven track record in above-ground drainage. With its comprehensive range of fittings and accessories, Harmer SML is the ideal soil and waste system for above and below-ground drainage, including rainwater installations, and is fully compatible with other Harmer and Wade drainage products.“Harmer was chosen primarily for its longevity,” said Gary Zumeris - Area Sales Manager – Harmer SML, South. “It’s also easy to install and has excellent acoustic qualities. It’s a very quiet system, which is especially good in apartments or other high-density housing as you can’t hear fluids flowing down the pipes.“The Harmer system was also chosen for its fire-resistant properties, which is an important aspect, due to current legislation. Cast iron is highly specified in London currently, where most buildings incorporate cast iron for increased fire safety.”Harmer SML has the highest product reaction to fire classification possible, which is A1 for BS EN 13501-1, as well as a system fire classification of A2 for BS EN 13823 Single Burning Item A2, s1-d0.

Timescales: March 2021 -- Project Size: 800 m2Products: MonoTile - Finished in “Bianco Botticino”The Mills Fabrica, Cottam House, Kings Cross, LondonThe Mills Fabrica is a contemporary co-working space that has been thoughtfully designed to foster collaboration and community among sustainable conscious businesses. A key component of any modern office space is the flooring system, which can have a significant impact on both the aesthetics and functionality of the environment.In order to ensure that the flooring system for The Mills Fabrica was both visually appealing and practical, AFD collaborated closely with our contracting partners. We were able to provide the expertise needed to specify the correct finish design that would be appropriate for the space, taking into account factors such as traffic flow, durability, and maintenance requirements.The chosen flooring system was a Terrazzo raised access system, which was installed alongside matching floor tiles in other areas, as well as wall tiles. The Terrazzo Raised Floor system material is renowned for its durability, low maintenance requirements, and stunning visual appeal.The raised access system offers several advantages over traditional flooring systems. It allows for easy access to the void beneath the flooring, which is particularly useful for buildings that require extensive cabling or piping. It also provides greater flexibility for future modifications to the space, such as the installation of new electrical or data systems.By choosing a Terrazzo raised access system for The Mills Fabrica, we were able to achieve a high-end design finish that seamlessly flows from one area to the next, while still providing the practicality and functionality that is essential for a modern office space. The result is a flooring system that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also enhances the overall functionality of the environment.

A new flooring solution was required as part of a large, high-specification selfbuild housing project on the stunning Archerfield estate in North Berwick. Underfloor heating had been specified for the ground floor of the house and it was important that the chosen floor solution would help to optimise heating efficiency. Given the scale of the project it was also important that the chosen screed solution could be installed quickly over a large area to fit within the build programme. Following initial discussions and a successful pump trial the customer decided to use Tarmac’s TOPFLOW Screed C cement based liquid screed.TOPFLOW Screed C is a free-flowing, cement based liquid screed that can be trafficked after just 24-48 hours and dries within 21-28 days. It can be pumped into place and allows large areas to be covered quickly with up to 120m2 laid in as little as 45 minutes. Fast drying times mean it can be laid later in the programme when the building is fully water-tight and still hit deadlines for installation of flooring. It is ideal for use with underfloor heating systems. As a self-compacting screed, it fully encapsulates heating pipes without leaving any voids and is also a more conductive medium than traditional sand and cement screeds, improving the thermal performance of the system. It is also compatible with most cement based adhesives meaning it can be used with a wide range of flooring types.The fast-drying times and early trafficking characteristics of TOPFLOW Screed C enabled other trades to follow on quickly, helping to provide continuity and efficiency within the client’s build programme. The contractor was delighted with the outcome, commenting on how good the material was to work with and on the excellent finish achieved.

Located within the Kirtley building, close to the cycle storage compound, are changing facilities with a number of showers, hairdryers and mirrors. As part of the upgrade to these facilities, the University has installed Heated Z Lockers. The shape of these lockers was chosen so that the user has the full height of the locker to gently dry their clothes and equipment that they used to cycle to university.This unique shape makes them the perfect design for heated lockers. Simply hang your damp clothes inside and let the Heated Z Locker do the hard work. Air flows easily inside the locker, with a perforated base, and perforated slots at the top allow the damp air to escape. Single and twin tube heaters are available, with the heat source plugging into a 3-pin power socket, or wired into a fused switch.A range of materials and colour finishes are available, and the University of Derby chose Laminate Z Locker doors in two colours. Laminate is a great choice of material as it creates a more Heavy Duty locker less likely to scratch, dent or damage.With a large range of laminate manufacturers, including a carbon-neutral laminate supplier, our Heated Z Lockers can be a bright pop of colour through to a neutral wood affect laminate. The University of Derby chose two contrasting laminate colours in colours Sage and Elegant Grey from BioCarbon Laminates, providing a modern look to the Z Lockers. The lockers were also manufactured with seat stands, with the slats matching Elegant Grey door colour from BioCarbon Laminates.We can also provide a range of accessories, from multiple lock options through to wrist straps, particularly popular with leisure centres and gyms. The project at University of Derby included oval laminated numbering, Lowe & Fletcher coin return locks and grey wrist straps.The university were very pleased with their Heated Z Lockers, and we have since been back to measure up for some more laminate lockers. It was great for our team to work with University of Derby on this project, and we look forward to returning for the next project soon. If you need some Heated Lockers or want to find out some more information about our range of products, call 01284 727626 or contact us here.

What are curved and cantilevered pergolas?Curved and cantilevered pergolas are intricate designs of raised structures that can be free standing or fixed to an existing building or structure.They are complicated elements of a project and aren’t usually something designed on site. Manufactured in a workshop by skilled professionals, then taken to site in kit form for a rapid installation.Depending upon the design, the curves are manufactured from simple fins or box section and curved to a radius during manufacture. The design may call for the curved arrangement to be manufacture from straight pieces, this does reduce price but can look facetted.Cantilevering raised structures and pergolasFor years, these raised structures have been designed with a cantilevered design. This causes complications for the structure due to the weight, bending moments and behaviour of solid or laminated timber. The solution has been to create flitch plates and stiffening beams in steel which would then be wrapped in the timber. This is a costly affair and required Structural Engineers to provide detail and calculation for these structures. They then take excessive time on site to install and can sometimes be cost prohibitive.Technowood solves pergola problemsThe use of Technowood for complex pergolas is now an integral material for modern structures. Technowood can span up to 7.5 metres in the normal production of these structures, this would be for an unsupported form. If design requires dimensions over this then Technowood can use GRP to then create lengths of up to 12.5 metres.“There are also other benefits by using TechnoWood”It can be A2 fire ratedMuch lighter than solid timberUp to 60% quicker on installationNo flitch beams nor unnecessary reinforcingNo visible fixingsWarranted for 20 yearsFSC and Environmental Product DeclarationAnd it looks like timber … because it is wrapped in real timber veneer.How to design a perfect PergolaOf course, designers and Architects don’t need us to tell them what to design… We do help with the connections and advise on how the whole package is assembled. Do give us a call and we can send over the DWG’s, DXF’s and SKP’s, these will have all of the elements on the Technowood portfolio of you to use in your design.Technowood do have in-house designers that offer solutions should you require. You can visit their office and showroom which is based in the Sky House design Centre, Amersham. Top of the Metropolitan line on the tube…

As a part of the development of the company, BT are planning to reduce their number of working locations from over 300 to just 30. BT Bristol features flexible workspaces, the latest IT and smart building technology, restaurants and cafes and a rooftop wildflower meadow terrace with panoramic views of Bristol.An important aspect of the development of this new building was its eco credentials. With the whole company seeking to reduce its carbon emissions, choices were made throughout the design and build process to support this aim. As well as the rooftop meadow, the building features a heating system from the low-carbon district heating network and aspects that encourage employees to make greener choices about their travel to and from work. In order to support this, the BT Bristol office building features parking for around 270 bicycles, as well as changing rooms, showers and lockers.Helmsman were excited to be contacted by Honeyfield Property Services to supply and install the lockers at BT Bristol. The client requested Heated Z Lockers, with hasp locks for the user to attach their own padlock.Heated Lockers are a great addition to a cycle storage area, providing a storage solution that can dry damp clothes as well as keep your items safe during the working day.The Z shape is a particularly good choice for heated lockers, as the user can hang their clothing in the taller area of the locker and let the heated locker do the hard work.Air flows through the locker through a perforated base, and perforations at the top of the locker allow the damp air to escape. The tube heaters are positioned within the stands of the locker and can be either plugged into a 3-pin power socket or wired into a fused switch.In keeping with BT Bristol’s aim for carbon efficiency, the laminate used for the project was Graphite by BioCarbon Laminates. This is one of Helmsman’s standard laminate options, and is a carbon neutral material.In addition to the lockers, we also supplied and installed seat stands, with adjustable feet, and ash hardwood seat slats. The stands, back and sides of the lockers were all cladded with matching Graphite laminate, and the lockers were finished with black circle discs with white numbering.It was great to work with Honeyfield Property Services on this project, and wish the BT Bristol office much success in the future.If you have a similar project, or want to find out more about our Heated Lockers, give us a call on 01284 530427 or fill in our contact form here.

This stunning new-build with floor-to-ceiling glass panels is built into the hillside and thus required a robust waterproofing solution for failsafe protection. After the original property on this site in Barnet was demolished, construction began for a new building that could take full advantage of the stunning location. With floor-to-ceiling glass panels on one side of the property , this new-build is the best place to admire the views over London.Built into the hillside, the property was therefore partially-retaining and required a full waterproofing system throughout to protect from unwanted water ingress. As such, Newton Specialist Contractor Stonehouse were called in to expertly install a robust waterproofing system to the entire structure.The client appointed Stonehouse's Richard Allen as the waterproofing design specialist on this project, to ensure a fully BS 8102:2009 compliant build.Due to the partially-retaining nature of the structure, Richard recommended a combination of Type A, B and C waterproofing systems to ensure a Grade 3 habitable environment. Relying on an effective Type B structure, Stonehouse then applied a cementitious coating of Type A Newton 107F to the external surface of the flat roof decks and to the internal area of the lower lift pit.Given the high risk from water, the failsafe Newton CDM System was also installed on both levels of the structure. Newton 508 membrane was securely fixed to the internal walls using Newton's ancillary products, with water from the upper level being bunded and piped down to the lower level, then drained via gravity fall using Newton Basedrain.As one of our most experienced specialist contractors, Stonehouse expertly recommended, designed and installed a truly failsafe waterproofing system that will continue to protect this contemporary home for many years to come. Furthermore, Stonehouse were able to provide a 10-year guarantee for the installation, for complete peace of mind.

Newton System 500 provides a complete waterproofing solution for a boathouse situated on the River Thames, installed by Newton Specialist Basement Contractor Stonehouse. Newton Waterproofing Systems were contacted to provide a solution for a delightful boat house on the River Thames.The property originally had a wet dock but this had been back filled and capped with a concrete floor. The client wished to use the ground floor as a bedroom, but during a recent flood the water level had reached 500mm internally.Newton System 500 provided the ideal solution, as it works by redirecting the water, rather than trying to hold water back – which would be impossible under such pressurised conditions. Newton 508 Mesh was chosen for the walls, Newton 520 to the floor with a Newton Basedrain ring around the perimeter. Two Newton Titan Pro pump systems were used, which included a battery back up system.Newton System 500 was installed to this property by Newton Specialist Basement Contractor Stonehouse BasementsRather than holding water pressure back, therefore, it was accepted that the river would penetrate the structure and would be pumped out. The system is designed so that ingressing water is depressurised by the Basedrain and then moved around the Basedrain ring to the two Titan sump chambers. The chambers each had 40mm discharge lines exiting the structure. Both pump systems had non-return valves so if the river rose over the level of the pipe the pumps would still be effective.The full waterproofing system was installed in a little over a week. The major test came when the River Thames rose against the property to a depth of over one metre! The Newton System 500 waterproofing system coped with the water ingress as designed. At the height of the flooding, all three pumps in each sump chamber were operational. The system proved to be fully successful.

Located between St. David's and Aberdour, the tanker terminal at Braefoot Bay is a base for the export of liquefied petroleum gas. The terminal consists of two jetties located on the north shore of Incholm Island. The gas is piped to the Mossmoran Plant in Fife direct from the North Sea, broken down to form ethane and then converted into ethylene, the basic hydrocarbon 'building block' of the petrochemical industry. The products are then piped the final three mile journey to the Braefoot Marine Terminal where they are fed into tankers and gas carriers for markets in Europe and the USA. The terminal is operated jointly by Shell Expro and Exxon.The jetty was suffering from increasing levels of deterioration of the reinforced concrete structure due to the relentless corrosive action of the marine salt environment on the reinforcing steel. A remedial plan was developed to carry out repairs and to introduce a cathodic protection (CP) system to greatly enhance the protection level and therefore extend the life of the structure. The plan was prepared by structural engineers from Shell, led by Hans Verheyde, and Balfour Beatty Construction Services UK (BBCS) was awarded the contract.Two major factors had to be accommodated within the repair programme. Firstly, the tidal flow that submerged the lower part of the jetty twice every 24 hours and secondly, the jetty is a fully live and very active transport hub and shipping schedules had to take precedence at all times. Round-the-clock flexible working maintained delivery of the twelve-month project.Saint-Gobain Weber's specialised repair concrete products were specified for the remedial actions on the Braefoot Bay jetty and technical application advice was provided for the active phase of the project. A suspended scaffold was designed and installed which allowed fast access when the tide ebbed so that productivity could be maintained. Traditional techniques were used to breakout the spalled and cracked concrete and to wash out the surface chlorides and clean the existing reinforcement steels.webercem five star repair concrete CP is a shrinkage-compensated, high strength, low resistivity, flowing repair concrete designed for use in conjunction with CP systems. This pre-blended cementitious concrete fully complies with the Highways Agency Specification Class 29F for high-strength flowing concrete for major structural repairs. It contains non-reactive aggregates with a low soluble-alkali cement content which is particularly important where CP is to be used. The rapid strength development and dimensional stability of webercem five star repair concrete CP – which reaches 27N/mm² in 24 hours – was especially valuable in the tidal conditions in Fife. Tight shuttering was used on the wide beam sections of the jetty to take the poured concrete which reached an integral bond with the original concrete. This process reformed the structural integrity using products with proven durability.An innovative CP system using Duogard® hybrid anodes from CPT was installed to protect the steel reinforcement with the anodes fixed into the soffits with a special CPT mortar. Where the CP installation required chases to carry the cabling, webercem HB40 high-build structural repair mortar was used to fill and seal the chases. webercem bondcoat, a polymer-modified, cementitious bonding aid and steel reinforcement primer, was first applied into the chases to ensure enhanced bonding. webercem HB40 is an acrylic-polymer modified, single component mortar and is lightweight with high build qualities. It can be applied in layers up to 75mm thick vertically, and 50mm on overhead soffits, and can be used without formwork. It was then applied onto the tacky webercem bondcoat primer and finished flush to the concrete surface.The Braefoot Bay terminal project has been completed successfully and Dewi Miller, contracts manager, BBCS, is confident that the jetty protection will extend the working life of the structure. "The products we have used are excellent and the application methods have enabled us to deliver a high degree of protection and reinstatement to the concrete structure. Working on a live site in a tidal zone has required a flexible work schedule but the whole project has worked exactly to plan and the client is very pleased with the result. The Weber materials have been the key to achieving this success."

Britannia Metalwork worked with building contractors Gilbert-Ash and Architects Hawkins/Brown in designing, fabricating, and fitting bespoke decorative floor grilles to replace the damaged originals in the Orangery at the City of London Freeman’s School.It was a project that we were thrilled to be commissioned for and work that we are extremely proud of - the grilles were manufactured, delivered and fitted within the project timeframe, despite pressures of the ongoing global pandemic of 2021.The 168-year-old City of London Freemen's School is set in 57 acres of Ashtead Park in the heart of Surrey. The masterplan scheme included the renovation works to the Grade II listed Main House (including an energy centre), and some new buildings including junior school, dining hall and assembly hall as well as landscaping and car park works. The total cost of the project was £15 and won a place as a Finalist in the 2022 Conservation & Regeneration Constructing Excellence SECBE Awards.Britannia was commissioned to design and make a total of 33 bespoke cast iron grilles, with bare metal finish, to be placed within the marbled floor of the historic and beautiful Orangery. The focus of the work was to complement the heritage of the iconic building while ensuring good ventilation to allow the building to become a flexible and useful large space for school events.Frequently referred to as Cathedral, Ecclesiastical or Victorian decorative floor grilles and as seen here, often placed over channels holding heating pipes, they provide a practical and decorative heating vent. Originally designed for churches they are increasingly popular in private houses, greenhouses, and commercial building developments. Our grilles can be ordered in cast iron or cast aluminium and finished in a wide variety of options. We also work in association with Gunning Heating, making decorative cast iron grilles that fit seamlessly into their underfloor trench heater units.  See our website for a full list of our grille designs or contact us to discuss your bespoke requirements.

SMET Supported Partner, Brendan Doherty Screeding Services supplied Südanit 280 Alpha Hemihydrate Screed and SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed for the floor solution in this self-build in picturesque West Donegal.The ground floor was prepared with 280 Alpha Hemihydrate Screed at 50mm with UFH, maximising the clients’ insulation. The first floor was completed at 50 mm SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed poured on UFH on timber joists.The 280 Alpha Hemihydrate Screed self-levelling liquid screed is remarkably quick to walk-on – applied at 500m² per day and walkable within 6 hours thus ensuring the follow-on trades were not delayed. it’s particularly suitable for use with UFH, fully encapsulating pipes and services, providing excellent heat transfer – and with thinner floors and more insulation – this increases the performance of underfloor heating.SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed used on the first floor of the timber frame house is ideal where loading is an issue. SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed is a high-quality, innovative, pumpable factory-produced, CE marked, self-levelling screed based on calcium sulphate.German-made LiteFlo® is unique, in that it’s the first pumpable lightweight flowing screed. Made from specially selected aggregates, makes it 30% lighter than conventional flowing screeds and therefore 70% lighter than traditional sand & cement – ultimately this means less is required per m2. LiteFlo® complies with EN 13813: 2002, is CE-marked, and is available in 27Kg bags or bulk silos.TDS SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing ScreedAftercare SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing ScreedSMET Floor Screeds and Compounds Product SelectorHave a look at the Northern Builder MagazineTop 5 Liquid Screeds Article.  Read about SMET LiteFlo® in the Irish Construction News.SMET delivers another innovative, showcase flooring solution to their Smet Supported Partners.

In China, the name Shenzhen is associated with frenetic pace. The city’s metamorphosis from a fishing village with 30,000 residents into a 15-million strong metropolis took just 30 years. A start-up at this location required only two decades to become the world’s fourth largest industrial enterprise. Tencent, the high-tech concern that started out as an e-mail provider, has already overtaken Facebook in terms of its market value. The new HQ of the high-flying company was designed by NBBJ Architects from New York as a statement of a new era of campus buildings. Two towers made of glass and steel, that shimmer in the sun and unite the copper-colored pedestrian bridges, resemble robots hugging one another. When deciding on the cladding for the gigantic atrium, the company went for a golden metal fabric from GKD – GEBR. KUFFERATH AG, which was recommended by French designer Alain Bony.Shenzhen lies directly on the border with Hong Kong in the Southern Chinese province of Guangdong. Named a special economic zone in 1980, the once sleepy fishing village has developed into a prosperous market economy under state control. Countless skyscrapers today form a skyline that can hold its own in comparisons with Manhattan. One in three smartphones sold in the world is fabricated here. Yet Shenzhen has developed from the world’s workbench into China’s Silicon Valley. The majority of residents are less than 30 years old. Numerous international concerns are based here, and nowhere in China is the per capita income higher. Thanks to massive economic growth, Shenzhen is one of the fastest growing cities in China, making property in the city a geographically restricted commodity. Despite being one of the city’s most famous children, Internet giant Tencent is still not well known outside China. The inventor of the two most popular apps in China – QQ and WeChat – is today also market leader for online games, offers video streaming services, and generates 20 percent of its revenue from advertising alone. The company has been working hard on international expansion for quite some time and has shareholdings in various companies, including Snapchat and Tesla. It has been enjoying constant and fast growth since being founded. Just one year after completion of the first new company building in Shenzhen for 15,000 employees, planning work started on a new global HQ, which offers enough space for a further 12,000 employees. Tencent commissioned the renowned American architecture firm NBBJ, which has already built many award-winning headquarters for high-tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, or Samsung, to design the new building. The team around Jonathan Ward fended off six competitors to win the order with a completely new campus concept. Tencent was looking for a classic campus based on the US model. The goal was to create a comfortable central meeting point in a spacious, attractive, natural environment, where people could automatically meet, chat, and find new ideas. However, the plot for the new HQ was located right in the heart of the city at an intersection of the multi-laned city expressways. As such, the only way to secure sufficient space in the small footprint was to design a skyscraper. Yet Tencent was concerned that a building of this type would not allow employees from various teams, departments, corridors, and floors to engage in regular contact with one another. NBBJ therefore merged the benefits of both approaches – inspiring spaciousness and inner city spatial efficiency – to create a completely new concept that re-imagines the campus idea and implements it vertically. To this end, the concept of a skyscraper was divided up into two buildings and then given the qualities of a classic campus. The Tencent Seafront Towers comprise two towers, boasting 50 and 39 floors respectively, which were constructed to give the appearance of being slightly intertwined with one another. The offset height reduces the load of the tropical winds common in the region, while at the same time providing ventilation for the atrium located between the two towers. The towers also provide shade for one another and thereby support the intelligent integrated energy concept.The key to the vertical campus concept, however, are the three skybridges, which cross as horizontal meeting areas. From a visual perspective, the copper-colored walkways give the towers a soul, as they appear to be hugging one another. They are logically referred to as links and make a contribution to movement and networking with topic-specific offers. While the link on the first floor above the lobby with café, exhibition space and auditorium is used for cultural exchange, the central link on the 21st floor is ideal for rest, recovery and health promotion. Staff can relax and unwind here in meditation rooms, a basketball court, a gym, a swimming pool, games rooms and even a running track. The highest of the three links on the 34th floor is dedicated to the topic of knowledge, boasting a library and multiple conference rooms. All of the links have roof terraces containing landscaped gardens. To ensure that they actually cater to their intended function as places of communication, collaboration, and inspiration, the architects at NBBJ designed an elevator system for the HQ, so that all employees can regularly spend time in these meeting areas. Express elevators from the lobby travel only as far as the bridges. The employees then enter local elevators to take them to their floor. From a design perspective, this is the fastest way to reach any office or location in the towers. This makes the links the perfect counterpart to the central square in a traditional campus, where employees automatically meet, even if they work in different buildings. They engage in spontaneous conversations here on their way from the bus station located beneath the towers or the parking areas to their office, in the queue for the juice bar or even on their way to play sports. Thanks to the bridges, these social meeting points are distributed across the entire HQ like in a city. This allows social networks, the key focus of operations for Tencent, to become genuinely accessible and experienceable. This systematically designed and yet organic networking produces precisely the kind of synergies that lead to the collaboration and inspiration Tencent strives for – as a prerequisite for further growth.The conceptual design of the lobby, which is open to the public from two sides, provides for additional hustle and bustle, as well as social meetings. This makes it a much-used route from other parts of the city to the Nanshan high-tech district. Just like the entire building, this central intersection between the inside and outside world was designed by the architects as a conscious statement of networking. When cladding three sides of the atrium, which is located above the lobby, the architects therefore chose metal fabric from GKD. A total of 1,850 square meters of this material is used to create a golden net that encapsulates the three-floor auditorium. Some 28 panels, each measuring four meters wide and 16.5 meters high, were used to create these hanging shrouds. Their sophisticated texture facilitates views into the atrium from the lobby, as well as open views down into the entrance hall. The textile shell also serves as efficient fall guard protection here. Visually, it acts like a delicate veil in harmonizing the effects of the corridors and rooms of the atrium located behind it. GKD was commissioned with developing a new special fabric for the design of the cladding. To create it, golden-anodized aluminum wires and tubes were interwoven in three-wire warp wire groups made of untreated stainless steel at varying intervals. The various diameters of the fabric components – 4 mm thick wires and 12 mm thick tubes – lead to significant differences in tension in the weaving process. These were completely equalized using special weaving techniques, so that the fabric reliably complies with the static requirements of the large-format skin. Installation of the special fabric also required the experts from Germany to demonstrate their decades of expertise. For example, the tubes had to be aligned precisely in the panels to create the appearance of a seemingly endless texture. Definition of the golden color to be used was also a particular requirement of the planners. The homogeneity of this color not only needed to be guaranteed across the entire area, but also meet the high expectations of the designers with regard to the appearance of the fabric when viewed in various light conditions. The subtle luster of the soft golden color ultimately chosen allows the atrium to appear caressed by the sun and lends the lobby a sense of warmth to contrast with its cool gray marble floor, walls, and aluminum screens. In the atrium itself, the selected color scheme also matches the wooden finish of the wall and ceiling cladding. The golden membrane then acts like a fine business card for the HQ, which underlines the image of a truly important concern thanks to its size and aesthetics and combines this with maximum interaction of the environment and employees.

2020 General Binding RulesFor decades, millions of septic tanks have been installed throughout the UK in rural and urban areas. Septic tanks are known to be ineffective at processing sewage to modern environmental standards, causing long-term damage to the country’s natural water infrastructure and wildlife.It was therefore inevitable that new rules and a code of conduct would be introduced to prevent the effects of wastewater pollution once and for all; The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2014 came into force on 1 January 2015 creating the General Binding Rules (GBRs) for septic tanks or small sewage treatment plants for domestic use. These rules are designed to reduce the level of pollution from sewage in the nation’s watercourses.The rules state that any existing septic tank discharging to surface water, ie, to a water ditch, stream or river, etc, must have been upgraded or replaced with a new package sewage treatment plant by 1st January 2020.  Failure to comply can incur significant fines from the Environment agency and delays in selling impacted properties.OptionsCurrent methods of discharging wastewater from septic tanksPrevious to the General Binding Rules, wastewater from septic tanks was typically discharged in the following two ways:Drainage fieldWastewater is released through a network of pipes in surrounding sub-soils, providing an additional form of treatment for the waste from the septic tank. This helps to ensure that the wastewater being dispersed does not cause pollution.Septic tanks discharging into a drainage field are not affected by the 2020 septic tank regulations.Directly to surface waterWastewater flows through a pipe directly into a stream, river or lake. Binding rules state that direct discharge from a septic tank into a watercourse is not permitted.So, what are your options?1. Connect to the main sewerThis may not be possible in remote locations, although pump chambers can be used to direct wastewater to the mains sewer.2. Install a drainage field(Designed in accordance with BS6297)This allows the septic tank to discharge wastewater into the ground instead of surface water. In many cases, the installation of a drainage field is not possible due to site constraints such as space and/or the soil not having sufficient drainage potential (ie, rock, clay, high water table).3. Install a Uni:Gem septic conversion unitA Marsh Uni:Gem can be installed and connected to a pre-existing septic tank. This treats the wastewater to a sufficient quality allowing it to be discharged to surface water. See below for further detail.4. Upgrade your septic tank to a Marsh sewage treatment plantThis eliminates the need for a drainage field and ensures that the wastewater is fully treated before being discharged. Options include the Ensign, Ensign Shallow and Ultra Poylok L.Uni:Gem★Marsh Industries, the leading UK manufacturer of package sewage treatment plants, produces over 3000 units per year. However the company’s range of Uni:Gem★ septic conversion units is the only product available on the market which can treat wastewater from an existing septic tank without the need for a complete replacement product or drainage field upgrade.To comply with the GBRs and current EN standards, the entire Uni:Gem range was redeveloped from the ground up and tested, not only to meet, but to exceed UK and International standards. The Uni:Gem★ was born – creating an ‘industry first’ 2020 compliant septic conversion unit with outstanding processing performance.The Uni:Gem★ range was tested in accordance with BSEN12566-3/A1:2009 and EN12566-6 standards at the PIA GmbH test facility in Aachen, Germany, over the course of 38 weeks with a daily loading of:Flow: 900 litres/day BOD: 360g NH4: 48gTesting occurred between November 2018 and August 2019 to ensure all seasons were covered whilst minimum/maximum temperatures were tested to assure Ammonia and BOD process reduction for the UK climate. Holiday periods were also simulated during the test procedure. Final test results yielded an output of 12.5:16:4mg/ltr (BOD:Suspended solids:Ammonia) that is well within national discharge consent requirements.The Uni:Gem★ is an extremely cost effective solution for converting any polluting septic tank into a fully compliant sewage treatment plant ensuring homeowners, estate managers, water companies/amenities have an effective way to keep the environment clean whilst providing a quick and efficient installation process.

With 16 research clusters, one of the largest technology-oriented research landscapes in Europe is being created on the RWTH Aachen Campus. The distinguishing feature of the Bio-Medical Engineering Cluster, which can be seen from great distances, is the new CT2 Center for Teaching and Training of the Medical Faculty of the RWTH Aachen University. As the first investor-financed building in this Cluster, it marks another milestone. In a Europe-wide investor selection process, Frauenrath group of companies, Heinsberg, and the architects from slapa oberholz pszczulny | sop architects, Dusseldorf, won the order with their distinctive concept. They designed the building as a standalone construction that is flooded with light and takes on the role of a gateway to the Campus Melaten thanks to its shape and prominent position. Two of the façades are clad with 1,900 square meters of OMEGA 1520 metal mesh from GKD – Gebr. Kufferath AG.As an elite center of learning, RWTH Aachen University is one of the state’s flagship institutions in higher education. Around 44,500 students, 550 professors, and almost ten times as many research associates help secure the reputation of the RWTH as an internationally renowned university – above all for technical and medical degree programs. Founded in 1870, the university’s campuses are spread across the city. With an unprecedented Excellence Initiative, RWTH Aachen University has been expanding its reputation as one of the world’s leading technical universities since 2009. The RWTH Aachen Campus consists of the Campus Central – with the historic main building and the distinctive Super C meeting center in the shadow of the cathedral and city hall –, Campus Melaten and Campus West. The result is a campus that integrates into urban life. On a total area of 800,000 square meters, 16 research clusters are being built successively to answer future questions arising from the challenges of megatrends. Six of these clusters are already in the course of implementation. These include the Bio-Medical Engineering Cluster in the direct vicinity of University Hospital Aachen. This consists of four centers, each of which is dedicated to a specific field. In these operating units, academics from the Faculties of Medicine, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Natural Sciences collaborate with experts from industry on methods and products that are set to revolutionize both diagnosis and therapy.Visually seamless façadeThe CT2 Center for Teaching and Training is the first investor-financed building in the Bio-Medical Engineering Cluster. The seven-storey building was constructed with an investment volume of around €20 million. By networking theory and clinical practice the building offers state-of-the-art training opportunities for students of Medicine, Dentistry, and Biomedical Engineering. It also sets new standards in the further training of physicians and medical personnel, as well as the testing of medical equipment. The aim here was for the CT² to also reflect this function in terms of its architectural design. The architects from sop designed a cube on the slightly sloping terrain that resembles an inverted “U” thanks to its fully glazed upper façades and thereby has the appearance of a gigantic gateway to the campus located behind it. This impression is underlined by the projecting exposed concrete of the side walls which serves to frame the frontal façade. The lateral façades with ribbon windows along their length are spanned by a shimmering skin made of metallic mesh that creates a visually seamless surface. At the same time, the spaces located behind it remain visible thanks to the transparency of the metal fabric. This shell comprises twelve panels of OMEGA 1520 stainless steel mesh – each measuring 29.5 meters long by 5.4 meters wide. There were several reasons behind the decision to go with the woven membrane. These include the fact that the metallic skin underlines the building’s high-tech aspirations and lends the field of biomedical technology both a contemporary and appropriate face. Interacting with the glass façades, it facilitates communication between the interior and exterior. The attachment type is also in keeping with the philosophy of design purism. In line with the patented Fusiomesh NG system, the upper and lower edge of the stainless steel mesh is embedded in a special adhesive between two flat profiles and thereby bonded. Clamping forks ensure that the mesh can be perfectly aligned and handle the requisite static preload based on the anticipated wind and impact loads. The panels are attached to a continuous steel profile in a way that makes them visible at the bottom. At the top edge of the building, on the other hand, the material is bent over backward, so that only a fine edge of the mesh can be seen here. To reduce horizontal movement and the shearing forces at a façade height of 29.5 meters, seven stainless steel tubes run horizontally behind the mesh as intermediate attachment levels. The mesh is then attached to these tubes from the outside with wire clamps that are invisible once fitted. GKD not only manufactured and assembled the mesh for this project, but also took care of the installation.Efficient contribution to sustainabilityBeside the special aesthetics of the metallic membrane, its functional properties were the key reasons for its selection. For example, the stainless steel shell serves as solar protection that reduces the surface temperature of the façade. Yet despite this, the open mesh structure still allows unrestricted natural daylight into the rooms, as well as clear outward views. As such, it not only contributes to improving the building’s energy balance, but also makes it a more pleasant place to spend time and thereby helps boost employee performance. Since stainless steel can be fully recycled at the end of its useful life, the membrane also supports the sophisticated sustainability concept of the new building. The openness and interaction already visible from outside continue consistently into the atrium housed inside the building that is flooded with light. Numerous bridges and wide galleries allow a wide range of visual connections with all floors. The guiding principle of communication and interdisciplinary collaboration then becomes a reality that can be experienced throughout the entire building. Further highlights include a multifunctional auditorium that can house 400 people, as well as a demonstration operating theater equipped with the latest technologies. As and when necessary, these two functional rooms can be combined with the foyer in the basement to create an end-to-end event area which can, for example, be used for symposia. When operated at maximum capacity, the building can then host up to 1,200 guests. Its shimmering stainless steel mesh façade allows the gateway to the future to be seen from great distances.

Cambridge University, Department of Civil EngineeringBauderBLUE STORMcell with BauderSOLAR G LightSynopsisThis new build project in the centre of Cambridge combines a Sustainable urban Drainage Solution (SuDS) with vegetation and renewable energy in a warm roof construction.The client for the Department of Civil Engineering at Cambridge University, R H Partnership, identified sustainability as being a key driver in the design of the roof, but also sought a single source supplier that could provide a guarantee for both workmanship and products. Bauder’s systems range encompasses products to meet all the sustainability objectives, and with our network of approved contractors carrying out the installation, we could offer the comprehensive guarantee that was required.Bauder Building BoardProject:Cambridge University Department of Engineering​Location:CambridgeRoof Area:1610m²Client:University of CambridgeSpecifier:RH Partnership ArchitectsMain Contractor:SDC LimitedApproved Contractor:Voland LimitedThe specificationTo meet the sustainability criteria set out by the client, the Bauder technical team designed a roof system combining an extensive blue roof, a green roof and a solar PV array. The first and most fundamental element of the roof system though is the waterproofing. Bauder Total Green Roof System (BTGRS) was selected as it provides robust and durable waterproofing with a life span in excess of 35 years, as validated by BBA Certificate 10/4744. The Plant E cap sheet has also been tested by the FLL to ensure long term root-resistance, making it ideal for use in conjunction with the BauderSOLAR G LIGHT system. The BauderSOLAR G LIGHT system is a unique way to combine rooftop vegetation with renewable solar energy. The PV panel mounting boards are held in position using the growing medium as ballast, meaning the waterproofing is not penetrated and therefore compromised. The mounting boards incorporate a water retention feature which allows a small amount of excess rainwater to be stored for short periods of time for the various plant species to feed from. The BauderSOLAR G LIGHT system’s unique mounting system lifts the panels above the vegetation allowing the plant life to grow freely and therefore qualify a greater area of the roof as biodiverse.In addition to the BauderSOLAR G LIGHT system, a blue roof was added to the build-up. Blue roofs are sustainable drainage solutions designed to manage stormwater on a flat roof to reduce water runoff rates and ease flash flooding and standing water in built up areas. The BauderBLUE Roof System attenuates water from a flat roof over a 24-hour period via a restrictive flow outlet. Calculations are carried out to determine the rate at which the water should egress the rooftop. This is determined by the local planning authority and is often set as low as 5-8 litres per second per hectare. With these calculations, Bauder can design each flow restrictorto meet the necessary runoff rate. For the Department of Civil Engineering, the main roof area of 1455.5m² required two flow restrictors, each with flow control holes to ensure the specified discharge rate of 0.77 litres per second was achieved. The maximum depth of water the roof is designed for is the H-max. When the water level reaches H-max, it will drain via the emergency overflow pipe. These overflow pipes are set at the same height as the H-max level. On this project the H-max was calculated to be 99mm. Although an unlikely scenario, this provision for a ‘once-in-a-hundred-years’ storm event will ensure that the structural integrity of the building is always preserved.Project challengesThe roof deck was constructed using a pretensioned concrete plank roof structure. Due to the large span of these planks, the dead load weight to the roof would be restricted. This being a blue roof with green landscaping and PV (a reasonably heavy build up), presented the issue of balancing the need of the roof design and the weight restriction of the supporting structure. To add to this challenging scenario, the pretensioned deck did not provide a completely flat finish. When installing a blue roof, a flat deck with no positive or negative falls is essential, as detailed in the 2018 update of BS 6229 – Flat roofs with continuously supported flexible waterproof coverings. To overcome this onsite challenge,the final deflection of the fully loaded roof was calculated and the concrete deck was screeded to give a flat finish.The resultBauder believes this project to be one of the first of its type in the UK to bring together so many rooftop systems in one space. Project management and clear communication was paramount in order to ensure a smooth installation. The Bauder project team consisted of green roof and solar PV product managers, area technical manager, technical design team, site technicians and approved installers for the waterproofing.With all the different elements being installed, green roof and solar PV product managers worked with our technical team to design the best possible PV array configuration for optimum energy generation whilst also qualifying for the maximum biodiverse area.Bauder site technicians worked closely with Bauder approved contractors, Voland Asphalte Ltd, to ensure works were kept to schedule and that a high quality of workmanship was maintained throughout.To ensure the landscaping is maintained, irrigation was installed by Access Irrigation Ltd. The system, Permadrip Pro, is a drip line irrigation system with anti-syphon design to resist clogging and pressure regulation. Due to the specialist nature of the irrigation system, Access Irrigation Ltd provided a bespoke design service.The result of this network of expertise was a multi-faceted support service for the client, specifier, main contractor and roofing and PV installers. System installedBauder Total Green Roof System (BTGRS)1 BauderPLANT E 42Green, 5mm torch-on root-resistant capping sheet.2 BauderTEC KSA DUOA self-adhesive, elastomeric, bitumen underlayer. This underlayer was used to ensure thorough sealing of lap joints in low temperatures when the roof was installed.3 BauderPIR FA-TETissue-faced flatboard insulation faced on both sides with aluminium foil to provide efficient thermal output.4 Bauder Super AL-ETorch-on air & vapour control layer. Once installed on the concrete pretensioned plank deck, it can act as a temporary waterproofing layer, allowing internal works to be carried out immediately which was a huge advantage on this new build project.BauderSOLAR G LIGHTThis BauderSOLAR G LIGHT system was a key factor in the specification of the project to meet the sustainability criteria specified by the client. 40 PV units were installed on the main roof area on the Departmentof Engineering. The forecasted energy generated for this arrayin its first year is 9.91MWh with a CO2 saving of 5.242 tonnes/a. BauderBLUE SR-B flow restrictorThe BauderBLUE SR-B flow restrictor is designed to be used in conjunction with a standard Bauder bitumen blue roof vertical outlet DN70. The flow restrictor is comprised of four parts; baseplate, overflow pipe, baseplate inner and baseplate outer seal. The polyamide baseplate fits within the 70mm vertical outlet, with the EPDM outer seal creating a watertight fit. The HDPE Overflow slots into the central hole of the baseplate with an inner EPDM seal preventing any leaks. The baseplate has a number (1-12) of 10mm restrictive flow holes bespoke to the project. The flow restrictor has no moving parts, hugely reducing the need for maintenance or risk of failure.

Originally opened in 1863 and voted 'Best UK National Treasure' at National Geographic Traveller Magazine Reader Awards, the Grade 1 listed, iconic British landmark, The Temperate House at Kew, reopened in 2018 after a major five-year, £41 million restoration. Comprising five pavilions and showcasing over 10,000 new plants from all over the globe, this glass cathedral is the world’s largest Victorian glasshouse, protecting the often rare and tender plants throughout the UK’s cold winters. Commissioned in 2017 by renowned architects Donald Insall Associates - heritage and historic building specialists - and working with ISG, the global construction and engineering company, Britannia designed and manufactured 146 bespoke cast iron floor grilles - a total of 73 linear meters - to house part of the vast new sunken trench heating system. The original inadequate and inefficient heating, ventilation, and irrigation systems were no longer in adequate condition or sufficient for the purpose, and a new biomass underfloor heating system was added to produce ambient temperatures for the plants without impacting the integrity of the building. The finished bare metal design CGA03, meticulously created by our highly experienced pattern makers, echoes the original traditional Victorian grilles found elsewhere within the glasshouse complex and has since become Britannia’s signature grille. We are exceptionally proud to have been chosen and trusted to complete this award-winning project and are equally proud of our teams to produce it – from design, to manufacture, to installation.Frequently referred to as Cathedral, Ecclesiastical, or Victorian decorative floor grilles and as seen here, often placed over channels holding heating pipes, they provide a practical and decorative heating vent. Originally designed for churches they are increasingly popular in private houses, greenhouses, and commercial building developments. Our grilles can be ordered in cast iron or cast aluminium and finished in a wide variety of options.We also work in association with Gunning Heating, making decorative cast iron grilles that fit seamlessly into their underfloor trench heater units.  See our website for a full list of our grille designs and finishes or contact us to discuss your bespoke requirements.

ARP manufactured a bespoke version of its Legacy heritage-style cast aluminium guttering for a unique house in Yorkshire.Oaklands, built by Cohesion Construction Services, is an entirely round house with an interior core, an outdoor dining area and a fire pit. The unique design presented ARP with a challenge to produce guttering for both the internal and external curved roofline. Following a complete site survey, ARP designed the radius guttering as a bespoke one-off within a tight four-week timeframe. Our team designed a bespoke rainwater system based on our Legacy cast aluminium guttering system, to the exact slate grey colour specified (RAL7015) with a fine finish to add texture. A bespoke mould was created as well as several samples to ensure a perfect fit. This was achieved on the first attempt to within a 2mm tolerance for the full radius, internal and external.Legacy cast aluminium gutters combine modern manufacturing techniques and materials with traditional style and durability. Manufactured using traditional castings as a perfect alternative to cast iron gutters, even on conservation, heritage and listed properties, the Legacy range is produced in five profiles and many sizes to replicate traditional cast iron profiles. During its long 40+ year lifespan, ARP Legacy gutter systems require little or no maintenance.Despite its striking modern design, the client nevertheless wanted to achieve a traditional style for the new-build property. Legacy guttering was matched with our Colonnade circular cast collared aluminium rainwater pipes, giving the house exterior a traditional design twist whilst retaining its modern aesthetic.“This has certainly been a very interesting and challenging project, with hardly a straight line or corner on the whole project,” says Giles White, MD of Cohesion Construction Services. “I have worked with ARP many times as my go-to roofline supplier, and I knew they could rise to the challenge of producing this radiused guttering. They certainly delivered – on time, on budget and right first time – and the project looks spectacular.”ARP products combine the best of traditional design with the latest materials and manufacturing technology to allow new and refurbished buildings to enjoy long-life durability and classic good looks. 

FlexEJ has completed the design and fabrication of a batch of metal expansion joints for a UK pharmaceuticals manufacturer.Specifying an expansion joint in a pharmaceutical production line can be problematic. For this project, the piping design required expansion joints but a fundamental requirement was ease of cleaning and a complete avoidance of product retention.A possible solution could have been a pharmaceutical rubber expansion joint which is crevice free but its inherent design limits its flexibility and – as with any rubber expansion joint – it has a relatively low operating temperature limit.This formed the basis of the specification brought to FlexEJ’s engineering team. The design case was to meet 270 Deg. C and 10 Bar G with a high degree of flexibility so a metal bellow would be best suited to this application. But in a conventional bellow or expansion joint the convolutions are prone to retain product or contaminants. A liner can sometimes be used but again product can get behind the liner so the problem is not entirely eliminated.So how to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness inside the bellow once installed and in operation? The solution lay in designing a specific ‘open’ convolution profile which prevents contaminants getting lodged within the joint. The team’s clever design of profile, combining with the unit being used in vertical alignment leads to the bellow being self-draining – and at all movement positions. To achieve the high levels of purity and cleanliness required for this application’s flowing media, the bellow had to be fabricated in 316 stainless steel with a very high surface finish.The expansion joint also includes threaded mounting bars – these enable the bellows to be contracted slightly to enable easy removal from the pharmaceutical line when required. The smooth, polished rods seen in the image here are limit bars to prevent accidental over-extension. Each joint is also fitted with pharmaceutical grade aseptic flanges – smooth on the inside and sealed with an ‘o’ ring. On completion, the complete units were electro-polished for additional surface improvement and cleaning – and that gives them their photogenic qualities seen here.If you are interested in finding out more about FlexEJ's range of pharmaceutical & aseptic metal bellows, please contact our Technical Sales Team on +44 (0) 1384 881188 or send an email to sales@flexej.co.uk.