"water"

This stunning bespoke stone staircase, created from La Roche limestone, forms part of a large project that Stoneworld have collaborated on: After digitally templating the bare concrete structure onsite, individual step treads and step risers have been cut on the water jet cutter in our masonry factory. These have then been expertly fitted by the contractor.

Housing Association Cross Keys Homes manage four blocks of flats between Grove Court and Tower Court in Peterborough. Sporting flat roofs since they were built in the late sixties, it became apparent that significant repairs were required when problems with the internal roof drainage system were causing water ingress and damp problems in the flats and maisonettes...

The fire station and training centre at Edinburgh Airport worked with Flowcrete UK to identify and install a floor finish that would be able to cope with the difficult on-site conditions. A new floor was required as the previous quarry tile surface was incorrectly laid to a fall, this caused water to run in the wrong direction - ending up at the back of the building as well as ponding between the bays.

To comply with passive fire protection requirements, Nullifire worked with trusted contactor Protek Interiors to install both SC602 Intumescent Base Coat (On-Site) and SC802 Water Based Intumescent Base Coat (On-Site) to this 2500m2 project. The combination of these projects worked well given the challenging circumstances and allowed for Protek Interiors to fully adhere to the fire strategy of the building.

Whether you’re using oil, electric or solid fuel to power your businesses heating, hot water or cooking you should consider switching to Calor. We offer an efficient and versatile alternative. Switching to gas is easier than you think, and in just a few simple steps, you could be enjoying the benefits of mains gas, off the grid.

The Wates Group was established in 1897 and is one of the leading privately owned, construction, development, and property services companies in the UK. It employs almost 4,000 people, working with a range of clients and partners from across the public and private sectors.“Wates is committed to zero carbon and waste from its operations. As part of this strategy, Wates Sustainable Technology Services (WSTS) looks for better ways to design, construct and maintain buildings sustainably and our technical screening team has assessed over 40 sustainable innovation partners. We launched the Wates Innovation Network (WIN) Portal in March 2021 to help businesses ‘build back better’, connecting companies directly, and free of charge, with innovation partners who can offer solutions to help meet sustainability targets. Ecoprod’s URIMAT waterless urinals are among the Innovation Partners we feature on the WIN Portal.”Dr Zainab Dangana – Wates Sustainable Technology Services ManagerWates works with Clarion Housing to provide facilities management and property development services to its North London properties. It has established a North London site office in Manor House known as the Innovation Hub where it showcases the use of innovative products from the online WIN portal for customers to see how these products work in real life.It has installed two URIMAT waterless urinals within the Innovation Hub each of which can save as much as 100,000 litres of water per year, as well as substantially reducing maintenance, cleaning and other costs associated with the operation of traditional urinals."We intend to be based in this office for many years and we’ve invested money in making it a nice place to work; the waterless urinals certainly help with that and we expect to be using them for the long term, so there will be significant water saving over that time when you think about how much water would be running constantly if we had old-style flushing urinals.As well as water saving, another big benefit of the URIMAT urinals is that they emit no odour. Some people find this a bit counter-intuitive, but it really works. There’s no smell at all which is a definite improvement on traditional flushing urinals. I would definitely recommend URIMAT waterless urinals to other organisations."Fred Owusu-Bennoah – Operations manager Wates

THE PROJECTKirriemuir DSR (Distribution Service Reservoir) is located close to Backwater Reservoir in a relatively remote area of northwest Angus, Scotland. The reservoir supplies the populations of Angus, Dundee, parts of Perth and Kinross with drinking water. The DSR is essentially a large water tank with an exposed roof which is vulnerable to erosion and wet weather damage. It is one of many DSRs in Scotland managed by Scottish Water. Morrison Construction appointed the Fraser Bruce Group as a specialist installation contractor to deliver the refurbishment of several Scottish Water tanks as part of a five-year framework involving civil engineering works. The Fraser Bruce Group have had an excellent working relationship with Fosroc for well over 30 years, so they approached the team at Fosroc to provide a selection of waterproofing solutions for different applications across the framework. They were looking for a robust yet flexible waterproof coating that would maintain its integrity for at least 20 years.THE SOLUTIONFosroc specified their most robust deck waterproofing system Nitodek FS System 3, with an additional topcoat for extra robustness against the effects of weathering. Nitodek FS is UV and slip resistant, and comes with the quality assurance of a 20-year warranty. It is also seamless, eliminating the risk of ingress through failed lap joints. For this application, the existing failed waterproofing system needed to be mechanically removed prior to the mechanical preparation of the concrete deck, after which the Nitodek FS system was applied. Once the existing system was removed, it was apparent that extensive concrete repairs would be required to both the perimeter upstand and the access hatch upstands. Spalling, delamination and blistering could be seen on various areas of the surface. Repairs to these areas and the 45⁰ fillets where horizontal meets vertical, were carried out using Renderoc GP. Once cured, the deck waterproofing phase using Nitodek FS was undertaken.THE BENEFITSBy using the fast setting, liquid applied Nitodek FS for the tank waterproofing system, the Fraser Bruce Group were able to take advantage of the 60-minute cure time to quickly apply the primer, fleece reinforced membrane and topcoat. This kept project costs to a minimum for the client, while the ability of Nitodek FS to bond to itself gave the additional flexibility of enabling the work to be completed in two stages, several weeks apart, with no risk of failure at the point where the two application areas met.

Hydrostop AH-25 product was chosen to refurbish 450m2 of roof at the Sacred Heart Primary School in the Bridgeton area of Glasgow. Areas of the roof had been leaking, leading to considerable water damage and disruption to some classrooms. The priority for the roof works was to procure a waterproofing system with minimal hot works that would cause as little disruption to the school’s everyday activities as possible.

Not long after completion, the Foundation Stage and Children’s Centre building at Layfield Primary School in Yarm started leaking. Water ran down internal walls and damp patches spread across ceilings. Fortunately, the problem has now been solved with the help of SIG Design & Technology, which specified its SIGnature Torch on System to remediate the leaking roofs once and for all.

Rockfon MediCare Plus is installed throughout the wards, treatment rooms, corridors and dental school rooms. The tiles fulfil all the essential hygiene requirements in healthcare environments and comply with the Department of Health’s HBN and HTM guidelines. The water-repellent surface is resistant to bacteria and mould growth and can be steam cleaned. It has Bacteriological Class B1 certification and does not contribute to the growth of MRSA

This project had a wide ranging number of detailing factors to overcome with cladding abutment details and change in levels to be redesigned and encompassed into a system that also drained the roof areas of their historic high levels of standing water. Some of the existing construction build had not taken into account any suitable maintenance of the roof with sections being completely inaccessible and thus reducing the performance of the waterproofing.

Charles de Gaulle Airport is the largest airport in France and one of the busiest airports in the world. The aim of the project is to extend and modernize the airport facilities to be able to accommodate a larger number of passengers and increase the air traffic to reach the milestone of 80 million passengers per year. Effisus Ecofacade solution was the integrated solution to ensure water and air tightness of façade’s connections in Terminal 2B.

A Wiltshire farmhouse has updated its heating system, replacing its original heat pump with a Grant Aerona³ air source heat pump which has been installed alongside a QR hot water cylinder. The new heat pump and cylinder were integrated alongside an existing solar thermal system, giving the property’s renewable heating system an upgrade.

Developing a house worthy of the prestigious RIBA House of the Year shortlist is no mean feat. It requires every intricate detail to be well thought through, from the choice of tile to the drainage infrastructure. When a team of award-winning architects required a discrete drainage solution that would support the bold, seamless transition from the inside of a home to the outside, it turned to ACO Water Management for support.

How do you replace the water distribution system in a 100-year-old prominent building? That was the challenge for contractors Capri Mechanical Services who took on replacing and updating the domestic services at the prestigious Strand Palace. Their solution was simple: replace all pipework and utilise Viega press technology to install the systems in a way which protected the hotel and met building requirements.

Moving walkway installation at 5 Rise Shopping Centre in Bingley, which provides the majority of retail for the town. All external finishes on the moving walkway had to be water-resistant resulting in a spectrum of watertight materials from galvanised and satin stainless steel to vulcanised synthetic rubber, aluminium and glass. Stannah also tailored the pallet with an anti-slip coating to maximise passenger safety.

PROJECTWith the UK market for high specification homes in desirable locations continuing to grow this year, Abode was the natural choice to supply the prestigious Limsi Grove Cala Homes development in Hertford. Designed to cater for the executive market, 41 exceptional 3,4 and 5 bedroomed detached family homes have been meticulously designed to complement a conservation area and provide the best in town and country living, offering modernity and low maintenance. With properties on the market at £834,950-£1,359,950, choosing the best suppliers was key.  PRODUCTSTwo styles of undermounted sinks from Abode’s classic R50 stainless steel range were selected for installation with solid surfaces for a premium look and feel in the kitchen (AW5015) and utility room (AW5014). The classic Matrix R50 under-mount stainless steel sink collection offers a range of 0.7mm thick 18/10 grade steel bowls that will suit every kitchen environment and budget. Other options include the AW5015 large single bowl, and LH or RH 1.5 bowl sinks. All Abode stainless steel sinks are made from 304 grade stainless steel, which is highly durable with excellent corrosion resistance.  The kitchens in the Limsi Grove development were supplied with AW5015 large single bowl sinks which were combined with an Abode Pronteau Prothia 3 IN 1 hot water tap (PT1142) in Chrome or Matt Black. This ensured a practical working area for the end user with domestic hot, cold and 98° instant steaming hot water, making the tap fully compliant with Part G (3) of UK building regulations.  The Pronteau Prothia 3 IN 1 tap is available in two contemporary spout choices, swan neck and quad and 5 on trend colourways: Chrome, Matt Black, Urban Copper, Brushed Nickel and Brushed Brass, an option to satisfy all decors  Developers also benefit from the quick to install, Proboil.2X intelligent hot water boiler which can be fitted quickly and easily in the wet zone. Furthermore, Abode’s Proboil hot water products comply with all LVD/EMC/ROHS standards according to CE and UKCA. Both Proboil boiler models (2L or 4L) have WRAS certification to further reinforce the company’s ability to design and make safe and stylish tap solutions. All Pronteau taps are either WRAS or KIWA approved or have approvals pending.  DESIGN COMMENT Paul Illingworth, Design Manager at Abode says, “We are proud to support superior homes in superb locations through our comprehensive range of contemporary sinks and taps. Our extensive trend-mapping and research into the UK kitchen market allows us to pinpoint key lifestyle trends and given that online research by consumers is now specific as opposed to just browsing, we know that home buyers demand practical luxury. Considering this, our main areas of focus major on all elements of luxury interior design including safety, efficiency, flexibility and reliability. This is why we were pleased to elevate the quality of life for end users at Limsi Grove with larger sinks which can accommodate bigger pots and pans especially in conjunction with a steaming hot water tap for enhanced cooking.”

In the industrial area of Cambridgeshire, specifically in Alconbury, the toy company John Adams has a warehouse where, in the outside area and car park, they have installed 200 ML of Multi V+ channel with load class D400, which, as I mentioned at the beginning, drains rainwater more quickly.Why do they achieve this?Because its design has been optimized so that a smaller channel can be chosen, i.e. one that is cheaper, but drains the same amount of water as a larger channel. In this way, the cost of the work or project is optimized.But it doesn't end there. The V-shape of this model, by draining the water at a higher speed, has a greater capacity to drag the sediments that accumulate inside the channel. In this way, a self-cleaning effect is achieved. And how does this benefit the drainage system? Less maintenance and savings in cleaning costs. Because the V-shape provides:More velocity at low flow ratesMore capacity at extreme flow ratesThis is because ULMA has redesigned the V-section of the Multi V+, and it is larger than the traditional V-sections on the market. 

This site is within what was originally the estate of a large house, known as Longhurst, in south Belfast. It has now been divided into several large residential properties with views across Lagan Valley Regional Park.McGonigle McGarth Architects contacted KEIM Mineral Paints because they wanted to use a breathable mineral paint, applied onto bare concrete and render. On any new build project, McGonigle McGarth Architects use KEIM to allow the mineral paint to penetrate into the unpainted surface and creating a chemical bond that acts to both keeping water out but allows water vapour to pass through. Tony Carter, Senior Sales Executive of KEIM Mineral Paints, visited Longhurst and recommended using KEIM Granital onto the render to provide an opaque finish, along with KEIM Concretal Lasur, a low pigmentation colour wash that acts as a stain, onto the smooth surface to maintain the look and feel of concrete.This project has been shortlisted for the Royal Society of Ulster Architects Awards 2024. The winner will be announced on 9th May 2024.

Built in the 1990’s, Carden Park is Cheshire’s privately-owned country hotel. A £10m luxury spar and gym facilities opened in 2019. Farr & Harris Ltd, trusted retailer for bathroom suites, were involved in the project.The hotel required modern, quality bathroom products for their hotel, spa and gym to reflect the contemporary décor but water saving was also imperative.Farr & Harris approached us after successfully installing mains operated taps at the hotel previously. This time around, they were interested in our touch-free taps. Our specifications team met with the client to discuss our full range and their features and benefits. We presented our Electroflo infra-red linear range for consideration. The client liked the hygienic aspect and the sleek minimalist style. Samples were provided to ensure the product would be fit for purpose before installation commenced.Testimonial“The touch-free operation is excellent and as with all Dudley products, they are high-quality and robust. Water saving was an important factor with this project so this range was perfectly suited.”Karl Lummis, Maintenance Manager

Hornsby House School have recently refurbished their washrooms and chose Franke Water Systems to provide over 60 products for their pupil and staff toilets.Franke Water Systems provided a total of 67 washrooms products for the revamp, including a range of Dart Valley branded taps, WCs, flush valves, and a range of Miranit composite washtroughs for the nursery, boys, girls and staff washrooms. The full range of products provided were:17 x AT03-011 Aquarius DM A45 tap 2 x AT00-002 single station mains kit standard pressure 4 x AT00-003 two station mains kit standard pressure 6 x AT00-004 three station mains kit standard pressure2 x SOLX1800T 3 person Miranit washtrough with three tap holes2 x SOLX2400T 4 person Miranit washtrough with four tap holes16 x WC02-011 concealed plastic cistern kit16 x WC03-002 WC Flushvalve

US aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, officially opened its first European manufacturing site in Sheffield in 2020. The £40m plant, covers 6,200m² and is responsible for making actuation system components for the 737 and 767 aircraft from raw materials sourced in the UK.The site, designed by D5 architects and installed by the main contractor J F Finnegan, followed the brief of functional adaptability, employee wellbeing and sustainability.Marshalls’ hard landscaping products were used for the forecourt, pathways and surrounding carpark to the building. Modal in Textured Mid Grey Granite paved around the entranceway and paths, while Modal Priora in Anthracite was used in some detailed areas. For the car parking spaces, Keyblok Priora in Natural was used alongside Charcoal to help define parking spaces and illustrate car charging and disabled bays.The use of Priora permeable paving supports the sustainable drainage for this project, the patented nib on the edge of the blocks creates voids through which water falls into a specially prepared sub-base, making this project free of surface water for years to come.

Armourplan PVC and Recticel Insulation by SIG Design Technology were selected for a 12,000 m2 roof to a bottling plant in a rural location on the outskirts of an historical Derbyshire spa town, known as Project Merlin. The FMCG company chose to build the new facility away from the site of the natural spring, piping the water some two miles out of town to this green field bottling and distribution site.

KOMPAQDRAIN Traffic compact channels have been installed in three different heights.Our KompaqDrain Traffic channels have replaced the previous channels manufactured on site, reducing their hydraulic section and lowering their water resistance. In addition to greater hydraulic efficiency, the material, its quick installation and the exclusive Max Flow system were some of the key factors in choosing our compact channel solution.

Sovereign Square is the first new public space to be developed in Leeds for over a decade and the first ever urban park in the area. As part of the high-profile project, Hardscape worked with re-form landscape architecture, Leeds City Council and Eurovia Contracting Ltd to create a contemporary public space adorned with water features, greenery and seating areas surrounded by attractive paving and hard landscaping features.

This concrete gutter had been problematic for many years, with water ingress causing much damage to the flats beneath. The bricks to the parapet wall were blown and parts had to be rebuilt as part of the project. The liquid gutter liner was applied to the base and all upstands to the gutter, including the brickwork, to perform a 100% leak-free, seamless gutter. Products employed: Liquasil One and Non-Sag Sealer.

Franke Water Systems was chosen for a local school Henry Fanshawe in Dronfield for their washrooms refurbishment over the summer break. Franke were chosen to supply a mixed range of products including solid surface washtroughs and stainless steel sanitaryware. The project included a range of Miranit composite wash troughs and stainless steel circular washtroughs complete with self-closing taps and SD80 soap dispensers.

25 years!!They same time flies when you're having fun!This year sees us hit a 25 year milestone! We've grown and developed a range of quality laboratory gas and water taps that suit all customers regardless whether they're from the local comprehensive looking for the simple yet effective drop lever gas tap or the professional scientist needing a reverse osmosis.

The Canada Water Masterplan is a significant urban regeneration project in Canada Water, Southeast London. Led by British Land and AustralianSuper, the Masterplan is set to transform a 53-acre site into a radiant mixed-use neighbourhood, over the coming 10-15 years. The development will see the creation of around 3,000 new net zero homes, circa one million sq. ft of retail, leisure, entertainment, education, and community spaces, and up to 2.5 million sq. ft of workspace. Furthermore, encapsulated within the 160 acres of existing green space, will be the first new London high street for a generation as part of 16 new streets across the masterplan, a new town square, and 12 acres of new open space including a 3.5-acre park.Situated on Surrey Quays Road, London, is the recently restored former Docks Office. The 120-year-old Grade II-listed building features 19th Century architecture and was once the base for the Surrey Commercial Docks which operated in the Rotherhithe Peninsular for decades. Fast forward a century and the Docks Office is now the marketing suite for residential property sales at Canada Water. The restoration project was approached sympathetically, with an overarching goal to return it to its former glory, whilst respecting its historical significance. The exposure of the building’s original brickwork pays homage to this and elegantly portrays its unique character and charm.Supporting effective people movement within the marketing suit is a Cibes C1 Pure Cabin Lift. Designed to be installed in just a few days, requiring minimal preparation work, the C1 Pure was the perfect solution for the listed space. Not only is the C1 Pure cost-efficient and reliable, it is a great alternative to a passenger lift. The timeless Scandinavian design successfully integrates seamlessly within the historic space, sequentially complimenting the building’s original architectural beauty and industrial heritage.

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.

The Lanark Hydro Electric Scheme is a remarkable project. When it was completed in 1927 it was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. The Scheme refers to two hydroelectric plants in Clydesdale, South Lanarkshire, Scotland: Bonnington and Stonebyres’ Power Stations. They both take water from the beautiful Falls of Clyde. Bonnington’s water comes from just above the Linn in New Lanark and Stonebyres from above Stonebyres Linn near Kirkfieldbank. The abundant supply of water from the River Clyde continuously spins the power stations’ turbines providing a reliable and sustainable source of renewable electricity. Combined, they create enough electricity to power over 17,000 homes in the UK.  The two stations have been exquisitely refurbished by our client Drax, who acquired them as part of a £702 million deal. Both Bonnington and Stonebyres are category ‘A’ Listed Buildings, the highest possible grading, as a site of national architectural importance. This means it was imperative the new steel windows were as close a match as possible to the originals. The Clement W20 steel window range with genuine T bars, was chosen for the two Power Stations. Polyester powder painted in striking RAL 6005 Moss Green. Lodsworth handles complement the windows with matching peg stays in Antique Bronze finish. Clement made around 120 steel windows for the projects, including nearly 400 individual fixed lights, but the most beautiful is perhaps the enormous curved head windows on both sides of the buildings, which look spectacular and let in masses of natural light.  Drax Group senior civil engineer Anne Kerr said “We are delighted with the service and quality of windows supplied and fitted by Clement. The new steel windows fitted in the refurbished building look stunning and exceed our expectations." 

Artform Urban Furniture supplies a range of specified bottle refill water fountains to Manchester city centre's first new public park in more than 100 years.Mayfield park sees the transformation of a vast, mostly derelict, former industrial site next to Piccadilly Station into a stunning, accessible and varied green space for all to enjoy. The 6.5-acre park surrounds the banks of the River Medlock and features green lawns and gardens with trees and shrubbery, as well as walkways for the public to use and a large children's play area.The site has an industrial history of innovation spanning back to the 1700’s and the park landscape recognises this by utilising old industrial rusted cast iron relics from the mills as sculptures that are dotted around the space.The Fuente Fountains in Corten steel were specified by Studio Egret West for the project, to match the surrounding industrial aesthetic of the park.The fountains have been placed across the park to provide accessible water refilling stations for visitors to use and reduce plastic waste. Water fountains are becoming a popular choice in urban spaces with developers recognising a push needed towards reducing plastic waste. The Fuente Fountain is available in a variety of shapes and finishes as well as a version with an additional tap lower down with a stainless steel bowl for dogs.Mayfield Park is part of a £1.4bn development that will continue over the next decade and will eventually completely transform the whole surrounding area near Piccadilly station into a vibrant new neighbourhood - delivering 1,500 homes, 1.6m sq ft of commercial space, as well 300,000 sq ft of retail and leisure.The park opened to the public in September 2022 and is a welcome addition to the city centre bringing a much-needed oasis of green space for local residents, visitors and communities across Manchester.

A decorating contractor has praised Dulux Trade SmartShield+ after they were able to transform the exterior of a block of flats with the new product. The residential building in Loughton, Essex, had been suffering with the effects of water ingress and pollution over the years which has damaged both the exterior of the building as well as leaking inside. Cracks had appeared to the render of the building causing the water to leak into the fabric of the building. Contractor Armour Hart Group Ltd were tasked by The Square’s management firm Moat Homes with maintaining the cyclical decorations and associated repairs to the building and on identification of the issues consulted with partners Dulux Trade. Following an inspection from Dulux Trade the contractors agreed to use a specification containing Dulux Trade Plus SmartShield+ Exterior Clearcoat on the stonework to deliver the job. The first task was the cleaning and repair of the render and decorative edging after they had become infested with moss and lichen and this was adding to water ingress throughout the building. Both areas were cleaned and repaired before the waterproofing coating of SmartShield+ was applied to the decorative stone work throughout the property. Due to the specially formulated Dulux Trade Plus SmartShield+ the substrate was able to breathe and dry out after the repairs and coating had been completed. The pediment detail to the front of the building had also picked up grime over the years - and had been saturated during bad-weather and so repairs and cleaning of this area was also performed. Dulux Trade carried out inspections throughout the process and all of the cracks were repaired, sealed, coated and then painted to bring the whole building back to life. Armour Hart Group Ltd made the final checks to make sure the coating was waterproof - and were happy to report Dulux Trade Plus SmartShield+ passed the test. Phil Long at Armour Hart Group said; “Dulux Trade has supported us throughout this project so we were able to provide the best maintenance job possible to our clients. “Years of water damage was really starting to affect the building both aesthetically and physically - so it was important we targeted it properly. Cleaning the areas first really revealed the extent of the damage. It was so valuable to us to be able to use SmartShield+ as a coating - and then carry on working on other areas while it dried and sealed the exterior of the building.” Steve Plowman, Technical Support Manager at Dulux Trade said: “We’re glad we have been able to see this project through with Armour Hart and had such great feedback from them on how the product is working. SmartShield+ is a great product that really stands the test of time.” For more information, visit: www.duluxtradepaintexpert.co.uk/content/dulux-trade-plus-smartshield

The 16,500m2 new Faculty of Social Sciences building is designed to meet the future growth demands of the department up to the year 2035 and creates a world class, BREEAM outstanding building that encourages collaboration and enhances the Faculty’s reputation for excellence in teaching and research.The landscape design for the new University of Sheffield building set out to create a large area of public realm on the social sciences campus, with provision for sustainable drainage systems including extensive use of tree pits and rain gardens. As part of the SuDS design specifications, a Blue Roof stormwater drainage system was considered as an alternative option to underground attenuation tanks to keep surface water run-off within the discharge consent.ABG were able to demonstrate that specifying a shallow Blue Roof attenuation layer involved much lower carbon emissions than excavating underground storage tanks.The volume of vehicle movements required to install underground stormwater attenuation compared to the ABG blueroof system was calculated (delivered from ABG’s factory based 25 miles away), and a carbon footprint saving of 59% was estimated. The reduction in construction emissions was deemed particularly important given the site’s proximity to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.The 108mm ABG blueroof system design was fitted over a 4,500m2 roof catchment area by the ABG Installs team over a period of 8 weeks. The inverted roof system build-up includes a 245mm XPS insulation installed onto the waterproofing with a Water Flow Reducing Layer (WFRL) above. The ABG Deckdrain 4mm geocomposite drainage layer is installed above a 100mm void former, wrapped in a Terrex NW20 geotextile layer to prevent debris entering the drainage voids. The roof build-up is completed with a surface finish combination of stone ballast and 63mm pavers.For the majority of the year, the roof drains into the rainwater outlets as normal, however during prolonged spells of heavy rainfall the void formers begin to temporarily attenuate the stormwater. During storm periods the rainfall outflow rate is slowed using 13 stainless steel restrictor chambers, positioned above each rainwater outlet.This controls the volume of water that is able to discharge from the roof during the storm, minimising surface water run-off and reducing the risk of flooding in the local area. The system is calculated to only reach maximum attenuation volume during a 1-in-100 year storm event, as calculated using the Flood Estimation Handbook rainfall data for Sheffield, plus 40% allowance for climatic change. The system features an integrated overflow outlet in the event a storm occurs that exceeds this designed capacity.

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

Axter were called to investigate the condition of balcony walkways on this residential project, which appeared to be deteriorating.ChallengesOur technical team completed a roof condition survey and found that the existing system had significant cracking, notably at the joints of the substrate board, which had caused water to penetrate the system. This cracking indicated a lack of suitable flexibility within the resin compound and there were no movement joints to help compensate for this.Over time, these cracks in the field area would have worsened due to expansion and contraction caused by the changing weather. The ridges would have become more pronounced, leading to greater water ingress, trip hazards and potential injury. There was no drip trim installed to the external edge, so water was able to track under the deck and present as a leak, damaging the soffit below. With residents living in the block and requiring access to the walkways, it was important that the refurbishment works would not impair their movements too greatly, or impact them with noise, hot works and other associated hazards.SolutionsIt was not practical to remove and replace the existing system, so an overlay was essential. The Starcoat PMMA system provided the ideal solution as it had the flexibility to accommodate the walkway movement whilst minimising the impact on the residents. The system assembly included a hard-wearing, self-levelling mortar and anti-slip aggregate designed to withstand heavy traffic and resist any potential damage from pedestrian access. A bespoke coloured sealer was also applied to the waterproofing system to match the existing metal works and colour scheme on the project.As the system is rain-proof in approximately 20 minutes and trafficable in around one hour, this meant that the access route could always be maintained and all internal detailing around residents’ front doors could be easily co-ordinated.As Starcoat PMMA is a flame free system, compliance with all NFRC Safe2Torch recommendations was achieved. This was essential considering the presence of combustible materials such as doors and frames.No requirement for gas or heating equipment on site also meant that the level of noise was kept at a minimum, with only a paddle mixer and hand tools being used to complete the installation. To further limit the potential impact of the works, a low odour system formulation was used.A metal trim was introduced at the external perimeter, allowing water to run off and prevent any capillary action back under the substrate boards and into the system.Axter Alliance Installer, Blue2 Contractors Ltd, worked efficiently and to a very high standard to complete the project in under a week, delivering an aesthetically pleasing, effective and robust waterproofing solution.Systems in useStarcoat® PMMA