"weber"

The Tower, at 23-storeys is the tallest tower block in Cwmbran, South Wales, and has undergone a dramatic upgrade in both thermal performance and aesthetics with the use of Weber External Wall Insulation.

Having won a bid for £15m of capital funding in 2020, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) commissioned a new children’s emergency department – including upgraded, expanded facilities and a new overnight observation ward – at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury.Completed in March 2023, the 3,500m2 extension not only provides a dedicated area for children but has also freed up much-needed capacity for adult patients in the existing emergency department, and has reduced overcrowding and improved infection control. The plans also included new facilities to improve access to maternity and gynaecology outpatient services in a modern, purpose-built environment. The buildings adjacent to the children’s department house the hospital’s A&E department and maternity ward, so it was crucial that construction could go ahead without causing any disruption to day-to-day access.Throughout the project, the emergency department drop-off route, blue light route, maternity drop-off route, and A&E entrance remained in use at all times. Designed by London-based architects Hunters, the two-storey buildingwas made using modern methods of construction (MMC) at the main contractor Western Building Systems’ purpose-built in-house manufacturing facilities in Northern Ireland.The decision to build using modular construction resulted in minimal disruption to the hospital, both in terms of number of deliveries and overall time to build. Hospital buildings require many services to be installed so the subcontractors worked closely together, supported by quantity surveyors from MESH Construction Consultancy Limited. Steel structure modules were made at the Western Building Systems factory in Coalisland to form the frame of the building. They were then sheathed in 12mm cement particle boards and wrapped in breather membrane.The modular design specified an efficient, certified External Wall Insulation (EWI) system that met all stringent safety standards. EWI systems have huge thermal benefits for any building by conserving energy, minimising heat loss and reducing CO2 emissions. In addition to this, having a fully certified non-combustible solution offers great peace of mind, as well as a fast-track way to provide an attractive and durable façade.  Once the frame was in place on site, render and EWI specialists from Clarke ECO Wall Ltd installed Saint-Gobain Weber’s webertherm XM – a system they are familiar with, having used it on projects previously, including University Hospital Limerick.he EWI system included webertherm MFD mineral fibre insulation board with carbon tip screw fixings, weberend LAC rapid adhesive render coat and silicone enhanced webersil TF decorative finish. This building was made up of two types of wall: one which used 170mm of external insulation and achieved a U-Value of 0.12 W/m2K and another which used just 70mm of webertherm MFD yet still reached a U-Value of 0.18 W/m2K. Both were combined with additional insulation installed within the frame. The system was finished using webersil TF – a highly weather-resistant silicone decorative finish – in Winter White. “The team from Weber were very helpful,” said Michael Clarke, managing director of Clarke ECO Wall Ltd. “They provided all the specification and completed the necessary pull-out tests, fixing patterns and condensation analysis – ensuring everything was approved and there were no grey areas – and offered our team application support while carrying out the work. They took a very collaborative approach.”A representative from Weber made weekly site visits to support the applicators to ensure the system was installed in line with Weber’s recommended best practice. The EWI system was installed in two phases, totalling eight weeks, between April and November 2022.

In the new Ceramic Tile Distributors (CTD) showroom in Woking, Surrey, tile products by Saint-Gobain Weber have been specified for their new 400m² sales facility which includes an extensive showroom and trade counter.Relocation of Ceramic Tile Distributors (CTD) from their original showroom on the junction of Goldsmith Road and Church Street West to Kestrel Road a few miles away was brought about by the £150m redevelopment of Woking town centre."The relocation of CTD has not presented a problem," says Rob Stevens, manager, CTD Woking. "The showroom looks brilliant – it's bigger and better, and our trade custom has definitely increased. We also attract lots of private customers who enjoy the simplicity of the large sample displays and the huge variety of tiles for every location."Several site visits were made by Weber's tile specialists to inspect the floor substrate and identify the appropriate materials. The floor was prepared with weber PR360, a multi-purpose priming solution suitable for most building substrates including wood, anhydrite, plaster and cement/sand screed. This primer regulates the porosity of the substrate and improves adhesion and the flow of levelling compounds.High performance, fibre-modified weberfloor flex was then applied which is a self-smoothing and self-levelling compound suitable for most substrates. It has rapid setting qualities and can take light foot traffic after just 3 hours. It is also one of the many products in the Saint-Gobain Weber range to feature Low Dust Technology™ which makes it cleaner and more comfortable for the applicator to use.Large format GEMINI Young Stone tiles in grey were set with weberset rapid plus ECO which is a very rapid strength tile adhesive for low porosity tiles, such as ceramic, porcelain and natural stone, and has been specifically developed to allow easy bedding of large format tiles. It is suitable for use on solid substrates and is ready for grout in only 2 hours. The new ECO formulation contains cement replacement technology which reduces the product's environmental impact of initial excavation and contributes to a significant reduction in transportation costs.The CTD Woking showroom floor was grouted with weberjoint wide which is suitable for very wide joints from 2-20mm. This is a cement-based floor and wall grout which gives a coarse textured finish. It has the added benefit of Mould Stop Technology which ensures lasting protection from mould growth, it's also abrasive-resistant and available in seven colours.As part of Woking's redevelopment, the bandstand, fire station and market place will all be demolished to make way for a new complex featuring shops, apartments, parking and a hotel. On the old CTD site a brand new state-of-the-art fire station is to be developed providing additional space and working areas for the crews and an improved training facility.

High performance, one-coat, weberpral M through coloured monocouche render from Weber has been specified for recent new-build properties at St. George’s Park Retirement Village in Burgess Hill, West Sussex.

As part of its ongoing work to improve the energy efficiency of its homes, over the last two years Clarion Housing Group has retrofitted 505 homes across Fenland, Tonbridge and Malling which had an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below. Among them were 13 bungalows in the Chapel Gardens development in Benwick. The work was part-financed via the first wave of the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), which was launched in 2021 to help social housing providers and local authorities increase the EPC rating of their properties to C or above. All social housing provided by registered providers was eligible for SHDF wave one funding, regardless of archetype, and the work being carried out is designed to tackle issues associated with fuel poverty including mould and condensation.    As a registered provider of social housing, Clarion could apply for the funding as part of a consortium with Fenland District Council and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council. The £4.35m secured by the two local authorities was match funded by Clarion, which is working closely with its main contractor Equans to upgrade the homes. “We were already carrying out works to improve residents’ homes under existing maintenance contracts, in line with the government’s 2030 EPC C target, but this funding has allowed us to accelerate and increase the scale of it all, ultimately improving more homes much faster,” said Daniel Archard, asset sustainability manager at Clarion. Meeting PAS 2035 standards  Sarsvati Varsani is part of Equans’ dedicated specialist retrofit team. As a senior technical retrofit advisor for the contractor, she is overseeing the process in terms of energy efficiency and compliance. She said: “The delivery of all SHDF projects must be PAS 2035 compliant, which specifies a whole-house or whole-building approach to retrofit. It means that energy efficiency measures should be installed with the requirement of the entire building in mind – both from a technical standpoint and considering factors like occupant comfort. “The SHDF facilitates a multi-measure approach to allow us to upgrade Clarion’s least energy-efficient homes to meet the PAS 2035 specification using more than one measure. For example, as well as replacing insulation we are also installing air source heat pumps at the properties where necessary. “I’m working closely with the site team, retrofit designer and contracts manager to address any issues throughout and ensure that every measure is compliant with the standard. Representatives from Clarion and the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero also conduct site visits to review progress throughout.” One of the key principles of wave one of the SHDF is a fabric-first approach. This ensures heat loss prevention measures are installed before other energy efficiency measures, to maximise the dwelling’s suitability for low carbon heating either now or in the future, and to benefit tenants in terms of comfort, health, well-being and bills. The Chapel Gardens bungalows had an original U-value of 1.43W/m²Km, so this was going to take considerable changes. Having been built between 1967 and 1975, the cavity insulation in the bungalows was no longer fit for purpose as it had slumped to the bottom or – in some cases – didn’t even exist. It has now been replaced with a polystyrene bead insulation. The benefits of external wall insulation As part of the fabric-first approach being taken by Equans and Clarion, Saint-Gobain Weber’s External Wall Insulation (EWI) system was specified for the bungalows to improve their thermal efficiency. It is being installed by FRT Property Services Ltd, which is PAS 2030:2019 certified – something that is required of all of the subcontractors working on this project. By gaining PAS 2030:2019 certification, retrofit installers can demonstrate that they have installed energy efficiency measures that meet the required specifications, and have delivered on customer requirements and expectations in accordance with TrustMark standards. FRT Property Services – which began working on Chapel Gardens in January 2023 – specialises in EWI and its director Farhat Ahmed and Operations Director Radu Ursache helped to ensure work was delivered to Weber standards, on time and within budget.  For this project, Farhat’s team installed webertherm XM with 100mm of webertherm MFD insulation. The SHDF stipulates an energy performance outcome of 90kWh/m2/year, with a target U-value of 0.30 W/m²K. The addition of EWI from Weber was critical in enabling Clarion to meet the SHDF space heating demand performance outcome, as the replacement cavity wall insulation alone wouldn’t suffice – with the properties only achieving 0.44W/m²K. Having requested that the retrofit work didn’t change the aesthetic of the bungalows, the planners wanted to maintain a brick finish. To achieve this, weberwall brick was specified along with the webertherm XM EWI system. This innovative brick slip system is lightweight and quick to install, containing the equivalent of 20 brick faces per sheet. It is available in a wide range of colours including Antique Buff, which meant it was possible to closely match the surrounding buildings.  Farhat said: “The team at Weber has been very helpful throughout the process and applications manager Linda Twidale showed my team how to install the product. It’s very simple and provided the like-for-like result the client wanted; as far as brick slip systems go, weberwall brick provides the closest match to real bricks I’ve seen while working in this sector.” It was important to Clarion that the residents of the bungalows were able to remain in their homes while the work was completed which is why EWI was the perfect solution. Farhat’s team worked closely with Equans’ retrofit liaison officers and other subcontractors, including the scaffolding and utilities companies, to ensure everything went smoothly and the homeowners were not inconvenienced.  By installing the webertherm XM EWI system, the U-value at the properties has been improved to an efficient 0.20 W/m²K – far exceeding the target of 0.30W/m²K. Once all of the retrofit work has been completed, the bungalows will undergo a post-works EPC assessment and are expected to achieve a C rating. The new insulation will provide improved thermal performance all year round, helping to keep residents’ homes cooler throughout the summer and warmer in the winter. It is predicted that those living in upgraded Clarion properties will save between £300 and £500 on their energy bills each year. Switchee smart thermostats have been installed in some properties to relay data to Clarion, enabling them to monitor the energy consumption of the properties. Within six months, Equans’ retrofit evaluator will issue a questionnaire to residents to assess whether everything works as it’s supposed to, and Farhat’s team has already received feedback. He said: “Residents have told us they’re already feeling the difference in the temperature of their home. “It isn’t right that people have had to choose between eating and heating but getting such positive feedback really highlights the role that we’re playing in improving these homes.” Daniel Archard, asset sustainability manager at Clarion, added: “We’ve received more funding via wave two of the SHDF and are planning to increase our retrofitting tenfold over the next three years, as pressure builds to upgrade all social housing to an EPC rating of C or above by 2030.” Farhat concluded: “We’re looking forward to continuing our support during the delivery of the future pipeline of work within this area for Clarion Housing under SHDF Wave 2.1.”

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."

When the refurbishment programme for an office block close to London’s Euston station was hit by an unexpected snag, the main contractors found an effective solution to keep the project on track.

Innovative weberwall brick helped speed up this project in Anglesey. Anglesey County Council wanted to break up the elevations to add variety and create a more attractive appearance. Main contractor DU Construction suggested using weberwall brick which can be used to create a realistic brick effect across a range of different applications and substrates.

400m2 of weberwall brick in Antique Red Multi was applied to 9 new homes in Guildford. 3x faster than brick slips, weberwall brick accelerated the building process for the developer.

Nestled in the Northumberland countryside is Matfen Hall – a mansion built in the early 1800s. To ensure the Grade-II listed property retained its Gothic architecture, a "thoughtful and stylish" transformation was required. The age of the building meant lots of preparation was required to guarantee a smooth finish. Tiling specialist WRS overcame complexities including cutting around hexagonal stone columns, chamfered steps, work with handrail base plates, and adding nosing details to the spiral staircase.

webertherm XP External Wall Insulation system has been specified for a contemporary new build in a designated conservation area in South West England. The revolutionary system has been used on the walls of the property while weberpral M through-coloured render has been used extensively to long runs of concrete walling.

A first-time self-builder from Twickenham used his time on furlough to build a two-bedroom home in his back garden with weberwall brick.

A stunning contemporary style new-build home in Surrey has been finished with high performance weberpral M monocouche render.

A new development of exclusive lodges on the coast of St Ives, Cornwall required a low maintenance, high quality finish that would withstand the types of weather experienced on the coast

A dilapidated department store in the centre of Royal Leamington Spa has been transformed to create a block of 26 luxury apartments and retail space

A £2.7million Environment Agency project to renovate an ageing river sluice facility on the River Medway in Kent, has required the technical attributes of webercem five star repair concrete and the high-build properties of webercem HB30 mortar. The structural sluice repairs are now complete with new gates and operating systems installed, bringing the sluice performance up to standard. Reflecting the substantial improvement in the river water quality over recent years, a new fish and elver pass has been created to enable fish to travel further upstream in the clean waters. This has enhanced the habitat in upper sections of the Medway, whilst allowing migratory and freshwater fish free passage. Constructed in 1937 the Allington Sluice lock gate is the last on the River Medway before it becomes tidal. Although the sluice is not listed, the Environment Agency took a keen interest in the repair of the structure due to its location adjacent to the Museum of Kent. Areas of failed surface concrete that had spalled, due to 70 years of weathering, were repaired sympathetically to match the existing finishes. These areas were cleaned back to sound material with all loose material removed. The major repair areas required shuttering before pouring in the flowing recasting concrete. webercem five star repair concrete is a pre-blended cementitious material that conforms with BS EN 1504 : 3 as an R4 mortar and also with the Highways Agency specification BD 27/86. It contains non-reactive aggregates and low alkali content. This is a shrinkage-compensated, high-strength flowing repair concrete specifically designed for permanent structural repairs that delivers a compressive strength of 65N/mm² after 28 days.Additional smaller damaged areas of the sluice structure have been improved with webercem HB30 repair mortar which is ideal for façade repairs where high compressive strength is not required. webercem HB30 is an acrylic-polymer modified, high-build façade repair mortar that complies with BS EN 1504 : 3 as an R3 mortar. Damaged areas were cut away and any steel re-enforcement was cleaned and coated with webercem keycoat prior to the application of the webercem HB30. This product has a unique shrinkage compensation system that ensures long-term dimensional stability. webercem HB30 is easy to apply with low permeability to water, carbon dioxide and chlorides.Main contractor Jackson Civil Engineering of Maidstone, Kent, carried out the sluice gate works while Structural Renovations Ltd of Slough, Berkshire, carried out the concrete repairs in the overall reconstruction, renovation and modification programme of the main structure. The project was designed by Atkins for the Environment Agency, who also undertook site supervision during the renovation procedure. In addition to the repairs and fish pass, a new wheelchair access has been formed allowing cross river access at this point on the Medway.

The high performance weberend MT multi-coat render system has been applied as the exterior finish on the new-build Woodward Close, a pioneering 60-bed dementia care home in Winnersh, Berkshire.

Aluminium cladding that looks like real timber, quite simply put, but it is actually real timber. Chosen for its natural aesthetic and ultimate fire resistance, Technowood has rapidly become a “go-to” cladding facade for Architects and Designers.Considered as a sheltered social project, the two towers are located on a raised outdoor podium on a scale that doesn’t hide its presence. The well-developed landscaping area, which also serves as a central garden area, also includes a shopping centre with 150 stores and a cinema. It has a gallery space aligned with transparent oriental pools. These transparent pools, which form the centre of Next Level, illuminate the shopping centre with the sunlight breaking through the water, giving its guests a relaxing ambience. The 7500 sq. m of landscaping is a recipe for complete social togetherness. The public and private wellbeing have been transformed into an urban area. This also allows a diverse culture, entertainment, work and socialisation.This newly built-up area has also become a new living space for people adopting a modern lifestyle, where business and social life come together. Furthermore, Next Level is designed as a cutting edge mixed-use project of this area, it reflects the development of the region and this contemporary way of life has been well accepted by its new occupants.The mixed materials manufactured by Technowood is a testimony to the company. As well as its ability to work with the demands of the Architect. By having the expertise to deliver complex shaped materials in the same palette, colour and texture.Technowood is an FSC certified product; it uses only 2% of timber when compared to solid timber facades. It uses even less when compared to solid timber structures.Credits and Further informationArchitect: Brigitte Weber ArchitectsLocation: Ankara, TurkeyProject: Commercial, residential and shopping centreMaterials: Technowood CladdingCompletion: 2013