• £460,000 award from Local Growth Fund will be used to create an additional cut-through to ease traffic flow at NEC roundabout • The scheme forms part of plans to provide the robust infrastructure needed to support anticipated growth within the area The Urban Growth Company (UGC) is continuing to
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between Platinum Electrical Engineering and Northumbria University has received the highest possible rating by an independent assessor. One of the outputs of the KTP is a new Building Additive Manufacturing (BAM) capability which ‘prints’ the complete structure of a building by autonomously depositing concrete layer
Specialist developer and investor Network Space today announced that it has sold four property assets comprising more than 400,000 sq. ft of prime industrial and logistics real estate across the north of England to 4th Industrial (“4i”), a new venture backed by TPG Real Estate Partners. Included in the deal
Over 30,000 sq ft of Mid-Box Industrial Space Let At Parkside Business Park One of the UK’s leading fleet vehicle conversion specialists, MIS Conversions Ltd, has sublet a 32,148 sq ft Grade A, mid-box warehouse unit at the strategically located Parkside Business Park in Doncaster. CBRE and Gent Visick acted
Now the global positioning system, more commonly known as GPS is the essential component of any device helping to determine its geolocation in real-time that helps to find lost devices, build the routes and follow the shipments simplifying our lives. Primarily designed for military purposes, now it’s a valuable addition
The total value of contract awards in January 2021 was £4.3 billion, a decrease of 12% on December 2020 and also 10% lower than the monthly average in 2020 which was £4.8 billion. The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights levels
With the fire cladding crisis making headline news, industry experts are looking at the role of technology to improve fire safety standards today, and in the future. In response to evidence heard at the Grenfell Inquiry, the Government’s White Paper¹ on social housing and the draft Building Safety Bill, there
Now under the impressive CPG (Construction Products Group) Europe banner, and with an experienced, proven team at the helm, StructureCare has welcomed 2021 with a brand new website full of information, which is simple and quick to explore and designed to aid the architect, surveyor, contractor and asset manager when
Academics at Northumbria University, Newcastle, have been backed by the Government’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to develop an antiviral coating suitable for use on everyday surfaces. DASA, part of the Ministry of Defence, has commissioned a research team from Northumbria to develop a new type of multifunctional antiviral coating
It is no longer news that the standard of personal hygiene and sanitation has been raised, over the years. High traffic areas with objects touched by different people require more attention to curtail the spread of germs. You will need to focus more of your attention on the areas or
• £460,000 award from Local Growth Fund will be used to create an additional cut-through to ease traffic flow at NEC roundabout • The scheme forms part of plans to provide the robust infrastructure needed to support anticipated growth within the area The Urban Growth Company (UGC) is continuing to progress its ambitious plans for the UK Central Hub in Solihull after securing an additional £460,000 of match funding from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership’s (GBSLEP) Local Growth Fund to help improve a key traffic roundabout. The funding – alongside the £2.1 million previously awarded by the West Midlands Combined Authority in 2019 – will be used to design an additional traffic-easing measure to a roundabout currently located at the edge of the NEC campus. The introduction of a new cut-through will ease current traffic flow and ensure that existing infrastructure is able to support future planned growth associated with the arrival of HS2 and the new development at the nearby Arden Cross site. The roundabout improvement scheme – scheduled to be completed by June 2022 – is pre-emptive in anticipation of planned growth, minimising disruption, delivering cost savings and future-proofing the area for continuing development. The UGC-led scheme will create a cut-through that allows traffic travelling north to continue straight-on without having to enter the roundabout. The aim is to ease traffic leaving the NEC at Northway (the arm after the A452) and prevent it backing up on the A452. Sue Barrett, Commercial & Contracts Director at the UGC, said: “We are delighted to have received this funding boost from the LEP which is about so much more than a change to a roundabout design. Smaller, individual improvement schemes like this make significant contributions to our broader, strategic vision for The Hub. They serve as critical enablers for growth by ensuring the area continues to enjoy unrivalled road, rail and air connectivity. “Our approach to future-proof The Hub also creates the confidence needed to attract future investment that will enable the major economic boost we plan to deliver in terms of jobs and homes. It’s also important that we look to a post -Covid future and ensure that our infrastructure supports the recovery of the major stakeholders across The Hub – the NEC and Birmingham Airport will be looking to ramp up their businesses again as soon as possible and this sort of project will help them to do that.” Michael Steventon, Non-executive board director at GBSLEP said: “Investing in infrastructure is an integral part of our work as it opens up access to businesses, workers, visitors and people living in the area. The longabout project will ensure traffic will keep flowing though Solihull and Birmingham – an important commuter corridor with its close proximity to the NEC and Birmingham Airport. Furthermore, with the development of HS2 and the new I nterchange Station, there is great potential for economic development in the area. We continue to work with our partners in the public and private sectors to create opportunities for inclusive economic g rowth as we look towards a post-Covid recovery.” Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council, said: “Congratulations to the UGC and our transport team for securing the funds as well as coming up with a solution to this complex project. Working with UGC and other partners, we will continue to maximise the economic benefit of HS2 coming to Solihull. This funding will mean we can ensure easy access to The Hub and improved traffic flow in the area.” For more information about GBSLEP, please visit the website, subscribe to its newsletter or followon Twitter and LinkedIn.
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between Platinum Electrical Engineering and Northumbria University has received the highest possible rating by an independent assessor. One of the outputs of the KTP is a new Building Additive Manufacturing (BAM) capability which ‘prints’ the complete structure of a building by autonomously depositing concrete layer by layer from the ground upwards. The BAM capability reduces build cost and time, as well as making a significant contribution to net-zero by streamlining the supply chain, reducing construction materials transportation and waste to near net-zero. Cement usage is reduced by using alternative waste materials from steel and coal industries. Now the partnership has been rated as “outstanding” by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. Knowledge Transfer Adviser, John Clayton, of the Knowledge Transfer Network, supported the KTP throughout and commented: “This was an extremely challenging and complex project. The impressive results, demonstrated by this Outstanding grade, were achieved through excellent collaboration among the company and university team, led by KTP Associate Laurence whose performance, insight and team-working was exemplary throughout the KTP.” Associate Laurence Foster, in collaboration with academics from Northumbria’s Faculty of Engineering and Environment and the Platinum project team, worked on-site at Platinum’s premises in Gateshead to take the project through a detailed two-year project plan involving discovery, technology development, prototyping, testing, and continual enhancements. The Project focussed on the BAM potential for building affordable housing and involved creating bespoke additive manufacturing equipment and software. The aim was to create a prototype device capable of the in-situ manufacture of two-storey structures and eventually a row of terraced houses. Deployment of the BAM equipment on a housing project will reduce build costs and times and deliver new homes more rapidly, addressing the UK’s housing crisis. Platinum are continuing to develop the technology and collaborate with the university, headed by Associate Professor Phil Hackney, an expert in Rapid Manufacturing. The follow-on project, In-situ Building Advanced Construction (IBAC), also represents a major innovation for UK construction in its approach towards net-zero carbon by 2050. Laurence and the team have already been in talks with several Councils, housing providers, and architechtural organisations to explore collaborative projects using the BAM technologies developed in the KTP. Commenting on the KTP, Laurence said: “This project has opened my eyes to the huge potential benefits to industries and wider socio-economic implications through the development of newly emerging innovative systems. I’ve honed my CAD design, 3D printing and project management skills to enable realisation of the second known additive manufacture system in the UK capable of printing concrete. “I believe this opportunes positive disruption for the construction industry and its traditional methodologies, through adoption of advanced automated manufacturing technologies. This provides new and alternative ways for structures to be built with safer practices and significantly reduced costs, emissions, wastage and timescales compared to existing industry norms.” KTP Associates have a hybrid role, working at the company, with regular visits from Academic staff to supervise the project and discuss with the company team. Laurence was able to learn from his colleagues in Platinum, including his company supervisor Adam Viney, Electrical Control Engineer, and to collaborate with leading researchers in Northumbria’s Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering on the investigation of deposition of cementatious materials. Laurence is now employed by Platinum in a new role as Lead R&D Engineer, and continues to work on a range of projects, including the continuation from the KTP project. Gateshead-based Platinum Electrical Engineering designs and manufactures bespoke electrical machinery, control systems, and equipment for clients in manufacturing, defence, aviation, and automation. Their strategy is to exploit their unique engineering expertise working collaboratively with partners to develop innovative solutions for industry and societal challenges. Their approach, led by Managing Director Stephen Maltby, of combining engineering expertise, market insights, IIOT, and partnership building underpinned the KTP. Stephen explained that BAM has enabled long term relationships and future projects, with interest from several academic establishments and industry collaborators already in play. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are an Innovate UK programme, designed to enable collaboration between academia and industry, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and technology to increase competitivity and to promote an innovation culture. Northumbria has a long track record of successfully collaborating with small and large businesses on KTPs. Phil Hackney commented: ‘KTPs are a great way for the university to build a long-term relationship with a company and for Academics to learn about their business-critical industrial challenges and create a route to high impact for their research. “Our KTP with Platinum helped the company embed new knowledge in additive manufacturing and, in Laurence, they have a new, highly skilled motivated member of the team ready to take on the next project.” To find out more please vist Northumbria’s Mechanical and Construction Engineering department page. Find out more about KTPs at https://www.ktp-uk.org/ Find out more about Northumbria University KTP case studies. Northumbria is a research-rich, business-focused, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence. Find out more about us at www.northumbria.ac.uk
Specialist developer and investor Network Space today announced that it has sold four property assets comprising more than 400,000 sq. ft of prime industrial and logistics real estate across the north of England to 4th Industrial (“4i”), a new venture backed by TPG Real Estate Partners. Included in the deal are mid-box industrial schemes at Tunstall Arrow South in Stoke-on-Trent – an award winning, fully let 126,000 sq. ft scheme on a 28-acre former colliery site completed in 2018 – and the newly completed 110,000 sq. ft Ashroyd Business Park in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The deal also includes two light industrial and urban logistics development sites in Liverpool, on which Network Space will deliver 104,000 sq. ft at Estuary Commerce Park and 72,000 sq. ft at Brookfield Business Park. Both schemes will provide a mix of high-quality units which are in short supply. NSM Property and Asset Management will be retained to manage all sites. Richard Ainscough, of Network Space, said: “This deal marks the beginning of a new and exciting relationship with 4th Industrial and TPG Real Estate. Partnerships with respected investors are a core part of our business and we look forward to working with 4th Industrial on this and more. Our investors credibility is matched by our own, we specialise in industrial property across the North of England, providing a unique high-quality solution for development, management and origination.” Derek Heathwood, Managing Director of 4i said: “We are excited to acquire these four high-quality sites. Our strategy focuses on buying quality multi-let light-industrial properties in key UK submarkets. This transaction provides a strong foundation on which to build a platform of scale, placing 4i firmly on the map.” Michiel Celis, Managing Director at TPG Real Estate said: “We have been impressed with the Network Space team and with the quality of the properties they deliver. This transaction is a first step in what we hope will be a very productive cooperation between 4th Industrial and Network Space.” Simon Wood, Director at B8 Real Estate, industrial agents for Network Space, added: “We are not only seeing huge investment demand but continued strong occupational demand across the North of England with a really worrying lack of supply of quality schemes such as this coming through. We are really pleased to be involved with such experienced individuals in Network Space, TPG and 4i in forming this partnership to develop out much-needed quality stock and to build out this platform which we believe will be a great success”. Tunstall Arrow South was the West Midlands’ Regeneration Project of the Year, and one of the most successful recent industrial developments in the region, as part of the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone. It is now home to Q-Railing, Boels Rental, Premac-Generac UK, DHL Express and SG Fleet Solutions. Ashroyd Business Park is located at Junction 36 of the M1, directly off the Dearne Valley Parkway. A speculatively delivered scheme consisting of five industrial units ranging from 11,000 to 53,000 sq. ft. Brookfield Business Park in Aintree, Liverpool, has consent for a 72,000 sq. ft across 11 units, with easy access to the M57 and A580. Estuary Commerce Park is the lastremaining frontage plot facing Speke Boulevard of the successful wider commercial area. It offers 104,000 sq. ft across 11 units.
Over 30,000 sq ft of Mid-Box Industrial Space Let At Parkside Business Park One of the UK’s leading fleet vehicle conversion specialists, MIS Conversions Ltd, has sublet a 32,148 sq ft Grade A, mid-box warehouse unit at the strategically located Parkside Business Park in Doncaster. CBRE and Gent Visick acted on behalf of Heat Exchange Group Ltd to secure the sublease. MIS Conversions Ltd will occupy Unit C, a modern, detached industrial unit which includes ground and first floor office space and a large secure yard with car parking, including electric car charging points. The detached unit forms part of the 27-acre, 240,000 sq ft Parkside Business Park which is located just off the A638 Wheatley Hall Road and close to the M18 and A1(M). Unit D at Parkside Business Park, comprising 29,826 sq ft, is also available for immediate occupation with almost 5,000 sq ft of office space. Danielle Raunjak from CBRE’s Industrial team commented: “This latest letting at the Parkside Industrial Park in South Yorkshire demonstrates the continued high demand and appeal of mid-box warehouse facilities of this calibre, which have been brought to market to support acute supply shortages in the region. Yorkshire remains resilient during the pandemic with the region representing around 30% of all the UK logistics take-up last year.”
Now the global positioning system, more commonly known as GPS is the essential component of any device helping to determine its geolocation in real-time that helps to find lost devices, build the routes and follow the shipments simplifying our lives. Primarily designed for military purposes, now it’s a valuable addition to any business with the logistics department. Here are the main changes it brings to the logistics industry helping to ensure optimal resource usage: Enhancing drivers’ security As GPS systems allow to track parameters like distance per day, average speed, frequency of refueling, and so on, it’s possible to assess the driver’s safety by comparing the stats against the generally accepted security requirements. It helps to recreate the driving behavior and ensure that the drivers do not miss the regular break times and do not exceed the speed limits minimizing their chances of getting into a road accident making the drivers more secure. Minimizing the risks of vehicle theft Following the previous security point, there were cases when vehicles carrying precious cargo were stolen causing financial damages both for transportations companies, and their end customers. With GPS tracking for trucks, logistics managers will be able to monitor all the deviations from the route to reach out to a driver to find out the reasons, and even if an incident happens, it will be easy to find the missing vehicle. Live resource monitoring Advanced GPS-based applications make it possible to organize the live resource monitoring and track the usage of the resources. Also, with a faster method of communication between a logistics operator and a driver, if something goes wrong, it will be easier to calculate the distance to the nearest repair station and keep the end customer informed about the delay. It’s also useful during unplanned road maintenance events and extreme weather conditions, as checking the current location, it will be easier to check all the alternative routes to choose the best option. Simplified fleet management There might be cases when the route is changed in the middle of the way, or additional pickups and delivery points are added. Using a ready GPS tracking solution or developing a custom one allows us to introduce changes in the route on the go, and it will be synced with the driver’s application making the communication faster and operations more productive. Tracking the stats received from every vehicle will help to determine when they start consuming more fuel and require regular repairs, and as a result, you will be able to arrange the purchases of new vehicles to cope with the business load “GPS fleet tracking is revolutionizing the logistics industry, providing unparalleled efficiency and cost savings for startups transforming last-mile logistics.” – As per the founder of Route4Me. Costs reduction The tracking tools help to reduce the human resources necessary to manage the transportations, as the work that was previously done by people can be delegated to smart GPS software. The office maintenance costs can also be reduced, as monitoring the work of the GPS system is possible to arrange remotely. On the basis of data received from a single-vehicle regarding their average distance per day, stops, and refueling frequently, it will be easier to analyze the costs, establish the best route planning, and monitor your drivers to have better visibility on what’s happening on their way. As a result, these positive changes that GPS fleet tracking is bringing to the logistics industry, business owners can free the time spent previously on operational activity and dedicate more resources to strategic planning and expansion following the current market demands like the transportation of machinery or modular homes. Last but not least, it allows us to shift the focus to the end customer. With the optimized logistics, your business will be able to deliver top-notch customer service improving their experience providing users more precise data on the delivery dates, and enable them to receive their shipments faster.
The total value of contract awards in January 2021 was £4.3 billion, a decrease of 12% on December 2020 and also 10% lower than the monthly average in 2020 which was £4.8 billion. The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Review from industry analysts Barbour ABI, highlights levels of construction contract values awarded across Great Britain. Sector analysis shows that the total value of infrastructure projects reached £500 million in January, which is 57% lower than December 2020. The total value of contract awards for industrial were also low compared to recent figures, in January the total value was £600 million which is a decline of 24% compared to December 2020. However, there was significant activity in the warehousing sub-sector. Two of the top four overall contract awards in January were warehouse projects – including the £125 million Next Warehouse in South Elmsall Yorkshire, and the £100 million Uniserve Distribution Centre in Suffolk. Planning in January was also strong in the industrial sector with a total of £700 million new approvals. The hotel leisure and sport sector saw exceptional activity with £1.8 billion of approvals – major projects included the £1.3 billion Olympia Redevelopment in London, a £250 million Gateshead Quays Redevelopment in the North East, and the £350 million Manchester Arena project in the North West. Commenting on the figures, Tom Hall, Chief Economist at Barbour ABI and AMA Research said, “The planning environment maintained activity in January, continuing its recent trajectory at lower than average levels. Those hoping for a bounce in activity as we leave the EU will be disappointed; clearly the Covid-19 pandemic remains the main factor suppressing activity. Meanwhile it is positive to see some life in the Hotel and Leisure sector with record planning approvals over the last quarter.” Download the full report here: https://bit.ly/3aXPIuJ
With the fire cladding crisis making headline news, industry experts are looking at the role of technology to improve fire safety standards today, and in the future. In response to evidence heard at the Grenfell Inquiry, the Government’s White Paper¹ on social housing and the draft Building Safety Bill, there has never been more intense focus on improving fire prevention and response infrastructure for social housing. The Government’s White Paper on social housing sets out how it will deliver fundamental change, to ensure people feel safe and secure in their homes. Two key steps are to legislate to strengthen the objective of the Regulator of Social Housing so that it will explicitly include fire safety, and to require social landlords to be regulated and remain transparent. Furthermore, the Government will launch a consultation on requiring smoke alarms in social housing. Also, the Government has set out that it will expect the Regulator of Social Housing to prepare a Memorandum of Understanding with the Health and Safety Executive, to ensure effective sharing of information with the Building Safety Regulator. It’s becoming increasingly clear that success will require new approaches to how social housing providers monitor and manage fire risk in their buildings. James King, Connected Homes Director of fire safety technology experts FireAngel, says: “We welcome the Government’s White Paper on social housing and its new Charter for social housing residents, which aims to ensure greater landlord accountability and transparent communication with tenants. This and the draft Building Safety Bill point to a lot of work around fire prevention. ‘We’re at a stage where technology can shoulder some of the responsibility of fire safety, and housing providers, fire services and regulators can use it to protect tenants and homes more effectively. ‘Since the Grenfell tragedy, the relationship between the Fire Rescue Service and social landlords has strengthened and there is huge interest on both sides in how connected technology can provide real-time information, assess risk and engage with tenants to ensure they are and feel safe. With the right technologies, fire prevention and response can become easier, more effective and more proactive. ‘By introducing connected technologies such as IoT and AI, social landlords can create serious efficiencies and relieve some of the burden of fire prevention, and can also make life safer and easier for their tenants. Post-Grenfell, more than 400 ‘waking watches’ were established around the country to monitor buildings. However, they’re expensive and only designed to work as an interim measure; relying on humans for fire prevention shouldn’t be the only intervention and it certainly isn’t sustainable long term”, adds James King. “With remote monitoring and cloud connectivity of smoke detectors, social landlords can streamline fire prevention, as it creates an opportunity for centralised, off-site monitoring so that multiple sites can be managed from a single place. ‘Connected technology can be installed within the parameters of an existing budget, and potentially provide more protection. ‘This combination of IOT and AI technologies provides 24/7 oversight of buildings and their changing fire risks, collecting data that can be analysed for trends and patterns. AI can even offer predictive analysis based on these trends, which gets more accurate the more data it processes. With the right technologies, today we can automate these processes, highlighting who needs more support to help housing providers engage directly with at-risk tenants, encouraging independent living and proactive intervention. ‘From the fire services’ perspective, connected technology and remote monitoring enable them to assess data relating to, not only the condition of the building materials, but also vulnerable tenants, managing and preventing risks. From a tenant’s perspective, digitisation means they can be informed on the state of the safety system within their own homes and they can report concerns and engage with social landlords easily. For the fire service, connected technology can enable them not only to monitor but to prevent risk, before it becomes a 999 call,” adds James King. ¹ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-charter-for-social-housing-residents-social-housing-white-paper
Now under the impressive CPG (Construction Products Group) Europe banner, and with an experienced, proven team at the helm, StructureCare has welcomed 2021 with a brand new website full of information, which is simple and quick to explore and designed to aid the architect, surveyor, contractor and asset manager when specifying the company’s market leading products and services. The StructureCare website can be found here www.structurecare.com. StructureCare is a structural maintenance and repair company, providing a range of product and service portfolios covering the infrastructure, industrial, retail, commercial and residential industry sectors in the UK. The team specialises in transforming car park facilities, waterproofing elevated service decks, flat roofs and podium slabs, as well as installing specialist protective coatings and movement joints to prolong the life of a structure. The website looks at the six business areas – Roofing, Structural Waterproofing, Car Parks, Movement Joints, Concrete Repair and Corrosion Management, and Asset Management – on the front page so one click directs the visitor quickly to where they need to be. Other new areas encompass downloadable product and technical brochures; full case study reports illustrating in detail how StructureCare works on each project; CPDs; and News and Blogs. Ryan Williams, Business Development Manager, says of plans for 2021 “We are looking forward to completing our current projects, starting new ones and implementing our product development strategy. Lots of plans and new projects are in the pipeline and the new website, and our professional social media, will be updated regularly so we are maximising our communications to our customers and partners.”
Academics at Northumbria University, Newcastle, have been backed by the Government’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) to develop an antiviral coating suitable for use on everyday surfaces. DASA, part of the Ministry of Defence, has commissioned a research team from Northumbria to develop a new type of multifunctional antiviral coating which could form part of the country’s biodefence – crucial to combatting public health crises such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), academics from the University’s Department of Applied Sciences are working to create a unique “superhydrophobic” – low friction – coating that enables surfaces to be functionalised in a way that destroys viruses whilst maintaining robust and easy-to-clean properties. While antiviral coatings are not a new concept, existing approaches can release undesirable chemical compounds into the environment, are not long lasting or are difficult to clean and maintain. This novel coating aims to provide a solution to the drawbacks of current formulas. Funding from DASA will enable the research team to explore wide-ranging applications, to understand whether the coating is universally robust on an array of surfaces and materials. It is hoped that in the future it could be used on high-contact surfaces such as handrails on public transport, hospital trolleys or shop till-points, as well as domestically – on door handles or bathroom taps, for example. Such a scientific development is a vital biodefence tool that could help bring down the COVID-19 ‘R’ rate, while allowing more scope for ‘normal’ life to continue. Dr Matt Unthank, project lead and Associate Professor in Polymer Chemistry, said: “Having the ability and insight to design multifunctional coating systems that can create long lasting defence against viruses, whilst also being compatible with everyday life, is challenging yet important. “It’s not just about destroying viruses in the laboratory. New coating systems and surface treatments need to be robustness, easy to clean, universal in their application, safe and low cost. Our research seeks to explore these interdependencies and to develop new antiviral coating systems for the current and future pandemics.” Routes to antiviral surfaces Disinfecting methods such as chemical, bleach or alcohol-based products actively destroy, or deactivate, microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses on contact. However, this approach requires constant retreatment of the surfaces with disinfecting agent which can be labour intensive and impractical. An alternative approach is to create a permanent or semi-permanent surface that destroys virus particles on contact, known as an ‘antiviral’ surface. These fall into two major categories: 1) those that slowly leach virucidal chemicals from a coated surface into the environment resulting in an antiviral effect, known as ‘controlled release’ biocidal or virucidal coatings. 2) those that have a surface that is permanently capable of destroying microorganisms, such as coronavirus and are known as ‘contact biocidal’ or ‘contact virucidal’ coating Ian Shortman, technical partner and Senior Scientist at Dstl, said: “This work aims to develop transparent coatings which are both biocidal and water repellent. The approaches being adopted could provide a wide range of benefits, and be easily applied to a range of surfaces such as textiles and plastics.” Andrew Caldwell, Head of DASA, said: “Congratulations to Northumbria University, we look forward to seeing the progress of this important and exciting project. “This work is a great example of how DASA working with others finds, funds and helps accelerate the development of important innovations that help keep us all safe.” Dr Matt Unthank and his team are focussing on developing new multifunctional contact biocidal and virucidal coatings, which are safe, do not release chemicals to the environment and are user friendly and universal in their application. One disadvantage of all biocidal and virucidal coatings is that surface contamination by dust, debris and dirt can disable its antiviral capabilities overtime. An ideal coating system would be both potent in its antimicrobial properties but also easy-clean or even self-cleaning in nature. This concept is the inspiration for the low friction, or ‘superhydrophobic’ qualities of the coatings under development by researchers at Northumbria University – a vision that sets it apart from existing antiviral coating technologies.
It is no longer news that the standard of personal hygiene and sanitation has been raised, over the years. High traffic areas with objects touched by different people require more attention to curtail the spread of germs. You will need to focus more of your attention on the areas or objects that attract a high population of people, as this has increased the need for more effective disinfection methods, and surface cleaner. Disinfection supplies, such as bleach, hydrogen peroxide, sprays and wipes have been witnessing high demand, and we can’t be blind to the roles they play in fighting microbial contamination. This article will expose you to the importance of bio fogging within office premises, which is a new approach to disinfection methods. As a result of the shift of higher sanitation requirements, it has gained more attention recently, even though the technology has been around for years. What is bio fogging? Over-the-counter disinfectants will only disinfect a small targeted area, due to the limited size and expulsion capabilities of a typical spray bottle. Bio fogging takes ordinary disinfecting to the next level. In areas of all sizes from a small studio apartment to a large business office, bio fogging is undoubtedly a very useful and powerful tool. Most importantly, bio fogging provides a wide-reaching mist that reaches hard surfaces and covers high traffic, applying disinfectant in a fell swoop. How it functions A liquid antimicrobial solution that is converted into a vapour is used with the aid of the ULV Fogger (Ultra Low Volume). It develops into a thick mist or fog-like atmosphere, as more vapour is dispersed, therefore the reason for the name ‘fogging.’ Ranging from hard-to-reach places that oftentimes go unnoticed, the fogging application covers anything it comes in contact with. It is also worthy of note that fogging fights airborne pathogens as it passes through lands and air, and on a surface. All hard-surfaces are wiped down to remove excess solution, once disinfection has been completed. It is important that after recently disinfecting your office building, you need to stay away from the environment, for at least 6 hours. Advantages of bio fogging It is normal for your office building or home, or other premises to naturally retain viruses, bacteria, and dust. Germs are of special concern in high contact areas, as they can gather anywhere. The objects you and other individuals touch the most are high contact areas with different objects and surfaces. Typical examples are light switches, tabletops, and doorknobs. The traffic these areas generate make them a hotspot and breed grounds of germs, and cross-contamination. People will leave bacteria for the next person to pick up because the more people that touch that same area. In addition to high contact areas increasing the chances of germs spreading between persons, they can also be a virus hotspot— Coronavirus, for instance. Other places you should be concerned with are the corners of your office building that you don’t clean often as a result of how difficult it is to reach them. tough-to-reach places still collect germs and may still receive contact from individuals, despite their remote location. With the help of fogging services, you will cut off the need to move furniture to enable you to disinfect contaminated areas. It is normal for Fog clings to the surface as it lands when applying disinfectant because it passes through the crack. With bio fogging, you save yourself heavy lifting and time, and still reaches hard-to-reach places. The most noticeable benefit bio fogging offers is its ability to clean any size of areas with ease. As aforementioned, over-the-counter supplies can only reach a limited area because of their simple spraying feature. The potency of fogging in combating Coronavirus Considering the way people contact the Coronavirus, which takes the same form of germs contamination, anti-covid fogging is, as a result, important. According to a study, Coronavirus can last 24 hours on cardboards, 72 hours on stainless steel and plastic. Even with the invention of the vaccine, it is still important to practise stringent hygiene measures which include disinfecting and cleaning objects and surfaces that are frequently touched by people, which further emphasizes the importance of bio fogging in the environment you stay in the most. We are likely to continue to see waves of coronavirus infections for some time to come, even when national restrictions are lifted all over the world. It would be worse during winter months because many people will be indoor for longer with less ventilation. Hence, the reason you have to continue using hygienic practices and stay vigilant.