LEAP® calcium aluminate-based specialty binders engineered to design lean mix mortars, able to do in one minute what used to take an hour and requiring much less product in a formulation — thus providing a giant ‘leap’ in specialty binder performance.. Doing more with less Population growth and increasing urbanisation around
Aggregate Industries has proven its unrivalled technical prowess once again having played a pivotal role in the development of a landmark new solution designed to provide automated, real-time reporting of embodied carbon emissions. Formed in Spring 2022, the Scope 3 initiative aims to drive real climate action by providing detailed,
Leading groundworks and drainage supply specialist Civils Store is the latest infrastructure materials distributor to recognise the advantages of StormTech, the world leading stormwater management system from Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (ADS). StormTech will now be available ex-stock from Civils Store. With Schedule 3 of the Flood & Water Management
A timber frame specialist which has never looked back after its first experience with Actis insulation products has just completed a seven-home development in East Sussex whose U-values far outstrip building regulation requirements, thanks to using its Hybrid range. The timber frame development in Crowborough is well on the way
Professor Robert Hairstans, of Edinburgh Napier University who is also the Director of the Centre for Advance Timber Technology at NMITE said: “The current crisis regarding a form of concrete known as RAAC, highlights a failure within the construction sector, in terms of poor specification of materials, leading to safety
Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG) has acquired the Colchester and Bury St Edmunds builders merchant operations of Kent Blaxill. The builders merchant operation, that provides a comprehensive range of building products, has been acquired by IBMG from PaintWell, the owners of Kent Blaxill. It will now operate as Kent Blaxill
Kingspan Group, the global leader in advanced insulation and innovative building solutions, is pleased to announce the completion of the LRM acquisition, a Parisian based waterproofing distribution specialist. Over the last four decades LRM has continuously evolved its product and service offering from fixings and accessories for roofs, waterproofing and
How are the needs of housebuilders, architects and property owners addressed by Haddonstone? Headed up by Director, Toby Marlow, Haddonstone has a well-established Building & Construction team whose job it is to ensure that projects are delivered on time and to the customer’s full satisfaction, irrespective of the size of
Roofing slates by Welsh Slate feature on Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno. A church in one of the first Conservation Areas in Wales has been given a new lease of life, thanks in part to Welsh Slate. Some 130m2 of Welsh Slate’s roofing slates have replaced their 150-year-old predecessors on
With the Met Office issuing a yellow warning as temperatures are predicted to reach 30 degrees in parts of England this weekend, insulation specialist Actis is alerting specifiers to the role insulation has to play in helping mitigate the effects of rising global temperatures. And with Part O of the
LEAP® calcium aluminate-based specialty binders engineered to design lean mix mortars, able to do in one minute what used to take an hour and requiring much less product in a formulation — thus providing a giant ‘leap’ in specialty binder performance.. Doing more with less Population growth and increasing urbanisation around the world is creating huge and growing demand for construction and improvements to vital infrastructure. Sustainability is a catalyst for fundamental change across the industry. At the same time, the climate crisis calls for global action to dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and create a low carbon economy. In short, the industry needs to do more with less – building smarter, faster and leaner. This requires alternative building products offering greater speed and agility. It means new composite material solutions and innovative new mineral combinations enabling the production of complex building envelopes from sustainable materials. LEAP® was developed to be a very robust binder with good reactivity at low temperatures, high early strength and dimensional stability. This means there are no compromises on both early and long-term performance. Moreover, LEAP®’s efficiency has a direct impact on a building’s Life Cycle Analysis and makes an environmental contribution to the downstream value chain. “LEAP® opens up ambitious new doors for both product performance and sustainable construction, allowing manufacturers to do much more with much less. It’s the next chapter in our proud and well-established calcium aluminate story.” Laurent Torres, Marketing Director of Imerys Construction. “The first, and major, benefit of using LEAP® is Lean Mix-Design, with up to 25% less product and raw materials required in a formulation for higher performing construction material with a lower CO2 footprint. By doing more with less, LEAP® enables unparalleled performance in all kinds of building materials, from grey to engineered mortars.” Hervé Fryda, Research & Development Director for Imerys Construction. High performance, high applicability Available as a ready-to-use powder with a long shelf life, LEAP®’s versatility allows manufacturers to tailor-make all applicative properties. “From repair mortars, precision grouts, screeds, tile adhesives… To mineral foams for boards & precast, LEAP® is THE technology to power Sustainable Construction in all applications,” adds Jérôme Grolleau, EMEA Sales Director for Imerys Building Solutions. Moreover, LEAP®’s light white colour gives it a visual appeal, meaning it can be leveraged for aesthetic purposes. With the various grades already available, the LEAP® technology platform opens the way for many new exciting formulations and potential for construction materials. When leveraged with Imerys’ technical expertise and network, the possibilities for tailor-made solutions are almost limitless. Key technical and sustainability benefits: To know more: https://www.imerys.com/product-ranges/leap Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Aggregate Industries has proven its unrivalled technical prowess once again having played a pivotal role in the development of a landmark new solution designed to provide automated, real-time reporting of embodied carbon emissions. Formed in Spring 2022, the Scope 3 initiative aims to drive real climate action by providing detailed, scientific embodied carbon emission calculations for the first time, as part of the automated invoice process. Headed up by construction software leader, Causeway Technologies, the project, which is due for completion next year, is being developed in collaboration with Balfour Beatty, Galliford Try and Morgan Sindall, alongside Aggregate Industries as major supplier. Dr Adam O’Rourke, Causeway’s emerging technologies consultant, comments: “As the net zero mandate grows, it’s vital that construction begins to tackle embodied carbon emissions head on. Unfortunately though, embodied carbon is incredibly difficult to measure and track due to the vast variants involved – the result being a lack of confidence in the various measurement systems available with firms often overestimating it as a precaution. “This Scope 3 initiative seeks to address the challenge by developing a solution which is able to provide wholly accurate, scientifically-led embodied carbon measurement in real-time reporting across projects as part of the invoice process.” In initial tests, Causeway worked with samples of 25,000 invoices from all involved stakeholders focusing on materials with the highest carbon impact. Crucially, Aggregate Industries’ unique Your Carbon Report provided a best practice example as part of the process – the system being capable of addressing embodied carbon figures down to the line-level items such as distance to plant, plant energy and distribution. Dr O’Rourke adds: “Aggregate Industries’ carbon reporting played a pivotal role in informing some of the strategic decision-making, thanks to the sheer level of detail and accuracy. While some suppliers tend to offer a standard carbon factor metric, with Aggregate Industries the measuring covers everything from the individual components of each different product and plant through to the distance to plant, raw material values, plant energy and distribution to site – and all in real-time.” Due for a formal launch next year, the Scope 3 initiative’s new software solution will offer a credible, verifiable, efficient and scalable way to measure Scope 3 emissions in real-time, using invoice data automatically extracted from Causeway Tradex. The companies collaborating on the initiative are currently engaging with suppliers, as well as validating and testing elements of this software. The project is also being supported via a knowledge partnership with the Engineering Department at the University of Bath. Kirstin McCarthy, Sustainability Director at Aggregate Industries, comments: “Talking to our customers, we know that sustainability is a priority and that they want to take progressive action in their approach to embodied carbon. However, we also know that the current way of doing things can be daunting and difficult. “With this, we purposely developed Your Carbon Report to provide our customers with the industry’s first true ‘cradle to grave’ measurement tool so they can see the embodied carbon impacts of their material choices quickly and with ease. “We are very proud to have been so heavily involved in the Scope 3 initiative, with our tool and our technical expertise helping to shape this important solution and we look forward to helping bring it to market in due course.” Aggregate Industries’ Your Carbon Report is the very first carbon reporting tool that enables customers to access a ‘cradle to site’ assessment to calculate, track and report embodied carbon with ease. The result is that construction professionals can easily access and view exacting material carbon-emissions data for products by manufactured Aggregate Industries, thus enabling carbon-smart choices during design and procurement. For further information, please visit www.aggregate.com.
Leading groundworks and drainage supply specialist Civils Store is the latest infrastructure materials distributor to recognise the advantages of StormTech, the world leading stormwater management system from Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (ADS). StormTech will now be available ex-stock from Civils Store. With Schedule 3 of the Flood & Water Management Act 2010, requiring developers to seek adoption of all their Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), expected to be implemented next year, the importance and accessibility of effective stormwater storage and attenuation systems is only set to increase. With Civils Store now stocking StormTech, a versatile and effective alternative to crates, ADS’s globally popular products can now be more readily sourced throughout Civil Store’s UK branch network. Combining arch-shaped chambers with an innovative, integrated water quality treatment system, StormTech has been used successfully in over 50,000 projects worldwide employing in excess of 3m units. Featuring a range of chamber sizes and its unique Isolator Row, providing ‘first flush’ cleansing and treatment of storm water run-off, StormTech is especially suited to applications requiring minimum cover, installation under trafficked areas and fast construction. As units are stackable, minimal space is required for storage and transport. StormTech fully complies with the recently updated Design and Construction Guidance for foul and surface water sewers (DCG), meaning that water companies in England can accept StormTech when offered for adoption by developers under Section 104 Agreements in accordance with the Water Industry Act 1991. Additionally, structural modelling to Eurocodes has demonstrated that StormTech SuDS attenuation chambers can be installed to the minimum and maximum cover depths detailed within the standard ADS installation guidelines, originally based on US standards. Kevin Hancock, Civils Store Managing Director, says of the new partnership with ADS, “We have enjoyed great success with StormTech on a buy-to-order basis, and with the huge increase in interest in StormTech and with Schedule 3 just round the corner, it makes perfect sense for us to bring StormTech into stock at our depots. Our first shipment is to Kent, then into Somerset, with other branches to follow.” For details of Civil Store branches, and to get a quotation, please visit bit.ly/civilsstore. For more information on Advanced Drainage Systems’ StormTech, including a handy Design Tool and Installation App or to book a CPD, go to www.adspipe.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A timber frame specialist which has never looked back after its first experience with Actis insulation products has just completed a seven-home development in East Sussex whose U-values far outstrip building regulation requirements, thanks to using its Hybrid range. The timber frame development in Crowborough is well on the way to being completed and Berkshire-based Vision Development, whose construction methods are super speedy, is about to start work on a second scheme in the area for the same developer. Vision installs Actis 105mm honeycomb-style insulation Hybris on all its open panel timber frames at its Reading factory, with insulating multifoil vapour control layer HControl Hybrid installed on site. The walls in the Sussex scheme, in line with the majority of Vision’s projects, achieved a U-value of 0.16w/m2k – far exceeding the building regulations requirement of 0.26, with the H Control element of the build-up playing a key role in ensuring thermal efficiency by acting as an airtightness layer. Walls in other Vision properties can offer between 0.14 and 0.18, depending on the external façade. Vision ditched its former go-to insulation choice, PIR board, back in 2018 after discovering how quick, clean and easy Actis products are to install. It has since completed more than 150 new timber frame homes using the system, with one, a luxury lakeside holiday development in the Cotswolds, The Lakes by Yoo, receiving an architectural award. And it is currently working on a top-secret project with roof U-values of 0.11, using Actis Boost R Hybrid, 155mm Hybris and H Control Hybrid to the internal face, which is destined to be featured on TV’s Grand Designs. Vision Development directors Lucy Karpinski and Luke McAuley have both expressed their satisfaction with the Actis Hybrid insulation system. “We and our workshop teams much prefer the Hybris for cutting and installing in the panels at our factory as it is far less messy and they don’t need to wear masks as it does not kick off dust like the PIR insulation we previously used and is a much safer product from a health and safety point of view.” “The ease of installation is attractive to us, as the main USP for timber frame is the speed of construction. There is also minimal waste, which again works well with our timber frame ethic of being environmentally friendly and the insulation being non-toxic. It is much quicker to use than PIR board and takes around half the labour time to install. “We undertake a wide range of projects and Hybris insulation has offered a cost effective and convenient solution for them all.” “The technical support from Actis has always been extremely efficient and informative. We even had a team from Actis HQ in France coming over to visit us to see how we use their products with our timber frame systems to achieve varying U-values.” The products are supplied by Minster. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Professor Robert Hairstans, of Edinburgh Napier University who is also the Director of the Centre for Advance Timber Technology at NMITE said: “The current crisis regarding a form of concrete known as RAAC, highlights a failure within the construction sector, in terms of poor specification of materials, leading to safety risks. “It is concerning that RAAC, which has a lifespan of about 30 years and is prone to collapse when exposed to water, has been commonly used in low-rise structures with flat roofs. Even if the product isn’t for the roof, water can still get in and cause problems. The carbon impact of RAAC should also have been considered more thoroughly. Despite using less concrete, its short lifespan of 30 years contributes significantly to environmental impact. “In comparison, timber as a construction material offers longevity, durability and can capture carbon in the built environment for centuries – as evidenced by a vast array of buildings constructed generations ago that are still around today. If properly designed and constructed, timber buildings have low embodied energy and carbon emissions which, when combined with proper insulation for optimal operational performance, can achieve net-zero emissions.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG) has acquired the Colchester and Bury St Edmunds builders merchant operations of Kent Blaxill. The builders merchant operation, that provides a comprehensive range of building products, has been acquired by IBMG from PaintWell, the owners of Kent Blaxill. It will now operate as Kent Blaxill Builders Merchants. Trading from two sites – in Suffolk and Essex – the acquisition expands IBMG’s builders merchant network into East Anglia for the first time, and provides a strong platform for further growth in the region. Mark Ward, branch director, will remain with the business and will be working with Allun Pittingale, IBMG’s Group Managing Director South East and IBMG’s leadership team to integrate the two businesses and realise the potential that this partnership brings. Martin Stables CEO, IBMG said “Independent Builders Merchant Group is essentially carving out the builders merchant operations of the PaintWell-owed Kent Blaxill network. The acquisition makes perfect business sense for the builders merchanting side of Kent Blaxill who will benefit from our expertise in supplying the small and medium sized builder, backed by our best in class builders merchanting infrastructure and systems. “For IBMG, the Colchester and Bury St Edmunds branches are highly complementary in terms of product offering and will merge seamlessly into our network of branches. It’s also very exciting to extend our presence in East Anglia with locations in Suffolk and Essex marking virgin geographical territory for the Builders Merchant arm of the Group. “Keith Reville CEO of PaintWell said: “Our shared values, vision and commitment to our builder customers make this an obvious partnership. IBMG is leading the way in customer service and provides endless opportunities for growth and innovation – adding immense value to our offering. As a result, we are confident that our integration will be smooth and that our staff and customers will benefit hugely from being part of IBMG. “ Kent Blaxill’s painting & decorating business will continue to operate under the leadership of PaintWell. IBMG now owns 174 merchant branches throughout the South of England. With this latest acquisition this includes 86 builders merchant branches, that now, for the first time, extend into East Anglia. More than 100,000 trade customers rely on IBMG branches every week. For further information, please contact info@independentbm.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kingspan Group, the global leader in advanced insulation and innovative building solutions, is pleased to announce the completion of the LRM acquisition, a Parisian based waterproofing distribution specialist. Over the last four decades LRM has continuously evolved its product and service offering from fixings and accessories for roofs, waterproofing and facade products, to incorporate a safety range, including products such as lifelines, crinoline ladders and security railings. LRM made the strategic decision to move from their point-of-sale facility in Asnieres, to la Courneuve in the north of Paris in 1998 to better serve their customers – a larger facility next to the A86, A1 and the Parisian peripheric. In 2015 they opened a second store in Antony in the south of Paris, now giving additional proximity to the region of Paris that is responsible for approximately 30% of French construction. Over recent years, the business has continued to grow from strength to strength with the launch of its e-commerce webstore and the opening of a new store in la Courneuve with a showroom and click & collect counter. ‘’At LRM, we want to take the best care possible of our customer. We are constantly developing our range of product and services to make sure we are evolving with our customer’s needs. Being part of the Kingspan Group now means that we have great synergies that will allow us to expand our product offering with complementary products such as panels, insulation board, daylighting systems” – José Lourenço Operations Director LRM ‘‘For Kingspan, this acquisition is strategically a great fit for our business in France. LRM will sit naturally with our distribution business for waterproofing specialists, Maison de l’etancheur (MDE). The businesses are very customer focused and have great people with excellent knowledge and expertise. MDE can benefit from the distribution channels LRM have in the Parisian region and LRM are attracted by the complementary product range, so this is a huge opportunity for both LRM and MDE.’’ – Geoffrey Janssens, Managing Director Maison de l’étancheur (MDE) ‘’We are delighted to welcome LRM on board! This is a major step for Kingspan in the french market with our first physical presence in the Paris region. In France, MDE has been part of the Bacacier Group, now part of the Kingspan Group, since 2008. During this time they have been very successful and I am certain this new venture will bring many more opportunities.’’ – Cedric Bruge, President Bacacier Group Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
How are the needs of housebuilders, architects and property owners addressed by Haddonstone? Headed up by Director, Toby Marlow, Haddonstone has a well-established Building & Construction team whose job it is to ensure that projects are delivered on time and to the customer’s full satisfaction, irrespective of the size of order. When is Haddonstone’s Building and Construction team available to consult regarding projects and specific orders? The helpful and professional team is available five days a week during office hours. On occasions – perhaps where an enquiry relates to guidance on area specific conservation matters, or the possible effects of localised air pollution – the team may refer the client to an appropriate independent consultant. Meanwhile Haddonstone’s approved specialist installers are also available to advise on practical challenges. What design assistance can customers expect to access? The manufacturer is very flexible in the ways it is willing to receive project specific information which can include the supply of general arrangement, 3D images and CAD drawings, sketches or photographs of old and damaged components which require matching. Along with its quotation, Haddonstone will generate integrated production drawings using its AutoCAD software: enabling architects and construction managers to gain a full understanding of their products and design capabilities. Private clients normally prefer to receive detailed component drawings along with plan and elevation drawings. General technical drawings are available to download from the website at https://www.haddonstone.com/en-gb/resources/ Does Haddonstone supply bespoke products in addition to its standard ranges? Over 80% of the company’s Building and Construction cast stone components are manufactured bespoke to meet clients’ requirements; as a result, designers and project managers work closely with architects to detail and produce components for any age or style of property. These can include string courses, copings, entablatures, keystones, cills and a wide variety of plaques and other enrichments. What styles of architecture does Haddonstone offer? Many of the contemporary developments, which Haddonstone is asked to get involved with, draw on the Georgian era though the company is also experienced in supplying Victorian, Edwardian and other period styles, while much of its statuary is classical or contemporary. With unrivalled workshop facilities, Haddonstone can produce virtually any type of component to order and in a selection of colours. How can contractors and other customers keep track of their orders once placed? Once an order has been placed, a unique order number is issued via email confirmation and updates on the delivery date can be obtained by contacting an allocated project manager. Call-off of deliveries from large orders are carried out in the same way. For more information on Haddonstone’s products and services, including from the Building and Construction team, please visit https://www.haddonstone.com/en-gb/building-and-construction/ For further information, call 01604 770711 or visit www.haddonstone.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Roofing slates by Welsh Slate feature on Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno. A church in one of the first Conservation Areas in Wales has been given a new lease of life, thanks in part to Welsh Slate. Some 130m2 of Welsh Slate’s roofing slates have replaced their 150-year-old predecessors on the roof of the chancel at the Grade II listed parish church of Holy Trinity in Llandudno which was consecrated in 1874. Architects, surveyors and historic building consultants Kepczyk Pearce Sanderson, who specialise in the conservation and repair of listed and historic buildings and sites, had identified several significant repair issues with the fabric of the church as part of their Ezra Condition report of 2019 for the Diocese of Bangor. Their brief to repair the high-level west tower masonry, and the apsidal roof, rainwater goods and lead-lined gutters of the chancel was met by considered repairs based on sound conservation practice and philosophy. The reroof was carried out by specialist contractors Greenough & Sons using Welsh Slate’s standard shaped Penrhyn Heather Blues interspersed with four rows of scalloped and one row of chevroned slates midway up the pitch of around 60°. Andrew Kepczyk said: “Where and when it is appropriate, we only ever specify Welsh Slate as its quality and durability is unsurpassed.” Welsh Slate’s roofing slates are extremely sustainable, being guaranteed for 100 years and frequently lasting much longer, like those at Holy Trinity which had lasted almost 150 years. In addition, natural slate roofing can be recycled or repurposed at the end of its useful life as roofing material and is frequently used for multiple purposes in the garden. Greenough & Sons took eight weeks on the reroof which featured open rafters to straight sections, with boarded and counter-battened curved sections at the far end. Jon Greenough said: “There were heritage requirements, such as replicating the original details, combined with improving the roof’s expected life span. This required highly skilled, experienced slaters, and careful management and supervision to meet the architect’s exacting specification and requirements. “But the Welsh Slate performed superbly. It gave the slaters confidence on what they were doing, knowing that the strength and durability of the product is second to none.” A report by main contractor Grosvenor Construction said Llandudno’s position on the Creuddyn peninsular meant the church was constantly buffeted by harsh westerly winds which had damaged the building over time, making parts of the west tower unstable and requiring emergency works. In addition to the masonry work on the tower, the chancel roof at the rear of the church had leaked and the whole roof required reslating. “This was an interesting and complex job due to the curved form at the rear of the roof. Grosvenor collaborated with Greenough & Sons Roofing Contractors who used Heather Blue slates from Penrhyn quarry, widely believed to be some of the best slates in the world,” said the report. As with much of Llandudno, the land for Holy Trinity was given by the Mostyn family, and the Mostyn estate architect George Felton was appointed to design the new church on a site in the town centre. This was subsequently designated as one of the first Conservation Areas in Wales due to its significance as a splendid example of mid-Victorian town planning, characterised by beautifully detailed and elegant terraces of classically influenced buildings. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
With the Met Office issuing a yellow warning as temperatures are predicted to reach 30 degrees in parts of England this weekend, insulation specialist Actis is alerting specifiers to the role insulation has to play in helping mitigate the effects of rising global temperatures. And with Part O of the building regulations obliging architects to limit unwanted solar gains and provide a way to remove heat from residential dwellings, Actis stresses that while some insulation products can make homes unbearably hot in the summer, reflective alternatives also act as coolants – helping protect the health and comfort of the occupants. And its latest product – two-in-one Eolis HC – launched last month, joins its well-established Hybrid range in helping buildings stay cool. The technical experts behind the creation of the new product, a reflective insulation with an integrated vapour barrier created from Actis’ revolutionary Triplex technology, explain that the reflective films from which it is created reflect 90% of infrared radiation. Mark Cooper, UK and Ireland sales manager at Actis, said: “”As we know, some forms of insulation can make houses blisteringly hot in the summer. Not so with our products, which are designed to help keep houses cool in summer as well as warm in winter. Using reflective insulation alone is not the answer to addressing the impact of climate change, but it will mitigate some of the effects by enabling houses to remain at a pleasant temperature. “No form of insulation can address the significant effects of solar gain through windows though. That needs to be addressed by judicious use of curtains or siting the windows in strategic positions – a job for the architect.” The Triplex technology on which Eolis HC is based is created from a number of layers of reflective films, each separated by a thin layer of fibre, trapping air between each section, boosting thermal performance. A new colour-coded alert system was launched last week in response to more frequent heatwaves sparked by climate change. Run by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHS)A and the Met Office, it is aimed at reducing illness and deaths among vulnerable people. As well as the current yellow alert, amber means the impact could affect the wider population and is likely to be felt across the whole health service, while red means a significant risk to life, even for healthy people, and a severe impact expected across all sectors.
