Tradelink, one of the UK’s leading windows and doors manufacturer, has invested heavily in a new factory in Mildenhall, Suffolk. With over 29 years’ experience in the windows and doors industry, Tradelink specialises in PVC-U and aluminium windows, doors, sealed units and conservatories. There are also timber alternatives in the
In more recent years, we’ve adapted to spending almost 90% of our time indoors and in the workplace. This lifestyle change means that we typically spend less time in natural light, so this has a huge impact on our circadian rhythms – our natural body clock that is responsible for
Sika, a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of building products, has been awarded the EWI Excellence Award at the INCA Awards (The Insulated Render and Cladding Association). Held at the Queens Hotel in Leeds, the INCA Awards were hosted by comedian and broadcaster
Construction materials supplier Euroform confirms that its ‘Easyboard®’ exterior grade fibre cement board now has BDA Agrément certification. Easyboard®, which makes an ideal exterior sheathing board for steel frame system (SFS) walling, is one of the first boards of its kind to combine the benefits of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)
Leading builders merchant Haldane Fisher has been shortlisted as the Builders Merchant of the Year (6 – 20 Branches) at the prestigious Builders Merchants Awards. Recognising those that have shown commitment to innovation, delivering excellent customer service, and boosting the success of the company, the awards will celebrate the best
Low Carbon Materials (LCM), the science-led construction company, has announced it is one of the three international finalists in the world’s most prestigious environmental prize, The 2022 Earthshot Prize. The UK-based company is competing in the Fix Our Climate category, having been recognised by HRH Prince William as an accomplished
Daylight systems manufacturer, Brett Martin will offer insight into sustainable rooflight features, material choice and optimising design with the launch of its latest CPD entitled Industrial Rooflights – How to Reduce Expense & Risk. Aimed at helping to educate main contractors, architects, building owners and developers, this new CPD explores the
Aggregate Industries inspires customers to make an ECOPact with special event : 40+ senior construction stakeholders come together to learn how the latest in green concrete innovation can contribute to net zero goals As part of its ongoing commitment to leading the construction industry’s pathway to a more sustainable future,
Aggregate Industries will be showcasing its wide range of green construction material innovations and vast expertise in the road surfacing sector at the Highways UK 2022 exhibition as it continues in its mission to fast-track sustainability in the future of construction. Taking place on 2nd – 3rd November at the
Since the launch of net zero EnviroHoard™ in 2021, Panthera Group contracts for the sustainable site protection hoarding system now exceed 53% of all hoarding sales in the business; a figure that far outperforms predicted forecasts. This is no doubt assisted by the wider construction sector’s drive for net zero.
Tradelink, one of the UK’s leading windows and doors manufacturer, has invested heavily in a new factory in Mildenhall, Suffolk. With over 29 years’ experience in the windows and doors industry, Tradelink specialises in PVC-U and aluminium windows, doors, sealed units and conservatories. There are also timber alternatives in the comprehensive portfolio. The company, with WindowCenters across the UK, has been manufacturing in Mildenhall for over 15 years and the rare opportunity to acquire more premises arose. Stuart Judge, MD, takes up the story, “When we saw the opportunity for more space, we took it as we have introduced a new range of composite doors – SOTERIA. It made perfect sense to acquire more square metres in Mildenhall! We also needed to expand due to increased demand for our core products.” The Tradelink customer comes in many guises – a developer, builder, trade installer or homeowner – and, from the new premises in Mildenhall, all customers across the UK can be serviced. Andy Worroll, Head of Operations, comments “These are exciting times at Tradelink and everyone is looking forward to the future. The addition of our new dedicated door factory will free up valuable capacity at our other sites so we can focus on casements and new product launches. We have assembled a great team to assist with the transformation which will accelerate our manufacturing capabilities by around 20% across all product ranges.” For further information, please visit https://tradelinkdirect.com Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
In more recent years, we’ve adapted to spending almost 90% of our time indoors and in the workplace. This lifestyle change means that we typically spend less time in natural light, so this has a huge impact on our circadian rhythms – our natural body clock that is responsible for our daily sleep-wake routine. This rhythm is heavily reliant on the amount of light reaching our eyes. Helvar is a leading provider of intelligent lighting control products and solutions and understands the impact light has on people’s wellbeing and functionality. The workplace’s human-centric lighting is the easiest way to support employees’ wellbeing, performance, and circadian rhythm, and thus prevent winter blues and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). As many studies show, light affects complex systems that govern the 24-hour circadian clock in the brain, which regulates not just our sleep-wake cycles, but also hormonal activity, digestion, and other important bodily functions. Lighting has a direct impact on our brain and our hormone balance via the retina in our eyes. The contrast, colour temperatures and effective spectrum in light are key to our circadian rhythm. If we don’t receive enough light, the happiness neurotransmitter serotonin isn’t released to the same extent. While this can be just a transitory case of the winter blues, for some it’s a sign of SAD with symptoms similar to depression. Studies suggest that 20% of us might experience a mild version of the winter blues, while 1-5% might be suffering from SAD due to the shortening in day length and lower light intensity. The winter’s shorter days and lack of sunshine and natural bright blue light affect people in the Northern latitudes. During the winter months, people leave their homes in the dark and then commute home again, in the dark. If they also spend all day in a workplace without enough bright light, it can affect most people’s dispositions. “Ideally, to keep or reset our circadian rhythm, we would receive lots of natural, bright, blue-enriched light at the right time of the morning. The open sky’s light intensities range between 10 000 and even greater than 100 000 lux with 4000-6500 Kelvin (pure white to bright blue colour temperatures). During the darker winter period in the Northern latitudes, this is not the case. Also, the lighting levels in an average working area can be a marginal 300-500 lux. This light intensity doesn’t provide enough bright light and contrasting lighting conditions during the working day. As people spend most of their time indoors e.g. at work, these places should support people’s wellbeing and body-clock needs – provide good quality light with variability to counter the effects causing winter blues or SAD during the darker periods”, describes Helvar’s Marketing Manager Tarja Jokiniemi in her blog about Winter Blues and Workplace Lighting. In the Helvar 100 – Discovering Brighter Spaces Event, Performance Scientist James Hewitt shared his findings on good lighting and circadian rhythm: “Inconsistent light-dark cycles related to our lifestyles mean that we are gradually falling more and more out of sync with our environment. In fact, in industrialised societies, our body clocks are becoming more delayed. We feel like it’s earlier relative to the earth’s day-night cycle, which means that it’s more challenging to wake up in the morning and harder to get to sleep at night. This delay might be explained by weaker Zeitgeber time cues related to a smaller contrast between light and dark in our environment.” Fixed, traditional lighting isn’t designed to support our wellbeing. It lacks the ability to tune lighting levels throughout the day as optimal lighting conditions would also require variation in hues and intensity. Helvar’s modern human-centric lighting controls, however, offer dynamic lighting features including brightness and colour temperature controls. By incorporating these dynamic features in a workplace, a human-centric lighting system more accurately emulates natural light, therefore supporting the circadian rhythms of everyone using the space. To read the whole story, click here. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Sika, a specialty chemicals company with a leading position in the development and production of building products, has been awarded the EWI Excellence Award at the INCA Awards (The Insulated Render and Cladding Association). Held at the Queens Hotel in Leeds, the INCA Awards were hosted by comedian and broadcaster Paul Sinha and recognised outstanding workmanship and innovation shown by its members in external wall insulation. Sika stood out against a wide range of exceptional projects for its work with Swansea Borough Council in upgrading the energy efficiency of its housing stock. The win in this category comes at a time when so many households are facing fuel poverty due to rising energy costs. The improvements to council houses across Swansea, has seen Swansea Council work with Sika in improving the external fabric and increasing insulation as part of efforts to reduce residents’ energy bills. “This was a fantastic night for Sika and Swansea Council. We were delighted to have won this award, which is testament to all the hard work of our team and the high standards we deliver across the external wall insulation industry,” said Darren Bunting, UK Distribution, Business Unit Manager at Sika. Winning this prestigious award has further enhanced Sika’s reputation for manufacture and supply of market leading external wall insulation systems that set the highest standards. “We are delighted with the accolade which is a credit to our hard work across this project. It also recognises the unique relationship between Swansea Council and Sika in creating jobs, reducing emissions, reducing fuel poverty and creating more comfortable homes,” added Matt Allen, Head of Sales for Building Finishing at Sika. Sika Limited and Sika Ireland Limited are part of the global Sika Group, specialising in the manufacture and supply of chemical based products. Sika has a leading position in the development and production of systems and products for bonding, sealing, damping, reinforcing, and protecting in the building sector and the motor vehicle industry. Sika has subsidiaries in 100 countries around the world and manufactures in over 300 factories. With more than 25,000 employees Sika generates annual sales of CHF 7.9 billion (£6.14 bn). Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Construction materials supplier Euroform confirms that its ‘Easyboard®’ exterior grade fibre cement board now has BDA Agrément certification. Easyboard®, which makes an ideal exterior sheathing board for steel frame system (SFS) walling, is one of the first boards of its kind to combine the benefits of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) into a light weight ‘score & snap’ building board, making it quick and easy to install. The BDA Agrément certification confirms Easyboard® performance as a building board for non-structural use in indoor and outdoor non-loadbearing applications, such as for use in the planking and lining of walls, for sheathing timber frame or steel frame supporting walls, and for ceilings and roof truss structures. “Easyboard® is a highly durable OPC based board that has the same workability as a gypsum-based board,” says Euroform’s technical director John Taylor. Whereas traditional cement-based boards require cutting with power tools, creating dust and taking time, Easyboard® is manufactured with a process that combines the cement with a reinforcing matrix that enhances its workability, so that it can be scored and snapped with a traditional utility knife. The edges do not require sealing as would be the case with an external plasterboard installation. Currently being installed as part of a SFS wall at a large commercial/residential project at The Castings, Manchester, subcontractor AM Structure’s dry liner reports, “I couldn’t believe how easy the board was to score and snap, especially for an OPC board. It is such a time saver and better for dust. We should like to use the board on future SFS sheathing installations.” Easyboard®’s BDA Agrément certificate confirms the product’s fire performance as being A1 non-combustible in accordance with BS EN 13501-1. Euroform points out that, in all cases Euroform should be consulted to discuss specifier/project requirements to advise on the suitability of Easyboard® in respect of fire resistance. Other product characteristics independently assessed through the BDA Agrément process include moisture control, strength and durability. Details of water impermeability, water absorption, load resistance, impact resistance and thermal performance are all available. Easyboard® is quicker to install than traditional cement based boards due to its lower density of 900kg/m3 (minimum). A video demonstrating the ease with which Easyboard® can be cut via the ‘score & snap’ method can be seen at: https://www.euroform.co.uk/easyboard/ Euroform has been developing, fabricating and supplying materials for the construction industry since 1995. Euroform specialises in ensuring fire and thermal compliance across its product range. Each product is supported by an experienced and knowledgeable technical team to provide advice and guidance. Based at Warrington, Euroform is part of Performance Technology Group an SIG Trading Ltd group of companies specialising in supporting the construction industry to meet acoustic, fire, thermal and vibration challenges. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Leading builders merchant Haldane Fisher has been shortlisted as the Builders Merchant of the Year (6 – 20 Branches) at the prestigious Builders Merchants Awards. Recognising those that have shown commitment to innovation, delivering excellent customer service, and boosting the success of the company, the awards will celebrate the best of the best at a ceremony in Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, in November. David Haldane, Managing Director of Haldane Fisher, said: “As one of only three builders merchants to be shortlisted, we are thrilled to have been recognised for our dedication to going to above and beyond to place the customer at the heart of everything we do. “We pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service and encourage our team to take part in regular training, helping us to provide trusted advice for both trade and general public undergoing any type of construction project.” Haldane Fisher, which has 20 branches across Northern Ireland, England, and Scotland, offers customers over 13,000 products across 800 brands. David continued: “In addition to striving for excellence across the business, we continually invest in innovation and growth to ensure we embody best practice and remain at the forefront of the industry. “Being shortlisted for this award is a testament to our team who are committed to working together to facilitate the continued development of not only the business, but the sector as a whole.” Also shortlisted for the Branch of the Year is TG Builders Merchants and EH Smith Builders Merchants. For more information, visit haldane-fisher.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Low Carbon Materials (LCM), the science-led construction company, has announced it is one of the three international finalists in the world’s most prestigious environmental prize, The 2022 Earthshot Prize. The UK-based company is competing in the Fix Our Climate category, having been recognised by HRH Prince William as an accomplished group of entrepreneurs and innovators spearheading ground-breaking solutions to the biggest environmental challenges our planet faces. LCM was founded to shape the green construction sector with its science-based, lower carbon, new-age building material OSTO. OSTO is a carbon-negative lightweight aggregate for concrete produced out of waste and by-products. It is a game-changer for the construction industry, which works by making traditional carbon-intensive blocks carbon-zero, thereby reducing their environmental impact. “We are absolutely thrilled to be nominated and now to be through to the final stages in this competition. It is such an honour to be included alongside such pioneering organisations and individuals who are engaged in truly astounding environmental initiatives,” said CEO and Co-Founder Dr Natasha Boulding. “To have our low-carbon, waste-based building material recognised as a formidable solution that can be scaled to reverse environmental damage and to better protect the environment is truly game-changing. This is real independent verification from the highest authority that our product has the potential to help fix our planet,” she added. Finalists for the Earthshot Prize are eligible for the £1 million prize, as well as receiving tailored support and resources from The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance Members, an unprecedented network of private sector businesses around the world committed to helping scale innovative climate and environmental solutions and multiplying their impact. The five Winners will be selected by The Earthshot Prize Council, a diverse team of influential individuals committed to using their platforms to champion inspiring leadership and elevate urgent efforts to repair and regenerate the planet. The Earthshot Prize Council Members include: HRH Prince William, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Alves Da Silva, Sir David Attenborough, Ernest Gibson, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Jack Ma, Shakira Mebarak, Yao Ming, Luisa Neubauer, Indra Nooyi, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Naoko Yamazaki. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Daylight systems manufacturer, Brett Martin will offer insight into sustainable rooflight features, material choice and optimising design with the launch of its latest CPD entitled Industrial Rooflights – How to Reduce Expense & Risk. Aimed at helping to educate main contractors, architects, building owners and developers, this new CPD explores the factors that influence cost and risk when using industrial rooflights on logistics buildings, factories and other warehousing. It is the second in a series of CPD seminars relevant to the specification of rooflights and demonstrates the crucial role of natural light in ensuring buildings meet the stringent efficiency targets for today’s built environment. Presented by Brett Martin’s dedicated specification managers, this new 45-minute seminar includes discussions and Q & A. Topics covered include: This seminar is a follow-up to Brett Martin’s Industrial Rooflights & A Low Carbon Future CPD which examines the key performance criteria in terms of regulations and carbon reduction targets. Commenting, William McDowell – Business Development Manager at Brett Martin Daylight Systems said: “As a leading manufacturer of rooflight products, we are well placed to help educate architects and specifiers about the benefits of industrial rooflights. Our new CPD presentation will help these construction professionals gain an even better understanding of the factors that influence expense and risk when using industrial rooflights.” To register your interest in attending a Brett Martin CPD seminar, please click here For more information on Brett Martin, please visit www.brettmartin.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Aggregate Industries inspires customers to make an ECOPact with special event : 40+ senior construction stakeholders come together to learn how the latest in green concrete innovation can contribute to net zero goals As part of its ongoing commitment to leading the construction industry’s pathway to a more sustainable future, this month saw Aggregate Industries’ London Concrete team hold an exclusive customer day to showcase its revolutionary green concrete range, ECOPact. Taking place on 12th October at London Concrete’s Battersea plant, the one-off event saw over 40 customers, including construction directors, project managers, quality managers and sustainability stakeholders, come together to learn more about ECOPact and its potential in contributing to sustainability strategy. During the course of the day, attendees received exclusive presentations from senior leaders within the Aggregate Industries business covering its ambitious sustainability strategy and commitment to driving green building innovation, along with dedicated focus on the carbon benefits of switching to a greener concrete. Alongside this, visitors also got a chance to tour London Concrete’s vast manufacturing plant and see first-hand how ECOPact performs in a series of live demonstrations. Colleagues from parent group, Holcim’s Research and Development lab in Lyon also attended and shared the latest key digital tools and innovation in sustainable construction. Following the event’s marked success, Aggregates Industries is planning to roll out similar events in other parts of the country in the coming months, starting with Manchester. “We are delighted that our first ECOPact customer event was such a success, with over 40 major stakeholders from throughout the London region coming along to find out more about ECOPact and the huge impact it can make in delivering on sustainable construction,” said Veronika Elfmarkova, ECOPact Product Manager. “Feedback across the board was fantastic, with many attendees stating it had inspired them as to how the specification choices they make today can support construction’s response to the climate crisis.” Sarah James, Marketing Manager for Readymix Concrete at Aggregate Industries adds: “Amid growing urgency around the climate crisis, construction continues to come under new pressure to advance environmental priorities and build greener. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean key decisionmakers will have a full grasp of the latest green building solutions available and, more importantly, how they benefit their business. “With this in mind, our ECOPact event was purposely designed to provide a tangible demonstration of our sustainable ECOPact concrete range in practice and provide an open forum for any questions or enquiries our customers may have. It was a great day had by all and we are now looking to roll it out further afield in the coming months.” Aggregate Industries’ innovative ECOPact offers a range of green concrete solutions that meets the evolving needs of its customers and clients without compromising on quality. It gives customers a range of options to reduce the CO2 emissions of their concrete supply by between 30% and 70% compared to standard (CEM I) concrete. For further information please visit ECOPact please visit https://www.aggregate.com/ecopact or email ecopact-aiuk@aggregate.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Aggregate Industries will be showcasing its wide range of green construction material innovations and vast expertise in the road surfacing sector at the Highways UK 2022 exhibition as it continues in its mission to fast-track sustainability in the future of construction. Taking place on 2nd – 3rd November at the NEC, Birmingham the Highways UK exhibition brings together all key stakeholders responsible for planning, developing, managing, maintaining, and future-proofing the nation’s road networks. Since launching in 2015, it has quickly become the most popular annual event in the industry’s calendar. Located at stand G11, Aggregate Industries’ Surfacing Solutions senior leadership team will be on hand during the two days to discuss the business’ wide range of innovative sustainable road surfacing solutions, along with the business’ renowned contracting services. Key green innovations set to be discussed at Aggregate Industries stand include SuperLow-Carbon – the industry’s first biogenic asphalt – along with Foamix, which uses up to 95% recycled or reclaimed products in the mix design. Visitors will also get insight on the business’ warm mix asphalt range, now available as standard, providing a more sustainable solution for surfacing applications. “We’re thrilled to be returning to Highways UK this year where we will be showcasing our full scope of sustainable solutions designed for the sector,” said Thomas Edgcumbe, Managing Director for Surfacing Solutions at Aggregate Industries. “Greener highways may be high on the list as Britain looks to its net zero future, but it still faces some important challenges. One of the most pressing of these is transitioning to credible low-carbon solutions that deliver the same structural integrity as traditional ones while delivering on wider net zero aims. Adding further complexity is the challenge of tight deadlines, restricted budgets and economic uncertainty. As we see it, our job is to make easier work of this shift by not just developing innovations to meet the future challenge, but the expertise to deliver them at scale and pace.” For Aggregate Industries it isn’t just about helping the industry building greener now but inspiring and empowering the next generation. This is seen as, as part of the show’s Exhibitors’ Trail; the business will host three groups of local school children who will learn more about carbon reduction in construction and the wide variety of job opportunities available through Aggregate Industries’ apprenticeship scheme. Alongside this, the children, as with all attendees, will get a chance to take part in the ‘Carbon Conundrum’ game which involves creating a road scheme and being awarded a traffic light rating on carbon and social value. As a key event sponsor, the company’s Sustainability Director, Kirstin McCarthy will also be hosting an expert talk at the event entitled ‘Transition to Net Zero’ covering the latest sustainable construction solutions and processes on the market and the role they can play in accelerating the net zero trajectory. Talking of the show, Kirstin adds: “Drawing on our rich legacy of working on some of the biggest road surfacing projects in Britain, we continue to invest heavily in developing and delivering the innovation needed to enable a greener highways future. Highways UK offers the ideal platform to demonstrate our ever-expanding portfolio and provide expert consultancy, and we look forward to meeting as many attendees as possible.” Aggregate Industries’ expert ‘Transition to Net Zero’ speaker slot will take place on 2nd November at 2.50pm. To find out more visit www.highways.co.uk. Alternatively, for more information on Aggregate Industries’ Surfacing Solutions visit www.aggregate.com
Since the launch of net zero EnviroHoard™ in 2021, Panthera Group contracts for the sustainable site protection hoarding system now exceed 53% of all hoarding sales in the business; a figure that far outperforms predicted forecasts. This is no doubt assisted by the wider construction sector’s drive for net zero. As a result, the in-house production of patent-pending EnviroBlok™ has increased by over a third and Panthera Group has not only recruited additional production staff, but has had to procure additional steel moulds to meet demand. The unique, low carbon block integrates 50% GGBS providing a saving in CO2 of 194 kg / m³ compared to CEMI concrete. It is produced to Panthera’s specification by Hanson Concrete and poured into unique moulds designed by Neal James, Managing Director of Panthera. The blocks are one element of the vertical integration strategy pioneered by Neal who wanted to take control of as many areas of production as possible to ensure quality and stock levels. Despite global economic challenges, the company’s order book for its EnviroHoard™ system is surpassing all expectations. “A combination of new projects and the switch from timber hoarding to EnviroHoard™ has driven demand of the systems low carbon 800kg support block. This is now a full-time operation at Panthera Group and so we are delighted to welcome, Kieran and Harry, who have joined the company to supports its manufacturing of EnviroBlok. With unique fixings inherent in the design, this is a skilled role and one that assures a quality product. I am delighted our focus on sustainable hoarding is having a real impact across the construction industry.”
