Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA) has today launched its guide to the use of PIR insulation in flat roofs in England. Created for specifiers, building owners, main contractors and roofing contractors, it offers expert advice on the key aspects affecting the specification of PIR insulation for flat roof applications. As the
As a pioneer of pressure piping, GF Piping Systems (GF) announced today the introduction of bio-attributed materials to all of its market-leading polyvinyl chloride (PVC-U) metric pressure pipes, fittings and valves produced in Europe. The sustainable PVC resin, made using tall oil, a waste product from paper production will see
Simon Woods, European Sales, Marketing and Logistics Director explains how West Fraser is helping the construction industry to help the environment As the world becomes more and more aware of the effect we have on the planet, it is important for the construction industry to realise how it affects the
Johnson Tiles has partnered with leading housebuilder, Barratt Developments, to build a unique zero carbon concept home – ‘Z House’. Featuring six tile ranges across four rooms, the flagship project is the first new home in the country, built by a major housebuilder, to go beyond the new Future Homes
OpenBlue Enterprise Manager’s new Performance Advisor application is an all-in-one AI powered solution for optimising both sustainability and health metrics in buildings Industry’s first indoor air quality control system that also monitors energy impact, occupant comfort and space utilisation, breaking down data silos and creating reporting outputs in a single
B&Q opens its new Colchester store at Stane Park Colchester is B&Q’s first purpose-built digital store as the brand commits to e-commerce growth The Mayor declares the store officially open with ribbon cutting ceremony B&Q’s new Colchester store was declared officially open today with a formal cutting of the ribbon
High security composite panels specialist Modular Security Solutions is providing the building sector with additional protection for people and assets, following the successful fire testing of its brand-new ULTRA composite panel system. The Newcastle upon Tyne-based firm’s high security ULTRA composite panel system has now been tested to BS476- Resistance
With its high-quality wellTEC®, colTEC® and planTEC® design sheets, MN Metall has always stood for individual facade design. Now the company has further expanded its portfolio with the wellTEC® vario product line. Under this name, MN Metall offers facade profiles that combine 2, 3 or even more different corrugated, trapezoidal,
Europe’s leading provider of low carbon cement solutions, Ecocem, has opened a world-class innovation centre in Paris to accelerate the development of new technology and products that will help the cement and construction industries decarbonise more quickly. The dedicated centre, known as the Centre of Excellence, will enable Ecocem’s innovation
Plymouth University is piloting the use of an ancient building material called cob to construct a new generation of energy-efficient homes. They have started building a single storey 32-square-metre lab and classroom next to the university’s sustainability hub out of the material which is a mix of soil, water, straw
Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA) has today launched its guide to the use of PIR insulation in flat roofs in England. Created for specifiers, building owners, main contractors and roofing contractors, it offers expert advice on the key aspects affecting the specification of PIR insulation for flat roof applications. As the trade association that represents both the polyisocyanurate (PIR) and polyurethane (PUR) insulation industry in the UK, IMA members manufacture rigid insulation that provides around 40% of the total thermal insulation market in the UK. With flat roofing a key sector, this comprehensive guide brings clarity around the specification of PIR insulation into flat roofing systems. The document provides guidance on how to meet the latest requirements of Approved Document B (ADB) of the Building Regulations 2010 for England in relation to PIR insulation in flat roofing applications. It looks at the thermal and strength characteristics of PIR to help designers understand how and where PIR can be used. The document also gives guidance on other properties pertinent to the use of PIR in flat roofing such as fire,thermal performance and compressive strength. It covers the use of PIR in warm roof applications, which accounts for the majority of applications and also explains the terminology that often causes confusion, in particularly the phrases ‘balcony’ and ‘specified attachment’. “This detailed publication brings clarity in respect of how and where PIR insulation can be used following the changes in building regulations with respect to flat roofing,” commented Simon Storer, Chief Executive of IMA. “It also addresses questions that have been raised regarding roofing classifications as well as issues around fire performance, compressive strength and thermal performance.” The guide provides visual comparison of the thickness of different insulation types when achieving specific U-values to help specifiers and contractors appreciate potential roof thickness. It also looks at how moisture can be controlled in flat roofs when using PIR insulation. At a time when the construction industry is faced with the challenges and opportunities of operating in the wake of COVID-19, the PIR insulation industry is well poised to help deliver better performing buildings both now and in the future, as well as playing a part in helping the UK achieve its net-zero climate change ambitions. To download A guide to the use of PIR in flat roofs in England , please click on the following link:- https://insulationmanufacturers.org.uk/resources/guides-brochures/ For more information about IMA visit www.insulationmanufacturers.org.uk
As a pioneer of pressure piping, GF Piping Systems (GF) announced today the introduction of bio-attributed materials to all of its market-leading polyvinyl chloride (PVC-U) metric pressure pipes, fittings and valves produced in Europe. The sustainable PVC resin, made using tall oil, a waste product from paper production will see up to 90% reduction in the CO2 emission during production versus conventional PVC while still maintaining the highest quality, durability, and recyclability. The PVC piping systems from GF, first produced in 1955, have been tried and tested for more than 65 years. Today, they include pipes, fittings, valves, actuators, and measurement and control technology used across industries in over 100 countries for the most demanding applications. To achieve the biggest impact, the PVC resin used for pipes, fittings and valves is successively adjusted to use up to 20% bio-attributed PVC. The sustainable PVC resins meet the same stringent performance criteria as GF’s conventionally produced PVC grades. To verify the correct use, an independent certification body is appointed to audit the production plants and supply chain which processes the bio-attributed PVC-U. “With the introduction of bio-attributed PVC into our material mix, we are transitioning toward more sustainably sourced products,” announces Jens Frisenborg, Head of Business Unit Industry/Utility at GF Piping Systems. “By adding renewable raw material, with identical chemical and mechanical properties, to our valves, fittings and pipes, we provide our customers with unrivaled quality, while also supporting them in achieving their own sustainability goals.” Insensitive, flexible to plan, easy to install, and very reliable: these properties of piping systems are in demand in numerous industrial areas: in drinking water treatment, microelectronics production, in sewage treatment plants, in shipbuilding, and the food industry. PVC piping systems are suitable for use in almost every branch of industry. It is not only their durability that makes them so versatile but also their easy installation. Now with bio-attributed PVC, GF Piping Systems is ensuring they are more sustainably sourced. More about sustainability at GF Piping Systems can be found here: https://www.gfps.com/com/en/about-us/company/sustainability.html
Simon Woods, European Sales, Marketing and Logistics Director explains how West Fraser is helping the construction industry to help the environment As the world becomes more and more aware of the effect we have on the planet, it is important for the construction industry to realise how it affects the world in ways it doesn’t intend to. At West Fraser, our products are net carbon negative. This means that we lock up more carbon in the products than we emit in the end-to-end production and distribution of them (delivery to our customers’ gates). Attaining net carbon negativity, as we have done, is a significant step and demonstrates the company’s determination to be a market leader in sustainable, climate-friendly products. As wood is the main component of West Fraser’s products, carbon is sequestered and locked up for the board’s lifetime. Particleboard products have the added advantage of containing 70-80% post-consumer recycled wood; this is also used in OSB. As a result, the company’s four European sites and three product ranges lock up a total of 1.18 million tonnes of CO2e per year, equivalent to the CO2 from 200,265 homes’ electricity. West Fraser’s net carbon negative products’ status benefits specifiers and users of the company’s engineered wood panel products. When used in construction, these products can move a project’s carbon count in the right direction assisting companies to meet net zero targets, which is good for reputation, compliance and the planet. In every SterlingOSB Zero board more carbon from the atmosphere is locked up than is emitted during manufacture, locking it up into long term storage. Per cubic metre, SterlingOSB Zero has sequestered 828kg of CO2e. The vast majority of the wood used is homegrown, minimising carbon emissions from transport while ensuring it is always available and offers a cost-effective building solution. West Fraser is a diversified wood products company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. From responsibly sourced and sustainably managed forest resources, West Fraser produces lumber, engineered wood (OSB, LVL, MDF, plywood, particleboard), and other products including pulp, newsprint, wood chips and renewable energy. West Fraser’s products are used in construction, repair and remodelling, industrial applications, papers, tissue and box materials. For further information call 01786 812 921 or visit Uk.westfraser.com
Johnson Tiles has partnered with leading housebuilder, Barratt Developments, to build a unique zero carbon concept home – ‘Z House’. Featuring six tile ranges across four rooms, the flagship project is the first new home in the country, built by a major housebuilder, to go beyond the new Future Homes Standard by delivering a carbon reduction of 125%. The products used were selected to support the project’s goals to use sustainable materials and reduce build time. Johnson Tiles is one of over 40 partners from across the housebuilding, sustainability and technology sectors invited to collaborate on the project. Built on the University of Salford’s main campus as a showcase home to demonstrate what is achievable in sustainable living, it will be occupied and monitored to assess its performance, with lessons learnt shared across the industry. Built using modern methods of construction, a mix of Johnson Tiles’ UK manufactured and UK stocked wall and floor tiles were selected for the hall, kitchen / dining area, family bathroom and en-suite. “We’re delighted to have been involved in the Z House project, our commitment to sustainability is at the core of everything we do and the opportunity to support the industry as we learn together from this project is incredibly exciting.” says Johnson Tiles’ Managing Director, Stephen Dixon. “Supporting the project’s goal to use sustainable materials, each tile is manufactured to last the lifetime of the building, containing between 20 and 40% recycled content and delivered in 100% recyclable packaging.” Each room features tiles in colours reflective of materials and tones found in nature, including the award-winning UK made South Bank collection of small format, glazed ceramic wall tiles and the UK made Drift collection of wood effect ceramic wall tiles. Z house concept home features: Hall/cloakroom South Bank, UK made slim format tiles in Whisper and Pewter Kielder, UK stocked wood effect tiles in Frosty Oak Kitchen/dining Refine, UK stocked porcelain floor tiles in Pewter En-Suite Ashlar, UK made textured concrete effect tiles in Crafted Grey Refine, UK stocked porcelain floor tiles in Pewter Family bathroom Drift, UK made wood effect ceramic wall tiles in Summer Shadows Minerals, UK stocked stone effect tiles in Flint 1. The Future Homes Standard ensures that all new homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than homes delivered under current regulations. 2.Delivering 100% regulated and 25% unregulated energy using heat recovery, low carbon and renewable technologies).
OpenBlue Enterprise Manager’s new Performance Advisor application is an all-in-one AI powered solution for optimising both sustainability and health metrics in buildings Industry’s first indoor air quality control system that also monitors energy impact, occupant comfort and space utilisation, breaking down data silos and creating reporting outputs in a single view to improve building operations Live data ingestion and output supports continuous monitoring, simplifying reporting for environmental certifications and preventing the need for mass data compilations every few years Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, today introduced an all-in-one solution that empowers building operators to track sustainability, health and wellness metrics while also reducing energy use, water use, waste, and carbon footprint. The new OpenBlue Performance Advisor application expands on the rich capabilities of Johnson Controls OpenBlue Enterprise Manager solution, supporting organisations seeking to achieve clean air and sustainability targets through data tracking software, artificial intelligence and intuitive dashboards that follow indoor air quality and energy consumption and deliver clean air and decarbonisation recommendations in one clear, comprehensive view. The intelligent software also supports the management of employee health, productivity and tenant experiences while helping to improve indoor air quality and comfort. Johnson Controls OpenBlue Enterprise Manager solution helps facilities managers optimise building portfolio performance through advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence. The solution is a comprehensive suite of applications from Johnson Controls used to monitor and improve indoor air quality, energy efficiency, tenant satisfaction, asset performance, maintenance operations, space performance and the comfort of all occupants. OpenBlue Enterprise Manager supports smart building capabilities for property portfolios ranging across commercial offices, healthcare, mixed use high-end, transportation, retail and K-12 school systems. The new OpenBlue Enterprise Manager Performance Advisor application follows Johnson Controls single pane of glass approach, bringing together various sources of data into a single view that makes it simple to monitor and act on a variety of factors at the same time. Analytics and AI solutions have historically focused on solving for one goal at a time – clean air, energy/carbon, wellness, asset health, comfort, experience, space utilisation, etc. However, the OpenBlue Enterprise Manager Performance Advisor application gives users control over making integrated choices traversing data silos, rather than following static standard operating procedures. Johnson Controls proprietary algorithm measures a variety of parameters such as zone size, occupancy, mask usage and weather forecasts and predicts chances of infection spread. It provides recommendations to facilities managers that improve the building performance, ranging from maximum disinfection to energy minimisation, depending on the given needs of a space at a specific moment in time. A key element of this solution is the OpenBlue Infection Risk Score, providing additional information to enable best decision making. “Supporting healthy and sustainable buildings is at the core of Johnson Controls priorities and the solutions and services we bring to market. Helping our planet heal and reducing the impact of climate change is part of being a good global citizen and a key moral imperative that drives our business,” said Mike Ellis, executive vice president and chief customer & digital officer at Johnson Controls. “Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors continue to grow in importance for building owners and facilities managers in attracting additional investment and tenants. An all-in-one solution that supports elevation of ESG goals while also ensuring occupant safety and comfort addresses the priority needs of our customers in a single, elegant solution.” One example of customer value is in right-sizing automated energy efficiency. The solution’s algorithms use historical operating data and space characteristics to build a dynamic model of each room in a structure, to predict future temperature, air quality and airflow. Models are then used to optimise the desired performance criteria such as energy cost or infection risk. The Performance Advisor application also optimises space utilisation. The application leverages occupancy tracking data and recommends movement of people to alternate spaces. This approach supports the movement of people and resources from over-utilised spaces to under-utilised spaces while also suggesting adjustments to HVAC and lighting systems. To validate the effectiveness of the Performance Advisor application, Johnson Controls collaborated with Martin Z. Bazant, professor of Chemical Engineering and Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on the accuracy of infection transmission and air flow models, which are core underlying mathematical models for the Performance Advisor solution. “These models are the first to predict the risk of airborne disease transmission in realistic building simulations, thus allowing HVAC systems to be optimised for public health, as well as comfort and energy efficiency,” said Bazant. To learn more about OpenBlue Enterprise Manager, visit: To download supporting technical papers published in journals related to this product, visit: Energy and Buildings. “Modelling and Multiobjective Optimisation of Indoor Airborne Disease Transmission Risk and Associated Energy Consumption for Building HVAC Systems”: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.111497.111497 Science and Technology for the Built Environment “Quantifying the Tradeoff Between Energy Consumption and the Risk of Airborne Disease: https://doi.org/10.1080/23744731.2021.1984171.1984171 To read more about Johnson Controls POV on why companies benefit from a single strategy for sustainability and digitalization, visit: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/insights/2021/white-paper/the- case-for-unifying-sustainability-and-digitalization-strategies
B&Q opens its new Colchester store at Stane Park Colchester is B&Q’s first purpose-built digital store as the brand commits to e-commerce growth The Mayor declares the store officially open with ribbon cutting ceremony B&Q’s new Colchester store was declared officially open today with a formal cutting of the ribbon by the Mayor of Colchester, Councillor Robert Davidson. Relocated from B&Q Lightship Way to Stane Park’s brand-new retail park, B&Q is the first to open at the new development. This latest opening is one of the largest B&Q stores to open in the last decade. It combines instore shopping missions with digital fulfilment, fully representing B&Q’s commitment to grow e-commerce with stores at the centre. Caroline Voutsinas, B&Q Stane Park, Store Manager, said: “DIY has really captured the imagination of the nation over the past 18-months, so our new and improved B&Q in Colchester is very timely, giving Colchester DIY-ers and tradespeople a much improved store experience with plenty of exciting new features to make home improvement easier than ever. I cannot wait to welcome the local community into the store.” The new store offers a huge range of products for all home improvement needs, as well as: A purpose-built garden centre with a dedicated garden showroom A convenient and expert led tool hire option from Speedy Services, the UK’s leading tool & equipment hire company A brand-new showroom featuring the latest kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms in interactive, inspirational displays A dedicated load and go area for TradePoint customers to support bulk orders and easy access A brand new ‘shop in a shop’ for workwear, a first for B&Q A digital hub to support store to home delivery Services including paint mixing and Click + Collect via diy.com The new store is open 7 days a week: Monday-Saturday 7am-8pm, and on Sunday 11am-4pm. B&Q Lightship Way closed its doors on 21 October. B&Q is continuing to encourage customers to wear face coverings and has maintained social distancing measures to help customers shop safely. For more information, including inspirational ideas and practical advice on home improvement, visit DIY.com
High security composite panels specialist Modular Security Solutions is providing the building sector with additional protection for people and assets, following the successful fire testing of its brand-new ULTRA composite panel system. The Newcastle upon Tyne-based firm’s high security ULTRA composite panel system has now been tested to BS476- Resistance to fire at a UKAS (the United Kingdom Accreditation Service) approved fire testing facility and achieves 120 minutes on both integrity and insulation. Testing on the new product line will give Modular Security Solutions’ customers additional peace of mind. It will also broaden the company’s ability to support building contractors, security contractors, facilities managers, and end users with fire-tested panel systems in areas of high vulnerability, where defence against enhanced professional criminal attempts to access high value assets is required. To gain the BSEN 476 certification, the panels were tested for 120 minutes for integrity and insulation. Integrity measures the system’s ability to stop flames or hot gases from passing from the ‘fire side’ to the non-fire side through openings such as panel joints and interfaces within the testing culvert, while insulation relates to the system’s ability to limit the surface temperature rise on the non-fire side. During the UKAS-accredited testing procedure, the company’s ULTRA security composite panels were installed into a concrete testing rig and subjected to resistance testing from a furnace, which reaches temperatures of up to 1200°C. Modular Security Solutions’ ULTRA composite panel system has been designed and tested to resist enhanced professional criminal attacks from a wide range of tooling, including not only mechanical and electrical power tools but also petrol driven disc grinders and chainsaw tooling elements. Modular Security Solutions designs and supplies high security walling systems and enclosures which can be used to create new buildings and superstructures. They can also be retro-fit into existing buildings to security harden and fire-proof specifically identified areas. Modular Security Solutions’ high security composite panels are manufactured with a fire retardant rockwool insulative core, to support fire resistance, and steel anti-cutting layers which ensure they have high levels of resistance to mechanical, electrical and petrol-driven tooling. The high security composite panelling systems are fully modular and versatile. They can be rapidly installed and offer a significant reduction in labour costs, site down time and on-site trades, due to their convenient male/female slip joint and pre-finished appearance, which comes in a wide range of standard colours and finishes. Mark Sutherland, Projects Director of Modular Security Solutions, said: “We’re very proud to have achieved this two-hour fire testing pass for the ULTRA composite panel system, as the testing process is extremely rigorous. “The excellent performance of our panels during testing demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that fire safety and physical security are built into the sensitive environments and projects our systems are part of. “Our panels’ combination of high security capabilities, fire resistance and build flexibility gives contractors a cost-effective solution for protecting high-risk areas, such as data centres, server rooms, laboratories and vaults.” Modular Security Solutions offers a complimentary Security Design Package with every project, which details secure installation methods and ensures the interfaces between its systems and doors, windows, ventilation louvres and service penetrations are inbuilt and secure. For more information on Modular Security Solutions, visit https://www.modularsecurity.co.uk
With its high-quality wellTEC®, colTEC® and planTEC® design sheets, MN Metall has always stood for individual facade design. Now the company has further expanded its portfolio with the wellTEC® vario product line. Under this name, MN Metall offers facade profiles that combine 2, 3 or even more different corrugated, trapezoidal, square or zigzag profiles. The fact that very different shapes can thus be combined with each other means that deliberate contrasts can be set within the facade sheet. There are hardly any limits to the design ideas of architects and facade planners, and the question to MN should not be “What products do you have to offer?” but rather “What vision can you make come true for us?”. Wave, zigzag, square, trapezoid…in this order or completely different? With an individual hole pattern or an offset round perforation? With a regular or irregular grid? Made of aluminum, stainless steel or copper? No matter how the more than 60 different profile types from MN Metall are combined with each other, whether perforations or grids are applied or which material is chosen – a facade clad with wellTEC® vario will be unique in this form, because it is manufactured individually for the customer. The company manufactures the wellTEC® vario facade sheets in a process-safe manner from pre-material up to 2,000 mm wide in various thicknesses and construction widths. How the profiles look in practice is already shown by some projects that MN Metall has executed. These include the IPF-Treff Bopfingen and the Fächerbad Karlsruhe. The facade of the IPF-Treff shopping center, which covers a total of 1,635 m², was clad with wellTEC® vario SQ-40/20-20/20, made of gold-colored coated 55HX® aluminum in 1 mm. Part of the facade has offset round perforations. The special highlight: the facade cladding contains a Morse code – so for the insiders, the name of the shopping center can be read in it. The wellTEC® vario facade profile used for the Fächerbad Karlsruhe is a combination of the W-45/60 and W-45/150 profiles. Coated in the color Onyx White Blue, it gives the building an exclusive outer skin that appears in two shades depending on the angle of view and is reminiscent of reflective, moving waves.
Europe’s leading provider of low carbon cement solutions, Ecocem, has opened a world-class innovation centre in Paris to accelerate the development of new technology and products that will help the cement and construction industries decarbonise more quickly. The dedicated centre, known as the Centre of Excellence, will enable Ecocem’s innovation team to focus on testing, evaluating, and improving its new ultra-low carbon solutions which reduce the carbon footprint of the traditional cement manufacturing process by half. Ecocem has always been a first mover. For more than 20 years, the company has led the development of cement which emits just 200kg of CO2 per tonne, compared to the more than 600kg of traditional cement. It currently provides the lowest carbon cement ever used in Europe at scale, reducing the CO2 footprint by over a factor of eight. At the new Centre of Excellence, the Ecocem innovation team will run industrial-sized trials in collaboration with trusted industry partners and universities including Paris-Saclay University and The University of Toulouse. Located in France’s largest research cluster, the Centre’s opening follows recent backing of Ecocem from Breakthrough Energy Ventures – a coalition of private investors led by Bill Gates, supporting innovations that will lead the world to net zero emissions. Laurent Frouin, Ecocem’s Innovation Director, said: “Ecocem is committed to the deep and rapid decarbonisation of the global cement industry. It is essential for the planet and future generations, and it can be achieved through innovation and technology. “The cement and construction industries are developing and deploying a range of emission reduction technologies – Ecocem and our new Centre of Excellence will add a further dimension to these efforts.”
Plymouth University is piloting the use of an ancient building material called cob to construct a new generation of energy-efficient homes. They have started building a single storey 32-square-metre lab and classroom next to the university’s sustainability hub out of the material which is a mix of soil, water, straw and hemp. Principal investigator and professor of environmental building at the art, design and architecture school Steve Goodhew said: “We will create a living lab and demonstration site that will become the centre of attention for a wide range of people – from construction professionals to built environment students.” Contractor Chris Noakes and the university’s estates team are expected to complete the building in eight months. Researchers will monitor the performance of the new walling material using sensors to measure energy use, its life cycle and indoor air quality. The results will be shared with future building designers, contractors and interested stakeholders. Research set to influence industry The University’s Sustainable Earth Institute director Professor Will Blake said: “Students and visitors to the site will be able to engage with this potentially industry-influencing ongoing research project.” Interreg V France (Channel) England and the European Regional Development Fund have invested more than £3.5m in the second phase of the CobBauge project where a full-sized building will also be constructed in France. The first phase developed a new method of using cob that reduced the need for heating and mitigated overheating during warmer weather. Researchers studied a range of different soil and fibre mixes creating a double-layered composite wall combining a denser mix with a lighter weight version for strength and insulation. Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said lenders were interested in the science of greener materials and were keen to offer construction loans to developers using low carbon emission products. Tokyo University researchers announced recently that they had developed a new form of concrete that can reduce emissions from the construction industry. Calcium carbonate concrete is made from waste concrete and carbon dioxide from the air or industrial exhaust gases. It shows promise as a future construction material, especially in places where natural resources are limited.
