AB Glass, the award-winning architectural aluminium and access control specialist, has completed a significant investment that will increase its production capacity by 35% as it gears up for a boom in new work and projects. The Swansea-based company has made a six-figure investment in building a new 3,000 sq ft storage unit that will release 35% more floor space in its production unit, enabling it to increase and to further grow its order book. The construction of a state-of-the-art five-bay storage unit has now been completed. It will allow the business to cope with an increase in demand it has experienced as lockdown measures have eased and the uncertainty surrounding Brexit has lessened. The business works with blue chip private sector clients across the UK, as well as many universities, schools and public sector bodies. In addition to its architectural aluminium services, its access control offering has also experienced a surge in demand as workplaces adjust to post-pandemic safety recommendations as staff return. It also boasts a specially trained team with the specific skills needed when working with Passivhaus developments, a type of structure designed with energy-efficiency at its heart. It worked on the first Passivhaus leisure centre in the world and is seeing growing demand for this type of building. Alan Brayley, Managing Director of AB Glass and President of Swansea Bay Business Club, said: “We are delighted to have completed a structure that means quite a lot to the business. It frees up capacity in the main production space, which we need because of demand. But we feel it is also somewhat symbolic that we have achieved this despite one of the most challenging 12 months the business has endured. “Clearly, 2020 threw some severe challenges at us but I am very proud of the resilience we showed in how we quickly adjusted our working practices and worked very hard all year to ensure we weathered the storms. In addition to expanding our premises, we also welcomed a new generation of talent to the business. We now through into 2021 in a bullish frame of mind – and with much-need extra capacity at our disposal.”

Armacell, a global leader in flexible foam for the equipment insulation market and a leading provider of engineered foams, has launched to the UK HVAC market a range of acoustic barriers offering one of the market’s most efficient ratio of transmission reduction and ultra-thin material thicknesses, providing comfort to occupants while minimising the amount of space required. ArmaComfort Barrier achieves a sound transmission loss with a weighted sound reduction index Rw of 27 dB, with a wall thickness of just 2 mm, and Rw of 32 dB at 4mm; the human ear perceives a reduction of 10 dB as a halving of volume. The products have been developed for applications in new constructions and for sound attenuation measures on existing building elements and mechanical equipment. Based on a unique EVA/EPM blend, ArmaComfort Barrier products are easy to install, require little space and achieve excellent sound insulation properties over a wide frequency range. They are flexible, bendable and easy to apply via self-adhesive coating. They can be used on vertical or horizontal mechanical equipment and are free of halogen, phosphate, bitumen and lead. The Armacell products are also recyclable, rot-proof, durable and resistant to most chemicals. The premium product, ArmaComfort Barrier P, is available in thicknesses of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mm. ArmaComfort Barrier B is offered in wall thicknesses of 2, 3 and 4 mm.  To further optimise sound reduction, ArmaComfort Barrier can be combined with ArmaSound® or other absorptive acoustic insulation materials on technical equipment, enclosures or piping.  “Noise has become one of the greatest environmental challenges of our times, and noises emanating from inside a building can greatly impair inhabitants’ quality of life,” said Tom Merton, Armacell UK’s technical specialist.  “The consequences of deficits in acoustic insulation are usually only noticed when a building is occupied and then they are often very expensive to remedy. It is therefore essential that noise protection measures are consistently planned and properly carried out, both when constructing new buildings and when modernising existing ones. Effective sound protection increases both the living comfort and the value of a property. “There is a demand for sound insulation solutions that can also be retrofitted with the least possible loss of space, and ArmaComfort Barrier provides one of the best ratios on the market,” Tom Merton continued. ArmaComfort Barrier enhances Armacell’s ArmaComfort noise control insulation range, which also includes the ArmaComfort AB range for rainwater and wastewater drainage pipes. ArmaComfort AB products are widely used throughout the UK, including in a number of luxury residential and hospitality properties.

UK construction’s demand for big-volume mineral products like aggregates and concrete showed resilience in the first quarter of 2021, despite renewed lockdown restrictions, Brexit and particularly wet winter weather hampering activity. That’s according to the latest survey from the Mineral Products Association (MPA) which warns that an encouraging start to the year should not distract from real challenges that lie ahead. MPA says the recovery in construction must not be taken for granted because so much depends on the Government’s policy stimuli in housing and its delivery of the UK’s planned infrastructure programme. ONS data shows that construction output has flatlined since September, whilst new contract awards have been weak for most of the past year. Whilst broadly positive, trends in sales volumes for essential mineral products show mixed results for heavy-side building materials such as aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt and mortar. These core products are mostly used in the early stages of construction — for example foundations and structures — so their sales provide a unique barometer for the start of new projects rather than the completion of finished ones. In the latest MPA survey, building materials manufacturers who between them supply around 1 million tonnes of mineral products every day reported a slow but steady start to the year, with construction demand in March much stronger than in January. Sales volumes for primary aggregates and ready-mixed concrete increased by 3.4% and 1.6% respectively in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the last quarter of 2020, but both asphalt and mortar sales volumes declined over the quarter, down 4.9% and 7.4% respectively. Robust housing activity, particularly in landscaping and home improvement, and an acceleration in infrastructure work driven by Highway England’s roads programme and HS2, were tempered by a combination of factors, including supply chain disruptions, rising Covid-19 infections and a particularly wet winter affecting work on site. Longer-term, recovery for asphalt is supported by renewed momentum in roads construction and maintenance, and market demand has rapidly recovered to pre-pandemic levels. At the start of the year, total sales volumes for asphalt were significantly higher than their previous 5-year average (2014-19). Likewise, sales volumes for crushed rock aggregate have also been recovering well, boosted by roadworks and HS2, which are driving demand for asphalt and bulk fill materials. The trend for housing-led mortar demand is more ambiguous and producers continue to report uncertainty on the outlook for new housing this year. Mortar sales volumes remain well below pre-pandemic levels and longer-term data indicates that, regardless of the pandemic, mortar demand has been on a steady downward trend since mid-2018. Despite all the talk about recovery, this suggests that housing activity remains dominated by the completion of existing sites ahead of the planned phasing out of the stamp duty holiday and ’Help to Buy’ deadlines, rather than the start of new ones. Volatile new housing contract data in the past year and a subdued overall number of new residential units in the pipeline are expected to weigh on the potential recovery in mortar demand this year. More concerning is the weak recovery path for ready-mixed concrete, held back by a combination of sluggish new housing activity and a lack of new projects in commercial construction. Over 60% of ready-mixed concrete is used either in new housing or other non-infrastructure projects, mostly in commercial buildings, with London and the South East representing a third of all sales. The total sales volume of ready-mixed concrete at the start of the year remained over 9% below the previous 5-year average, despite three consecutive quarters of growth since last year’s initial lockdown. Looking further back, ready-mixed concrete sales have been subdued since 2017, initially impacted by Brexit-related uncertainty which slowed private sector investment in the commercial sector and triggered a general slowdown in housebuilding. This suggests that the market recovery so far is really just a slow-motion return to growth from a subdued level of activity that pre-dates Covid-19. Aurelie Delannoy, Director of Economics Affairs at the MPA, said that a balanced perspective is required: “Mineral products manufacturers are busy supplying post- lockdown pent-up demand, particularly for domestic activity such as landscaping, repair and maintenance, and home improvements, as well as infrastructure projects already in the pipeline, including momentum building on HS2.” “The outlook for this year and next is also positive, but the stakes are high. Any optimism assumes activity is not disrupted by renewed outbreaks of Covid-19, and most importantly, relies on the Government delivering on its planned infrastructure commitments. MPA members tell us they are yet to see a more clear-cut pick-up in new housebuilding, whilst any recovery in commercial development is expected to remain muted given the current reticence for major new investments.” Nigel Jackson, CEO at MPA, added: “For many of our members, enquiries have been at record levels with some consequential issues relating to haulage availability as well as temporary, localised supply constraints on some products. Brexit-related import delays for spare parts, new lorries and some machinery are also posing a challenge,. Our members are having to adapt quickly to changing market conditions but are generally managing to meet current demand whilst also preparing to ensure future supply. For an industry that is supplying over 1 million tonnes of essential products every day and is the largest supplier to construction, it would be surprising if there were not short-term issues of supply as the economy gathers momentum.” Figure 1. Mineral products sales volumes in Great Britain Table 1. MPA sales volumes in GB: change on the previous period (seasonally adjusted) Note: Ready-mixed concrete includes sales from both fixed and site (mobile) plants. Source: MPA, ONS.

Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, welcomes the new ‘Matter’ connectivity standard, which it will begin adopting across its connected home and buildings portfolio.   Schneider Electric, recognized by Corporate Knights as the world’s most sustainable corporation, is one of the 180 most innovative companies within the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) that have contributed to the creation and testing of the new Matter standard. The industry-unifying standard builds upon market-proven technologies and best practices. It aims to simplify connected experiences and provide greater interoperability in smart homes and buildings. Schneider is consistently among the top three certifiers of CSA products, therefore well positioned to adopt the new standard.   The new open-source, unified connectivity protocol, Matter, previously named CHIP (Connected Home over IP), will be applicable to many smart home and building solutions including lighting, locks, speakers, HVAC controls, security systems, and routers. With Matter, instead of being limited to only those products that work with the smart system already in place, homes and businesses will now have the choice to integrate the new Matter certified devices that best fit their needs, regardless of brand.  Matter is built using IP, the native network technology of the internet and backed by major ecosystem providers. Products with the Matter mark will deliver improved cyber security, native cloud connectivity and device interoperability to consumers, manufacturers, product designers and developers alike. Additionally, with standard definitions for device models, and lifecycle events such as provisioning/onboarding, removal, error recovery, and software update, developers can also be more confident in the consistency and quality of their users’ experiences across ecosystems.  Putting consumers in the driving seat in the race to net zero   However, longer-term benefits don’t end there. It is estimated that electricity demand will double by 2040 if we follow the same trajectory. As digitalization becomes the norm, we are also witnessing an increased desire to produce and use more renewable energy. This is coupled with increasing regulatory pressure to make cooking, heating and car charging fully electric. Electricity is the most efficient form of energy and the best vector for decarbonization. When paired with digital, it also offers unrivalled potential to eliminate energy waste.     With increased interoperability of the IoT connected devices in the smart home ecosystem, homeowners and builders can create homes of tomorrow with a flexible, future-proof architecture that leverages Matter-connected devices across ecosystems to gain reliable, consolidated and secure visibility of energy consumption. This visibility, coupled with the help of AI-enabled and software-driven smart energy management solutions, puts consumers in the driving seat when it comes to how energy in the home is produced, stored, distributed and consumed. It can also enable the smart home system to prioritize green energy, ensuring power-hungry appliances and devices, such as Electric Vehicles (EVs), consume most of their energy from solar or decarbonized energy sources in the home. This is yet another way for the consumer and the planet to benefit from this initiative.  Bruno Zerbib, Chief Technology and Digital Officer at Schneider Electric, says: “As the World’s Most Sustainable Corporation recognized by Corporate Knights, it is our firm belief that the path to a net-zero future is both electric and digital. With software-based smart energy management solutions, our customers can accelerate their journey towards sustainable net zero homes and buildings of the future.  “Using open, global standards is essential to achieve digital transformation. Organizations like the Connectivity Standards Alliance are key to creating such standards and we are delighted to partner with other industry leaders to develop IP-based standards, like Matter, that will increase IoT device interoperability in connected smart building ecosystems.”  Open-source standards shouldn’t be limited to smart homes and buildings  Schneider Electric is strong advocate of open-source standards. Matter offers adopters and developers a number of benefits, including faster time to market (by leveraging an implementation of the spec), improved quality (as code is tested early and often), and more robust security (as the full development community has transparency to identify and commit patches). Beyond homes and buildings, Schneider Electric has recently pioneered an open-source portable standard for industries of the future, calling for widespread adoption of universal automation.   Schneider Electric is fully committed to long-term compatibility with its legacy platforms, whilst continually innovating and collaborating with visionary partners like CSA to ensure customers have a smart, connected, sustainable future. 

Global building materials solutions supplier CEMEX is proud to present VIALOW, a new addition to the VERTUA family of low carbon and sustainable building solutions. VIALOW is a reduced carbon asphalt which comes with the option to offset residual CO2 to make it a CarbonNeutral® product, in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. CEMEX announced its Climate Action strategy in February 2020, and in its European operations reduced its CO2 emissions by close to 35% as of December 31st, 2020, ten years ahead of the target date. CEMEX also declared a 55% CO2 reduction target for its European Operations, aligning with the European Commission goal for all member states. VIALOW is a new range of low temperature, low carbon asphalts from CEMEX, which uses a specially formulated bitumen additive to enable manufacture at up to 40°C lower than standard asphalt mixes with no compromise in performance, with the added benefit of achieving up to 20% reduction in embodied carbon emissions. The range includes the VIALOW Zero option, which is a CarbonNeutral product, and complements the CEMEX VERTUA range of low carbon building solutions, further enhancing CEMEX’s Future In Action strategy – committed to Net Zero CO2. As technology and the industry shifts toward low carbon asphalt, the best interim way to sequester the rest of the CO2 footprint, to make it a carbon neutral product, is through carbon offsetting. To do this we are working with Natural Capital Partners, an award-winning expert on carbon neutrality and climate finance, that is harnessing the power of business to create a more sustainable world. VIALOW offers customers a host of other benefits alongside its sustainability credentials. The lower temperature of the manufacturing process can also help to improve the long-term performance and durability of the asphalt, as high temperature in conventional mixes leads to more oxidative hardening of bitumen than is seen in lower temperature variants. Reduced temperature asphalt also offers safety and environmental benefits which include a reduced risk of burns and lower odours, providing a safer and more pleasant working environment for both workers and neighbours to the construction site. The reduced mixing and paving temperatures of low temperature asphalt can reduce fume generation by around 50% for approximately each 10°C reduction in temperature. Furthermore, by virtue of being a low temperature asphalt, VIALOW allows the re-opening of a jobsite more quickly after completion of road works, as the asphalt reaches appropriate trafficking temperatures faster than conventional hot mix asphalt. Alongside minimising disruption and enabling construction programmes to remain on time, this offers further benefits to the environment, as statistics show that stationary traffic caused by road closures creates four times as many pollutants when compared to moving vehicles. The launch of this range follows a report from the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Highways which identified warm mix asphalts (WMA) as an underutilised opportunity to reduce the CO2 emissions associated with asphalt production for road infrastructure. At the time of publishing, the report found that WMAs represent less than 4% of UK asphalt production, yet if all asphalt production in Great Britain had been switched to WMA, it would have saved at least 61,000 tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of cutting almost 300 million miles of car journeys. “Asphalt is an essential part of our country’s infrastructure; roads provide access to employment, social, health and education services, provide access to more areas and stimulate economic and social development. However, we recognise that future construction needs to be balanced with the effect it is having on the environment,” said Carl Platt, Director of Asphalt, Paving, and Building Products for Europe. “CEMEX is totally committed to improving the sustainability of its operations and supporting its customers to do the same. With the launch of VIALOW, CEMEX aims to make it simple for customers to choose more sustainable and environmentally-friendly asphalts that have a lower embodied carbon, offset residual emissions and help drive vital change. Moreover, this industry-leading range of low temperature asphalt is designed to produce faster construction times, minimise disruption and reduce road maintenance costs alongside the added benefit of a carbon footprint reduction.” CEMEX Urbanisation Solutions is constantly innovating to provide customers with a broad range of sustainable solutions for the challenges of urbanisation, with a central focus at all times on its Future In Action strategy – committed to Net Zero CO2. VIALOW is available all year round in all Asphalt Concrete Base, Binder and Surface courses as well as Hot Rolled Asphalt (only where pre coated chippings are not required), Stone Mastic Asphalt and the full Proprietary range.