The Glass and Glazing Federation, GGF, has announced two new appointments. The federation has appointed a new vice-president and a new director for Home Improvement. Stephen Payne, the deputy managing director of Britelite Windows has been chosen to fill the role of vice-president. Stephen has been appointed to this new
Aggregate Industries, the Construction and infrastructure company has announced that their ‘Concrete Rugby’ scheme has been a success, as it has managed to reach more than 1,000 pupils in Leicestershire. Aggregate is based in Coalville and has been working with the rugby union team Leicester Tigers in order to offer
Following recent success in the Far East for both its architectural and events media display solutions, G-SMATT has announced the formation of a European company. Based in Oxford, the company, which will be known as G-SMATT Europe, is led by Dr Orhan Ertughrul and will be bringing the benefits of
An extensive refurbishment project is currently taking place at the Saint-Gobain Weber HQ which is located in Flitwick, Bedfordshire. As part of this refurbishment and used extensively throughout the building is weberfloor. Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and solutions vital to ensuring the wellbeing of all, whether that’s for
The expanding foam range from Everbuild – a Sika company – is growing once again with the addition of Constructa-Pro; a high strength adhesive foam designed for use in a multitude of applications. Developed to be fast curing, Constructa-Pro is ideal for small jobs which require a quick fix, as
Bell Flow Systems, a company that first started operating in 1997 in order to provide flow measurement solutions to their customers in the industry, has announced the launch of a new product. Alongside their sister company Cortex Displays Ltd, the business has been able to develop in order to meet
Cable Services are the UK’s number one specialist electrical equipment and component distributor. We supply a wide range of cable and cable accessories to the domestic housing, commercial and industrial sectors from our UK locations based in Wrexham, Liverpool, Stone, Swindon and Glasgow. CablEx 2017, organised and managed by EA
At the Home & Hearth Awards this year, Specflue has been recognised as a Finalist for the Pellet or Wood Chip (Non-Boiler) Appliance category. Specflue is a leading company in the UK working to deliver flue, chimney and renewable heat solutions. Specflue has been operating since 1992 and has sites
The doom and gloom decrying that not enough companies within the field of construction has been lifted by the latest findings of a survey conducted by Tata Steel back in 2016, which reveals that of the firms that replied and accepted the survey, more than 80 per cent of them
Konstructa Hire, the construction site accommodation specialist and member of the Portakabin Group, has announced a £1.4 million investment programme to expand three of its hire centres. Established in 2006, Konstructa Hire is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The business has one of the newest construction hire fleets in the UK
The Glass and Glazing Federation, GGF, has announced two new appointments. The federation has appointed a new vice-president and a new director for Home Improvement. Stephen Payne, the deputy managing director of Britelite Windows has been chosen to fill the role of vice-president. Stephen has been appointed to this new position by the GGF board and elected by his colleagues on the Home Improvement executive. His appointment starts with immediate effect. Stephen has been working in the glass and glazing industry in January 1984 with Britelite Windows. Stephen started his career as a junior surveyor and has worked his way through the ranks of the company to deputy MD, overseeing a large section of the business. In his new position of the GGF board, Stephen will be required to continue the work to channel resources in order to reap the most benefits for their members and the glass and glazing industry on the whole. Stephen will be supporting the GGF President John Agnew, as well as the board and the federation’s members. Russell Day will be replacing Brian Smith as the director of Home Improvement. Russell has worked for 25 years in the window and door industry and is also a trained engineer. During his career, Russell has apparently been the technical director of Abbott Joinery and has also been involved in the development of PVC-U window cavity closer systems. The Home Improvement section of the company is of vital importance to the GGF and in his new role as director, Russell will be required to make sure that the GGF members continue to receive the best technical support possible as well as the most up to date information about the changes in the government policy and legislation. No doubt, both of these two new appointments will be successful going forward, and both Russell and Stephen have spent a number of years gaining experience in their respective fields which will make them assets to the Federation.
Aggregate Industries, the Construction and infrastructure company has announced that their ‘Concrete Rugby’ scheme has been a success, as it has managed to reach more than 1,000 pupils in Leicestershire. Aggregate is based in Coalville and has been working with the rugby union team Leicester Tigers in order to offer children in local schools, education about healthy lifestyles as well as introducing a range of key rugby skills. During these workshops, the children learnt how to play contact or touch Rugby while also engaging in a selection of discussions that look into healthy eating, drugs, road safety, peer pressure and online safety. This scheme has been a great way for the construction and infrastructure company to give back to the local community. This scheme and others like it, are important to help raise awareness of healthy lifestyles and the role that sport can play in this. The programme has been led by the Rugby Development Officer at Leicester Tigers, Blaine Bonnin-Ward. The first nine months of the scheme have helped to highlight the importance of health and wellbeing for local children and schools. The Concrete Rugby scheme first started in November 2016 and has since been delivered to 1,081 children across 13 secondary schools. This scheme has been incredibly beneficial for school children in the area, with Rushey Mead School reviving their after school rugby club and more than forty children attending the newly created girls’ rugby club at Saint Martin’s School in Nuneaton. Aggregate Industries is involved in the quarrying, manufacture and supply of a range of heavy building materials in the construction industry. The company looks to deliver a wide ranging portfolio of sustainable solutions alongside their more traditional product offering. The company works across the UK, Channel Islands and Northern Europe. Aggregate Industries, are continuously working on a range of different projects and activities as part of their work with local communities.
Following recent success in the Far East for both its architectural and events media display solutions, G-SMATT has announced the formation of a European company. Based in Oxford, the company, which will be known as G-SMATT Europe, is led by Dr Orhan Ertughrul and will be bringing the benefits of its unique, smart glass solution to the architectural and city planning audiences as well as the events industry. Orhan is joined in the senior management team by Niraj Kapur, Sales Director and they are supported by a number of experienced and skilled design and architectural personnel. Dr Ertughrul, Executive Vice President Europe, G-SMATT Europe, explained more about the company and the opportunities that exist; “We firmly believe that the digital media façade, coupled to the Internet of Things and the current ubiquity of glass façade architecture is fundamentally changing the way we interact with the City Scape. The buildings of the future will be connected and able to share information including for example local traffic updates, advice from emergency services and news from local councils. This connectivity will also allow building owners to project the purpose of their buildings into the community, change the way their buildings are perceived, create new business models and interact with people on a personal level.” G-SMATT Glass has already been successfully installed at several locations in Asia including the Shanghai Stock Exchange and one example can be viewed here https://vimeo.com/channels/1175317 The company’s newly refurbished offices at King Charles House, Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1JD contain two walls of the media active glass, giving visitors the chance to see its capabilities for themselves. The small LEDs that provide the media capability are placed at regular intervals, 20mm on the monochromatic product up to 90mm on the colour and even the colour product will go down to about 40mm, depending on the specification. When viewed from the inside there is less than 1% reduction in visibility through the glass. This is considerably less than other current alternatives such as an overlay or frame structure which can give the impression of being in a cage or prison cell when viewed by the building’s occupants. Even when illuminated at night people within the building are not dazzled by reflection as less than 10% of the light emitted by the LED’s is reflected into the building’s interior. Company Profile G-SMATT is a Korean company that produces an innovative digital media façade product. Launched in 2013 the company now has offices in five countries and an annual turnover of about $125 M. The company believes in the transformation of the digital city scape with compelling architectural media and interactivity. Its innovative, building grade, laminated media glass provides full transparency and rich media capability. This allows developers and architects to provide a new way for people to experience and enjoy their buildings and the surrounding urban spaces without compromising on the aesthetic beauty of their original design. In the new world of the Internet of Things it also allows for unparalleled connectivity and integration, a key in the development of the smart city. G-SMATT produces both architectural and exhibition products. For more information visit https://www.g-smatteurope.com/products/architecture
An extensive refurbishment project is currently taking place at the Saint-Gobain Weber HQ which is located in Flitwick, Bedfordshire. As part of this refurbishment and used extensively throughout the building is weberfloor. Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and solutions vital to ensuring the wellbeing of all, whether that’s for buildings, transportation, infrastructure and a range of other industrial applications. As part of this, Saint-Gobain Weber is the provider of flooring solutions that are innovative and easy to apply. Refurbishments are being carried out in the 240 ㎡ industrial and commercial floor space of the HQ in Flitwick. The project entails demolishing the old training workshop on the Bedfordshire site in order to transform the area into a new product storage area. The floor of this new storage areas will be pre-treated and primed with the weberfloor 41716 primer, which is ideal for this floor and suitable for all substrates prior to the application of other weberfloor products. Following this weberfloor 4310 fibre flow will then be applied on to the mesh as a high performing pumpable and levelling floor screed. This product has an enhanced level on durability because of the fibre reinforcing in the screed. It was important that Weber worked fast to get the following applied in order to allow more trades to access the site and continue with the work. The facilities that are being renovated are used often by a range of staff and overseas visitor, therefore it is vital that the work is carried out in the shortest time possible. Weber’s extensive collection of floor screeds are all manufactured in the UK and have been developed so that they can deliver optimum speed, durability, strength and smoothness in the finishing product. The product range is known for being one of the most technically advanced available, and therefore an ideal solution for the new Saint-Gobain Storage area.
The expanding foam range from Everbuild – a Sika company – is growing once again with the addition of Constructa-Pro; a high strength adhesive foam designed for use in a multitude of applications. Developed to be fast curing, Constructa-Pro is ideal for small jobs which require a quick fix, as well as large applications including fixing plasterboard and insulations board, fixing skirting boards or as a mortar substitute for building rough garden walls. Once cured, it is also rot-proof and moisture and temperature resistant from -40˚C to +80˚C. Gun-applied and available in 750ml tins, Constructa-Pro can be used on stone, brick, concrete blocks, wood, plasterboard, metal and much more, making it a truly multi-purpose adhesive foam for the trade. For more information on Constructa-Pro or any other product within the Everbuild and Sika ranges, contact your local sales representative. Call the sales office on 0113 240 2424 or visit www.everbuild.co.uk Everbuild Sika expanding foam Constructa-Pro Constructa-Pro is a high strength adhesive foam designed for use in a multitude of building applications. Constructa-Pro adheres well to most common building materials including stone, concrete blocks, brick, wood, plasterboard, insulation board, metal and much more! Once cured, it’s also rot-proof, and moisture and temperature resistant from -40°C to +80°C. Constructa-Pro is suitable to use for a wide range of applications, e.g. as an adhesive for fixing plasterboard and insulation board, fixing skirting boards or a mortar substitute for building rough garden walls, planters etc, making this a truly multi purpose adhesive foam for the trade.
Bell Flow Systems, a company that first started operating in 1997 in order to provide flow measurement solutions to their customers in the industry, has announced the launch of a new product. Alongside their sister company Cortex Displays Ltd, the business has been able to develop in order to meet the changing demands and challenges in the industry. The company now operate by constructing systems and display instrumentation that are appropriate for the renewables and the environmental market. Recently Bell Flow Systems were contacted a customer who was looking for a solution that was reliable and could monitor a fire hydrant remotely in order to oversee flow detection and leakage. The site requiring the solution needed a clamp-on form of flow measurement that would work without having to break into the pipeline. Information that will be gathered from the site needed to be accessed by the customer remotely as well as also having the function of visual alarms for the operators and the site office. In order to tackle this challenge, Bell Flow Systems delivered the TFX Ultra flow meter. As well as this, a Modbus output was also delivered in order to be incorporated into a third party telemetry system. Through the products that have been supplied by Bell Flow Systems, the data that has been taken from the telemetry system then gets stored onto a web portal that is then able to offer the customer a visual representation of the range of liquids running through the systems as well as the small amounts of suspended solids or aeration. The TFX Ultra Flow system has a bi-directional flow measurement as well as a variety of different methods of communication including the Modbus RTU over RS485 communications. The Meters such as this that are available from Bell Flow Systems include large and easy to read digital displays that are set into an aluminium enclosure for protection, meaning the displays can be placed in a harsh environment.
Cable Services are the UK’s number one specialist electrical equipment and component distributor. We supply a wide range of cable and cable accessories to the domestic housing, commercial and industrial sectors from our UK locations based in Wrexham, Liverpool, Stone, Swindon and Glasgow. CablEx 2017, organised and managed by EA Technology, was held at Chester Racecourse on Wednesday 7th June, 2017. The first event of its kind, CABLEx2017 aimed to bring together the Electricity Utility Industry, including (but not limited to); Distribution Network Operators, Transmission Network Operators, Private Network Operators, Contractors, Manufacturers, Distributors and Suppliers to showcase the latest Power Cable developments, share knowledge, techniques, innovations and equipment. “We recognised straight away how CablEx would be the perfect opportunity for us to speak and target those key decision makers in the Utilities market. Both the conference and the BBQ networking event proved hugely successful and put our brand and service capabilities at the forefront of people’s minds in the Utility Sector” Jason Bostock, Managing Director at Cable Services Group. “EA Technology are pleased to announce that this year’s CABLEx 2017 event was a magnificent success. With over 80 exhibitors, and close to 700 participants enjoying the two day Chester based event., EA Technology were pleased to see an increase on attendance numbers from last year. With the participation of major players from the European Cable industry, this can be classed as a truly significant industry event. Next year EA Technology will be hosting the third expo/ conference in the series which will focus on Plant & Automation within the electricity supply sector“ Rob Hill, Business Development Manager at EA Technology.
At the Home & Hearth Awards this year, Specflue has been recognised as a Finalist for the Pellet or Wood Chip (Non-Boiler) Appliance category. Specflue is a leading company in the UK working to deliver flue, chimney and renewable heat solutions. Specflue has been operating since 1992 and has sites in Castleford, Sudbury and Honiton. The company works to offer their customers an excellent service with their wealth of experience and knowledge of the industry. As one of the leading UK providers of flues, chimneys and renewable heating solutions, it is an accolade to be recognised as a part of the competitive Hearth & Home Awards. The 2017 edition of these Awards took place at the Hearth & Home Exhibition in Harrogate. The Exhibition ran between the 11th and the 13th of June, with Specflue being recognised for their MCZ Curve. The model of stove mentioned has been designed to comply with the Ecodesign directive, not expected to be enforced until 2022. The different features of the MCZ Curve includes a ceramic spark plug that is expected to cut ignition times by 40% leading to a reduction in electricity use. The stove als has a 5 litre ash drawer, with the compartments offering a further 8 litres meaning that there is the capacity for a week of ash before emptying is required. The Comfort Air version ofthe Curve model has fans that can be controlled remotely and carry the warmth of the fire into other rooms. The No air feature of the MCZ allows for silent operation of the stove and remove forced ventilation from the MCZ Curve. The Hearth & Home Finalist stove can also be controlled by remote control, including weekly and daily programming. There is also an app that allows the user the ability to manage the stove via a smartphone or tablet.
The doom and gloom decrying that not enough companies within the field of construction has been lifted by the latest findings of a survey conducted by Tata Steel back in 2016, which reveals that of the firms that replied and accepted the survey, more than 80 per cent of them certified that they either were or would commit themselves to greater contributions to the ethics of sustainability. The tests and results gathered by Tata Steel over the course of a few months were completed by all manner and form of members in the building industry. This varied from planners and architects to development experts, who were required to respond to such subjects surrounding sustainable plans as diverse as ways of investing and educating businesses. As Barry Rust of Tata Steel intimates, the subject of a sustainable business is the hot topic and the primary objectives and goals of numerous building enterprises. Tata Steel itself has the good fortune and insight of being able to create materials that are approved by BES 6001 standards, but not every building company has the foresight to be this conscientious. Yet even those companies tested that did not yet have an appropriate action plan for a sustainable future still indicated in the survey that they would consider introducing sustainability into their plans. Other leaders in the building industry such as Rory Bergin of HTA Design LLP and John Hutton of BAM Nuttall both emphasized the need for concerns about sustainability to be consistently raised so that other issues such as those of eye and noise pollution could be explored and rectified as well. Much needs to be done to also ensure that the buildings maintain the levels of sustainability that they were initially built on, and a great deal of this clearly involves the use of all aspects of education to ensure that building contractors as well as clients are knowledgeable of the ways in which sustainability for all can progress further into the 21st Century.
Konstructa Hire, the construction site accommodation specialist and member of the Portakabin Group, has announced a £1.4 million investment programme to expand three of its hire centres. Established in 2006, Konstructa Hire is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The business has one of the newest construction hire fleets in the UK and has expanded from one to 10 hire centres in the last decade – from Glasgow in Scotland down to Hampshire in the south. It is now investing in three of its hire centres to increase capacity and meet the rising demand for its site accommodation buildings available for hire: The hire centre in Cobham is relocating to Borden in Hampshire which will treble capacity and increase production space from a single to a multi-bay area The Dunstable hire centre is moving to Aylesbury to double capacity The hire centre in Warrington is being expanded by an additional acre and benefiting from more workshop space for site accommodation maintenance. Plans are also in place to expand two further hire centres for the business in 2017. David Griffiths, Director and General Manager of Konstructa Hire, said, “We started the business from scratch 10 years ago to supply site accommodation of unrivalled quality to the construction industry, supported by outstanding service levels from our experienced teams based at our hire centre network across the UK.” “In that time, we have increased market share year-on-year and have continued to invest in the development of a range of building types and options which are specifically designed to meet the needs of the construction industry.” “We have increased our hire fleet by a third in the last three years and continue to add to our product range to meet demand from the UK’s leading national and regional building contractors and housebuilders.” “This latest investment in three of our hire centres will significantly increase our fleet storage space and production facilities to further improve lead times and customer service locally. We have ambitious plans to grow the business and our continued investment in our hire centre network is central to that.” Achievements in the 10 years since the Konstructa Hire business was launched by the Portakabin Group have included: A high level of repeat business – more than 75 per cent The development and launch of Konstructa Modular – multi-storey accommodation which features five new patents for advanced site safety to avoid working at height The launch of the UK’s first energy-saving site office building to have A-rated energy performance. The Konstructa fleet of eco site buildings is now larger than its standard range of buildings, illustrating how more contractors are looking to minimise energy consumption on construction sites The only site accommodation business to offer a pioneering Customer Charter and a week’s free hire if a project is not delivered on time Innovative new additions to the range of options have been developed since the launch of Konstructa Hire to meet the site requirements of building contractors and for ease of procurement, including boot washing units and smoking shelters Accreditation from safecontractor for the business’ commitment to achieving health and safety excellence. The range of construction buildings available from Konstructa Hire now includes single and multi-storey site accommodation; anti-vandal buildings for additional security; fire-rated buildings; and low energy site buildings. All the building types can be suited together to meet any construction site requirement – offices; canteens and mess rooms; toilets; shower, changing and drying rooms, and storage units. Konstructa Hire can also supply all furniture, staircases, and effluent tanks and the site accommodation can be branded to reflect a contractor’s corporate image.