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Environmental considerations are weighing ever-heavier in the minds of today’s specifiers, buyers and building owners and manufacturers have been focusing on the environmental aspects of their products as never before.

Unfortunately some claims are more valid than others and the phenomenon of ‘greenwash’ – has developed. The eco-profiling system developed by BRE Global provides a rigorous and consistent approach to assessing the environmental impact of construction materials.

The BBA is delighted to announce that it has signed a licensing arrangement with BRE Global to enable BBA Certificate holders and other manufacturers to seek eco-profiling direct from the BBA and consequently where appropriate listings in The Green Guide.

BBA Chief Executive Greg Cooper states ‘We are naturally anxious to provide this service to our customers as soon as possible but we are equally determined to ensure absolute consistency between our results and those produced by BRE Global. We therefore have a training period for our own staff first using a limited number of real projects before we can consider taking on volume eco-profiling for our extensive client base. We anticipate completing this by early 2009’

The BBA/BRE agreement has been welcomed by the manufacturer base. Jane Thornback, Environmental Policy Advisor at the Construction Products Association, said ‘I am delighted that this new agreement has been reached. This new agreement between BRE and the BBA will increase capacity and shorten the time frame for profiling. More and more companies want to have their products environmentally profiled as they see this as necessary for the market place. To now have multiple licensed users of the extensive life cycle dataset held at BRE is a great step forward’.

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ELGA Process Water has announced two new models in their market-leading maxiRO range of reverse osmosis units. The new models, the maxiRO 14-4000 and maxiRO 14-5000 deliver 4m3/h and 5m3/h respectively and extend the maxiRO range into large commercial and industrial systems.

Like other models in the maxiRO range, the new models use low pressure membranes which remove up to 98% of dissolved inorganics and over 99% of large dissolved organics, colloids and particles whilst low operating pressures – generally below 14bar – keep operating costs to a minimum. Competitively priced to appeal to the commercial and industrial user of boiler make up, cooling and process water, these RO units are self-contained, compact and designed to blend into the modern plant room environment.

Control is by means of a sophisticated microprocessor controller accessed via an HMI style panel which gives a clear display of flow, pressure, water quality and temperature, together with operational status and error messages. The controller provides a volt-free alarm contact and a 4-20mA analogue signal to transmit treated water conductivity to a distributed control system (DCS), Building Management System (BMS) or other PLC based systems. The controller also provides a data-logging facility for trending. Automatic permeate diversion to drain on start-up is standard, to ensure that water quality is achieved and maintained, as is automatic timed re-circulation to avoid membrane fouling during idle periods. The maxiRO units can be supplied with optional antiscalant or sodium bisulphite dosing equipment which simply “plug-and-play” using the standard controller.

All the models can be directly coupled in series to create a twin pass arrangement and can be provided with blending facilities where specific water quality has to be met. Automatic pH monitoring and control is a further option on the larger units.

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Designed specifically to aid rapid, accurate location of cable faults in power systems, thereby cutting downtime and, in distribution installations, costly ‘consumer minutes lost’, cable fault locators in Megger’s new PFL40 range offer a full range of tests from a single compact and easily transportable unit.

Despite their small size, PFL testers perform DC testing at up to 40kV and impulse testing with energies up to 2,000J, a level of performance that is unmatched by any other portable test set currently available.

The latest additions to Megger’s established range of cable fault locators, which embody many of the patents granted to the company in this field, the new PFL40 units offer all of the test facilities needed for cable testing, cable fault diagnosis, pre-location of cable faults, fault conditioning and pin-point location of faults. Users therefore have immediate access to all of the resources needed to deal swiftly with even the most intransigent of cable faults.

PFL40 cable fault locators feature a high-voltage DC test set, complemented by a time domain reflectometer (TDR). The DC test set can be used to prove the integrity of cable networks or to confirm faults at voltages up to 40kV and currents up to 25mA. An operator selectable overcurrent trip is incorporated to protect the system under test in the event of a cable breakdown.

Fault pre-location can be achieved using the TDR in standard pulse echo mode, or by the arc reflection, impulse current or voltage decay methods. Acoustic pinpoint fault location, using the PFL40’s high voltage, high-energy surge generator, is also supported.

For intermittent or unstable faults, PFL40 testers offer a choice of fault conditioning features. In proof/burn mode, after cable breakdown has occurred, the testers apply a high current that stabilises the fault, making it much easier to locate. Alternatively, the arc reflection method can be used to establish a temporary bridge to earth, enabling standard pulse echo location techniques to be used.

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A new development in the East Midlands is one of the first in the UK to specify the highly innovative Ensign EEZI-FIT range of cast iron drainage systems from Saint-Gobain Pipelines.

Highcross Court is a new build development of 144 luxury flats in five blocks adjacent to and above the Shires Shopping Centre in Leicester city centre.

Mechanical and electrical consultants for the project, Buckinghamshire-based Silcock Dawson & Partners, specified cast iron for the above ground drainage due to its unrivalled appearance and acoustic performance.

Despite pressure to switch to plastic drainage systems because of their perceived lower cost, the many benefits of the new EEZI-FIT push-fit range and its ability to avoid joints in the floor screed, convinced the developers to stay with cast iron.

Saint-Gobain demonstrated the EEZI-FIT product to plumbing contractor Sleaford Building Services who were highly impressed by its quality, ease and speed of installation, and environmental advantages over plastic alternatives.

Barry Exton, a Director of Sleaford Building Services, explained: “The EEZI-FIT range incorporates a unique manifold waste connector fitting with an extended bottom connection spigot that due to its extended length clears a floor make up/screed of up to 300mm and therefore negates the installation of a joint in the floor constructions with the obvious issues this has the potential to cause. We used a large number of these fittings to connect to sanitaryware appliances and a particular benefit was the use of the low level manifold inlets providing a solution to ensure invert and gradient levels were achieved even from low outlet shower trays.

“The fact that the EEZI-FIT components simply push together made for a very fast installation while the quality of the range – which retains all the proven benefits of cast iron drainage systems – is very clear.”

Derrick Brookes of Saint-Gobain Pipelines added: “This installation shows clearly how the EEZI-FIT range solves many of the issues facing modern developers. EEZI-FIT offers rapid installation alongside all the established benefits of cast iron in terms of durability, performance, appearance, fire resistance, acoustic qualities and recyclability.

Versatility and suitability of the range for both residential and commercial applications is already generating significant interest from specifiers for a number of projects. We believe EEZI-FIT is set to become the range of choice where ease of installation is required without compromise elsewhere.”

Ensign EEZI-FIT is Kitemark approved to BS EN 877 for gravity, sanitary applications and manufactured under BS EN ISO 9001: 2004 Quality Assurance.

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Megger?s new MFT1553 On-site takes electrical testing to a new level. Instruments that transfer test results automatically to a laptop computer or other hardware running a test certificate generation program are nothing new ? but this new multifunction installation tester and certification software package from Megger takes this one step further.

Now, it is no longer necessary to have a cabled connection between the test instrument and the computer. With Megger’s MFT1553 package, all data is transferred via a wireless Bluetooth connection.

The benefits include faster testing, with no cumbersome connections to worry about, the elimination of data leads that are easily lost or damaged, plus the completion of certificates there and then on site on a lap-top, PDA or smart-phone, eliminating the need to note down readings.

The MFT1553 multifunction tester included in the package is the latest addition to Megger’s hugely successful MFT1500 range. The MFT1553 offers tests covering all the requirements of both the 16th and 17th Editions of the IEE Wiring Regulations, and is supplied, as standard, complete with a calibration certificate.

The PowerSuite software in the MFT1553 On-site package is among the most versatile of its type, and is available in versions for use on almost any hardware platform from a smart mobile phone to a full-blown PC. In addition to Windows, operating systems such as Symbian S60, and PalmOS V5 are fully supported.

The software includes over 25 certificates from the IEE, ECA, NICEIC and ELECSA, and also provides facilities for the generation user designed certificates.

Taken together, the components of the MFT1553 On-site package provide a comprehensive testing solution for contractors which offers safety, convenience and value for money, unmatched by any other product or combination of products currently available.

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The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has joined forces with AMTECH Group Ltd on the promotion of the National Engineering Specification (NES).

The NES software packages, nes Specification Expert and O & M were acquired by AMTECH Group earlier this year. As the UK's leading building services software company, AMTECH Group is fully committed to maintaining the support currently enjoyed for the NES products.

Under the new agreement, CIBSE will exclusively endorse the National Engineering Specification (NES) software, training and associated customer services – the only specification system to have adopted a ‘greening' policy – recommending the products & services for use by building specialists.

CIBSE Chief Executive Stephen Matthews said: “We are delighted to be working with AMTECH and look forward to exploring further opportunities for future collaboration and developing a first rate specification system focused on engineering excellence and sustainability.”

AMTECH Commercial Director David Bell added: “This is the first stage in an enhanced relationship between AMTECH and industry-leading bodies such as CIBSE that will bring major benefits to all parties. Since we acquired nes Specification Expert in mid 2008 we have already established an advisory panel of CIBSE members.

“Drawn from leading consultants, contractors and construction clients, the panel will help us design the route map for the product’s future direction and ensure it fulfils its true potential. In parallel, we have already invested significant resources into Specification Expert, leading to major new features and enhancements,” he continued.

AMTECH Group is the UK’s largest supplier of specialist software to the building services industry and the only company to offer a true end-to-end solution. Through its AMTECH, Estimation and NES brands the company’s product portfolio encompasses solutions for specification, design, calculations, sizing, pricing, procurement, project management, accounts management, ongoing service and maintenance and test and certification.

“This comprehensive product range, combined with the enduring partnerships we have with the industry, will enable us to continue developing leading-edge solutions that deliver true benefits. Not just benefits for users but also for the industry as a whole; removing cost from construction and helping UK consultants and contractors to compete more effectively on the world stage,” David Bell concluded.

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Hambleside Danelaw’s award-winning Insulator rooflight has become the first and only British rooflight to be labelled as an energy-efficient construction product under the EU’s GREEN-IT scheme.

Specifiers, especially those for public sector new build projects, will also be interested to learn that the Group’s tile roof ventilator range has been added to the WRAP procurement guide for construction materials that incorporate recycled content and help to reduce waste.

The latest seal of approval for Insulator’s capacity to save on end-users’ energy bills and cut their carbon emissions comes as BRE makes a renewed push to promote the GREEN-IT database as a tool for UK specifiers. The WRAP guide is used by government departments and local authorities to stop 8 million tonnes of waste materials from the household, industrial and commercial waste streams going to landfill.

Hambleside Danelaw’s almost unrivalled track-record in the sector for developing sustainable products has been further boosted by a report from the independent consultancy dcarbon8 which shows that the company slashed its carbon footprint by over 20% in 2006-07.

Commenting on these latest announcements, Robin Jeffery, Hambleside Danelaw’s vice-chairman, said: “Earlier this year a committee of MPs criticised procurers in the public sector for their lack of a sustainable approach in building new schools and hospitals. Schemes like GREEN-IT and WRAP with approved product databases easily accessible on the internet will make their job much easier in helping to meet the Government’s latest commitment to cut the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. Hambleside Danelaw is aiming to have more of its products on these lists.”

Hambleside Danelaw also announced today that its next generation of Insulator rooflights with a unique further energy-saving innovation will be unveiled at the Ecobuild show in London on 3-5 March 2009.

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Estimation’s QuoteMaster quotation management module now incorporates advanced tools for managing Net Price Agreements (NPAs), increasingly used by suppliers to fix prices on key items for a pre-agreed term.

QuoteMaster provides an interface between the supply chain and Estimation’s Central Price File of materials used throughout Estimation’s software as well as to their Estimating and Procurement modules. This enables contractors to quickly prepare a list of materials, and then submit it electronically to suppliers as a request for quotation.

QuoteMaster interfaces to everyday tools such as Microsoft Excel and Word, into which suppliers can enter their prices for the contractor, so any need for proprietary item or vendor codes is eliminated. This also means there is no need for special product data or software. This overcomes the headaches from lack of industry wide unique product references.

As quotations are returned by suppliers, these are imported electronically into QuoteMaster, where the inbuilt adjudication screens assist the contractor in making easy comparisons and adjudicating between quotes received from multiple suppliers.

Once the contractor has finalised the choice of supplies, QuoteMaster posts the Net Prices from the supplier into the Estimation software, ready to be used when preparing estimates and raising purchase orders.

To make life even easier, Net Price Agreements are stored, ready to be refreshed at any time. So as the current agreement is drawing to a close, it is quick and easy to resend the Request for Quotation to suppliers and refresh the Central Price File with their latest Net Price Agreement.

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