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The BBA has just taken delivery of a new rig which tests the hygrothermal performance of solid wall insulation systems called external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) to the European Technical Approval Guideline (ETAG) 004. ETICS are external wall insulation systems (EWIS) comprising insulation coated with render. The new rig is extremely versatile and can meet the requirements of a number of different test specifications.

The ETAG 004 test regime involves subjecting an insulated solid wall to a series of extreme temperature cycles. This tests how the insulation system will react over time to changes in moisture (humidity) and temperature. The tests and assessment methods outlined in ETAG 004 have been written with an intended working life of 25 years in mind.

The test regime subjects the insulation system to repeated cycles of heat and rain, then heat and cold, and finally heat, rain, freeze and thaw. These cycles are completed in strict order for a set amount of time. During these series of cycles the system can be exposed to temperatures as high as 70°C and as low as -15°C mimicking the extreme weather conditions the insulation system could face during its expected working life. Once complete the test wall is assessed for damage such as surface blisters, flaking, delamination, cracks and other visible changes.

Although mainly aimed at ETICS, other materials such as cement particle boards, glass reinforced plastic (GRP) and MgO boards can also be tested.

The new rig is a significant investment by the BBA and it has been made to address the growth of interest in hygrothermal testing of external wall insulation systems due, in part, to the ability to CE mark this type of insulation system. Although CE marking remains voluntary, for products that do not fall within the scope of a harmonized European Standard (hEN), a manufacturer can obtain CE marking through assessment against the appropriate European Technical Assessment (ETA) and a system of assessment and verification of constancy of performance procedure.

The ETAG 004 hygrothermal test is significantly shorter than other similar tests and coupled with the improved efficiency and versatility of the new rig, cycle times are significantly reduced compared to the test rigs previously used by the BBA. This means a quicker throughput of work increasing the capacity to cope with the anticipated higher level of demand. However, companies are advised to contact the BBA as soon as possible to ensure their products can be scheduled for testing in plenty of time.

To contact the BBA e-mail testing@bba.star.co.uk or telephone 01923 665300.

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The £3m development of two blocks for sixth-form boarding in Housman Hall at Bromsgrove School will create 49 new en-suite study bedrooms. The first building was completed in October 2013 with the second due to be finished by the end of August. Robothams Architects specified Klober's air-open roofing underlay Permo® air as one of only two membranes approved by the NHBC Standard for use without supporting high level ventilation.

The old central house at Housman Hall, formerly the home of Old Bromsgrovian poet AE Housman, is listed with the site overall in a conservation area. Permo air therefore enables both long span roofs to be unaffected by vents within a roofline which is in the vernacular style. As such, Permo air made a tangible contribution to a development which preserves and enhances the character of Housman Hall by replacing the former boarding wings with a more sympathetic development.

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Easilift Loading Systems has launched the Advanced Control Centre, an intuitive management system that helps distribution centres and warehouses to efficiently and pro-actively take care of loading bays and vehicle traffic.

The system comprises four easily accessible web-based modules – Service; Dock Management; Facility Management; and Statistics & Reporting – providing a comprehensive overview of loading bay activity.

Benefits of the system include faster maintenance, more effective servicing, reduced waiting times, and improved safety, security and energy savings.

“The modern technology of the Advanced Control Centre integrates a whole host of useful functions into a complete operational solution,” explains Rob Fay, managing director of Easilift. “With unprecedented control over loading bay processes, warehouse co-ordinators can optimise efficiency for maximum uptime.”

The Service module supports everyday operation with 24/7 monitoring of maintenance requirements. An Easilift specialist is automatically notified upon any equipment breakdown, so that problems can be immediately analysed and solved – sometimes before the problem is detected on-site. Where possible, this is achieved remotely, significantly reducing disruption as well as avoiding service engineer call-out charges.

By delivering an ongoing audit of loading bay activity, the Advanced Control Centre can also measure usage to ensure that periodic maintenance is appropriate to the specific bay. Automatic planning arranges routine maintenance at the correct service intervals to extend product lifetime.

Dock Management offers real-time information on the status of all loading and unloading dock stations to enable the swift and appropriate allocation of vehicles. With remote reservations ahead of arrival and automatic re-allocation upon vehicle departure, bottlenecks are minimised and dock usage maintained.

Facility Management complements these capabilities with an ‘at a glance’ inventory of essential station data. With expensive utilities energy lost every time a door is opened unnecessarily, or internal lighting systems left on, warehouse co-ordinators can restrict usage only to active bays. And with security paramount, the system can augment or replace existing walk-around surveillance.

The final module, Statistics & Reporting, gives the customer up-to-date information on everything from loading bay station usage rates to average loading and unloading times. As well as substantiated analysis to optimise the flow of traffic and goods, it delivers an overview of operational costs.

“Effective business management means knowing what is happening in the workplace, in order to reduce wastage and focus on the essentials. With our Advanced Control Centre, distribution centres and warehouses now have an authoritative tool to co-ordinate all loading bay activity,” confirms Rob Fay.

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Jestico and Whiles design becomes London landmark

London Bridge station, the capital's oldest railway terminus, presented a major bottleneck through lack of capacity either to increase train frequency or service longer trains. Three different operating companies use it with six lines continuing to Cannon Street, Charing Cross and Blackfriars. Of 86 trains each hour only one Thameslink train could be accommodated in the face of demand for 18.

A new 400 metre viaduct and 1,080-tonne, 70-metre bridge over Borough High Street was therefore built to address the congestion issue. Described by architects Jestico and Whiles as an iconic structure, its distinctive appearance is provided by 2200m2 of VMZINC curved cassette panel facades in pre-weathered QUARTZ-ZINC®. The material was fabricated by EDM Spanwall and installed by specialist architectural metalwork and faÇade contractor the McGrath Group. The material will retain its appearance for years to come and in doing so requires minimal cleaning and maintenance.

In addition to construction of the viaduct work also included demolition of existing buildings, temporary relocation of Borough Market to adjacent land and removal, refurbishment and reconstruction of the existing cast iron market structure.

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Amtech, the market-leading software developer for the UK building services industry, has launched Service Manager Mobile for use on the Android mobile platform. Service Manager Mobile works in conjunction with the Service Manager desktop application to improve visibility of job and engineer status and to maximise the productivity of service engineers while they are on site.

Suitable for use with all Android tablets and smartphones, Service Manager Mobile maintains regular communication with the desktop application by ‘polling’ at pre-determined intervals (e.g. every 60 seconds). In doing so it receives job information from the office and transmits data such as change of job status and GPS tracking information back to base. Job and engineer status is then automatically updated in the desktop application so that service managers have a strategic overview in real time.

Service Manager Mobile incorporates a host of advanced features to improve communication and ensure mobile engineers are provided with all relevant information. For example, in the case of planned preventative maintenance the job information can include multiple equipment items and service information such as forecast hours and spares requirements.

Once the jobs have been accepted by the engineer a ‘job response history’ is created in the desktop application that records travel and work progress, along with any additional information and file attachments (e.g. photos). Incomplete jobs are also recorded and their progress tracked.

Spares and mileage values, as well as other cost-related information, are assigned to relevant Job Costs in the Service Manager desktop.

Amtech Group CEO Mark Tindall commented: “Service Manager Mobile is the most recent development from an ongoing programme that will see the benefits of mobile communications being introduced to a wide range of applications. Built on feedback from customers, our mobile applications are designed to add value to users’ businesses by boosting productivity and improving profitability”.

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If REHAU built houses, they would probably look like this one. A stunning, new build property in Dundee, Scotland has been constructed using REHAU's complete range of building solutions, from PVC-U windows to underfloor heating, a ground – air heat exchanger and even composite decking.

The luxury house, built for a private client by Discovery Homes, is designed to be as efficient and environmentally friendly as possible and uses REHAU solutions wherever possible in line with the quality specification and to reduce running costs.

Discovery Homes regularly installs REHAU underfloor heating and flexible heating and plumbing pipework in its developments and its team have all received training at the REHAU Academy.

Grant White, a Director at Discovery Homes, said: “We have always been impressed by the quality of the REHAU pipework systems and with the support the company provides via its sales office in Glasgow.

“In this one-off project, we wanted to extend the use of REHAU solutions as far as possible and worked closely with the company to identify and install the right products for a range of applications.”

Working from the ground up, the house features REHAU's award winning AWADUKT Thermo ground – air heat exchanger system to provide a sustainable source of fresh, filtered ventilation air, REHAU underfloor heating and REHAU flexible pipework for the hot and cold water supply, sound insulated RAUPIANO pipework for the domestic waste water system and REHAU PVC-U windows throughout.

It is also one of the first properties in the UK to feature the RAUVACLEAN central vacuum system inside and the RELAZZO composite decking system outside.

Grant White adds: “The products show the very best of REHAU's expertise in polymer – both replacing traditional materials with polymer alternatives which are more durable or more convenient and utilising the inherent properties of polymer to deliver 'green' solutions.

“The finished house is built to an outstanding specification which will ensure it is both comfortable and efficient. For our clients, that satisfies their requirements perfectly.”

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Micronics Ltd will be exhibiting their comprehensive range of “clamp-on” ultrasonic Liquid flow, Heat and Energy flow meters for industry and commerce including the NEW PF330E & U3000E “clamp-on” Heat/Energy meters, which extend the scope of Micronics simple to operate PF330 (portable) and U3000 (fixed) product ranges. The First made in Britain “clamp-on” flow meters offering an integral Heat/Energy meter solution!

Micronics full range of simple to install and accurate flow measurement solutions will be on show including:

A comprehensive range of Portable Transit time and Doppler instruments for clean or dirty, contaminated liquid flow measurement as you would expect from the leading UK manufacturer of portable “clamp-on” instruments. Micronics portables have always been regarded as the simplest to set-up and operate and this essential feature for portable instruments has been maintained throughout the range with great success.

A wide range of Fixed Transit time and Doppler “clamp-on” flow meters for Heat Meter and Liquid flow measurement including the unique U1000, factory preset, “clamp-on” alternative to traditional in-line Hot and Cold water meters. And the U4000 now established as Micronics's “clamp-on” fixed meter solution for larger Building Services and Industrial applications incorporating the latest digital ultrasonic measurement technology to provide easier set-up and commissioning with enhanced accuracy and reliability in operation. Savings of up to 90% have been established for fixed meter installations in comparison to traditional in-line meter installations!

So if you need to know what's happening through investigation with a temporary, portable solution or need a permanent flow or heat measurement/metering solution a “clamp-on” alternative is a must consider option! And the first step is to visit Micronics at www.micronicsflowmeters.com or Sustainability Live, Nemex stand G33.

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Amtech Quickscale is a new, easy-to-use module that enables accurate, electronic measurements and item counts to be taken from PDFs or scanned drawings. As such it dramatically reduces the time spent measuring and eliminates the hassle and cost of printing out large drawings.

Quickscale is compatible with all 2012 versions of Amtech Estimating and provides four easy ways to take-off accurate measurements and add them to the estimate. It can be used to count items (e.g. sockets, valves), measure lengths of materials (e.g. cable, pipework), track and measure the total paths of materials or measure floor area for cost per square metre reporting. All standard drawing scales are included as well as a calibration tool. For each measurement the units (metric or imperial) are simply selected from a drop-down menu.

Each item or material is then selected in the Luckins database for pricing, assembled into kits where appropriate and added to the estimate. The estimate is then completed by marking up and incorporating wholesaler discounts in the usual way.

All measurements are stored against the PDF for easy recall.

To see how easy Quickscale is to use, visit www.amtech.co.uk/quickscale

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With its focus on ‘what BIM should be about’ and its commitment to sweeping away ‘BIMwash’, the Crystal Clear BIM Conference on the 17th and 18th June proved to be a great success. Organised and hosted by Amtech, the conference enabled over 260 delegates from across the built environment sector to listen to and engage with a wide range of speakers from government departments through to facilities managers.

In his opening address Amtech CEO Mark Tindall observed the importance of cultural change to the successful implementation of BIM, along with the efficient management of data. He also stressed the importance of interoperability between software platforms to enable information to be shared and updated throughout the life of the asset.

A recurring theme throughout the conference was the need to understand the end user’s requirements, ensuring that aspects of operation and maintenance are considered from the very early design stages. As Roy Evans from the BIM team at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills noted, it’s essential to move away from the ‘bucket of keys’ handover process.

Professor David Philp, Head of BIM at the Cabinet Office, noted that technology is an important enabler for BIM, facilitating the management of growing volumes of data as the built environment enters a ‘digital revolution’.

To demonstrate this a number of projects were referenced to illustrate some of the uses of BIM technology and the role that a true BIM database can play in this. Delegates heard about BIM data being transferred to tablet PCs for ease of use on site and the tracking of materials as they arrive on site through the use of RFID tags. Amtech also provided a demonstration of how laser scanning can be used to create a BIM for an existing building – in this case, the recently completed Crystal Building!

Delegates also heard from Ismena Clout, Chair of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) on the importance of BIM data to the ongoing operation and maintenance of built assets.

In all, 18 speakers presented different perspectives on BIM and while some views differed all agreed that BIM is primarily about people collaborating, processes working together and technology enabling the efficient sharing of information.

This was a refreshingly different conference with honesty, straight talking and even a little humour!

Amtech will be announcing dates for next years conference very soon and if you can’t wait that long then look out for their free Crystal Clear BIM Workshops being held at major race tracks alongside British Superbikes.

Presentations from the conference can be accessed at www.amtech.co.uk/conference

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Stelrad Radiators award winning new Radical serial feed radiators have been set some difficult conundrums to work with as more and more people are drawn towards this exciting new design radiator to provide energy efficient heating in their homes and commercial buildings. But few had offered the Radical the challenge that a historic home renovation near Woking has provided in recent months!

When Peter White and his partner Tanina – the owners of established property development company Lencrest Homes in Surrey – fell in love with their new Surrey home, one of the major challenges was always going to be heating it! Through his profession, Peter was as well qualified as any to come up with a solution, but he admits even he had to think long and hard about how to approach the 'u-value nightmare' he had taken on.

Peter had been able to trace the oldest parts of the building back to arguably 1480 – it had originally been a medieval hall house – and over the centuries, bits and pieces had been added, even including a seventeenth century bread oven! The last attempts to renovate the property had taken place in the late nineteen seventies and eighties, but from the evidence available to Peter, it had proved to be a job too far for those attempting to turn it into a comfortable home.

The current renovation is very much 'work in progress', but significant steps forward have been taken. The heating system is just about two thirds installed and much of the house is now 'liveable' and becoming the family home Peter envisaged when he first clapped eyes on the property: “We're getting there,” he says. “The plan was to undertake a sympathetic renovation of the property, retaining all the features inside and out. We started from the exciting position that there wasn't a straight wall in the house! We have uncovered some of the original wattle and daub walls – many of which are in perfect condition! The hazel twigs they used five or six hundred years ago are still flexible and as good as new – it's quite amazing. But of course it came with no insulation of any sort, anywhere and a heating system that frankly was totally inadequate, so we needed some help to overcome these very basic issues at the outset! And piping and fixing anything to floors, walls and ceilings was an interesting challenge.”

But where there's a will there's a way and with the heating installation pretty much there now, there is significant light at the end of Peter's tunnel! It's a listed building of course which puts significant restrictions on what can and can't be done but Peter joined the Listed Property Owners Club and with help from them and his own experience, it's all coming together.

He's gone with a modern condensing boiler – a Worcester 440 CDi – with the latest intelligent controls. He considered heat pumps but decided the boiler option made more sense and made installation simpler. He discovered the Stelrad Radical radiator and was particularly drawn towards them for a number of reasons – one the much higher radiant heat obtained from them in comparison to traditional radiators – 50% more, and the fact that they heat up more quickly than traditional radiators as well – up to 23% more quickly. But he was also keen that the condensing boiler really returned the energy efficiency it claimed – and Radical radiators, because of the cooler return flow circulating water to the boiler, ensure that a condensing boiler actually condenses – giving the 93%+ energy efficiency he was looking for: “We considered ground floor underfloor heating but frankly we needed a heating system that heats up quickly and provides almost instant heat around the home and that's something UFH can't provide. In addition, digging up uneven floors with a variety of substrates throughout the house was a 'no-no' as well so UFH simply wasn't right for the job.

“The Stelrad Radicals are performing really well – if anything they provide too much heat at times and we are delighted to have to turn them down – that wasn't something we were anticipating! With a variety of construction methods throughout the property, we don't just have to consider room sizes for u-values – we have to consider whether it's a brick wall, a stud wall, or wattle and daub – that makes things a wee bit more complex! But so far – so good – and we're really impressed with the performance of the Stelrad Radical radiators we've chosen. We have a number of projects through the business coming up and I'm planning on using Radicals for these too now, I've been that impressed with them. They're as easy to install as standard rads, they are aesthetically pleasing and it's another sales benefit to our customers to be able to highlight that their radiators have been independently shown to contribute a 10.5% saving on their energy bills – it's win, win all the way.”

To find out more about Stelrad's Radical radiator, head for www.stelrad.com or call for further information on 0844 543 6200 or email marketing@stelrad.com. You can follow Stelrad on Twitter @Stelrad or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StelradLimited.

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