Story

View Addagrip's profile:

Story

McQuay UK has secured a contract for a large number of air handling units at what will be the first new hospital to be built in Birmingham in over 70 years.

This PFI procured hospital, which will cost over £560 million when completed in 2012, is being built for the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust, by a joint venture of Balfour Beatty(BBCL) and Haden Young (HYL). The main facility, which is on the 50 acre site of the old Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston, will have over 1200 acute and 130 psychiatric beds.

A total of 111 Easdale model 50 air handling units have been ordered to date for the six sectors in the development by HYL, who have the responsibility for designing, installing and commissioning all the building services. McQuay are required to supply, install and pre-test all the ahu’s on site, before commissioning by others. The majority of the units, which have an airflow range from 0.5 cubic metres per second to 7.99 cubic metres per second, are supply and extract models and incorporate McQuay heat recovery run-around- coils as part of the ‘green’ features of the project.

The model 50 system utilises a concept for the frame and panels similar to the New Generation range, in that it employs uPVC corner pieces, an extruded anodised aluminium frame and foam filled panels with excellent thermal properties and noise reduction. Here the differences end as the profile of the model 50 frame and galvanised panels has been simplified to smooth the manufacturing process and produce a flush finish without affecting the thermal feature.

Units for the first sector have already been shipped to site, while those for the second sector are to be incorporated into packaged plant rooms. The units for the remaining four sectors are on schedule for completion in 2009.

To complete the supply, McQuay UK will provide eight ALS XN air-cooled chillers, each featuring four high efficiency single rotor screw compressors.

Each unit has a cooling capacity of almost 1500kW and an overall length of 11 metres. Prior to delivery on site, they will be split into two sections for lifting purposes and reassembled in position on the roof, before testing and commissioning. All the chillers will operate on the environment-friendly refrigerant HFC 134a.

View DAIKIN APPLIED (UK) LTD's profile:

Story

A complete flooring system of Mapei products has recently been used to prepare the substrate and install a stylish wooden floor at the Arizona Coffee Shop in Belfast.

Flooring contractors Owen H James began the refurbishment of the floor area by completely removing existing wooden planks and mechanically grinding the old adhesive to smooth the concrete, this left an abraded surface that was then treated with Mapei’s MAPEPROOF ESM, two-component, solvent-free, surface membrane vapour barrier for substrates with residual or static moisture. The Mapei approved contractor then applied a scattering of kiln-dried sand followed by Mapei’s LATEXPLAN, two-component self-levelling and smoothing compound to provide a perfectly even substrate for the wooden floor covering.

Owen H James installed 94m2 of European Qt Saw White Oak in a single herringbone with wedge banding and Dante Soldier Border using Mapei LIGNOBOND, a two-part solvent-free epoxy-polyurethane adhesive for the bonding of all types and sizes of wooden flooring.

The Mapei products used allowed a fast-track flooring application that allowed the entire refurbishment to be completed in record time to the delight of the owners

.

View Mapei's profile:

Story

Life for some of the world's best sailors could be a little bit more comfortable in the future thanks to Underfloor heating specialist Warmafloor (GB) Ltd. The company's systems have been installed at the new Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPSA) in Portland, Dorset which has been selected as the venue for the 2012 Olympic sailing events, should London be chosen to host the games.

Weymouth Bay and Portland harbour are widely recognised as some of the finest sailing waters in the UK. As a result, a new purpose built onshore facility has been developed, providing a superb venue, not only for events and training, but also as a teaching centre and active members club for all abilities.

Facilities include a licensed clubhouse, conference/meeting rooms, slipways, a boat hoist, permanent crane and storage for all types of boats.

The Warmafloor installation, uses 20mm Polybutylene barrier pipe which is a 5 layer co extrusion specially manufactured for the project. The pipe has a fifty-year life time guarantee and was the natural choice for this landmark facility, providing a cost effective alternative to other heating systems and avoiding the need for surface mounted equipment that might be susceptible to damage. The installation provides readily controllable, energy efficient heating to the 414m2 ground floor which incorporates meeting areas, changing and shower rooms.

System selction also helps WSPA comply with the strict environmental standards it has set. The environmental impact that the manufacturing process of Polybutylene, in terms both of energy usage and emissions is markedly less than is the case for alternative metal pipe systems and many other types of plastics. In common with other polyolefin thermoplastics, Polybutylene can be recycled if required.

The academy has three principal functions: to promote the sport of sailing at all levels, to provide a facility for the community to use and to contribute to the economic regeneration of the area.

View Warmafloor's profile:

Story

Hard landscaping specialist, Charcon has supplied over 400 square metres of its environmentally friendly EcoPave Flag Paving to Wimpey Homes for installation at its new Dunston Staiths development in Gateshead

Committed to building homes that are safe, attractive and sustainable, Wimpey Homes was adamant that the development was environmentally friendly, as landscape architect on the project, Gerry Kemp from GlenKemp Architects explains: “The environmental aspect of the build was integral to the design and construction of the site. Every material was carefully chosen to maintain the look, feel and standard of the development.”

Having previously worked with Charcon on a number of projects, Gerry knew it could supply a range of eco-friendly hard landscaping products. “I knew Charcon had a wide range of environmentally friendly paving, blocks and kerbs that would suit the development perfectly and meet its objectives for aesthetics, cost and availability.”

Developed to optimise the manufacturing processes while minimising the usage of raw materials, Charcon’s Eco range has been specifically created to produce a range of hard landscaping with excellent green credentials.

Alan Hodgson, Charcon’s territory sales manager, said: “Containing over 76 per cent of recycled materials, EcoPave Flag Paving has been developed to meet the growing need for sustainable hard landscaping. Having seen the development and Wimpey Homes’ plans, EcoPave in Black Fleck was ideal for the project.”

Gerry concludes: “The flag paving looks great. The exposed aggregate within the paver gives a subtle sparkle and weathered natural appearance at a cost effective price.”

View Charcon's profile:

Story

A Warmafloor underfloor heating and cooling system combined with ground source heat pumps is contributing to a 30% to 40% reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions at Gloucestershire Constabulary’s new £18 million headquarters building. The sustainable solution played a key role in the PFI project receiving the ‘Excellent’ rating in the BREEAM assessment process, which looks at a broad range of environmental impacts across various building types.

The Warmafloor Tacker underfloor heating and cooling system, drawing energy from nine 90kW Water Furnace geothermal heat pumps, was specified by multi-disciplinary property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper. The company provided a complete consultancy package for the project, including architecture, mechanical and electrical services and cost management. Malcolm Hardacre, Associate Director of McBains Cooper comments, “The building is one of the first PFI projects to utilise this type of combined renewable energy solution rather than a conventional air conditioning system. It’s proved very successful and the building was recently awarded the 2006 Environmental Initiative of the Year by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers for its environmental friendliness and cost-efficiency.”

The combination of a Warmafloor Tacker System with geothermal heat pumps is making a major contribution to the building’s green rating. Whilst in heating mode during the winter months the heat pumps deliver a 50 / 40oC flow/return temperature to the underfloor heating circuits. During warm weather the pumps can achieve a flow/return temperature of 7 / 12oC to the same manifold serving the underfloor circuits to provide effective cooling. The system’s intelligent controls allow temperatures to be adjusted between these lower and upper limits to suit requirements for controlling condensation and comfort in the building.

Heating and cooling energy is drawn from 150 bore holes each drilled to a depth of 98m under the car park. Inside the building, the Warmafloor Tacker System is a high duty 65mm deep screed system with a thermal conductivity of 0.034W/mK and a compression strength of >110 kPa. The 18mm diameter polybutylene water pipe circuits were ‘tacked’ to laminated insulation panels and pressure tested before the screed was laid. At Gloucestershire Constabulary HQ the floor covering is Terrazzo.

In addition to the cost and energy saving benefits, an underfloor system frees up space and enables greater interior design flexibility as there is no need to allocate wall space to radiators or other heating appliances. Furthermore, unlike radiators, which transfer heat by convection, underfloor heating systems use radiant heat so there are no draughts or cold spots. No convection currents also mean the heating system is not constantly circulating airborne germs and dust. This contributes to a healthier environment and health and well-being is one of the key considerations in the BREEAM assessment process.

Warmafloor is one of the UK's leaders in underfloor heating and cooling solutions with over 20 years experience in projects from the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly to the British Museum, and from residential homes to the largest industrial buildings and schools. The company has worked in partnership with other suppliers to develop a wing of its own HQ building as the Sustainable Energy Centre to showcase expertise in integrating sustainable technologies which reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by extraordinary amounts even in 'ordinary' buildings. Visit www.SustainableEnergyCentre.co.uk for an introduction to these solutions, or call 01489 581787 to arrange a visit to the Sustainable Energy Centre in Fareham, Hampshire.

View Warmafloor's profile:

Story

Charcon Hard Landscaping has provided a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) solution to overcome planning restrictions on the construction of a domestic hard standing driveway for a Tyne and Wear homeowner. Although normally viewed as a commercial solution, the use of SuDS is increasingly outlined as a condition of planning consent in large scale housing developments, offices, industrial units, and particularly local authority commissions.

Ron Clark, who lives in a pre-war home within a Conservation area in West Boldon, needed a design solution for a proposed driveway that would ensure the protection of the 50 mature trees surrounding the site.

The preferred design had to incorporate tree friendly construction techniques to minimise impact on the trees. It was also essential that underground water percolation patterns were not affected and the flow of water to the roots of the mature trees was restricted. Also, due to the incline of the proposed driveway, it was crucial that rainfall would not run off towards the public highway.

After researching modern methods of driveway solutions, Mr Clark contacted Charcon to ask if it could offer a solution for the driveway that would allow rainwater to infiltrate through the block paving, instead of running off the slope. Charcon proposed using its Infilta permeable block pavers that allow gaseous exchange and water penetration to tree root systems. A synthetic geogrid was laid to create a reinforced platform to spread the load of a vehicle on the drive over a large area and prevent restriction of water flow.

Layers of woven Charcon geotextile and crushed stone were laid down to cover the sub base area. Granite chippings were compacted on top and finally, Charcon Permeable Pavers were laid and granite chippings brushed into the cavities created by the nibs on the blocks. One of the benefits of Charcon’s approach is that its SuDS systems can be adapted for all types and sizes of project.

Phil Tomlinson from Charcon comments: “The use of permeable concrete block paving, together with the chosen geogrid and geotextile layers, allowed the planning condition objectives to be achieved by eliminating surface water runoff to the public highway and maintaining water flows to the roots of the mature trees on the homeowner’s land.”

Urbanisation of the landscape using large areas of hard impermeable surfaces and conventional piped drainage can result in increased local flooding. Government legislation and planning guidance recognises the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) as one of the most effective ways to reduce pollution and flooding risk, and minimise the impact on the environment.

View Charcon's profile:

Story

Mira Showers will be exhibiting for the first time in its own right at the KBB Show, which takes place from 2 to 5 March, 2008 at the NEC, Birmingham. The main highlights of the stand will be products from the recently launched Autumn Collection, including the range of miniature-sized Mini mixers, the design-led Orbis electric shower, available in white and revolutionary black, and the environmentally friendly ECO handset.

Mira’s new Mini mixers are half the size of conventional mixing valves, yet deliver the same great performance you would expect from a Mira product. The Mini range, which follows the global trend towards miniaturisation of high technology items, will be available in built-in and exposed single sequential control valves (Minilite), built-in and exposed concentric control valves (Miniduo), and a new format of exposed vertical dual control valves (Minibelle and Miniluxe). To cater for retrofit installations of a standard sized valve, an adjustable elbow pack is available, allowing the Minilite and Miniduo inlet centres to be adjusted from 133 to 153mm. This ensures the valves can retrofit all current Mira products as well as many other shower brands, without the need to move or adjust inlet pipe work.

Minilite, Miniduo and Minibelle are complemented with Mira fitting kits and the stylish Miniluxe shower is provided with a new deluge head and rigid riser. The Mini range offers the consumer added style options at a competitive price, and gives both installers and retailers even more opportunities to recommend a Mira branded product.

The stylish Orbis, available in white and a stunning new black finish, is set to steal a share of the design-led, upper-mid market electric shower sector. Orbis offers thermostatic control with LCD technology – a first for Mira. Positioned at a similar price point to the Mira Escape, the Orbis provides a link between the traditional ‘white box’ on the wall and the stylish, design-led Azora and Galena products. As well as displaying temperature, Orbis also features a clock, a first in the shower market for electric showers.

Orbis is available in 9.0kW, 9.8kW and 10.8kW models, each with three power options. The slimline case features soft curves and a simple circular-shaped, push button power selector. Thermostatically controlled with safe maximum temperature limit for added user protection, this high performance product is suitable for new and replacement projects and will retrofit current Mira Sport showers and some competitor products.

A specially dedicated and designed ECO Area will be included, illustrating the high level of commitment Mira gives to developing products that are sympathetic to the environment. The display, which will have particular appeal to customers interested in ‘green’ issues, will feature the new ECO handset. To be sold alone, Eco is suitable for use on mixer and power showers (not suitable for electric models). Designed to reduce the amount of water normally used by up to a massive 75%*, which in turn will offer users huge savings in energy to heat the water.

The adjustable Eco handset offers three aerating spray modes that reduce water consumption while still giving a great performance. The ‘ecofficient™’ technology uses a Venturi principle – introducing air without a pump. Mixing air with the water spray creates larger droplets filled with air bubbles. The droplets explode on impact and produce similar coverage to conventional, finer sprays giving the impression of increased volume of water and a refreshing shower.

Mira is anticipating a huge demand for the handset from both the private sector as well as hotel groups and house builders where there is a growing responsibility for improving the energy use within a household. Available in white and chrome, the Eco handset is competitively priced. A BIR version is also available, and new packaging has been developed that is also environmentally friendly.

View Mira Showers's profile:

Story

As a manufacturer of plastic building products, Hambleside Danelaw is studying the resource efficiency of their glass reinforced plastic (GRP) rooflights through the BRE’s BeAware research project.

The Group is dedicated to continually improving its performance with regard to resource efficiency and the project has greatly assisted with this aim.

The two main improvements being developed are the end of life issues for GRP and the incorporation of GRP waste back into new products.

GRP is currently not recycled in the UK even though the technology exists. Hambleside Danelaw is the first company in the UK to purchase recycling equipment for GRP to use on a commercial scale.

With help from NetComposites, a source of end-of-life GRP has been collected and processed by Hambleside using the new equipment. The University of Loughborough is now conducting waste characterisation studies on the recyclate to determine the best end uses for the material.

Commenting on the project, Robin Jeffery, Hambleside Danelaw’s vice chairman, said: “Hambleside’s commitment to sustainability through the careful design and selection of raw materials for its products to ensure an extended service life, coupled with the recycling of production waste, results in the continued reusability of the original fossil based material. This commitment has been achieved after a detailed review of production methodology, technological advancement of its products including extending the service life expectancy of its product range, to seek to ensure that they had a long life cycle, reducing the need for product replacement.”

View Hambleside Danelaw's profile:

Story

View Sentinel's profile: