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Wavin Plastics has launched the OSMA AquaGrid pervious paving system to offer a new way to manage rain and surface water drainage.

Continuing residential and commercial development means more hard-standing impermeable surfaces, less ground where natural drainage is still possible and more pressure on man-made drainage.

The AquaGrid is an easily installed alternative to hard impermeable surfacing. There is a solution for both light to medium and heavily trafficked areas such as open car parking and access roads and for verge reinforcement and landscaped areas.

This innovative system is quick and easy to install. It comes in lightweight interlocking square sections of recycled plastic, designed to receive pervious infill material for surface water drainage.

The 500 x 500mm units are secured by pins to ensure full system stability and integrity so that, once assembled, it is extremely strong and can withstand vehicle traffic and parking.

There are two versions available. AquaGrid 50 is a 50mm deep version and AquaGrid 75 is a 75mm deep version. Wavin Plastics will advise on the suitability of each version depending on the application. AquaGrid 50 is suitable for gravel and landscape environments with light to heavy traffic.

AquaGrid 75 is recommended for areas of regular heavy traffic loading or where premium grass quality is of the highest priority. AquaGrid 75 provides extra assurance in a higher traffic loaded application.

The 75mm version includes features such as lateral arches to optimise grass root growth and protection.

Both versions of AquaGrid are suitable for grass, soil or gravel infill. White marker blocks can be supplied to denote parking spaces.

When assembled both products allow lateral flow and offer up to 90% of their surface area for water permeation through the chosen pervious infill.

Wavin Plastics tests every AquaGrid unit for strength, loading and durability. The system can be used to drain captured rainfall and stormwater either into the underlying ground or into an underground attenuation structure.

AquaGrid is designed for use in conjunction with AquaCell and AquaCell Lite stormwater management systems.

Wavin Plastics' customer marketing manager Denise O'Leary explains how it aids sustainable drainage. “This system contributes directly to water conservation and eases pressure on local mains drainage by providing an alternative to impermeable surfaces.”

“It offers immediate capture and controlled release of surface water, including during extreme storm events, ensuring its safe onward management.”

By contributing to sustainable drainage systems in this way, the AquaGrid supports the aims of Part H of the Building Regulations.

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Tensar International, the global market leader in the supply and manufacturer of geogrid solutions for soil reinforcement and ground stabilisation, has announced the launch of TriAxTM geogrid – the most significant advance in ground stablisation technology for 25 years.

Tensar, the original inventors of geogrid technology, has spent six years perfecting the innovative new structure to achieve significantly improved aggregate confinement and soil stabilisation properties compared to conventional bi-axial geogrids.

The TriAxTM geogrid is formed using the most stable geometric shape – the equilateral triangle – as opposed to the rectangular or square structure which makes up the conventional bi-axial product. Extensive independent trials have shown it to have superior performance in multi-directional stiffness and aggregate confinement, enabling a reduction in granular layer thickness. It also has the potential to achieve cost-in-use savings.

John Kiely, Commercial Director at Tensar International UK said: “We are very excited about TriAxTM, which we believe will eventually become the new standard for geogrid technology. All the comparative testing has confirmed the performance of TriAxTM as superior to conventional bi-axial geogrids.

“TriAxTM sets proven geogrid performance standards at a new level. It's not just an enhancement of an existing bi-axial geogrid but a true revolution. “

The new TriAx™ geogrid's unique configuration is the result of redeveloping and improving the key structural elements of the geogrid. In particular, deeper ribs with a concave profile maximise the aggregate confinement and create a mechanically stabilised composite structure with greatly increased trafficking performance and load spreading capability.

TriAxTM promises improved performance and cost savings for a variety of ground stabilisation applications including unpaved roads and permanent paved roadways, as well as differential settlement on weak or variable sub-grades for housing developments.

Comprehensive independent trials were conducted by the Pavement Research Centre at the University of Nottingham, the Transport Research Laboratory and the UK Building Research Establishment (BRE). The performance of TriAxTM was exceptional in trafficking tests and during field trials by groundworks contractors. Large scale bearing capacity tests showed that the increased stiffness and confinement provided by TriAx™ results in even greater load distribution capacity.

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Coffer from Aeon Radiator Heaven takes its name from the decorative sunken panel in a ceiling, dome, soffit, or vault, which it resembles. Like its namesake, Coffer creates a feeling of added depth in a room with its twin set of four mirror polished elements being recessed towards the centre.

The three dimensional effect of the Coffer radiator leads the eye straight to the centre of the design, with its fashionable sharply defined square shape fitting comfortably with the up to the moment design cues and clean-edged finishes of modern apartments and houses.

Coffer, which is at first machine polished and then finished by hand to create its mirror like finish from the solid stainless steel base, can be hung horizontally or vertically. When hung vertically it can be used as a towel rail as well as a radiator. Hung horizontally, Coffer appears as a contemporary piece of modern art.

Saffet Kalender, Aeon design chief, commented: “Coffer is slightly unusual in that its styling means it can sit comfortably in a bathroom, bedroom or living area. It started life as a simple towel rail, but once we saw the stylish nature of the end design and its high heat output relative to size, we made some changes to give Coffer the versatility that would allow it to be placed practically anywhere in the home.”

Coffer is available in two sizes. The larger Coffer 511 is 1,090 mm high x 540 mm wide, the smaller Coffer 490 measures 890 mm x 440 mm. Both variants share a common depth of 65 mm. Heat output for the range is from 868 Watts – 1,188 Watts.

This new Aeon Radiator Heaven design is available in hand polished mirror finish or brushed satin finish stainless steel. Retail price ranges from £1,353 for the satin finish Coffer 490 to £2,011 for the mirror finish Coffer 511.

The entire Aeon Collection is produced from the highest grade solid stainless steel and ranges from small towel warmers to the mighty 31,611 Btu (9,254 Watt) output Millennium. Every radiator is hand-finished to create the collections’ stunning ‘metal in the raw’ brushed or mirror finish stainless steel effect. The craftsmanship and quality of the Aeon Collection is such that a 20 year guarantee applies across the range.

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An expoxy structural grout, manufactured by Triton, has been used to help strengthen centuries old pine structural beams in historic Watermen's Hall in London. Trimol 36, is a three component system designed primarily for timber repairs to rotten, insect or fire damaged timbers and to remake joints or breaks.

Bryhill Technical Services, of South East London, carried out the design and strengthening works to the two 6m x 250mm x 220mm beams, with the approval of English Heritage. The works had been prompted by a dipping floor in the Hall's first floor Court Room, together with evidence of splits and shakes along some sections of each beam. After supporting the ceiling below and removing steel restraining straps fitted across the top of the beams and floor joists, the Bryhill team marked and cut a channel along the length of each beam. The Trimol 36 system was then mixed on site and the first 50mm layer poured into each channel before inserting four 25mm steel reinforcing bars. A total of 14 steel bars had been specified for each beam which were inserted in stages after each layer of Trimol 36 was poured. (The Trimol 36 is poured in layers which should be allowed to gel, so as to avoid excessive build up of exothermic heat.) Before pouring, Triton's lightweight epoxy mortar was used to plug cable holes etc. in the beams.

The splits and shakes were also repaired by stitching with steel dowels set in Triton's Trimol 23 epoxy resin. Trimol 23 is a thixotropic, 2-component gap-filling adhesive which forms a strong bond to wood, metal and plastics.

After completion of the works, an in-situ load test was carried out on one of the beams at the request of the 'City of London District Surveyor's Office.' A load of 17.35 kn was applied over the centre of the beam with a span of 4.6M. The beam deflected 3.6mm under this applied load (permissible deflection limit is 13.8mm). As a result the District Surveyor expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the strengthened beams.

The Company of Watermen and Lightermen was established in 1555 to control the Watermen on the River Thames responsible for the movement of goods and passengers. The present Hall dates back to 1780, remains the only original Georgian Hall in the City of London, and has Listed Ancient Monument Status.

Triton manufactures a comprehensive range of timber and masonry preservation and repair products and more information can be found at www.triton-chemicals.com or by telephoning Triton's technical department on 020 83203929.

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With on-site safety becoming increasingly important to both client companies and contractors, Weatherite Service and Maintenance Limited announce that they have achieved full accreditation status under the SAFE CONTRACTOR health and safety scheme.

SAFE CONTRACTOR is a nationally recognised contractor accreditation scheme that ensures safe site working practices are adhered to by contractors and also helps client companies meet their legal obligations to ensure that contractors visiting the premises operate in a safe and professional way.

To achieve accreditation, Weatherite Service & Maintenance Ltd underwent a thorough review of their on-site operating procedures, including COSHH assessments, H&S training, emergency procedures, equipment testing and maintenance, personal protective equipment, manual handling and risk assessment.

By achieving SAFE CONTRACTOR accredited they assure that the company has been assessed by an independent specialist organisation to ensure they not only take health and safety issues seriously, but they are professionally competent in the way they operate and carry out contractual duties.

“We see this as a win/win arrangement” said Mike Tulley, General Manager, Weatherite Service and Maintenance, “with SAFE CONTRACTOR accreditation, we can save our clients a good deal of time and administration, as the accreditation provides them with all the health and safety assessment documentation needed to meet their legal obligations when letting a contract. From Weatherites perspective, we now have full safety accreditation, by an independent, nationally recognised body that proves the quality of our H&S standards and procedures. And in an industry where there’s continual pressure to raise standards and reduce risk, that can only be a good thing!”

Weatherite Service and Maintenance is part of the £40m Weatherite group, one of the UK leaders in air conditioning and air handling equipment, and specialise in the service and maintenance of all aspects of heating, ventilation, refrigeration and air conditioning across all sectors of industry.

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BonaKemi has introduced a unique Dust Care System for wood floor specialists. Using either Single or Multi versions of this highly sophisticated vacuum system, clean-up time after sanding can be drastically reduced, sanding machine performance improved and working conditions made much healthier

The Bona Dust Care Single is a powerful portable vacuum unit which is compatible with all Bona sanding machines as well as other brands. Its 7.5 metre hose can also be connected to edge sanders which, as contractors will know, often cause very high levels of dust. The sanding dust is safely collected inside the unit's high capacity 'longopac' bag and emptied using a quick 'two cable-tie' technique which means that neither contractor nor the environment are exposed to its harmful properties. Weighing just 38 kg, new Dust Care Single is designed to be highly manoeuvrable and can be laid flat for transport.

In tests, the Dust Care System removed 99.996% of dust from the working environment. As the dust is drawn away from the sanding machine, the belt and the floor during the sanding process, the abrasive performs more effectively. When sanding is complete, the air, the floor and the sanding machine itself remain clean and virtually dust free, a huge plus point for contractors – particularly when working in museums, hospitals, residential premises and other 'dust sensitive' areas. The system is suitable for use when sanding all types of wooden floor including wood composition floors.

The Dust Care Multi is a trailer based vacuum system which can be connected to two sanding machines simultaneously. This option is designed for contractors working on larger projects such as museums, airports and shopping centres. The trailer is parked outside the building and its 30 metre hose connected to the sanding machine/s inside. The sanding dust is taken via the hose to the vacuum unit in the trailer which is powered by a powerful Honda 4-stroke, two cylinder engine. The trailer is also designed to store sanding machines, and other tools and materials.

Both Dust Care Single and Dust Care Multi are based on patented '2-step cyclone' technology and, because of their time saving potential, are set to revolutionise the way contractors work! BonaKemi distributors will have more details, alternatively contractors can call BonaKemi direct on 01908 399740 to arrange a demonstration.

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We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who visited us on our stand at the recent Healthcare Estates show in Harrogate. The stand marked a significant step towards a new era of advanced multi-outlet and multi-functional electronic controls. Moving on from our established range addressing self-harm prevention, hand wash hygiene, cross-contamination and safe water temperature, the new products boast exciting energy and communication features.

Under the ‘Take Control’ banner, ECO-Logic UK unveiled a Safe Room communication panel designed especially for secure room facilities. The panel offers low voltage lighting, cell call, emergency call, and limited telephone, television and audio links, with remote management control. In another product launch, MC Modular was featured to run alongside the existing ECO-Logic UK control package. MC Modular capability enables the inclusion of Air Movement, Security Locking and Heating Controls, together with BMS Links. The eye-catching ECO-Logic UK stand also displayed innovative Bathfill and Showering products, which can now link to remote central control points, for example nurse and management stations.

A new compact and fully welded ECO Pipetank design was also unveiled and enjoyed much interest from architects and designers alike due to its unique space saving benefits. This innovative product will be introduced in 2008 alongside a new ECO-Logic flushing valve.

Meanwhile, ECO-Logic UK achievements have been recognised in a recent award from Medilink West Midlands for Growth in Sector. This award was given to recognise company sales growth and technical advancement in intelligent control systems for Healthcare. At a glittering ceremony, satirical comedian and GP Dr Phil Hammond presented the prestigious awards, created to recognise the most outstanding business accomplishmentsn across the West Midlands. Judges praised all five winners for their drive, passion and investment in medical technology. With more than 1300 medical manufacturers in the region, competition for the awards was fierce.

MedilinkWM’s Communication Director, Michelle Dalton said, “These awards are an excellent chance to celebrate the huge variety of skills, expertise and experience in this sector and recognise the huge impact the medical manufacturers in the West Midlands are having on national healthcare services”. Each winning company will now go forward to represent the region in the national Medical Technology Awards. All in all, these are exciting times for ECO-Logic UK, who are now poised for excellent growth in 2008.

MedilinkWM’s Communication Director, Michelle Dalton said, “These awards are an excellent chance to celebrate the huge variety of skills, expertise and experience in this sector and recognise the huge impact the medical manufacturers in the West Midlands are having on national healthcare services”

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Group's landfill waste now equivalent to ordinary British household's

Multi-environmental award winning Hambleside Danelaw, which manufactures insulated GRP rooflights and other roofing materials in Inverness and Daventry, has been certified as Planet Positive™ by leading carbon solutions company dcarbon8.

The Group is also on track to achieve by the end of 2007 a reduction in its total landfill waste from 904 tonnes in 2001 to approximately 3 tonnes – the latter being equivalent to the waste of the average British household. This achievement should be measured against the fact that Hambleside Danelaw is manufacturing circa 1.5 million square metres of roofing materials each year.

Hambleside Danelaw has gained Planet Positive™ certification because its design and production processes already embody an environmentally responsible footprint which is imperative to receiving certification. The Planet Positive™ mark will inform contractors that Hambleside's business carbon footprint, the volume of greenhouse gasses generated by the company's manufacturing and distribution processes, is more than offset by activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The certification relates to the processes behind all of the Group's building products and Hambleside Danelaw is currently the only UK rooflight manufacturer to carry the Planet Positive™ mark. Other leading companies in the building industry, who are members of dcarbon8 and are working towards Planet Positive™ certification, include CA Group.

As well as meeting high environmental objectives, dcarbon8's off-site projects around the developing world seek to improve the social and economic well-being of the local area. This can be done in many ways, for example, reducing energy costs, improving employment, education, health or saving habitats and wildlife.

Hambleside Danelaw has chosen to support two of dcarbon8's selected projects: the first is a hydroelectric power plant connected to the national grid in Guatemala, which provides a constant source of renewable energy that has significantly reduced the country's demand for fossil-fuel generated electricity. The second project aims to install solar panels into remote, rural schools in the Eastern Cape of South Africa with the additional installation of much needed ICT and internet facilities.

Robin Jeffery, Hambleside's vice-chairman, said: “The Planet Positive™ certification is perhaps the strongest indication yet to our clients that we wish to be seen as a market leader for environmental responsibility in the building industry. A major attraction of being a dcarbon8 member is that we can work with the company's experts to constantly source further improvements in our sustainability performance.”

Janet Kidner of dcarbon8 said: “I saw on my recent visit to the Group's manufacturing facility in Inverness the significant steps that Hambleside Danelaw has taken to set a carbon footprint benchmark which, in our experience, only a few others in the building industry currently match. But dcarbon8 is encouraged that the sharing of best environmental practice in the sector is really starting to gather pace.”

Hambleside Danelaw is now working with dcarbon8 to certify their products as Planet PositiveTM; this will include a detailed carbon footprint analysis of its products. When this process is complete, contractors who purchase products from Hambleside Danelaw will be given dcarbon8 carbon credits to select rigorously approved carbon offset projects for further investment

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Coy Ponds Business Park is an elegant new commercial development, close to Poole in Dorset and nearing completion. The complex, at present comprising 2 self contained buildings, offers office suites between 93 and 260m2 and is finished to an exceptionally high standard with particular attention paid to architectural detail.

Twelve individual open plan suites of high grade accommodation are available – Building 1 has 7 independent office areas over 3 floors whilst Building 2 has a single open plan area on each of 5 floors. All floors are separately air conditioned by Daikin Sky Air RZQ Super Inverter heat pump systems with capacities between 9.1 and 24.4kW (cooling) and 11.2 to 27kW (heating), designed and installed by Cold Service Ltd, Ringwood, Dorset.

Seven Sky Air systems handle Building 1 with a further 5 looking after Building 2. EERs and COPs for the systems vary between 2.81/3.71 and 3.21/3.61 respectively. All outdoor condensing units are located at roof level on both buildings. Conditioned air for the light and airy office areas is delivered by a total of 47 Daikin FCQ ‘Roundflow’ ceiling cassette indoor fan coil units to maintain internal design temperatures of 220 C in summer and 210 C in winter.

The Roundflow cassette, introduced recently by Daikin, is currently unique in the UK market in that it offers complete 3600 radial conditioned air discharge, which not only ensures against localised draughts but also provides a more uniform air distribution.

Fresh air for the fan coil units is provided by Daikin VAM heat recovery ventilation units, which modulate the temperature and humidity of the incoming fresh air and match it to prevailing indoor conditions. This enables the mechanical ventilation cooling and heating loads place upon the air conditioning systems to be reduced considerably. All VAM heat recovery ventilation units and air conditioning systems are monitored and controlled by remote wall mounted room temperature controllers.

Commenting on the installation, a Cold Service spokesman states: “our choice of the new Daikin Roundflow cassettes was based primarily on their ability to provide 360 degree air distribution but also their shallow 214mm depth enabled them to fit comfortably into the 225mm ceiling voids. “In addition, the VAM units could be integrated into the same control systems governing the air conditioning.”

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An international colour workshop held by Eternit Germany, the sister company of the UK's leading manufacturer of cladding and roofing materials Marley Eternit, reveals huge differences in the colours preferred by architects in the various EC states.

Some may be as obvious as flamboyant French architects preferring pink and the more conservative English preferring more muted, natural colours. However, what they all agree on is how important colour in design is to them.

This importance was reflected in the fact that four European architects accepted Eternit's invitation to spend a day discussing colour in design, reviewing the company's cladding portfolio and touring the group's fibre cement factory in Neubeckum, Germany.

UK architects were represented by Cany Ash and Robert Sakula from Ash Sakula Architects in London. They were joined by Konrad Wohlhage from Leon Wohlhage Wernik Architekten in Berlin and David Trottin from Peripheriques Architectes in Paris and were complemented by five architects working within Eternit companies in Europe.

These are Shane O'Toole from Tegral, Ireland, who is architecture correspondent for the Sunday Irish Times, and Prof Jan Krause of Eternit Germany, who is Professor for Architecture Media Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bochum, as well as Eternit architects in Spain and Italy.

Conducted in English, the workshop focused on a discussion of Eternit versus competitor products and future development of Eternit's portfolio of fibre cement cladding panels.

Accompanied by 10 other senior Eternit sales and marketing personnel from all over Europe, the architect consultants reviewed the colour ranges and sales figures of each participating country before Jan Krause spoke about the use of colours in architecture, showing recent architectural works with natural or industrial facade materials.

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