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The AMTECH Office Domestic software suite has been recognised as Electrical Software Product of the Year at the Electrical Industry Awards 2007.

The judges commented: “We felt Office Domestic would provide excellent functionality and offered both design and certification potential. The fact that the software can be carried on a number of hardware systems was also a great plus in our eyes.”

Developed specifically for electrical contractors specialising in domestic work, AMTECH Office Domestic provides everything they need in one powerful yet affordable package, including electrical design, cable sizing and Test & Inspection certification.

“Rather than expecting domestic contractors to pay for features that they'll never use, we developed this suite to address their day to day requirements at a very competitive price,” explained AMTECH Sales Director James Cooper. “As well as helping them use the latest technologies to keep up with the growing legislative burden, we believe this software encourages safer designs, accurate calculations and effective reporting – all contributing to improved safety in the home,” he added.

Using AMTECH Office Domestic, single phase installations consisting of up to 3 boards to BS 7671 can be designed quickly using a series of simple tabbed input screens. Cables and protective devices can be selected from a large database contained in the program. The Quick results view makes diagnosing problems in the design easy and changes to the design can be made at the click of a mouse. A range of reports including: circuit charts, cable calculations, consumer unit schedules etc are included.

After the work has been completed the software will produce Test & Inspection certificates that meet the requirements of Part P. These are suitable for use with all major accreditation bodies. In addition to producing professional looking certificates, all the test information and customer information is held in a database for future reference. A mobile version for use on a Pocket PC is included to enable contractors to produce certificates on site.

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The new Technology Centre at Thorpe St Andrews School in Norwich will be the focus of the school's vision for innovative education in design and technology. It will also be available for other schools and learning groups to use. Designed by NPS Property Consultants Ltd, the single-storey pavilion building began on site in November 2006, with Hanson Building Products providing a cost-effective and sustainable solution to the construction in the form of its Thermalite Turbo blocks and Thin Joint Mortar.

“We examined a number of construction methods, including timber frame,” comments Paul McLaren of NPS Property Consultants Ltd. “We concluded that Thermalite aircrete blocks with Thin Joint Mortar best met our requirements. Influencing factors were the speed of build, the light weight of the blocks and the excellent thermal resistance offered, which met the demand to comply with an environmentally-friendly construction ethic.”

The 300mm Turbo blocks have been specified for the foundations and the external walls, with 100mm and 140mm Shield also used in some areas. The Turbo blocks offer very high insulation properties, due to their unique formulation, making them ideal for external wall applications where low U values are required. As Thermalite's aircrete blocks are manufactured using pulverised fuel ash, a by-product from coal burning power stations, up to 80% recycled materials are used in production.

On site, aircrete blocks have a distinct advantage over comparable building materials with a micro cellular structure offering extremely high thermal insulation, and consequently, lower energy consumption for the heating and cooling of buildings. Lightweight properties and high dimensional tolerances minimise waste, and the blocks can be precisely cut to the correct sizing.

The use of Thin Joint Mortar is also proving a major benefit. This is a pre-mixed cement based mortar which, as an alternative to sand/cement mix mortar, allows the depth of the mortar to be vastly reduced. Thin Joint Mortar improves the thermal performance of external walls, minimising the heat loss through mortar joints, by reducing the volume of mortar required by at least 70% compared with traditional mortar.

NPS Property Consultants Ltd are working with T Gill & Sons as main contractors, with Jewson supplying the Thermalite product range. “As the team has already worked with Thermalite products in the past, this familiarity has also helped with the speed of build,” continues Paul McClaren. “Overall, the cost efficiency in terms of reduced materials and labour means that the Thermalite blocks with Thin Joint Mortar are proving to be a very competitive form of construction.”

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Weatherite Building Services Ltd has upgraded the water systems at two Walsall leisure centres to eliminate the risk of legionella bacteria.

Following the results of a risk assessment of the hot and cold water systems at Bentley Leisure Pavilion and Willenhall Leisure Centres, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council awarded Weatherite Building Services the contracts – worth over £50,000 – to ensure that they met the strict UK guidelines for the control of legionella bacteria in water systems.

In the leisure centres, Weatherite engineers supplied and installed a new calorifier, pumps and mixing valves to provide safe, temperature-controlled hot water to service points throughout both buildings. In addition, existing pipe work was insulated and modified to eliminate “dead legs” and the whole of the systems were sterilized throughout.

Roy Buckle, Sales Engineer, Weatherite Building Services, commented: “We are pleased to have worked with several local authorities to help them comply with their strict water safety requirements to prevent against scalding and risk of legionella bacteria

“We were able to carry out the work quickly, cost effectively and on deadline, causing minimum disruption to staff and customers at the centres. Having developed a good working relationship with Walsall Council, we look forward to helping them again in the future.”

This is the latest in a series of projects Weatherite has carried out for Walsall Council, which has included installing air conditioning at the new Art Gallery, the installation of gas fire heaters at Pelsall Youth Club and carrying out similar legionella control works at several Walsall schools and colleges. Weatherite Building Services is part of the £40m Weatherite group, one of the UK leaders in air conditioning and air handling equipment.

More recently Weatherite Building Services has expanded its activities to cover other sectors of the building services market, including heating, ventilation, boiler house refurbishment, water, control systems and electrics, as well as all aspects of commercial air conditioning systems. WBS now offers a single source choice to its customers which includes project management, design, installation and commissioning capabilities.

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Astraseal is strengthening its reputation as a specialist fabricator of the REHAU Polytec 50 composite curtain walling system. It has just completed an installation for the London Borough of Greenwich in 8m high stairwells at Maribor House.

The stairwells originally had concrete and timber framework in place to match the timber windows installed in the block of flats but this was all in need of replacement. Consultants on the project Baily Garner approached Astraseal to discuss durable and cost effective solutions and they recommended the REHAU Polytec 50 system.

It has similar aesthetics to an aluminium system and many of the strength and performance capabilities but, because it is a composite system, it is quicker and easier to install.

It also provides a much more contemporary look to the flats than the original screens and matches with the REHAU Tritec windows which Astraseal also installed throughout the block.

Wellingborough-based Astraseal is one of the UK's leading commercial PVC-U fabricators and is an approved supplier to the London Housing Consortium. Further details are available at: www.astraseal.com.

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ELGA Process Water is one of the latest group of successful companies to join a leading edge scheme, designed to help industry improve its safety record.

The Marlow-based firm recently received accreditation from SAFEcontractor, a programme which recognises very high standards of health and safety practice amongst UK contractors.

Employing 236 people, ELGA Process Water is principally involved in the provision of services and equipment to produce high purity water for industrial, healthcare, and life science markets.

ELGA Process Water’s most recent clients have included major players such as BAE Systems Submarines, BP, E.ON, International Power plc, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Pfizer, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Seabank Power, Scottish & Southern Energy, Scottish Power, University of London and Vanguard Healthcare.

The company’s application for SAFEcontractor accreditation was driven by the need for a uniform standard across the business.

ELGA Process Water’s Managing Director, Martyn Fisher, is delighted with the accreditation but is far from complacent. “Safety, Health, Environment and Quality are of paramount importance to our clients, and accreditation by SAFEcontractor is a measure of our competence within this field,” he says.

SAFEcontractor accreditation is expected to enhance the company’s ability to attract new contracts and its commitment to safety will be viewed positively by its insurers when the company liability policy is up for renewal.

SAFEcontractor is operated by international safety, health and environmental risk management specialists, the National Britannia Group. The system is applicable to most sectors although it is particularly relevant to food manufacture, property, facilities management, retail and leisure sectors, all of which are big users of contract services.

James Ostler, Managing Director of Information Service at National Britannia said, “Major organisations can no longer run the risk of employing contractors who are not able to prove that they have sound health and safety policies”.

“More companies need to understand the importance of adopting good risk management in the way that ELGA Process Water has done. The firms’ high standard has set an example, which hopefully will be followed by other companies within the sector.”

For further information on SAFEcontractor, please contact ELGA Process Water by email at sales.uk@veoliawater.com or call +44 (0) 01628 897000

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Heckmondwike FB, the UK’s leading manufacturer of fibre bonded carpets and carpet tiles has had a new installation of its own, with the launch of a new website.

The recently launched user friendly site has been designed to provide instant information that can be easily accessed by any user. With no registration details needed and technical specification downloads readily available, sourcing information about Heckmondwike FB products couldn’t be easier. Whether you’re looking for a specific product or just having a general browse the new layout will quickly help you find what you need.

Robert Mortimer, Sales Director of Heckmondwike FB said, “Our main focus for the new website was to provide easily accessible information at the touch of a button. The new design will allow everyone from architects and specifiers to contractors and end-users to find what they need as quickly as possible. Users also have the advantage of being able to order samples, request a call back or ask for further information, all in one place on the new website.”

Along with customary information on the company, products and technical specifications, the website also provides users’ with recent case studies, maintenance and installation advice and gives the opportunity to order samples online. The design has also incorporated a ‘What’s New’ section, which will keep people up to date with regular information from Heckmondwike FB, from new projects and people through to completed installations and product developments.

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WE ARE BACK!!!
BIGGER, BETTER & BOLDER

Action packed, lots to see and do

HYDRAQUIP are pleased to announce that they will be exhibiting at the Building show of the year,INTERBUILD 2007 at the NEC Birmingham

Register now and save the £20 entrance fee

www.interbuild.com/hydraquip

Visitors will be the first to see HYDRAQUIP launching a number of new innovative products & services, carefully designed to meet future needs whilst continuing to offer the highest level of quality. These exciting new developments will benefit and create interest for many of their customers, both new and old.

Free Prize Draws, must WIN prizes!

HYDRAQUIP are holding 2 free prize draws for all visitors to their stand.

WIN a H2&O Wet & Dry Pressure Test Kit

A must have for all plumbers and worth £150

Any visitors can enter this DRAW on our stand during the show by leaving their business card.

WIN 2 Tickets for the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport at Brands Hatch (2-4 May 2008)

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Daily flushing of internal drainage is unavoidable but silence is golden, especially in flats and apartments. With the move towards high-rise flats and tall soil stacks, Wavin Plastics understands that noise can transmit to adjacent room space and is launching a new system that provides for a quieter life.

OSMA SiTech – the new low noise push-fit soil system – now available from Wavin Plastics providing a cost-effective and time-saving solution for professional plumbers.

As well as being an easy-fix push-fit system, SiTech is made from a mineral-filled polypropylene, which has the effect of increasing pipe density. This means that it only needs to be encased in 25mm mineral wool wrap where contact between the pipe and the building structure cannot be avoided. Therefore it cuts down on installation time, wrapping and tooling costs and can be installed by professional plumbers rather than specialist fitters that are often required for cast iron and HDPE systems.

OSMA SiTech has been independently tested for sound reducing performance and helps to achieve the higher acoustic performance standards in buildings as required by the Building Regulations Part E 2003.

Wavin Plastics’ market manager, Steven Skeldon, explains why the SiTech system will be welcomed by end users: “The increase in housing density and demand for multi-storey apartment living has created a greater demand for low-noise pipe at a fast pace. This new piping innovation will make fitting and installation an easier and less time-consuming job, but it will still give you the high quality and noise reduction that is required by the market.”

The OSMA SiTech system that is available with acoustic fittings and pipe in the standard 110mm size.

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Space Airconditioning plc, the Guildford based Daikin Distributor, recently supplied the air cooled liquid chiller pictured, for a prestigious office building in St. Mary’s Axe, in the City of London.

The largest of 3 new Daikin chillers totalling 2.5 megawatts in cooling capacity, this 1,100kW, stepless single screw compressor machine, weighing in at 9,310kgs and some 10 metres in length, is the first megawatt plus chiller in the recently extended Daikin range, to be installed in the UK.

Two 725kW chillers were delivered and lifted into position some time earlier, but this model required a more substantial crane. Seen here being lifted against the backdrop of one of the most iconic buildings in the city, the Daikin chiller, manufactured in Rome, was successfully positioned at the first attempt, despite wind conditions being close to working limits in the confined space.

Daikin’s substantially extended range, manufactured in Belgium and Italy, means that Space Air can now offer air cooled chiller models ranging from 5 to 1,920kW and water cooled models ranging from 13 to 1893kW nom. cooling capacity.

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