Story

Part M of the Building Regulations 2000 (access to and use of buildings) is designed to make it as easy as possible for all persons, regardless of ability / disability, to enter and use buildings and the facilities within them. This requirement applies to the wiring accessories contained in the buildings as much as the buildings themselves, and will apply to all non-domestic new-builds as well as any modifications carried out to existing, non-domestic buildings. Crabtree has therefore been introducing products throughout its range of wiring accessories to enable compliance with Part M. It is important to realise though, that just using the products themselves does not ensure conformity.

With Crabtree, however, these products do help to make the job of the contractor as easy as possible. For example, a high contrast between a front plate and its corresponding background makes it easier for everyone to find the switches, while in particular providing valuable help for those with limited eyesight. The Crabtree solution also helps save money and resources especially for refurbishments, as there are many upgrade solutions, like replacement power outlet or switch surrounds, which avoid having to replace an entire wiring accessory.

To help the visually impaired, products meeting Part M standards should also clearly indicate whether they are ‘on’ or ‘off’ – Crabtree use red flashes in the switch rocker and neon indicators, the latter proving particularly useful at night or in low-light conditions.

Light switches, which are to be used by the general public, are encouraged to have large push-pads, a feature available on the majority of Crabtree accessories, and they should be at door-handle height. This obviously makes it as easy as possible for those people with a physical disability or visual impairment to locate and activate them, and is backed up by the suggestion that these larger push-pads mean that a fist or elbow would be able to operate them as easily as a finger. Couple this with Seeklight perimeter illumination for light switches, and it becomes easy to identify their location, even in the dark.

The ‘ease-of-operation’ aim that these requirements propose extends to ranges of components using multiple switches. Part M stresses that multiple switched components should always be ‘well separated’. This means that all visitors should find it easier to avoid inadvertently selecting an adjacent control; an example being the highly popular Crabtree Capital switched socket outlets, which can be ordered with outboard rockers – making it virtually impossible to accidentally activate the wrong socket outlet. Rockergrid, which is a modular system of boxes grids, plates and switches, can quickly and easily be assembled to customers’ specifications, enabling several circuits to be controlled from a single location. The switches have large concave rockers with barriers between each one to avoid inadvertent selection of adjacent controls.

The features and requirements laid out by Part M in the vast majority of cases only provide guidelines. This means that the contractor and developer have to ensure that the installations that are carried out meet with these guidelines, and both are expected to use their own judgement to ensure that any components chosen do not fall outside the scope of Part M. It is because of this that Crabtree have ensured that their products can meet with the vast array of variables set out by Part M, making this difficult task as easy as possible.

When it comes to specifying electrical wiring accessories that comply with Part M, there is a wealth of products that meet with the requirements contained in the guidelines. Crabtree, in particular, has a vast and extensive portfolio of products ranging from specially designed switches and sockets to contrasting replacement components. All these features of the Crabtree range are there to benefit the specifier and contractor in making the best choice when it comes to meeting the requirements laid out in Part M.

For further assistance, Crabtree have produced a handy printed guide, together with literature detailing their PartM compliant product range. For your free copy please phone 01543 455030 or circle the reader link card at the back of this magazine.

View Crabtree's profile:

Story

The lighting in an area leading up to Blackfrairs Bridge in London has been revamped by lighting designers Firefly using Crescent CLVS linear colour changing RGB system. Seventeen lengths of the slim profile were installed behind curved mirrors above a pedestrian ramp area on the north bank entrance to the bridge, to shine up into the bridge structure.

The lighting system was programmed by Crescent with strict instructions for no red, blue or green alone to be used, but subtle mixtures of the three colours.

The programme runs daily from 3pm to 9am and has a static gold colour for the first 55 minutes followed by a ripple of cool colours along the length of the modules for 5 minutes.

The next 55 minutes has the gold fading back & forth with yellow before the ripple effect starts. Then yellow is the static colour before the ripple again. This sequence is repeated for the rest of the programme with other static colours replacing the yellow and a cool ripple replacing the warm one at 4am.

Peter Veale of Firefly commented:

“We did the project with the architects The Facility. It was quite a tight budget project and we wanted to create an animated colour-changing design where the fittings and drivers were hidden behind the reflectors, but the effect still needed to be visible from the other side of the river. All equipment had to be durable against the elements and we knew that the Crescent CL fittings were up to the job.”

View Crescent's profile:

Story

View Mitsubishi Electric's profile:

Story

Work has begun on the innovative retrofit of a 1960's social housing development in West London, with 24 tonnes of Rockwool EnergySaver granulate insulation being pumped into the Cavities of the 24 storey high towers at the Edward Woods Estate.

The practice of filling cavities with granulate stone wool insulation is now a common sight across Britain, with homeowners utilising measures to increase the energy efficiency of their homes with minimum cost and disturbance. The stone wool is pumped from machines set in the back of a van adjacent to the building through a hose. However, the Edward Woods Estate project, filling 1380 cavities with insulation weighing the equivalent of 36 mini coopers, is truly exceptional in scale..

Andrew Champ, Business Development Director at Rockwool said “This clearly is a massive undertaking, and has involved meticulous planning from the start. Working closely with our approved installer UK Homes Insulation we have engineered a quick and effective way of providing cavity wall insulation to residents of the Edward Woods Estate with the minimum amount of disturbance”.

The Edward Wood Estate is a 1960's social housing development that is to be refurbished rather than demolished and replaced. The £12.2 million regeneration project is intended to extend the life of the towers for another 40 years through a thorough thermal and visual upgrade. Residents have been involved in the scheme from the start, with representatives from each block working with the design consultants, using their local knowledge to help steer the proposals for the benefit of all who live there.

As well as Rockwool EnergySaver, other Rockwool products to be used in the project include external wall insulation, roofing boards, partition walls, Rockfon ceiling tiles and Rockpanel – an external wall cladding chosen by the residents that increases the aesthetic as well as thermal value of the buildings.

Gary Cox, Managing Director of UK Homes Insulation, the installer of the insulation added “Cavity wall insulation is a popular cost effective solution for one or two storey single dwelling houses, mostly in the private domestic sector. However, this project is about multi-storey social housing buildings. We had to adapt the installing technique and the machine setting for the task, but it is expected at a project of this scale. The installation itself is a speedy process, which does not require manual handling and causes minimal disturbance to the residents”.

The installation of cavity wall insulation in all three towers is expected to be completed by the end of September 2010.

View Rockwool's profile:

Story

This year the Brick Development Association (BDA) will further promote the merits and benefits of brick with the launch of yet another exciting and comprehensive marketing campaign, as it continues to increase the awareness and recognition of brick as the material of choice for all key decision makers in the UK construction industry.

Continuing with the 'Think Brick' brand supporting one of the construction industries' most highly respected trade associations, the main purpose of this campaign is to focus on the natural virtues of brick and with the aim to dispel common misconceptions.

The messages are clear and concentrate on three key areas:

• Brick is better for the environment: Brick supplies local communities and is manufactured using local resources, minimising impact on the environment.
• Brick is built to last: Brick resists the worst weather conditions and has been proven to last for centuries. Building in brick guarantees low maintenance and long-term building performance.
• Brick is low cost: Brick costs less than you might think. A study by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has proven that brick is more cost-effective than any of its rivals.

With a targeted advertising campaign running alongside a dedicated PR programme and the annual Brick Awards event, not to mention direct mail and promotional material, you will not fail to see the BDA's dedication and commitment to the brick and construction industries.

The website, www.brick.org.uk, is the main call to action for people wanting more information and how to make brick the UK's first choice building material in 2011.

View BDA's profile:

Story

Arena Coventry Limited, a total facilities management company, which manages all the facilities at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, has reduced water consumption and achieved significant cost savings. The company’s original investment in Micronics meters was a Heat Meter installed in 2008 to establish and monitor the energy costs associated with underground heating of the pitch. This was a success and following a later meeting with Seven Trent, triggered by a reduction in water consumption, the valuable information gained and clarification that the water used for the pitch heating does not go to sewage led to a reduction in water charges.

Energy management to reduce consumption and costs are a key function of Alan Pickering’s role as the Ricoh Arena’s Deputy Facilities and Energy Manager.

He said: “Water consumption is a big issue on the site, which led us to invest in the installation of three Micronics Ultraflo 2000, Clamp-On, flow-meters in 2009, which we use with an on-site Monitoring and Targeting system to manage the significant water consumption on the site.”

The three meters were supplied and installed by Micronics, and provide individual half-hour consumption data for the north concourse, arena and southern concourse areas. Within three weeks of installation, the investment identified intermittent continuous flushing periods of some WCs in the southern concourse area, which when remedied reduced the site water consumption by 50%, providing a payback of one month!

In addition to the above, Micronics meters have also been installed in the new Exhibition Hall to provide consumption data for automatic billing of water consumption for this area, which is shared between the on-site G Casino and the Ricoh Arena.

Having considered various measurement alternatives, Clamp-On Ultrasonic meters were selected due to the installation and maintenance/service benefits associated with the non-invasive technology including low cost and minimum disruption installation with no system drain down required plus dry maintenance and service. And Micronics were selected as the supplier due to Alan’s previous experience with them and a combination of their long-term experience with Ultrasonic Clamp-On technology; competitive pricing and product performance i.e. best value!

Micronics’ Clamp-On flow meters in conjunction with Alan’s effective use of the on-site Monitoring and Targeting system has delivered a significant reduction in water consumption and reduced overall costs by 50%! He has been very pleased with the performance of the Micronics products and says the pre and post order service support has also been very good.

Alan believes there is significant potential for ongoing savings on-site and the project has demonstrated how Clamp-On – Ultrasonic technology can be successfully implemented as a cost-effective solution to improve heat energy measurement and water management on similar sites.

View Micronics's profile:

Story

Building services contractor John N Dunn Group has become the 25,000th licensee of AMTECH’s FastTest Test & Inspection software

In extending its use of AMTECH Power Software’s FastTest software, fast-growing building services contractor John N Dunn Group has recently purchased the 25,000th licence for this market-leading Test & Inspection software.

John N Dunn Group Director for Leeds, Mike Simpson said: “As a leader in the industry we are delighted to be using AMTECH’s Test and Inspection software. This enables us to provide detailed cable calculation and test certification allowing us to be sure we are offering a professional service to our clients.”

John N Dunn Group has offices in Newcastle, Leeds, West Lothian and Teesside and in recent years has expanded its traditional mechanical and electrical operations to include renewable energy solutions. It has also recently formed a new commercial department and a reactive maintenance division.

As the company has grown it has continued to make wide use of software within the business to maximise efficiency and customer service, using a range of packages from AMTECH group brands. As well as FastTest, these include ProDesign electrical design software from AMTECH Power software, Estimating Systems from Estimating and pricing data from TSI Luckins.

“AMTECH Sales Director James Cooper commented: “We are delighted to be able to celebrate this milestone in the growth of FastTest with a company that has deployed so many of our products within its business. It’s also a pleasure to be working with a dynamic company that is clearly enjoying significant growth in a challenging market.”

View Trimble MEP's profile:

Story

Three treatment rooms and a recovery ward within an Exeter hospital’s new dermatology and lymphoedema unit have been fitted with an antimicrobial and fully curved profile trunking system from market leading cable management specialist Marshall-Tufflex.

Consultant engineers Terry Hearne & Partners opted for Marshall-Tufflex’s curved Odyssey Bio cable containment in order to ensure clinical areas within the new unit at the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital at Heavitree are as hygienic as possible.

“Preventing the spread of infection is a major element of the work we do within healthcare buildings and we are increasingly looking for building products that can play a part,” said Simon Cuthbert, of Terry Hearne & Partners, which designed the mechanical and electrical aspects of the project.

“We used standard Odyssey for the circuit housing voice and data structured cabling in consulting rooms and associated administrative areas, and installed the antimicrobial Odyssey Bio in the treatment areas. Even though there are no regulations, we considered Odyssey Bio to be the best course of action available to us. It provides us with peace of mind and the hospital is extremely happy with it.

“Undoubtedly infection control was the over-riding factor in the specification of Odyssey Bio but it is also is a good-looking trunking,” concluded Mr Cuthbert.

Tony Adkins, of Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust’s estates service, said: “Having successfully used Odyssey Bio in the dermatology and lymphoedema units we now looking at other clinical areas within the hospital where this cable management system can be applied.”

Electrical contractor for the installation was Beale & Cole of Exeter with product supplied by Harding Walsall, also of Exeter.

Silver-formulated, antimicrobial cable containment systems such as Odyssey Bio are playing an important role in fighting the spread of hospital-acquired infections by neutralising bugs such as MRSA, E-Coli and Salmonella, and are a proven method of neutralising some of the most common and dangerous bacteria found in hospitals, care homes and other locations where infection control is an issue. Untreated trunking systems can harbor harmful bacteria and, if touched, be a source of cross-contamination.

Odyssey Bio is, however, different to other anti-bacterial cable containment systems: not only does it have a uniquely all-curved profile, its active ingredients are embodied in the PVC-U itself rather than applied as a surface coating. Surface coatings can become ineffective if scratched or damaged whilst Odyssey Bio will go on doing its job even if it is scratched or damaged. Odyssey’s sleek curved lines not only look good but are also impossible to clutter, allowing necessary regular cleansing operations to be easily maintained.

Odyssey Bio has been tested to the quantitative standard ISO 22196:2007. Results show the survival rate of tested bacteria to be less than 0.1%. Cat 6-approved Odyssey Bio will remain completely effective even if scratched or damaged without a reduction in performance over time. It is also registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and compliant with the European Biocidal Products Directive (BPD).

View Marshall-Tufflex's profile:

Story

For Ecobuild 2011FAKRO GB will be highlighting its patented topSafe® system. TopSafe provides the highest level of safety and security in standard roof windows today – a minimum Class 3 EN13049. Other products on display will include the Balcony Window and High Pivot Window. The Balcony Window has two sashes, the top-hung upper of which opens through 45° while the lower one slides out to reveal built-in balustrades. The High Pivot Window enables overall glazing height to be extended without taking the window into the wall or relying on additional width.

FAKRO will also be exhibiting its SKW Solar Thermal panel system for the first time. Systems for 2, 3, 4 or 5 person homes can provide up to 70% of normal hot water needs. Panels can also be used in a modular approach with FAKRO roof windows, using any of four standard panel sizes and flashings. The lightest, at 78 x 140cm, weighs just 21kg. A patented fixing system allows adjustment to suit rafter / batten spacing while couplings are housed in a specially designed upper cover plate.

View Fakro's profile:

Story

ABB Limited, global leader in power and automation technology has appointed Mike Crawford to the position of Country Service Manager – UK and Ireland, in addition to his current role of Senior Vice President for ABB’s Service, Marine and Turbochargers business in the UK.

Towards the end of 2008, ABB’s Executive Committee launched a global service business strategy to capture the growth opportunities associated with service. The aim is for ABB to have a single service organisation in each country where they operate. In this new UK and Ireland position Mike Crawford will be responsible for defining the strategy and setting up a service organisation aimed at ensuring that ABB maximises the opportunities for growth in line with the UK service activities, working closely with all of the UK’s divisions; Power, Automation and Robotics. He will also ensure that the local divisions use common processes, tools and share best practice.

ABB’s service business serves business and industrial companies across the UK and Ireland maintaining and upgrading a wide range of equipment – including control systems, switchgear, transformers, drives, motors, instrumentation and robotics – on which some of the UK’s most demanding industries depend. Mr. Crawford will now be working across all of ABB’s divisions heading up a 500 plus strong workforce across multiple locations in the UK and Ireland.

Mike Crawford is based in Aberdeen which is one of several strategic service centres represented geographically across the UK, with management, sales and service personnel. The service organisation is focused on delivering a comprehensive range of lifecycle services to maintain the performance of ABB’s large installed base of products.

Since joining ABB as a service engineer in 1977, Mike has held a variety of roles in service, projects and general management, where he has developed and deployed a strong portfolio of service products.

ABB’s UK Country Manager Trevor Gregory commented: “I am delighted that Mike has taken up this role. He will focus on the development of a country service organisation that will include the implementation of best practices across the UK business that will enhance customer benefits and improve the overall business performance.”

View ABB's profile: