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Sanctuary Housing Associations’ £20 million build of four blocks of affordable accommodation at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge has seen 12 areas of Flag-Soprema Optigreen 'Economy' green roof installed.

Each of the 6-storey buildings was of step design over the top 3 floors, the green roofs having been designed for their contribution to water retention using a low maintenance sedum/herb/grass planting mixture. Rainwater permeates the soil and passes into pipes before being collected in storm cells. Landscaping also incorporates swales to collect water and offset flood risk following periods of heavy rain. Brown roof areas are covered with a 150mm layer of soil from the site in order to provide a balanced eco-system for both insect and bird life. What was once an area of barren car park now provides a balance of controlled environmental contribution within a sustainable construction programme.

External elevations to the rooms are made primarily from natural, undecorated cedar obtained from sustainable sources. Photovoltaic cells heat domestic hot water while large areas of glazing throughout the 100 apartments are shielded by brises soleil. Zinc, recognised as the most sustainable metal used in construction today, was also used for cladding of the ground floor.

372 bed spaces for medical staff have been provided, Zaki Ghiacy, Director at McBains Cooper commenting “We wanted to use a mixture of softer, more ‘domestic’ materials to reflect the buildings use whilst responding to the contemporary look and feel of the main building”. Flag-Soprema MD Steve Greaves added, “This type of design shows how virtually any living space can be designed to incorporate a green roof area. The fact that it has been used within a hospital of worldwide reputation is good for the green roof industry as a whole.”

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For the past 30 years, Triton’s T80 electric showers have been the number one choice for installers faced with a new, problematic or retrofit installation. Now with the launch of the fifth-generation T80z collection, this best selling electric shower makes new and retro-fit installations even easier and quicker – meaning installers can simply ‘fit and forget’ and move on to the next job.

All four of the new T80z models – White and Chrome, Chrome, Satin/Chrome and a highly topical Eco model – incorporate innovative, easy fit benefits designed using feedback from installers to ensure they tackle the installation problems met on a daily basis, particularly when replacing an existing electric shower.

Eliminating the nuisance of existing water or electric connections being on the wrong side or perhaps the chosen new shower not covering the original fixing holes, the new range includes features such as a unique ‘reversible’ water inlet and the choice of five water and six electric entry points to easily accommodate countless cable and pipe layouts.

An installation template allows all water, electric and fixing points to be marked out before any work starts and there is generous ‘working’ room for installers to make the necessary connections and fixings whilst carrying out the installation. Removable pipe entry trims further reduce the need for cutting on water and cable entry points

Z Uni-Fit Kit

For installations where existing wiring is too short, the addition of the innovative Z Uni-fit kit option makes it simple to extend wiring without compromising the professional finish of the shower. BEAB approved, the Z Uni-fit kit can save up to four hours on a difficult installation, widening the replacement scope of this shower range even further.

Green Credentials

For installers looking for a shower for environmentally friendly customers through to Housing Association or new home projects, the T80z Eco provides an equally straightforward solution. Offering a maximum flow of 6 litres per minute, rather than an average flow which is often seen, the T80z Eco makes a big difference when it comes to satisfying the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Lorna Fellowes, Triton’s managing director comments:

“The T80 range has been loved by installers for the past three decades, namely for its cost effective, problem solving ability. The latest T80z models certainly continue this trend and in fact take ease of installation to the next level. We have incorporated many features across these five flexible options that are most requested by installers, with the aim of providing a flexible showering range that is simple to install, appeals to the end user and all with the quality finish you’d expect from Triton.”

Big Brand Benefits

Particularly in the current climate, it is important for installers to have products that can ensure a first class service that customers can really feel the benefit from. Using known names such as Triton brings reliability firmly into the mix. The T80z not only benefits from the involvement of Triton’s in-house research and development team but also from the company’s expert technical advice, quality and customer service.

The complete range of T80z models has a 2 year guarantee and, if ordered before 5pm, forms part of the rapid replenishment service for delivery the following day.

Whatever finish is chosen, this newest T80z continues the trend for offering innovative design, performance, value and ease of installation – and over 1 million homeowners agree, with a T80 variant installed in their home.

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Substandard work by contractors and the need for properly installed passive protection in hospitals

Over the years, British Fire Consortium member Envirograf, specialists in passive fire protection products, has experienced a number of hospitals with serious shortcomings in their fire safety provisions. Two recent examples, listed below, show how a fire could have easily and quickly spread to other sections of these hospitals.

Safety failures

In the first case, a hospital in Manchester had an inspection by the fire and rescue service. Its report highlighted that the laundry rooms were a key area of concern. The rooms are situated one above the other and have both large and small plastic pipes interconnected to each other. In the event of a fire in one of the rooms, the pipes would be a fast-track route for the fire and smoke to travel. In addition, the laundry is passed by motorised hangers to access chutes from upper floors, and these are left completely open at all times witout an integral fire barrier.

The second case involved a hospital in Kent that failed an inspection by the fire service. The brigade recommended that the hospital make a significant number of improvements or face potential prosecution. Its main cause for concern was that a number of contractors over the years had fitted and replaced services and had left large holes and gaps around the srvices in which a fire could travel. Examples included cables and cable trays passing through fire rated walls with no fire-stopping products being used, and pipes and services in open risers without protection.

The room next to the operating rooms had no fire break walls above the suspended ceilings, while in other rooms the fire barriers that had been fitted had either been damaged by unskilled contractors or completely removed. Holes in previous fire barriers were large enough for a person to crawl through. Temporary partitions that had been in place for many years needed upgrading. The services through the partitions need to be fire-proofed. Electrical trunking passing through escape corridors had no fire breaks.

Many hospitals face similar problems because many of the contractors doing the installation work are not aware or have not been trained in the need for passive fire prevention products.

Installation rigour

The Passive Fire Training Centre in Dover, Kent is a unique facility that highlights the urgent need for life-saving products such as Envirograf products to be used on all new-build and refurbishment properties. The centre also informs tradesmen about the dangers of ignoring this protection and, through the services of the Nationwide Association of Passive Fire Installers and Specifiers (NAPFIS) installers can then become accountable for their work, helping to avoid sloppy workmanship which could later prove to be fatal.

Many building control departments now require properly trained installers to carry out fire-stopping work and as NAPFIS members, these installers can show that they have the knowledge and have been independently assessed.

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Without effective cleaning, door furniture, handrails and other touched surfaces are susceptible to the development of harmful organisms and contaminants. Cleaning regimes depend on personal diligence and are therefore intrinsically unreliable.

MicroClean is a new nano-technology based, photocatalytic coating which counteracts contamination of hard surfaces. It needs no extended curing period at high temperature and destroys organic compounds such as those found in MRSA, C.Difficile, e.Coli, SARS, Listeria, and Salmonella.

When applied to hard surfaces, MicroClean prevents contaminants from growing and eradicates them very quickly. Ultra Violet (UV) light strikes the particles in the coating which, when activated emit electrons. Water molecules nearby are broken down in highly reactive hydroxyl radicals and super oxides, creating a powerful oxidising reaction and breaking down organic compounds such as bacteria into water and carbon dioxide.

The coating continues to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year as long as there is a light to 'power' it. Tests have shown that colonies of bacteria are destroyed within 24 hours of contact. MicroClean can be either factory applied to any of Laidlaw’s diverse range of ironmongery products or spray applied on site to bigger surfaces such as doors and walls.

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It’s all very well testing electrical installations in line with the IEE Wiring Regulations, but how can you be sure that the test results are accurate? Unless you check your instruments regularly, the answer is that you can’t.

Accuracy should be checked regularly

Unless there’s an obvious problem, few contractors give a thought to the accuracy of the instruments they’re using. But they should – inaccurate test results are worse than no test results at all because they can create the impression that an installation is safe when it isn’t. This is recognised in the guidance notes that accompany the IEE Wiring Regulations, which make it absolutely clear that the accuracy of test equipment must be checked regularly.

It would be easy to think that annual calibration would satisfy this requirement, but that’s not necessarily true. A lot can happen to an instrument over the course of a year and, although modern instruments are remarkably resilient, there’s no doubt that accidents can and do occur which adversely affect calibration.

Impractical to calibrate more than once a year

What’s needed is a way of checking the performance of instruments much more regularly. Returning them to the supplier several times a year for calibration would, however, be both inconvenient and costly.

To solve this problem, Megger has introduced the MTB7671. Unlike some of the other test boxes currently available, the MTB7671 genuinely looks at all key aspects of instrument performance, rather than just focusing on a single aspect of each test.

Loop testers test up to 3000 ohms not 1 ohm

For example, lets look at loop testing. Many test boxes are arranged to allow the instrument that’s being checked to measure the loop impedance of a circuit chosen by the user. Then a 1 ohm resistor is added to the circuit, and the measured result should, of course, show a 1 ohm increase.

This is fine, except that many loop testers can read up to around 3 kilohms! Testing the accuracy right at the bottom of this range provides little information about accuracy at the higher readings. With the MTB7671, this issue doesn’t arise, as the test box checks the accuracy of the instrument at multiple points.

If anyone thinks that accuracy only matters at the low end of a loop tester’s measuring range, they should remember that, in TT systems, acceptable loop impedance values in excess of 100 ohms are sometimes found.

This is just one example of how Megger’s MTB7671 sets a new industry benchmark in testing the testers.

Won’t trip RCD protected supplies

Other examples include RCD testing, where the problem here is not so much with the validity of the results provided by the test box, but with the inconvenience of getting those results.

When used to verify the performance of an RCD tester, all currently available test boxes will trip any RCD protecting the circuit from which they are powered. One solution is to power the test box from a circuit that’s not RCD protected, but often that’s not convenient. Once again, the MTB7671 has addressed this problem, and checks loop testers without any risk of RCD tripping.

Instrument test boxes have an important role to play in guaranteeing the reliable test results needed to ensure the safety of electrical installations. However, not all test boxes are the same. In particular, Megger’s MTB7671 looks at all key aspects performance of insulation test, continuity test, loop test and RCD test instruments. Only an instrument that does this provides users with complete assurance that their test equipment is compliant with all regulations.

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Steve Greaves, Managing Director of roofing manufacturer Flag-Soprema UK Ltd, will be making a 10 day trek through the Annapurna range of the Himalayas in November to raise funds for 'Help for Heroes'.

Departing initially for Kathmandu, the trek climbs thousands of feet via Pokhara, Tallokot and Ghalegeon through the foothills of central Nepal. For his efforts, Steve will be rewarded by the sight of some of the most magnificent panoramas in the world as he passes glaciers and snow clad peaks.

Steve, who has been getting in some much needed training in Snowdonia, was himself in the army for a number of years. He commented, “While serving, I spent 26 months under the care of the nurses and doctors of The Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital and its rehabilitation unit in Chessington. This followed a serious motorbike accident, so I know how important the right care is, both from a physical and mental perspective. When I heard about how I could raise money for Help for Heroes, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity.”

Help for Heroes was founded by Bryn and Emma Parry in October 2007 out of a desire to help the wounded servicemen and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. It provides direct, practical support to those injured in the current conflicts.

If you would like to help Steve to raise money for this much respected charity, please go to www.justgiving.com/steve-greaves or you can mail Steve at Flag-Soprema UK Ltd., Unit 640, The Hub, Avenue West, Skyline 120, Great Notley, Essex CM77 7AA

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Triton’s new RIBA approved CPD seminar, ‘New Build Basement Waterproofing’, focuses on the specific requirements of waterproofing in new build, below ground structures. Incorporating the requirements of the recently revised Code of Practice BS 8102 (2009) it covers pre-build design considerations , and how each type of waterproofing protection works and the benefits and disadvantages of each.  Triton’s original CPD seminar – ‘Waterproofing Existing Basements’ has also been updated and covers the use of similar methods of waterproofing and how they should be specified in refurbishment works.  More information and registration via www.triton-chemicals.com
There is a particular focus on Type C drained systems which are suited for use in historic or conservation projects as little substrate preparation is required and the system can be easily stripped out.  Drained systems work by continuing to allow the water to enter the building, and then controlling it behind a membrane from where it is diverted to a suitable drainage point.
Triton’s training programme also includes courses on the specification and installation of cavity drained systems, concrete waterproofing systems and damp proofing and timber preservation.
For more information and registration forms please visit www.triton-chemicals.com

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Hamilton Litestat’s new slimline Linea CFX Collection has incorporated a new range of trailing edge push on/off resistive dimmers to provide the market with enhanced performance.

These Trailing Edge Dimmers have been designed to overcome many of the problems that are associated with leading edge dimmers, in that they are virtually noise free and compatible with most electronic transformers. They also offer the additional advantages of thermal protection and built-in overload protection, which prevents them from being damaged in an overload situation. At the same time, they feature unidirectional current detection which enables the dimmer to protect itself whenever a lamp blows and causes a high in rush current.

To prolong lamp life, these dimmers have incorporated a soft-start system which produces a slow fade out that is designed to help prevent lamp damage. Being a Trailing Edge Dimmer, it will work to its maximum without having to be de-rated. This capability enables it to dim 1000w when mounted four up on a double gang plate.

The new slimline Linea CFX plates incorporate split finishes and Hamilton’s registered concealed fixing system avoiding the requirement for ugly screws. This, along with the other features of the system, provide a truly unique solution for wiring applications thereby achieving a very high quality option that can complement the high specification demands of top-end interior projects.

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Daikin Europe N.V. has introduced a new EWWD-FZ range of centrifugal chillers that incorporate oil free compressors with magnetic bearings. This compressor technology not only eliminates the need for oil as a lubricant and associated maintenance and reliability issues, it also contributes to making this range one of the most energy efficient on the market.

Broad range of industrial applications

The new chillers are designed for a broad spectrum of industrial applications and come in 6 sizes (single circuit, 1 or 2 compressors) with cooling capacities from 320 to 1,050 kW. All units include onboard monitoring and diagnostics, can be easily integrated with external control systems such as building management systems and sequencing panels and are available with a wide variety of options.

Oil free operation improves reliability and efficiency

Oil free magnetic bearings contribute to simplified design and increased reliability. Friction is eliminated, as is the need for additional equipment such as oil pumps, resulting in reduced maintenance and greater reliability. Vibration and sound levels are also reduced significantly, allowing the units to be installed in sound sensitive environments.

The magnetic bearing system and other technologies present in the oil free compressor make it one of the most efficient compressors on the market today. Moreover, the compressor’s integrated variable frequency drive plus a flooded type evaporator, provide outstanding partial load efficiency and significant energy savings (EER up to 6.0 and ESEER up to 9.60). Integrated soft start functionality also greatly reduces start-up current requirements.

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