Story

Addagrip’s Addastone resin-bound aggregate has been used for the surfacing of selected footpaths at ‘The Bridge’ development in Kent as part of the Fastrack project.

Fastrack is the new public transport system in Kent Thameside, which includes dedicated busways to bypass congestion hotspots. As part of the scheme, designers wanted an attractive yet hardwearing landscaping solution for two pedestrian areas.

One of the design requirements was to match the surfacing with an existing area of resin-bound surfacing in the developments, moving away from traditional black macadam to a more aesthetically pleasing type of surface.

Cirencester Civil Engineering (CCE) were contracted to surface the footpaths for the project’s main contractor McAlpine. Commenting on the project, Mike Sugg of CCE said, “We laid Addastone in 1-3mm Golden Pea because of its decorative qualities. Addastone is an attractive yet robust surface, strong enough to withstand both pedestrian and vehicle trafficking.”

Addastone uses aggregates bound with resin to create the appearance of loose gravel without any of the maintenance issues. The aggregates can be naturally sourced or created from recycled materials, allowing great scope with regards to design and finish. As a result, contractors were able to use an aggregate to blend with the existing surfacing and harmonise with an area of parkland in the Fastrack project.

Addastone forms part of Addagrip’s range of external surfacing products, which includes Addaset, Addastone TP, Surface Protector and 1000 System. Addagrip also offers a selection of flooring products for both interior and commercial applications.

View Addagrip's profile:

Story

Saint-Gobain Pipelines, leading supplier of ductile iron pipes and fittings, is now able to offer PAM Reservoir Pipe, making it the only supplier of coated pipes suitable for total immersion in potable water.

PAM Reservoir Pipe is a fabricated pipe that can be used in reservoirs and tanks where both the internal lining and external coating come into contact with potable water. The pipe has approval under Regulation 31 (4) (a) for use in public water supplies – important for any product in contact with drinking water.

The unique Saint-Gobain Pipelines System XL pipe, with a factory applied external coating of blue Copon Hycote 162PWX fully complies with BS EN 545 and has been approved by the Secretary of State as suitable for total immersion in water.

Trevor Padley, Technical Manager says “Using Saint-Gobain Pipelines’ System XL with external epoxy coating allows customers to use ductile iron pipe with the knowledge that they are installing a robust, reliable pipeline with unrivalled longevity, while fully complying with the regulations and standards in place to ensure the drinking water is safe.”

Available from DN 80 – DN 800, the PAM Reservoir Pipe is complemented by the full range of Saint-Gobain PAM Natural Fittings which are also suitable for immersion in potable water. Jointing details and methods are the same as the standard range of Saint-Gobain fabricated pipes and can be found at on the Saint-Gobain webite.

View PAM Building's profile:

Story

GET has introduced a new electronic low voltage dimmer switch that is more visually appealing than conventional dimmers with their unsightly protruding buttons.

The switches complement GET?s Ultimate flat plate and Rocca wiring accessories and grid switches, and have retractive press switches that cycle through the dimming intensities.

In addition to being designed with aesthetics as a key element the dimmer is ideal for both new and retrofits with many time saving and practical features which add the finishing touches to a domestic or commercial environment. And with touch/push operation the new dimmer has gentle dimming action which incorporates variable up and down light control.

As well as the standard 1-way operation, this versatile module is also capable of 2-way or multi-way operations. By simply upgrading the additional 2 way (multi-way) switches to a retractive switch full control is provided at each switch point.

View Get's profile:

Story

Addatex Stone Carpet is an unusual and attractive internal flooring finish from Addagrip which is also hardwearing and easy to maintain.

Made from a mix of natural or synthetic aggregates and bound in a clear epoxy resin, Stone Carpet provides a smooth, decorative floor finish suitable for a diverse range of applications from offices, reception areas, shops and museums to kitchens, living rooms, bathrooms and wetrooms.

The Addatex Stone Carpet surface offers many advantages over traditional surfaces. The open structure of the surface contains countless pores filled with air, creating the effect of a pleasantly warm and soft sensation, similar to a carpet. The resistance to wear however will be similar to ceramic tiles. This structure also makes the surface easy to clean. Its open matrix allows dust to fall into the open pores, preventing the dust from flying up when trafficked, and can be cleaned by simply using a vacuum cleaner, and a wet and dry vacuum cleaner for spillages.

With a surface depth from 6mm, Addatex is a trowelled applied surface. Stone Carpet offers much scope for design with a choice of more than 500 different colours available, offering almost an unlimited number of colour combinations and designs. Company logos can also be recreated with this surfacing.

View Addagrip's profile:

Story

Hepworth Building Products, a leading provider of plumbing and drainage solutions has extended its Hep2O range with the launch of the universal Spigot Elbow.

A standard 15mm radiator fitting would require a 15mm Socket Reducer as well as a 10mm 90 degree Elbow Socket Fitting when used with the 10mm barrier pipe now prevalent in heating installations. However the Spigot Elbow eliminates the need for these two products as it is already configured with a 15mm spigot and a 10mm socket.

As an ideal alternative to the existing bulky fittings prevalent in most radiator connections, plumbers can maximize their efficiency as installation time and cost is significantly reduced, with a lower number of joints and fittings required.

As a white product, complimenting white radiators and skirting boards and resulting in an unobtrusive and discreet finish, the Spigot Elbow does not need painting after completion.

Adrian Bristow, Product Design Manager at Hepworth Building Products said: “We are constantly listening to our customers and developing products to meet their needs. Despite the availability of 10mm radiator valves plumbers still prefer to work with 15mm valves, therefore the Spigot Elbow is designed with the installer in mind.”

Allowing a direct connection to radiators, the Spigot Elbow minimises the number of fittings required, resulting in a simple, clean and efficient installation.

The Spigot Elbow is available from all participating merchants.

View Hepworth's profile:

Story

Electrical product innovator GET plc has launched a new easy to install and affordable wireless lighting system as part of its home technology range.

The stylish new wireless lighting system allows users to control the entire lighting network in their home from one smart remote control unit.

GET?s new system has four programmable mood lighting settings which are easily set to control the lighting in individual rooms or the entire home. As well as controlling ceiling and wall lights the wireless system also operates most types of lamps and outdoor lighting.

The system has also been designed to work up to 30 metres from the house so it?s easy to illuminate the driveway and the house on approach. This innovative security feature means that homeowners will never have to worry about coming home to a dark house again.

Colin Fletcher, Marketing Manager at GET said: ?Wireless lighting is an exciting and innovative development that embraces tomorrow?s technology to enhance the modern home.

?Other wireless systems have been available before but have required complicated installation and expensive redecoration. The new GET system is different ? thanks to its unique wireless units it makes wireless lighting an easily achievable reality.

?Our new wireless system doesn?t require miles of additional wiring, channelling of walls or re-wiring of switches ? simply retrofit an in-line receiver for an instant solution.?

The entire wireless system works on a 433MHz frequency so doesn?t require line-of-sight to operate ? making it easy to control the whole house from bathrooms to bedrooms, and driveways to gardens – from one simple controller.

As well as the stylish handheld remote unit the system can also be controlled from a wall mounted switch with exactly the same functionality.

In addition, the controllers have been designed to match GET?s popular Ultimate range of switches and sockets.

For further information or details of your nearest stockist call 01707 601601 or visit www.getplc.com

View Get's profile:

Story

As a key part of a £8.7 million regeneration scheme, The Time and Tide Museum of Great Yarmouth Life will endeavor to recapture a bygone age of nostalgia. The Victorian building shown above was used for fish curing, to export fish all over the world, and remained an active enterprise even up to 1985. Unfortunately, more recently the property remained derelict for many years and even had several centimeters of salt encrusted on the surface. It became essential to ensure that the property was completely sealed before other restoration work could take place. With a high volume of exposed timber work in the museum, it was vital that a robust fire protective coating to control the spread of a fire was used, Envirograf® Product 42 (HW02, clear intumescent one hour protective coating) was chosen for both the special fire retardant performance of the products and a high quality finish. Envirograf® Product 42 (HW01 white intumescent coating) was also used to give one hour protection for the open ceilings. The conservation work was specified by architects Purcell Miller Tritton of Norwich and financially supported by English Heritage as part of the South Denes peninsula regeneration scheme.

View Envirograf's profile:

Story

View Wilo's profile:

Story

Home cinema systems have provided domestic users with the ability to gain an exciting movie-house experience from the comfort and privacy of their own home. As poor lighting control can spoil the whole viewing experience, Hamilton Litestat has developed their popular Digital Mercury System lighting control system so that it can address the needs of this particular market sector.

In these applications the lighting control needs to be very versatile, offering simplicity of programming to ensure that the most suitable lighting scene is just a touch of a button away. By creating a number of stored scenes, Digital Mercury enables the user to set background lighting so that it doesn’t interfere with people’s viewing enjoyment. For maximum safety, the system can feature a setting which brings all the lighting up to full power.

The miniaturization of circuit boards has made it possible for Hamilton Litestat to create custom installations that help to enhance the viewing experience. These integrated controllers can incorporate, for example, sound and lighting controls, heating and ventilation systems, all within a single control panel. These units are extremely compact and can feature panel controls which can be used to: reveal the plasma screen, to adjust the lighting levels and to switch the sound over from the music system to the film’s sound track as the movie begins.

All of these functions can be operated from a hand held infra-red control, making the system even easier to use. Where required, these types of units can be used to interrupt the viewing when the door bell rings or the fire/burglar alarm operates. In these examples the lighting can be automatically raised and the sound system lowered to maximise awareness.

The incorporation of digital dimmer packs enables Digital Mercury to be programmed with variable fade rates so that each of the lighting channels can be raised or lowered to the desired level. By adjusting the level of brightness on each of the channels, using either a hand held infra-red remote or a wall mounted controller, Digital Mercury is able to create the desired scenes. This system is also very simple to reconfigure allowing a set scene to be quickly changed to suit the user’s latest requirements.

These home cinema lighting installations are able to feature low level lighting that allows viewers to move safely around the room, thus giving the characteristics of a commercial cinema. The use of a recessed floor mounted LED lighting system not only helps to identify the walkways, but also gives a contemporary feel to the space. In this type of installation, Digital Mercury can be used to control and blend the different channels of light, including recessed downlights, to provide effective scene setting that can maximise viewer enjoyment.

Unlike conventional domestic dimmers, which can emit a low level audible buzzing noise when in operation which could be distracting in a cinema environment, Digital Mercury incorporates the latest dimming technology which houses the electronics away from the control plate to eliminate this annoying problem. At the same time this separation avoids the control plates from getting warm which is another problem which can sometimes be experienced when using plate dimmers. Another big advantage is being able to facilitate an increase in a system’s maximum load capability to cope with a client’s more sophisticated requirements.

As visual appeal is often the all-important criteria when designing home cinemas, the style and finish of the accessory plates can play a major role in defining the space and enhancing the dècor. With Hamilton’s Digital Mercury System customers are able to choose from this manufacturer’s extensive plate ranges to suit the project’s design criteria.

With all the proliferation of technology that is designed to support the home cinema, it is easy to forget that the real purpose of custom installation is to make home entertainment so much more enjoyable for the user. By simplifying the control systems and enabling them to work in conjunction with other operating systems the installer can offer hassle free solutions that help to increase the perceived value of a development.

View Hamilton-Litestat's profile:

Story

Set in 1800 acres of undulation Suffolk parkland is a National Trust showpiece: the successful Ickworth hotel and Apartments in Bury St Edmunds. The original east wing of the building has been completely restored and is now the basis of a thriving hotel business. Many original features in the east wing have been restored to their original state. The task of upgrading many original doors to fire-rated doors was given to Haymills of Stowmarket.

Haymills instructed their interior decorators, T & G Roberts of Ipswitch, Suffolk, that some of the original doors should be restored and used as fire doors. Consequently, T amp; G Roberts contacted Vic Lewis of Fire Prevention Products (Essex & Suffolk), who recommended Envirograf® Product 42 (HW intumescent coating system) to upgrade some of the doors. Where the depth of the panels on other doors was deemed to be too thin to use a coating system only, a combination of Envirograf® Product 38 (intumescent card) was used in conjunction with Product 42(HW01/HW02 intumescent coating system) to achieve the upgrade to fire-rated doors.

The next phase of building of building restoration has switched to the west wing. This part of the building has been completely derelict for many years and architect Sarah Tassell of Hopkins, London NW1 was briefed that the building be used as a visitor centre and restaurant. The kitchen area of the new restaurant is deemed to be the biggest fire risk, so two Envirograf® Product 90 motorised fire curtains have been installed, to act as a barrier in the event of a fire. The curtains are connected to the fire alarm system and, when activated, they will descend to form a robust fire barrier.

View Envirograf's profile: