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School and college authorities that need to improve the learning environment while enhancing their green credentials are turning to leading steel window manufacturer Crittall which has a suite of products to upgrade both external appearance and interior comfort.

The education sector has a massive investment in its built environment and, despite the temporary dislocation caused by the pandemic, remains eager to find ways to keep control of costs and bear down on excessive energy consumption as things eventually return of normal.

Crittall offers a range of windows that are finding favour with the most prestigious educational establishments, in some cases presenting a fresh, modern aesthetic, in others replacing worn out fenestration that replicates a heritage appearance while greatly enhancing thermal performance.

And moving to the inside of the building a range of internal screens can provide for a lighter, more welcoming interior with no compromise to acoustic, security and safety requirements.

Popular among school and college authorities is the highly successful Corporate W20 window with its slender but strong frames. For example, a programme of maintenance and energy efficiency improvement at the University of Sussex has involved the installation of W20 profiles throughout the Falmer campus, outside Brighton. The windows have been installed in four buildings across the site, replacing the Crittall originals dating from when the university was first created in the early 1960s. Two of the refurbished buildings were Grade 2* listed.

At Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Corporate W20 windows were installed in a modernist, concrete-framed accommodation block, also Grade 2 listed. Meanwhile at the Levine Building at Trinity College, Oxford, the T60 advanced thermally-broken windows have been specified. This profile can mount double or triple glazing to deal with harsher weather conditions and is suited to either new-build or replacement in listed buildings or conservation areas to meet the exacting requirements of local planning authorities.

Greatly improved thermal performance but with a like-for-like appearance was demanded by planners in the north London borough of Enfield when a special school, Durants, decided to expand into an existing classroom block on a nearby site. Original 1950s single glazed steel windows were replaced with new double-glazed thermally-broken steel windows that exactly mimicked the appearance of the originals. Overall U value for the completed project is 1.8 W/m2K based on a glass centre pane value of 1.0 W/m2K. The double glazing incorporates toughened low E glass and an 18mm argon filled cavity.

Alternatively, the MW40 profile can be specified where superior air, wind or water resistance and greater sound attenuation are required. Offering the same high quality appearance as the W20 range the MW40 profile can accept glass up to twice the thickness as its stable mate. Either double, or even triple, glazing up to 32mm thick can be installed with a consequent higher level of thermal or sound insulation.

Yet this is achieved while retaining the same slender steel profile for which Crittall products are renowned thereby ensuring maximum light ingress.

In addition to exterior steel windows and doors with their slim profiles Crittall’s InnerVision glazed interior screens ensure a seamless transfer of increased levels of natural daylight throughout the building reaching even the most remote working areas.

Solid partitions dividing workspaces can be replaced with glass and the performance of glazed interior screens can be further tailored to fine-tune
levels of acoustic insulation, light transmission, thermal insulation and natural ventilation control to suit individual client’s requirements.

Crittall’s InnerVision range of glazed internal fixed screens and doors can now be specified for fire rated applications. The steel framed system is compliant with BS476 Part 22 providing 30 minutes (FD30) integrity fire resistance. The profiles match the Corporate W20 exterior window range in appearance and can be supplied as fixed screens, with single or double leaf-hinged doors.

‘Steel windows will out-perform other window materials in terms of longevity – evidenced by many that can still be seen in iconic buildings today’ states Russell Ager, Crittall managing director.

‘The low life cycle cost compared with other window materials, combined with the robustness and material selection to further reduce the burden of maintenance, properly maintained steel windows are expected to last the lifetime of a building’

He continued ‘maintenance is very straightforward with just periodic inspection and cleaning required’

Contact the Crittall commercial specification team on 01376 530800 for further details or visit www.crittall-windows.co.uk.

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Decorative specialist Armourcoat have launched a new natural clay lime plaster range. Clime plasters are designed to improve the quality of living and working interiors and to minimize the impact of wall finishing products on the environment.

Armourcoat are regarded as a pioneer in creating stunning and original environmentally friendly decorative products. Naturally sustainable, Clime clay lime plasters incorporate abundant raw earth materials such as unfired clay, marble, limestone and hydraulic lime. The plaster range is cement and VOC free, biodegradable and recyclable.

Clime plasters create healthy interiors, with beautiful finishes in tune with nature and engaging traditional decorative skills. Combining the benefits of natural products with modern and artisan techniques, Armourcoat Clime offers a whole new experience in decoration for the business and the home, but one that has its roots in history.

Armourcoat Clime clay lime plasters are available in two standard finishes: Clime Matte and Clime Stone.
Clime Matte creates a finely textured, subtle finish which radiates the natural material used. Clime Stone includes crushed marble to create a heavier texture, suitable for large areas where a more dramatic finish is desired. Both finishes are available in 15 colours and are suitable for internal areas. Custom colours and finishing techniques are also possible including banding, layering and pearlescent washes.

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Humidity control specialist, Condair, is presenting a webinar on Dehumidification and Drying Psychrometrics on the 3rd March at 11am. Dave Marshall-George, UK Sales Manager at Condair plc, will be leading the 45 minute session.

Attendees will learn how desiccant and condensing dehumidifiers work, the psychrometrics of drying, best practise in product selection and how to correctly size a dehumidifier for any project.

The presentation has been CIBSE-approved, so attendees will gain CIBSE CPD points. This accreditation also means the webinar has been independently verified to be unbiased, up-to-date and technically accurate.

To learn more and register for the session visit www.condair.co.uk/webinars.

The Condair Group is the world’s leading specialist in humidity control and evaporative cooling, serving commercial, industrial and heritage sectors. Condair is represented in the UK by Condair plc, which offers system design, manufacture, supply, installation, commissioning, maintenance and spares. You can find out more by visiting the company’s website at www.condair.co.uk.

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Altitude training specialist, Altipeak™, has selected Condair humidifiers to control the humidity in their innovative new Altipeak™ Mobile Altitude Pod. The six-man, environmentally controlled training chamber can simulate any climate worldwide, enabling athletes to train under the atmospheric conditions they will ultimately be competing in.

Noel O’Brien, founder and CEO of Altipeak™ International Holdings Ltd, commented, “The Altipeak™ Mobile Altitude Pod was initially designed to assist athletes acclimatise for the Tokyo Olympics, where it could potentially be 35°C and up to 90% relative humidity. Our chambers can monitor and control oxygen and CO2 levels, as well as temperature and humidity. In hot and humid conditions, our body’s maximum rate of oxygen consumption can be reduced by over 12%. Being able to train at the appropriate humidity level is a vital part of the preparation process for athletic success.”

Noel continued, “So it was very important to us that the humidity control system in our mobile training chamber was responsive and accurate, as well as being easy to use. We selected the Condair EL steam humidifier, as it offered us the humidity outputs and control level we needed and has a built-in touch screen controller, which makes operation really simple.”

Damien Power, Condair’s Area Sales Manager for Ireland, commented, “It’s a delight to be working with Noel and the team at Altipeak™, providing the humidification systems for their innovative new training pods. We’re very happy to think that our humidifiers are playing their part in helping athletes around the world achieve their peak performance and go for gold, wherever they may be competing.”

The mobile training pods are built using standard 20ft shipping containers, so are easy to transport and deliver anywhere in the world. They have plug and play service connections and even incorporate Amazon Alexa controls, making them ideal for setting up in sports clubs or training grounds. As well as design and manufacture of specialist training chambers, Altipeak™ International also offer simulated altitude training to people of all fitness levels at their two facilities in Dublin. Training at high altitude conditions has several benefits, including increased lung capacity, increased lactic acid threshold and making muscles more efficient at extracting oxygen from the blood.

The Condair EL steam humidifier being used by Altipeak™, can deliver humidity either directly to a room or to an air handling unit or duct. It is available in capacities from 5 to 180kg/hr and incorporates steam cylinders that last up to three times longer that similar competitive models before they need to be replaced, due to advanced water quality management.

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Condair is offering a new online, CIBSE-approved CPD seminar on dehumidification and drying psychrometrics. The 45-minute long presentation includes training on the principles of operation for both desiccant and condensing dehumidifiers, how to correctly select and size a dehumidification system and the psychrometric processes behind drying.

The seminar has been developed specifically for mechanical engineers and consultants. The training has been CIBSE approved, therefore verified to be unbiased, up-to-date and technically accurate. As the presentation is CIBSE-approved, any attendees will receive CIBSE points towards their continuous professional development (CPD) record.

The presentation can be given online via a virtual meeting platform, such as Teams or Zoom. Condair typically delivers these online training sessions to attendees from a single company, to encourage engagement and interaction from attendees. Anyone wanting to book a session can request a date at www.Condair.co.uk/CPD.

Dave Marshall-George, UK Sales Manager at Condair, commented, “Our CPD seminars are always well received by consultants and this new one on dehumidification gives a comprehensive understanding of both the technology and the psychrometrics involved in a dehumidifier specification project. Consultants can expect to learn how the different technologies compare, when to use desiccant or condensing systems, how to calculate what size is needed, plus the many pre- and post-drying processes needed to provide air at a specific humidity condition.”

Dave continues, “Certificates are supplied to all attendees via email following the presentation, so they can register for the CIBSE points.”

The Condair Group is the world’s leading specialist in humidity control and evaporative cooling, with energy efficient, hygienic and innovative technologies for commercial, industrial and heritage applications.

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