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Upmarket regional supermarket chain choose Armstrong’s metal and mineral ceilings for flagship store.

Metal and mineral ceiling tiles from Armstrong were specified for a flagship supermarket for a multitude of reasons.

The dark grey Mesh Board metal tiles with Axiom Profile and grid in RAL 9007 feature in plasterboard margins in the lower sales area of the new £4.5million Booths supermarket in Lytham St Anne’s while Ultima⁺, the world’s first mineral tile range certified to Cradle to Cradle status, was used on the first-floor back-of-house areas.

The 3,210ft² of Armstrong ceiling systems were specified to meet a tight timescale and to help with acoustics as well as to help the upmarket chain move away from more traditional ceiling designs and comply with new brand standards and guidance.

The 37,000ft² “Heyhouses” project on a brownfield site in the genteel seaside town of Lytham St Anne’s in Lancashire took 20 months to complete. Built traditionally, the store features oak cladding to the internal steel frame and includes a café, butcher’s and cheese counters.

Armstrong’s 1200mm x 600mm metal Mesh tiles were installed by GWN Contracts and sit as rafts within variously shaped plasterboard margins. These were all laid on the diagonal to lead customers’ eyes through the 23,000ft² main sales area to the state-of-the-art deli counter at the rear of the store.

Regular Armstrong specifiers Leach Rhodes Walker, who were the architects for the shell construction and internal fit-out, working alongside main contractor Interserve, have partnered with Booths supermarkets to develop café concepts for their stores.

LRW architectural technician Rebecca Kenny said: “The Ultima⁺ product was a standard product specified by Booths. The main sales area ceiling was in response to the new brand standards/guidance from Booths for a new approach to the ceilings. They wanted to move away from a lay-in ceiling and introduced a more industrial feel that also met the access requirement for the services above.

“As well as the access requirements the Ultima⁺ ceiling system help with the acoustic issues and the open mesh design also helped with the flexibility of the locations for the feature lighting.”

With regards to any special requirements or challenges, she added: “On the fit out, the time scale was an issue to meet the deadline to handover to Booths for their store fittings/merchandising works, also acoustics within the double-height spaces including the café, the ceiling design and approval to café interior design concept.”

The store opened in September 2015, creating 90 new jobs.

Rebecca added: “The client was very pleased with the overall appearance. It meets the original brief and as the mesh panels were combined with perimeter details, and plasterboard margins to help break up the large area, it created a really striking design feature.

“As Armstrong was already specified on the project it was really just looking through what they had available to meet the brief. It was always preferred to keep all the ceilings with one manufacturer. The ceiling is one of the most successful areas on the project, it was really well received. The fact that it was a proprietary product was particularly appealing.”

Armstrong area sales manager Claire Ombler said: “The finished product looks amazing and everyone is thrilled with the result.  Graham Booth (Mr Booth himself) was said to be more than happy with the ceilings. This particular store is the flagship store for all the Booths stores hence it is great to hear that Graham Booth is very pleased with the look.”

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Marflow Hydronics has scheduled in a new date for its CPD training course on Pressure Independent Control Valves.

The CPD course is being held in Birmingham on 4^th May and is free for anyone to attend. The half day session provides delegates with knowledge on how PICVs work, innovative pipe layouts and how to make systems more economical, including the introduction of electronic balancing. It’s aimed at consultants, designers, specifiers and key influencers who want to learn more about the products, improve their skills and specify, purchase or commission a PICV.

Nick Martin, Technical Manager at Marflow Hydronics, says, “PICVs are growing so much in popularity due to their numerous benefits, but to really get the best out of them then a user needs to fully understand them. Our course is set up to provide delegates with the knowledge they need to truly optimise the many advantages of the product.”

Places are limited, strictly on a first come first served basis, so immediate registration is recommended. To register or for more information visit www.marflowhydronics.co.uk/events, call 0121 358 2012 or email training@marflow.co.uk.

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Chester Zoo is one of the world’s leading zoos with around 1.6 million visitors every year. And with more than 20,000 animals, set in 125 acres of award winning zoological gardens, it’s not surprising that the visitors just keep coming back for more.

To keep visitors amazed and entertained, the zoo has continuously invested in new attractions to showcase the animals to their best whilst maintaining its reputation for being a major force in conserving the living world. Step forward to the zoo’s latest attraction – Islands at Chester Zoo – a £40 million, 60,000 square metre development that aims to transport visitors to the South East Asian islands of Panay, Papua, Bali, Sumba, Sumatra and Sulawesi – it’s an inspired attempt and took over two years to build.

M&E Contractor for the development is Crown House Technologies – part of Laing O’Rourke – and they specified a wide range of pumps from leading pump manufacturer Wilo for the project. Overall in excess of £80,000 worth of pumps of various sizes and undertaking a range of roles have been installed to keep the new development running smoothly, providing a true South East Asian experience.

High efficiency pumps, cold water pressure booster sets and system pressurisation units have been utilised throughout the development to help keep animals as varied as Sumatran orangutans, Sulawesi crested macaques, Sumatran tigers and a huge range of rare reptiles including the Sunda gharial – one of the world’s largest crocodiles – warm and experiencing the levels of humidity that they would experience in their natural surroundings on the other side of the world. The humidifying air misting equipment powered by the Wilo pressure booster sets needs to be experienced to be believed and the Lazy River Boat Trip allows visitors to take a journey through the development and see the animals from the unique perspective of a boat, completing the jungle experience perfectly, in no small part due to Wilo’s pumps.

“It’s a privilege to have been involved in such a wonderful project,” says Wilo’s National Key Account Manager Peter Anthony. “We’ve worked closely on a number of successful projects with Crown House so it was good to be able to work alongside them again on a project of this importance. It’s a great example of just how important pumps are to every construction project – out of sight in plant rooms hidden across the project but providing the constant flow of water that the project requires to be successful.”

You can find out more about the full Wilo pump range and the solutions available at www.wilo.co.uk and more about Chester Zoo by visiting www.chesterzoo.org.

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Mitsubishi Electric has released a new video highlighting how the unique Hybrid VRF air conditioning system can remove the need for leak detection whilst still delivering all of the control and efficiencies associated with VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) systems.

The City Multi Hybrid VRF unit operates without using refrigerant in occupied spaces, whilst delivering high levels of comfort to a building, through the system’s modular two-pipe design.

“Hybrid VRF will give you levels of comfort normally associated with four-pipe fan coil technology, whilst providing the all flexibility of traditional two-pipe VRF”, explains Mark Grayston City Multi Product Marketing Manager.

Mitsubishi Electric has identified the need for a new approach to delivering comfortable heating and cooling to buildings as the industry comes to terms with the impact of F-Gas legislation and the move towards refrigerants with a low global warming (GWP) potential.

“We’ve prepared the animation to explain how the system works and show how it can help building operators comply with legislation such as BS EN378”, adds Grayston.

The animation can be viewed on the company’s dedicated YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/mitsubishielectric2 .

Further details on the Hybrid VRF system is available by emailing air.conditioning@meuk.mee.com

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Double winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, Ancon Building Products, continues to expand its range of high integrity structural fixings and will exhibit a number of new products at Ecobuild 2016 taking place at ExCeL, London from 8-10 March 2016.

On stand number E3080, Ancon will showcase its latest fixing innovations, suitable for new-build construction including low-energy residential developments. Products on show will include the lightweight Nexus® brick faced soffit system, a number of insulated balcony connectors and an exciting new development within the Teplo range of low thermal conductivity wall ties.

Developed in partnership with cut-brick specialist, Ibstock-Kevington, the new Nexus system is a lightweight simple-to-install solution to creating flawless brick soffits in any brick type. It combines brick-faced offsite-manufactured building modules with Ancon’s popular MDC brick support angle. Bringing together two industry experts in one product launch, Nexus provides quick and easy alignment on site without mechanical lifting.

Further reflecting the sustainability theme of the exhibition, Ancon will also be focusing on ways of helping building designers to meet their thermal performance aspirations.

A newly-extended range of Ancon insulated stainless steel connectors enable structural integrity to be maintained at steel and concrete balcony interfaces without compromising on thermal efficiency. Designed to create a thermal break in the construction, these connectors are proven through thermal modelling to help prevent condensation and mould growth.

For exhibition visitors involved in the super-insulated end of the market, including PassivHaus and Zero Carbon projects, EcoBuild 2016 will hold a special treat – the launch of an exciting extension to the award-winning Teplo range of ultra-low conductivity basalt fibre wall ties. By minimising insulation depth and wall footprint, these unique wall ties are already helping to shape low energy building design and this latest product development will see them become more user friendly for the installer, improving their all-round appeal.

Finally, visitors to the stand can get a taste of the company’s pro-active customer-focussed technical and sales support. Come and meet the Ancon team. If you would like to book an appointment with a member of staff to discuss your specific project or business requirements, please get in touch.

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REHAU Polytec 50 is an innovative composite curtain walling system designed to compete head on with aluminium offering improved strength and better thermal efficiency, without any compromise on slim sight lines or colour options.

The system was designed and developed by global polymer giant REHAU and has a high strength steel core which outperforms aluminium under load, an aluminium exterior face with slim 50mm profiles which can be powder coated in any colour, and a comfortable, ‘warm to the touch’ PVC interior.

It is also a traditional ‘Stick’ curtain walling system which uses the same profile for both transoms and mullions, making it easy to fabricate and easy to install with minimal wastage.

REHAU Polytec 50 has been Passivhaus certified and has a U_f value which can be as low as 0.74 W/m²K, so it is popular for use in public and private sector commercial projects, and in both new build and refurbed homes where the emphasis is on energy efficiency.

It has also recently been tested and certified to the CWCT standard test methods for building envelopes so can be used in new build developments where an NHBC certificate is required.

Recent installations at the newly opened St Marys student village at Bangor University, North Wales and in the Greenlaw Court apartment building in Ealing illustrate many of its strengths.

At St Mary’s village, for example, 23 REHAU Polytec 50 screens coloured anthracite grey on the exterior and white on the interior were installed at heights of up to 11.3m in new student halls built by Vinci Construction.  REHAU’s composite system was preferred to aluminium primarily because it was more cost effective with no compromise on the aesthetics of the finished buildings, but also because of its better thermal performance and warmer internal face.

Similarly, at the high profile, eight storey 1960s Greenlaw Court, a 20m high curtain walling section in REHAU Polytec 50 was chosen to match the aesthetics of the steel section which it replaced and give the building’s residents better thermal performance with minimal requirements for maintenance.

REHAU Polytec 50 is on display in the new REHAU Hub in the Building Centre, London; and further information for architects and specifiers, including full technical specification, is available in a newly produced 16 page brochure which can be downloaded from the REHAU website via www.rehau.uk.                                   -1-

As part of REHAU’s extensive support package for commercial specifiers which is branded ‘REHAU KNOWHAU’, the company also offers a RIBA approved CPD on high performance curtain walling.

This examines the different curtain walling options – ladder, stick, unitised and structural glazing and explains the differences between them and the most appropriate applications for each.

It also covers the key design criteria – from material, spans and fixings to finishes, glazing and ventilation; and there is a detailed focus on the load considerations which apply when calculating curtain walling designs.

The CPD can be booked via REHAU’s website at: www.rehau.uk

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BBA certificates for the VMZINC ‘Compact roof using cellular glass insulation’ and ‘Structural roof using PIR or mineral board insulation’ have been updated and extended. The compact roof utilises Foamglas® cellular glass insulation to prevent the passage of water vapour and is therefore ideal for buildings with a high vapour drive such as swimming pools. Both systems are installed without mechanical fixings penetrating the insulation, thus greatly reducing scope for thermal bridging. VMZINC remains the only zinc manufacturer to have such accreditation and can additionally offer a BRE Green Guide A+ rating for the structural roof system.

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‘ColourLine’, an option with FAKRO DEF flat roof windows, enables outer cladding to be specified in any RAL colour from the Classic Palette. Whether to blend with a green roof, terrace landscaping or tiles on pitches up to 15°, thermally efficient glazing units provide an installed U-value as low as 0.76 W/m² – ideal for Passivhaus construction. White PVC interiors are ideal for bathrooms and wetrooms, while windows from 60 x 60 to 120 x 220 cm have a glazing area up to 16% greater than competitors’ windows of comparable size. All can be installed with an XRD upstand to add 15 cm height and on pitches from 2° to 15°.

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Giant Peach introduces YouTube and SoundCloud options

The world of communications never stands still and as we enter 2016, there’s an exciting new option for companies looking to raise awareness of their products and services that makes that communication more powerful than ever before.

For UK Construction & Building Services and associated Manufacturing and Energy sector manufacturing and service provider businesses looking to communicate in a very targeted way with their trade target audiences, there’s a new option from an established internet portal that makes information gathering via the internet even simpler – and quite a lot more fun!

Giant Peach launched its first sector portal in 2001 and has since developed BusinessNet Explorer – a new multi-sector portal with a state-of-the-art customised search facility. BNE aims to significantly reduce the time taken for the business community to search for B2B internet options.

Giant Peach’s specialist team has already put together an impressive offering of product news and information access options via the BusinessNet Explorer portal, providing an easy to navigate and rewarding visit to the evolving BusinessNet. The company has now introduced a new BusinessNet Explorer YouTube channel and a SoundCloud podcast channel that makes trade news messages simple to listen to on the move and easy to gather information from.

The YouTube channel enhances the audio content from the SoundCloud channel based product news round and ‘special edition’ interview podcasts further by including supporting visuals. Both channels can easily be accessed via the BusinessNet Explorer home page www.BusinessNetExplorer.com

Both channel playlists include monthly product news round podcasts and a selection of ‘special edition’ podcasts featuring interviews with industry leaders covering topical industry issues, new products and product areas and new services available in the industry. The latest one available sees Nick Hayler, Technical Services Manager of Marshall-Tufflex, interviewed by Mick de Leiburne for BusinessNet Explorer covering a range of issues including the company’s investment in new manufacturing technology that assists them in bringing new product developments to market more quickly. The number of new podcasts available will grow in the weeks and months ahead to provide a library of interesting options available in an easily digested format that hasn’t been available in this sector before.

The initial podcasts are proving popular with the listeners and the companies involved in providing the information: “Our client Klober was extremely pleased to be contacted by us to determine whether they wanted to take advantage of BNE’s first podcast,” says Nigel Pittman at Pittman PR. “The number of individuals who listened in the first fortnight was very impressive, so we would recommend considering them as a worthwhile addition to extend marketing exposure.”

According to Mick de Leiburne, it’s all good news for Giant Peach: “It’s another new offering from Giant Peach that is a direct response from our customers to the need for new ways of sharing news and spreading messages in the sector. It’s a natural progression to the work we have been doing for several years and offers a value added service to the role we have performed successfully over that time. The value is more than doubled as the companies that are providing us with content for these podcasts are also making them accessible through their own web sites and communications processes. It’s just a way of increasing the exposure that companies can get for news stories, case studies and new product and services releases that they already produce and at the same time meeting the growing demand within the specifier and buyer community to have the option to access product news and information in audio and audio / visual formats.”

For more information on how you can spread the word through this exciting new medium, contact Mick de Leiburne via newmedia@BusinessNetExplorer.com or mobile 07971 081 620.

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According to Mike Nankivell, marketing director of Space Air, the UK Daikin Distributor, heat pumps already play in commercial buildings and the latest VRV heat pump developments from Daikin Europe demonstrate their innovative approach to meeting virtually any requirement.

The “flagship” of the new 4^th Generation VRV RANGE is the heat pump heat recovery system launched earlier in the year. This new system makes huge advances in climate control efficiency. Not only is it up to 28% more efficient than the previous generation of VRV, it is even more flexible and can be installed faster than any other heat recovery system available.

Today, Daikin’s VRV IV heat recovery system is able to efficiently satisfy requirements for heating, cooling and domestic hot water.

Daikin Europe calls it “The most Sustainable HVAC System in the World”. Mr Nankivell claimed.

The new generation Daikin VRV IV systems are now available in several variants – we have:

VRV IV Heat Recovery
VRV IV Heat Pump
VRVQ IV – replacement systems
VRV IV – W – Water cooled
A new mini VRV IV range including the S-series compact (super low profile) outdoor units
Finally – the new VRV IV i-series. The first VRV outdoor unit designed for indoor installation.

In the commercial sector, the pre-eminent heat pump is the air source air-to-air type, which can satisfy both the space heating and cooling requirements. However, sanitary hot water services have still, in the main, been provided by secondary systems such as point of use electric water heaters or central gas/oil fired boilers. This is now changing thanks to new developments in air source heat pump technology.

Focus on Efficiency

Daikin Europe’s three-pipe VRV heat recovery systems were already considered the most energy efficient on the market but VRV’s fourth generation features other new innovations outlined below, which “fine tune” the focus on efficiency with remarkable results:

1. Variable Refrigerant Temperature technology – enables the refrigerant temperature to be adjusted to match heating or cooling demand and the outside temperature, reduced power consumption results in an improved operating efficiency of as much as 28%. Comfort is also enhanced because variable refrigerant technology enables cold draughts to be avoided.
2. Continuous heating during defrost – The defrost cycle can result in reduced indoor temperatures at a time when this is undesirable. VRV IV’s continuous heating during defrost avoids this issue and maintains comfort levels when the defrost cycle is activated.
3. The VRV configurator software – enables the system to be “set up” off site, saved to a USB and simply uploaded at the commissioning stage. This feature greatly simplifies both the installation and commissioning of Daikin VRV systems.

Mike Nankivell commented. “To effectively and efficiently manage the heating and cooling and hot water requirements of our commercial buildings it’s not so much a question of “why install heat pumps?” rather than “why consider any other technology?” No other systems offer anything like the combined energy efficiency, carbon emission reductions and cost effectiveness than heat pump technology.”

For more information about Daikin’s VRV IV systems contact – marketing@spaceair.co.uk

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