SIG Performance Technology, the specialist provider of acoustic, fire & thermal and high temperature solutions, has launched the ‘Chi-Gasket’, a new component for use within rainscreen cladding applications which has been developed to support the streamlining of external wall footprints whilst facilitating Building Regulation compliance. Designed for use in all buildings including those with habitation over 18 metres from ground level, the Chi-Gasket delivers enhanced thermal performance in the through-wall construction.
Developed for use with rainscreen support systems, as a component part, the Chi-Gasket is clipped to a range of standard helping hand bracketry. From an Approved Document Part L (England & Wales) & Section 6 (Scotland) perspective, this helps compliance as it reduces the thermal bridging and so helps prevent the bracket from transferring heat out of the building.
The heat loss through the rainscreen bracketry is significantly reduced when utilising the Chi-Gasket. In achieving this, the thickness of external insulation can be reduced but still deliver the same overall U-Value of the through-wall build up or allow consideration towards alternative appropriate thermal insulation options.
Liam Colebrook, New Product Development Director for SIG Performance Technology, comments: “The Chi-Gasket has been developed to facilitate a holistic approach to building envelope design. While as a bracketry component it might seem a small part of the through-wall construction, in reality the improvement which can be realised to the thermal performance is significant. From a thermal perspective, use of the Chi-Gasket specifically affords the opportunity to gain benefits in both SBEM and SAP as it makes a tangible contribution to the overall fabric improvement. As such, we’re encouraging specifiers to consider the Chi-Gasket as early on in the design process as possible.”
At present, Chi-Gasket has been developed for use with rainscreen support systems from Ash & Lacy and NVELOPE, to give specifiers flexibility and choice.
Where NVELOPE Rainscreen Systems are used, SIG Performance Technology can assist specifiers in through-wall rainscreen construction using NVELOPE’s ‘Project Builder’, an innovative technology platform which calculates the rainscreen configuration parameters and bracket types. By using the Project Builder, specifiers can easily identify the most appropriate design to meet building performance requirements whilst simultaneously balancing design and budget targets, in addition to guidance on how best to achieve maximum energy efficiency.
To provide specification support when using Chi-Gasket with the Ash & Lacy rainscreen support system, SIG Performance Technology is available to deliver guidance on how best to achieve maximum energy efficiency. Using advanced thermal modelling techniques, the team will produce detailed calculations to help identify the most appropriate rainscreen support design for a specific development.
A patented product (GB2541513), the Chi-Gasket has achieved LABC Warranty and Premier Guarantee approval and has been shown to meet Sections 11 & 12 of CWCT Standards. Thermal conductivity values have been UKAS accredited while its Hygrothermal Performance meets ETAG 004 2013.
Since its launch, Chi-Gasket has been specified on a number of high profile projects including Yoker, the landmark CLT residential development in Scotland and Park View Student Village in Newcastle.
Chi-Gasket has been announced as a finalist for the Product Innovation Award at the Structural Timber Awards due to take place at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham in October 2018. The award represents emerging products and technologies that are revolutionary in the purpose they serve, in line with UK building regulation and health and safety standards.
For further information www.sigpt.co.uk
The director of a construction company based in Birmingham has been disqualified for seven years after he failed to declare all the company’s sales income.
Martin Baker was the sole director of C.J.M Tiling Limited (CJMT), which was incorporated in 2007 and traded as a construction company in Cradley Heath, West Midlands.
In December 2015 and March 2016, HMRC made unannounced visits to CJMT and identified the construction company had under-declared its VAT liabilities by failing to disclose all its sales.
Furthermore, an additional bank account was identified in which sales income was deposited. HMRC raised an officer’s assessment for additional VAT liabilities of £205,262 for the period June 2012 to December 2015, as well as applying civil penalties of £90,146 to the company.
CJMT later entered liquidation on 26 January 2017 owing £469,673 to creditors, including at least £344,221 for VAT, and following the company’s liquidation, the Insolvency Service carried out its own investigations, leading to Martin Baker’s disqualification.
On 21 May 2018, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy accepted a disqualification undertaking from, Martin Baker, effective from 11 June 2018, for a period of 7 years.
In giving the undertaking, Martin Baker admitted that he failed to ensure the company declared its true VAT liabilities on returns submitted to HMRC between June 2012 to December 2015, by failing to disclose all its sales.
Martin Baker further admitted that a second company bank account was not disclosed to HMRC. This resulted in under-declarations of VAT due, as a consequence of which penalties were raised.
His ban means Martin Baker cannot promote, manage, or be a director of a limited company.
Commenting on the disqualification, Jane Knight, deputy head of insolvency investigations for the Insolvency Service, said: “Under-declaration of the VAT due by a company deprives the exchequer of the monies needed to provide public services. In co-operation with HMRC, the Insolvency Service will not hesitate to investigate such misconduct with disqualification as a director the likely outcome.
The government has opened a consultation on its proposed revisions to Building Regulations fire safety guidance issued following recommendations made by Dame Judith Hackitt in her Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. Her report, published in May this year, came following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower.
Secretary of State for Communities, James Brokenshire MP, announced the consultation, stating that, in addition, he will commence a full-scale review of the fire safety guidelines (Approved Document B) in the autumn. The technical review will assess whether the underlying policy should be updated to reflect modern building practice, the latest understanding of fire risks, and technical and scientific innovations.
Alongside the consultation and Approved Document B review, the government announced additional measures to strengthen safety, which include establishing a residents’ panel to ensure proposed safety improvements are grounded in the experience of those who live in high-rise buildings and the creation of an Industry Safety Steering Group, chaired by Dame Judith, to drive the culture change needed to improve safety and hold industry to account.
James Brokenshire MP said: “There is nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their own homes. That is why I am announcing a package of measures focused on improving building safety, having listened carefully to the concerns which have been raised.
“Dame Judith’s report sets out the right framework to improve safety but I will not hesitate to go further than the recommendations where I deem it necessary. That is why I am going further than my original commitment to simply clarify the guidelines, by commencing an end-to-end technical review of the fire safety aspects of building regulations in the autumn.”
Joe Cilia, FIS technical director, said: “This represents a real opportunity for the sector’s voice to be heard and help shape the regulatory process that is there to provide fire safety.”
www.gov.uk/government/news/brokenshire-moves-to-review-building-regulations-fire-safety-guidance
Fire door safety campaigners from Fire Door Safety Week (FDSW), are working to ensure public and private sector landlords and building owners stop risking the lives of tenants and ensure fire doors are correctly inspected, specified, fitted and maintained.
Fire doors are the first line of defence against devastating fires and when properly built, installed and maintained, they save lives and protect property. Despite this, fire doors across the UK are still badly fitted, non-compliant, left propped open or damaged and, as a result, could be putting millions of lives at stake.
FDSW will run from 24-30th September 2018 and its campaign – Fire Door Five: Shutting the door on fire and smoke – aims to draw attention to the importance of properly-fitted and accredited fire doors as well as raising awareness of the dangers of smoke inhalation and the role that correctly installed fire doors can do in preventing the spread of both fire and smoke.
FDSW, a national campaign, is run by the British Woodworking Federation, the BWF-Certifire Scheme and the Fire Door Inspection Scheme, in partnership with the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign.
Hannah Mansell, British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Head of Technical Research and Insight, said: “There is no doubt that fire doors, fully fitted with their correct and compatible components, that are properly installed and maintained play a crucial role in saving lives in the event of a fire. The legacy of neglect means more lives could be lost as a result of substandard fire protection measures.
www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk
Fit-out specialist Portview has invested in a top-of-the-range automated external defibrillator (AED) so that site staff have quick access to the life-saving device should a cardiac emergency arise.
The fit-out contractor is working with Harts Group to fit-out the Barrafina and El Pastor restaurants in Coal Drops Yard at Kings Cross in London, has installed a 360P defibrillator at the site.
Each year in the UK there are approximately 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests[iii]. Only 20% of victims are in a shockable rhythm when the emergency services arrive, however, this figure can be greatly increased if more casualties receive immediate, effective CPR and defibrillation from a bystander[iv].
Managing Director of Portview, Simon Campbell said: “The idea came from one of our Site Managers whose former colleague survived a cardiac arrest thanks to an AED. Although we have a defibrillator in our head office, we realised that we owed it to our employees to have one on-site as an integral part of our medical emergency kit.
(L-R) Portview’s Steve Johns and Andrew Deptford of aadefib.co.uk.
“Construction sites are one of the most demanding environments to work in, and for this reason, we restrict access to protect public safety. The flip side of this however is that if someone was to fall victim to SCA on site, it can take an ambulance longer to gain access due to cordoning or the fact that many of our retail projects are in pedestrian zones. Therefore, it’s important for us to have something on site that can treat a victim immediately and until the emergency services arrive.
“We wanted our first site AED to be in Coal Drops Yard, as we have multiple projects happening at once and they are all within close proximity to each other. Of course, we hope we never have to use it, but should we ever do, we know we have the best equipment possible to help save someone’s life.”
Andrew Deptford, Owner of aadefib.com, said: “It’s great to see a contractor using their initiative and taking affirmative action to help safeguard their employees. By investing in an AED, Portview has shown that they are committed to upholding their strong health and safety standards by going the extra mile and setting an example to others.”
www.portview.co.uk
A trainee operative on FIS Skills’ BuildBack programme has celebrated a successful work experience placement by carrying out the topping out ceremony at Three Snowhill, a landmark new office development in the centre of Birmingham.
Matthew Alcock, who is part of the BuildBack programme which is helping job seekers to develop a career in drylining, was selected by his colleagues at Lakeside Ceilings and Partitions to perform the task of inserting a golden bolt into a steel girder at the highest point of the building. Matthew was chosen for his excellent performance during his two-week work placement.
Matthew was introduced to the FIS BuildBack programme through Youth Promise Plus, who support young unemployed people into education and employment. Youth Promise Plus is working in collaboration with Birmingham City Council, South and City College Birmingham, Jobcentre Plus and the CITB to deliver BuildBack in Birmingham with FIS Skills.
Steve Coley, managing director at Lakeside Ceilings and Partitions, where Matthew has been undertaking his BuildBack placement, said: “We were absolutely delighted that one of our BuildBack operatives was asked to install the last golden bolt into the structure at Three Snowhill’s topping out ceremony.
“For the event, we were asked to choose one of the four BuildBack trainees who are developing their skills on-site. The three site supervisors all chose Matthew for displaying such a can-do attitude for making things work.”
Once Matthew completes the BuildBack Specialist Upskilling Programme (SUP), he will be enrolled for an NVQ Level 2 in Drylining.
FIS Skills is hosting a series of BuildBack open days to give potential employers the opportunity to meet with the drylining trainees and programme partners and hear more about the programme. Email skills@thefis.orgfor more details.
www.thefis.org/skills
Link to FIS video:https://youtu.be/Oiz6Pa24-hs
Link to Three Snowhill’s topping out ceremony video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RS0DTgJ8FY
The government has revealed plans to ease restrictions on how Apprenticeship Levy funds are distributed. From July, large firms who pay the Levy will be able to transfer up to 10% of their funds annually to multiple supply chain partners. Previously, a levy-payer was only able to share funds with one other employer, but Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton has relaxed that rule in the face of concerted pressure from industry.
Tony Howard, director of Training at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA): “It is something we have been fighting for since the Levy started last year and was originally supposed to start in April. Sharing the funding in this way will allow many more SMEs to invest in apprentices.”
Only around 2% of employers actually pay into the Levy – those with annual payrolls of £3m and above – but the estimated annual pot of £3bn is intended to be used by all employers to subsidise apprentice recruitment and training. However, there has been considerable confusion about how non-levy paying firms could gain access to the money.
The government intended the Levy to play a key role in its plans to deliver three million new apprenticeships by 2020, but figures released by the Department for Education earlier this year revealed a 28% drop in new apprentice starts since its launch.
“The fall in (apprentice start) numbers was no surprise because there was total confusion about where the levy money was going,” said Mr Howard. “The principal behind the Levy is sound, but small employers were struggling to access funds for specialist training provision. Also, many large companies were not using the full amount they paid in.
“This decision is another step towards giving employers real flexibility because they will have the power of the fund to choose the provision they want. This should result in a steady rise in apprentice numbers over the next few years,” he added.
By making a transfer to pay for an apprentice’s training and assessment, larger firms can support companies who may not have considered hiring an apprentice before or could not get the specialist provision they wanted.
Rockfon ceiling tiles have been selected for Sytner BMW in Sheffield, Europe’s largest car showroom, for their Class A sound absorption and high light reflectance.
Designed by AT Architects, the three-storey, 18,500m² BMW and Mini dealership can display up to 872 cars, and the ground floor – home to the complete BMW range – is where 7,500m² of Rockfon Tropic ceilings provide outstanding acoustic control and contribute to the light interior design.
As the large showroom is fitted with floor-to-ceiling glazing and tiled floors, it is prone to reverberation, so the ceiling plays a key role in helping to reduce echo and improve speech intelligibility by controlling the ambient sound.
A Chicago Metallic T24 2890 grid was used to install the tiles, which have a smooth white surface offering 86 per cent light reflectance to assist with creating optimum lighting conditions.
www.rockfon.co.uk
June data from the Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index revealed a solid expansion of overall construction activity, underpinned by greater residential work and a faster upturn in commercial building. There were also positive signs regarding the near-term outlook for growth, as signalled by the strongest rise in new orders since May 2017 and the largest upturn in input buying for two-and-a-half years. Improved demand for construction materials resulted in longer lead times from suppliers and the most marked increase in input prices since September 2017.
The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) posted 53.1 in June, up from 52.5 in May and above the 50.0 no-change value for the third month running. The latest reading pointed to the sharpest overall rise in construction output since November 2017.
UK construction companies indicated a rebound in business optimism from May’s seven-month low, although the degree of positive sentiment remained much weaker than the long-run survey average. Survey respondents cited infrastructure work as a key source of growth in the coming 12 months.
Tim Moore, Associate Director at IHS Markit and author of the IHS Markit/CIPS Construction PMI: “The latest increase in UK construction output marks three months of sustained recovery from the snow-related disruption seen back in March. A solid contribution from house building helped to drive up overall construction activity in June, while a lack of new work to replace completed civil engineering projects continued to hold back growth.
“Of the three main categories of construction work, commercial building was sandwiched in the middle of the performance table during June. Survey respondents suggested that improved opportunities for industrial and distribution work were the main bright spots, which helped to offset some of the slowdown in retail and office development.
“Stretched supply chains and stronger input buying resulted in longer delivery times for construction materials during June. At the same time, higher transportation costs and rising prices for steel- related inputs led to the fastest increase in cost burdens across the construction sector since September 2017.”
Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: “With the fastest rise in new orders since May 2017, it appears the brakes are off for the construction sector. Despite being hampered by economic uncertainty, firms reported an improved pipeline of work as clients committed to projects and hesitancy was swept away.
“Input prices were a challenge with the biggest inflationary rise since September 2017, so the pressure was on to build up stocks of materials rising in price and becoming more scarce. This resulted in a heavy impact on suppliers unable to keep pace as deliveries became laboured and purchasing managers were at their busiest for two and a half years.
“Housing continued on its positive trajectory for a fifth month and commercial activity also improved after a weak start to the second quarter. However, before we bring out the bunting, the sector is not out of the woods yet and there needs to be further sustainable activity to be convincing. A cloud of uncertainty remains, given the sector’s hit and miss performance so far this year and lower than average business confidence in June.”
SIG plc has released a trading update for the first half (H1) of 2018 and has revealed trading conditions remain mixed across the Group’s markets, with continued confidence across Mainland Europe and Ireland but ongoing challenges in parts of the UK construction sector, particularly commercial new build and RMI markets.
SIG’s revenues from continuing operations during H1 2018 increased by 0.6%. The Group’s like-for-like (“LFL”) revenues in the UK & Ireland were down by 3.1%, reflecting the adverse impact from poor weather conditions earlier in the year. The Group’s businesses across Mainland Europe continued to perform well, with LFL revenues up by 2.9% during the first half of the year.
The trading update said the Group should deliver a significantly stronger second half and that providing there is no further deterioration in UK market conditions, profitability was in line with expectations.
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