EDITOR’ S CHOICE
DELIVERING FAÇADE CONFIDENCE
REDUCING RISK WITH SUBSTRUCTURE FOCUS
By Gary Robson, Business Development Manager at EJOT UK.
Rear ventilated or rainscreen facades are increasingly required to deliver aesthetic excellence coupled with ever higher standards of fire safety, thermal performance and sustainability – often within a demanding build programme.
To meet this challenge, system-based approaches represent an obvious solution, providing a way to reduce technical uncertainty and simplify delivery. However, as the performance capabilities of substructure systems, and the components that form them, varies widely, it is vital to carefully evaluate how the proposed backing structure will meet the façade’ s overall goals.
Substructures are multi-purpose and critical to a façade’ s safety and long-term success. They must support cladding loads, accommodate ever deeper levels of insulation and maintain strict ventilation levels, as well as manage movement caused by wind and thermal expansion.
Choosing ETA-backed components and systems
Façade substructures are often created using components sourced from multiple manufacturers, including rails, brackets, substrate fixings, anchors and cladding fasteners. Although each product may carry its own performance credentials, proving compatibility across the complete assembly can be more complex. Two very similar components may also have significantly different performance credentials, potentially introducing uncertainty regarding tolerances, movement allowances and responsibility for performance. All this adds risk and increases design coordination requirements.
This is one of the reasons why fully integrated systems, such as EJOT CROSSFIX, are increasingly popular. As a single engineered system, CROSSFIX is formed of components designed and tested to work together from the outset. This reduces the number of interfaces requiring verification and offers a clearer route to technical support – one system, one supplier.
CROSSFIX is backed by a European Technical Assessment( ETA), providing independently verified performance data across a range of cladding materials, substrates and design configurations. This helps project teams assess structural capability, thermal performance and durability with greater certainty.
With CROSSFIX, architects and specifiers can benefit from a simplified design process because EJOT provides one source of technical information, calculations and design guidance.
A fully supported system on every level With CROSSFIX, architects and specifiers can benefit from a simplified design process because EJOT provides one source of technical information, calculations and design guidance. And structural engineers can easily access tested performance data and clearly defined load paths, while contractors can gain efficiencies through simplified procurement and coordination.
Early-stage technical support is another valuable dimension to working with EJOT UK, whether using the complete CROSSFIX system or our numerous individual components as part of another system. Our team can help identify suitable bracket configurations, movement solutions and fixing arrangements well before construction begins.
For more information, visit www. ejot. co. uk / CROSSFIX
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