Case studies
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Weber supports DIY SOS the Big Build Veterans Special
eca Insufill, the innovative lightweight
aggregate and weber.floor 4310 high
performance, self-levelling floor
screed, has been donated by Saint-Gobain
Weber for BBC1’s DIY SOS The Big Build
Veterans Special.
This ambitious project saw eight empty
and derelict Victorian properties on Canada
Street, in the Newton Heath district of
Manchester, transformed into liveable
homes for ex-service personnel. The
properties are being adapted to create three
much needed homes for veterans and their
families. One of the properties will be
converted to a support centre where the
ex-soldiers can receive advice, therapy,
training and employment opportunities.
“This has been a real challenge for
everyone involved,” says Lorraine Blundell,
national business development manager,
Saint-Gobain Weber (pictured, right), “and
we are so pleased that our products have
helped to transform these properties to
comfortable homes. Our technical teams
have enjoyed working with Manchester
City Council, BTP Architects, Haig
Housing, the veteran’s charity, and main
contractors Wates, Kier and ISG, to name
but a few.”
Leca Insufill, a lightweight, expanded
clay aggregate, insulation fill material, has
been used to fill the empty voids beneath
the decayed timber floors of the properties.
Some 230m³ of the material has been
delivered to Canada Street and pneumatically blown into position. Leca Insufill is
quick and easy to install saving many hours
of manual labour compared to traditional
hardcore and provides a sound and well
insulated substrate for the application of
weber.floor 4310. This high performance
levelling floor screed creates a
strong, smooth and durable
floor. It is pump applied for
speed of application and its fast
drying and curing properties
allow light foot traffic after only
two hours.
“With a build programme
of just 15 days it has been a
race against time for Nick
Knowles and his team and
it was essential to specify
materials that can be installed
quickly and efficiently and still
achieve a quality finish with
excellent insulation properties,”
continues Ms Blundell.
“There are over 635,000 empty
properties in England alone and we really
hope The Big Build will act as a prompt to
other local authorities, communities and
businesses to salvage these properties and
put them to good use. Our ex-service men
and women deserve more: we hope by
creating this new community in Newton
Heath that these heroes can get back into
everyday life and get the physical and
emotional help they need.”
www.netweber.co.uk
Salford spruces up with Kingspan Insulation
N
ine 1970s residential blocks in central Salford are being
given a new lease of life with both the inside and out being
revitalised, thanks to a major retrofit scheme which
incorporates premium performance Kingspan Kooltherm K15
Rainscreen Board in the over-cladding of external walls.
The £650 million ‘Creating a new Pendleton’ scheme, a
partnership between Salford City Council and Pendleton Together,
is well underway and will include the refurbishment of 1,253
dwellings along with new public spaces, roads and landscaping.
The tired brick facades of the mid and high level apartment blocks
are being replaced by modern aluminium
rainscreen cladding with the first tower, the
12 storey ‘Whitebeam’, completed in July,
soon to be followed by the 23 storey ‘Spruce’.
Michael Hyde and Associates were
appointed by Keepmoat as architects for the
existing residences. They specified 110mm
Kingspan Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen Board as
part of a cladding system solution, which is
being supplied and installed by supply chain
partner Simco External Framing Solutions Ltd,
who have employed 4 local apprentices as
part of their commitment to the regeneration
agenda.
The insulation holds the highest possible
BRE Green Guide summary rating of A+ with
thermal conductivities as low as 0.020W/m.K.
This helps to maintain internal space and
should also help to minimise heating bills for
the residents. The insulation boards are being
fitted tightly to the original brick and block
walls. The aluminium cladding is then being
installed on Simco’s helping hand system
ISSUE 6 • 2015
with a 50 mm gap left to ventilate the rainscreen.
Fire performance was also a central design focus for the towers
and fire barriers are being installed within the rainscreen at floor
level on each storey. Kingspan Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen Board
has been successfully tested, in accordance with the performance
criteria set out in BR 135, in a range of insulation thicknesses and
with a variety of cladding finishes. The boards were therefore
accepted for use on the blocks standing above 18 metres, in
accordance with the Building Regulations.
Paul Chadwick from Michael Hyde and Architects commented:
“Our main concern when designing the
refurbished towers was to create properties
that the residents could be proud to live in
and which enhanced their lives. The thermal
performance provided by the Kingspan
Insulation products will increase the energy
performance of the homes whilst also being
compliant with fire regulations above 18
metres.”
Kingspan Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen
Board was the first insulation board to hold
LABC System Approval for use in rainscreen
systems. This can help to fast-track the
building control checking