Editor’s Choice
Schöck Isokorb
for largest UK Passivhaus development
Claimed to be the largest Passivhaus
development to date in the UK and Camden
Council’s largest community investment
project, Agar Grove Estate, in North West
London, is undergoing a six-phase major
regeneration, due for completion in 2025. It
will deliver 493 new high-quality homes for
existing residents, with maisonettes and
gardens on the ground floor and apartments
on the higher floors with full width balconies.
As the project is to Passivhaus standard, the
development meets the most demanding
levels of sustainability and energy efficiency.
High levels of insulation to the thermal
envelope mean exceptional levels of
airtightness and a critical requirement here is
the avoidance of thermal bridging.
A frequent cause of increased heat and
energy loss, condensation and possibly
mould growth.
Thermal risk is at balcony and parapet
connections
The risk of thermal bridging is primarily at
connectivity points involving the balconies
and parapets; and one of the most
technically advanced countermeasures
is the Isokorb range of structural thermal
breaks from Schöck. For the balconies, the
Isokorb type used transfers both negative
moments and positive shear forces. It
has been awarded the "low thermal bridge
construction" certificate by the Passivhaus
Institute in Darmstadt, verifying its suitability
for Passivhaus construction.
With parapets, the conventional insulation
method is to wrap the perimeter of the
wall with an insulation barrier – but with
the Schöck Isokorb designed for parapets,
there is no wrapping required. It is more
cost-effective and more thermally efficient
than conventional wrapping and its 120mm
insulation dramatically reduces heat loss.
There is no risk of any additional thermal
bridging through balustrade fixings – and
other key benefits are durability and water
impermeability. The Isokorb does not
require maintenance and there is no risk of
expensive restoration due to waterproofing
problems.
Totally verifiable performance
The Schöck product types used at Agar
Grove are primarily for concrete-to-concrete
connectivity and for wrapped parapets.
But the comprehensive Isokorb range
also offers solutions for concrete-to-steel
and steel-to-steel situations. When any
Isokorb product type is incorporated into
residential buildings, the required fRsi value
– the temperature factor used to indicate
condensation risk that must be equal to or
greater than 0.75 – is always comfortably
met. Products meet full compliance with the
relevant UK building regulations, have NHBC
approval and offer LABC Registration. There
is also the security of independent BBA
Certification.
Contact Schöck on 01865 290 890; or visit
the website at www.schoeck.co.uk for a free
copy of the Schöck Thermal Bridging Guide;
the Schöck Specifiers Guide and to view the
full range of downloadable software.
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