Over 13 Schöck product variants
at Hendon Waterside
Minimising energy use in buildings, by
improving thermal performance of the
building envelope, has become increasingly
important in the drive for sustainability and
energy efficiency. And the prevention of
thermal bridging is critical with structural
attachments such as balconies. Ineffectual
insulation at the connection points
means local heat loss, with more energy
being required to maintain the internal
temperature of the building. And while
this is an important aspect of thermal
bridging, there are other issues. Low
internal surface temperatures in the area of
the thermal bridge can cause condensation.
Leading not only to structural integrity
problems with absorbent materials such
as insulation products or plasterboard, but
the potentially serious occurrence of mould
growth. So for any large-scale project
involving a variety of different balcony
types, the prevention of thermal bridging is
particularly important.
Challenging variety of balcony types
One current project with a challenging
variety of balconies is Hendon Waterside
in North West London, a mixed tenure
development. Situated alongside the Brent
Reservoir (known locally as the Welsh
Harp after a public house which used to
stand nearby), the scheme involves the
regeneration of a 1960s housing estate
being built in six phases and scheduled for
completion in 2027.
The masterplan will deliver around 2100
new homes consisting of social, affordable
and private housing. These are being
constructed in twenty-three blocks, varying
in height from three to twenty-three storeys
– along with an imposing tower building of
twenty-eight storeys. Also planned are new
public parks, a primary school, community
centre and commercial space for small
cafes or shops.
Hundreds of variants in the Isokorb range Totally verifiable performance
The many balconies involved vary in
their design demands and to ensure that
thermal bridging is minimised, Schöck has
supplied over thirteen different product
variants. As the leading international
supplier of structural thermal breaks,
Schöck has a solution to practically every
connectivity detail with the hundreds of
variants available in its Isokorb range. In addition to concrete-to-concrete,
the comprehensive Isokorb range also
offers solutions for concrete-to-steel and
steel-to-steel – and even a maintenance
free alternative to wrapped parapets. A
requirement that the temperature factor
used to indicate condensation risk (fRSI)
must be greater than, or equal to, 0.75
for residential buildings, is easily met by
incorporating the Isokorb. The range also
complies with the Government Standard
Assessment Procedure, SAP 2012,
concerning CO2 emissions from buildings
and respectively heat losses through
non-repeating thermal bridges. 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.
The products at Hendon are for concrete-
to-concrete and provide optimum
solutions by using varying tension bar
arrangements. For example, one type
provides cantilever balcony connections
and transfers both negative moments
and positive shear forces. Another is a
load-bearing thermal break element for
transferring shear forces on supported
balconies, recessed balconies and for
occasional peak shear forces. Others
transfer positive shear forces with point
support, or transfer positive shear forces
with point support and zero stress
connection.
For a free copy of the Schöck Thermal
Bridging Guide; the Schöck Specifiers
Guide or to view the range of downloadable
software, contact Schöck on 01865 290 890
or visit the website at www.schoeck.co.uk
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