Service Mark Accreditation recognises world class customer service from Marley Eternit

A commitment to deliver “world class customer service” has resulted in Marley Eternit being awarded the coveted ServiceMark accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service (ICS).

The accreditation from the ICS, the independent, professional membership body for customer service, means that Marley Eternit not only delivers a “world class service” but is committed to upholding those standards for its customers. This means continually striving to increase efficiency, using feedback to enhance and improve service and helping customers to have queries answered quickly and effectively saving them time and money.

During the assessment, Marley Eternit was commended for its innovations such as an on-line portal which makes it quicker and easier for customers to get in touch, its strong focus on and culture of continuous improvement, which uses feedback to put new initiatives into action, and placing customers at the heart of everything it does.

Marley Eternit joins household names such as Anglian Water, EDF Energy, Holland and Barrett and Which? that have been awarded the ServiceMark accreditation. The company became a member of the organisation in 2014 and since then has been striving to achieve the ICS’ top award, the ServiceMark accreditation.

Nicola Downes, supply chain director at Marley Eternit, says: “The ServiceMark accreditation is a result of all the hard work and care that the team put in to ensure excellent service for our customers. Our continual improvement of speed of service and delivery is designed to provide the best experience for our customers, so it is great to receive recognition for this.

“Achieving the ServiceMark standard lets our customers know we are committed to constantly improving our services, and finding new ways to increase speed of service and efficiency for them.”

As part of the three-stage accreditation process, the ICS carried out surveys with employers and employees for two consecutive years to understand better what customers want and how to get it. The final stage involved an independent assessor interviewing team members, conducting observations and checking written documentation to verify the company was meeting the benchmarks set and implementing action plans to develop areas for improvement.

The assessment highlighted the extensive training and coaching, compliance audits and competency checks that allow employees to better empower and support customers. The accreditation recognised that enquiries, information and complaints are all given a high priority and positive outcomes are generated quickly.

Jed O’Mara, management consultant at ICS and lead on the assessment, noted: “Our assessment showed us that Marley Eternit has sought to differentiate itself by seeking to achieve a world class customer service through working with the ICS. All employees questioned on this area had a sincere belief that this ambition is achievable and they are continually making good progress, which we have recognised through this accreditation.”

For more information, visit www.marleyeternit.co.uk or call 01283 722588.
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Factory installed fire protection

MMC Magazine examines the potential of a proven fire-stopping product range to help offsite manufacturers protect their systems against the spread of flame and other products of combustion.

Prefabrication is viewed by many in the industry as the best means of ensuring new properties match up to their target performance standards in terms of insulation and airtightness, but the controlled conditions of a factory environment also offer the opportunity to optimize the fire engineering of structures. And this is an area where Manchester based Tenmat UK can offer its considerable experience and expertise.

The company whose Firefly range of Ventilated Fire Barriers, Fire Sleeves and other intumescent products are widely used on sites around the country, is also specified by some of the UK’s largest offsite specialists. Furthermore, the company has the development facilities and the resources to take a new concept from a client and develop it into a fully tested product solution.

Mark Davies is Product Manager for Tenmat and recounts: “We provide viable, installer friendly fire protection products to clients right across the building industry, including the trade contractors such as bricklayers and electricians who want products which are quick and easy to fit. Our range enables areas such as cavities and service penetrations to be protected while we are also used to catering for the differences in building regulations.

“In terms of the offsite sector, we are seeing our products used extensively in projects such as the construction of high-rise student accommodation blocks in locations throughout the UK. On some contracts the products will be employed both during the factory fabrication process and also when installing the mechanical and electrical services on site.”

The options employed include Ventilated Fire Barriers which can provide compartmentalisation in the external wall for up to 2 hours. Other products include Penetration Seals for Pipes & Ducting, as well as fire protection for Downlights and Electrical Services.

Tenmat also supplies bespoke intumescent barriers to the manufacturers of electrical consumer units and offers a solution to not only protect the area where switches have been recessed into a wall, but also prevent them being a path for air leakage.

Mark Davies continued: “Our wide range of products are accredited to all the latest British and European standards and are independently tested by BM TRADA to ensure they will perform in practice. Fire protection products should meet the most stringent standards and be made under strictly controlled production processes. This is achieved by Tenmat through rigorous internal and external auditing; which is why we are regularly invited to take part in fire safety committees and stakeholder groups.”

For further information please visit www.tenmat.com.
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SPI’s Expanded polystyrene passive house foundation solutions

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SPI are one of the leading manufacturers of expanded polystyrene in the UK, supplying an extensive range of building and civil engineering products. With state of the art moulding and cutting machinery SPI can offer a wide range of grades and bespoke products to suit all types of projects.

As an insulation supplier SPI have seen trends in correlation with the increasingly demanding building regulations of part L conservation of fuel and power. Even after the scrapping of the 2016 zero carbonpolicy there is still a requirement to meet the 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 under the Climate Change Act. There has been a call for innovative solutions when it comes to insulating the UK housing stock, the development of building systems which produce lower target U-Values has allowed for off-site construction to bloom, with a growth of products like SIPs, ICF walls and modular floors.

Recently this has lead to an increase in passive house foundation construction largely developed as offsite modular concepts, which allows for less installation time on site meaning the structure above can be installed earlier. Typically the foundations and structure can be completed within a week for a 4 to 5 bedroom house. Passive house foundations consist of a basic L shaped perimeter with standard boards up to three layers thick. Specialist clips are used to hold the whole foundation system together. The complete foundation base is then covered with a DPM and the structural concrete can then be poured.

Once the concrete is cured the superstructure can begin. Most commonly we have seen these foundations used with SIPs and lightweight timber frameworks. As an insulation provider the off-site development means we can cut bespoke products required by the layout of the build quickly and easily, making the whole process from conception to completion exceptionally fast.

These types of building elements and forward thinking innovations offer a certainty that builds can easily exceed regulations which when coupled with the environmental sustainability expressions of modern future proof housing make the prospects of a carbon neutral 2050 attainable.

For more information please visit www.styrene.biz.
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WDH – Awake to the benefits of building offsite

Building infrastructure in the UK is under review once again – the recently created National Infrastructure Commission is due to deliver its first report shortly – and better insulation of homes is one of the areas it could address as a part of its wider remit.

Here Mike Stevenson Development Director of offsite fenestration specialist Sidey tells us about their work with WDH in Wakefield through its in-house construction team, Homebuilder, which has already delivered greater thermal efficiency for its residents on a new-build site in the town as just one of the realisable benefits of building offsite.

For WDH there was a desire to deliver truly energy efficient social housing in its most traditional sense – not just properties for rent but genuine social housing delivered for long term residents. Homes with a true social value.

Commenting for WDH, Homebuilder manager Adam Green explained “As one of very few housing associations delivering new properties we are developing homes to be proud of, at a reduced cost with a build quality that is more thermally efficient and will help tenants avoid fuel poverty.”

The 39 dwellings built at Ripley Court are in fact a case study of how to access all the benefits that can be achieved through building offsite.

Mike takes up the story “It was clear that WDH had a real understanding of the value to their residents of building to a high specification and that they understood how building offsite could deliver this for them cost effectively and in line with their time-scales.

“Our involvement with the scheme at Ripley Court came out of long term discussions we had been having with the Homebuilder team about the many benefits to be had from installing high specification windows in the factories of offsite manufacturers with the time and costs savings and the efficiencies in process which installing windows this way would bring.

“Through those ongoing discussions it became obvious that through collaboration with the right supply chain using innovative low risk solutions WDH Homebuilder and Sidey had real synergy and could deliver win:win results. We are both big on collaboration as the driver to maximise technical and supply chain efficiency, so after having completed a more traditional site together we were delighted to get involved with a true offsite scheme.

“WDH’s culture being what it is, they brought other supply chain partners to the table with the same outlook and approach. It transpired that several of these companies had worked together on other schemes for other clients. These companies included the foundation system, structural timber frame manufacturer and the air tightness specialist along with Sidey.

“The absolute key to successfully realising the benefits of building offsite is for partners in the supply chain to have design team involvement and WDH drove this, actively encouraging it from the outset with all parties working with both their in-house design team and external architectural partner.

“The scheme really benefitted from the discussions between ourselves, the architects, the timber frame manufacturer, and the air-tightness solutions supplier. It meant we could design and deliver the optimal specification to WDH without compromise. It was a true offsite development rather than having to convert a previously designed ‘traditional build’ scheme to offsite construction.

“WDH adopted the innovations we suggested, following thorough due diligence, to help realise the overall benefits. This included using our patented KitFix ® bracketing system – which enables windows to be fixed into the apertures of the timber frame panels at the offsite manufacturers premises. The windows are ‘contained’ within the panels in a transport position enabling the panels to be stacked, banded, and transported to site as normal.

“The structures were wind and watertight immediately the panels were erected allowing follow-on trades to commence earlier while the windows being delivered in the panels meant there was reduced overall site traffic, reduced site attendance and reduced Health and Safety risk by removing the traditional impact of site delivery and manual handling of windows.

“Ripley Court is an ‘exemplar’ of what can be achieved when the client/developer drives a collaborative agenda. Others should look to this scheme as the benchmark for how to deliver outstanding technical performance and thermal efficiency coupled with financial and delivery predictability.

“WDH is clearly awake to the benefits of building offsite – others should follow their lead.”

Mike Stevenson is Development Director of offsite fenestration specialists. For more information please visit www.sidey.co.uk.
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Recticel Insulation set to showcase new feel-good systems at Vision

A new philosophy and a new product will headline on Recticel’s Vision stand.

Leading PIR manufacturer Recticel Insulation (stand 45) is launching its new “Feel good inside” philosophy and debuting a self-supporting room-in-a-roof system for pitched roofs at this year’s Vision built environment exhibition for architects, specifiers, clients and suppliers (June 7-8, Olympia).

The next-generation product, L-Ments™, comprises roofing underlay, counter battens and integral structural timber in one PIR insulation panel as a single lightweight cost-effective modular roofing element, making it exceptionally quick and easy to install.

The innovation new system enables specifiers and contractors to design and build roofs without the risk of thermal bridging, providing them with a future-proof solution thanks to its high-performance insulation core.

Using L-Ments in conjunction with Recticel’s full fill cavity wall insulation Eurowall + provides specifiers and contractors with a holistic building solution for the complete building envelope that showcases this “feel good inside” approach.

It also showcases Recticel’s fabric first approach to build as well as Modern Methods of Construction via the use of fewer materials and speedier installation.

Representatives from Recticel’s technical department will man the stand to answer technical questions, advise on building materials, installation, prices, grants and bespoke solutions for specific needs.

For more information please visit www.recticelinsulation.co.uk.
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Optima from Profile 22: future-proof high performance windows

Months of rumours and speculation are now at an end as Profile 22 launches not one but two of the industry’s most eagerly awaited window and door systems. Hailed as the biggest new product introduction in the window industry for a decade, Profile 22 has unveiled Optima, developed to be the most advanced products of their type available in the UK today.

Developed specifically with commercial sectors in mind, and backed by the Profile 22 Approved Window Contractors scheme, Optima offers a compelling choice for the professional specifier. Behind this launch is a radical rethink of each of the key processes in the production of a window and door system for the 21st Century: extrusion processes that ensure superb quality and consistency whilst protecting the environment through reduced energy and ecological impact and products that easily satisfy current technical and aesthetic demands by anticipating those of many years ahead.

The two product streams are characterised by the Optima Chamfered System and the Optima Sculptured System, from which a large number of options are available including a brand new Flush Casement to compete in the burgeoning ‘heritage’ flush sash timber replacement sector.

In basis the systems offer a 6 chamber outer frame (up to 8 with RCM inserts) and a 5 chamber sash (6 with RCM), structures that provide optimal thermal performance and rigidity with the capability of U values as low as 0.8 W/m2K with appropriate Argon filled IGUs. Around these basic structures will be the widest range of ancillaries and add-ons of any system on the market to allow the production of windows in every style, for every property type. Important niche products such as a fully reversible window; a vertical sliding sash; flush tilt & turn; a flush casement; composite door; french door sets; and a patio door may be manufactured by combining existing profiles with the Optima suite. Performance is to A++ Window Energy Rating.

The Profile 22 system that Optima replaces enjoyed huge popularity for its aesthetics and Optima retains a close similarity, but with a larger rebate and stylish slim upstand. The distinctiveness enjoyed by Profile 22 over other systems will therefore continue.

The real difference however is in the details: the system is designed with a high performance centre seal option for improved weather and thermal performance, features that are unique to Optima amongst UK systems; deeper drainage channels further improve water egress and contribute towards weather performance.

Optima has been designed to offer the widest choice of glazing options on the market including 24 and 28mm double and 36, 40 and 44mm triple glazed units. Bead location has been fully researched with the result that glazing clips are unnecessary to pass security tests and are future-proof against proposed and anticipated enhancements to PAS24.

The systems have been awarded the British Standard Kitemark which includes testing to BS6375 parts 1, 2 & 3, Performance of windows and doors in addition to testing in relation to PAS24:2016 enhanced security performance requirements for doorsets and windows in the UK. Both standards are the latest to be published and allow specifiers to assess Optima against the most exacting UK standards currently available.

Products are also manufactured under Environmental and Health & Safety standards BS EN ISO 14001 and BS EN ISO 18001 respectively and BES6001 to ensure Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products. The Optima systems far surpass UK and EU Building Regulations and PAS24, and have the highly accredited Secured by Design approval. In short Optima is the most accredited window system available in the UK market today.

The increased demand in the window market for colour and woodgrain has been acknowledged with an increased stock and fast turnaround of special colour options. The Optima foil offer is superior to that of any other systems supplier boasting 28 colour options. The range of greys competes well with aluminium products.

Andrew Reid, Commercial Sales Director of Profile 22 says: “We wanted the new window systems to be the best in the market and represent innovative design and exceptional thermal performance. We designed the new products around the needs of the specifier for slim, modern and stylish aesthetics, whilst offering the most technologically advanced product features and performance capabilities to future-proof our product range in meeting future Building Regulations.

“To achieve this we have invested in the most advanced extrusion systems available today. This investment ensures consistently excellent window and door profile quality whilst also significantly reducing the environmental impact of the production process. This is a key element in the specification of modern window and door products,” added Andrew.

“Specifiers can include Optima knowing that they are choosing the most advanced window and door products available in the UK today with key benefits of exceptional thermal performance, reduced maintenance schedules and improved durability. Their clients will also enjoy the benefits of excellent design, greater comfort levels and security as well as reduced heating bills for tenants and homeowners alike.”

Those wanting to appreciate Optima are encouraged to visit the Profile 22 microsite www.profile22.co.uk/optima, the showroom in Telford or at the Building Centre, London.
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Senco: one of the best brands in the world of fastening technology

As a professional in in-plant manufacturing or the construction market you want to work with the best tools available. Senco is the brand for you. As one of the best known brands in the world of fastening technology Senco produces a wide range of pneumatic, electric, gas, cordless pneumatic and battery powered tools that matches your needs.

Senco’s DuraSpin collated screw system and the cordless Fusion tools can offer you unique technological advantages and together with Senco pneumatic tools you can use them in an extensive range of construction and in-plant manufacturing industries such as the furniture, bedding, caravans & holiday homes, timber & steel frame buildings, pallets, packing cases and automotive.

You can use Senco fastening tools for every application. To make a clear difference between the performance of the tools Senco has divided them up into product lines including the following series:

When you work in the toughest industrial environment you need a tool with extreme quality. Senco tools in the XtremePro series are built with the highest quality and can be used for 24/7.
If you need a professional tool for lower volume applications that still provides a high level of performance and reliability the Senco ProSeries will provide the perfect solution for all your fastener application needs.

When you work in the pallet or packaging industry you need tools that are reliable and have low maintenance. Senco has designed tools specifically for this industry. The tools are perfectly balanced and very powerful, which enables long-term use.

When you need a stapler or nailer occasionally for professional use in a home or garden application, than a tool of the SemiPro series is just the tool for you. Senco quality for the low volume user.

When you have a high quality tool, you also want a high quality compressor. Senco offers a complete range of compressors for every application. The compressors fit especially well with Senco tools, but can be used everywhere.

Do you want a cordless nailer, but with pneumatic power? Senco nailers with Fusion Technology use compressed air that is permanently sealed in the tool’s self-contained, built-in cylinder to unleash a shot of pure portable pneumatic power every time you pull the trigger.

With the Senco DuraSpin collated screw fastening systems you can screw 50% faster than with manual screwing. The Senco DuraSpin tools are the best choice for your demanding drywall and wood fastening applications.

No matter where – or what – your next job is, if it demands collated nails, staples or screws that drive easily and completely, with fewer jams – and meet the construction industry’s performance codes – demand Senco fasteners.

Senco accessories such as air hoses, plugs and couplers etc offer you the perfect connection between tools and compressors.

For more information please visit www.poppers-senco.com.
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Offsite construction: flying factories

Polarwall have recently launched a new Offsite Construction system utilising the concept of Flying Factories.

Large panels (2.5m x up to 3m high) of the Polarwall Insulating Concrete Formwork are assembled either offsite or in a temporary assembly facility which can be allocated near to or at the site.

If there is a crane on site then the panels can be “gang formed” together in lengths of up to 12.5 metres and lifted into location.

Reinforcement can be incorporated into the panel assembly making it ideal for basement construction and retaining walls.

A new internal walling system from Polarwall is also being used. This uses cement fibreboard panels as permanent shuttering and will create a wall which is virtually finished.

A new site has opened in Slough where this revolutionary build method will be showcased to any interested parties.

As part of the Flying Factory concept this project will have its own concrete batching facility on site for filling the assembled Polarwall formwork and for the floors.

The Slough project has 80 apartments, retail space and underground car parking. The contractor M2 Construction is aiming for a fast build construction with a target time of 2 weeks for each floor.

Contractor Andrew Skinner says that “Using the large panels is a very exciting development for us. We have used the Polarwall formwork almost exclusively for the last three years. It is already a very impressive construction material and provides structures that comfortably exceed all Building Regs requirements both in terms of thermal performances and structural strength. Now, by using the large panel assembly we have moved this up a gear and the build speeds are becoming incredibly quick.”

Polarwall Technical Director Alan Wheeler said “The pre-assembled panels are now getting lots of attention from larger contractors who are primarily interested in two things – the use of less-skilled labour in the build and also the high build speeds that can be achieved. The panel system lends itself to larger projects such as light commercial, schools, apartment blocks and multi-unit developments. One contractor is particularly interested in using our products in association with timber frame where we would provide the high strength structure in the lower stories and timber frame would be used on the upper stories.”

The site will be having open days for interested parties who should in the first instance contact Polarwall (01392 823300 www.polarwall.co.uk) to arrange.

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Cold-roll renaissance

Technical Editor Bruce Meechan visits Britain’s traditional ‘metal-bashing’ heartland to discover how one company is giving steel framing a very modern ring.

Having paid a brief visit to Metsec’s stand at the Offsite exhibition prior to Christmas, I accepted an invitation from the company’s Marketing and Business Development Director to visit the premises at Oldbury in the Midlands: to find out more about its divisions which embrace dry-lining systems and cable management systems as well as high performance purlins and light gauge steel framing for all types of building structure.

Despite the company’s strong performance over recent years – defying the downturn in construction after the financial crisis – Richard Allen still sees two rather illogical barriers to even better growth figures, which he is trying to address.

The first came to light during a series of focus group meetings involving industry professionals. These revealed that the name ‘Metsec’ is commonly used in construction as a verb or generic term – including by some people who didn’t know the manufacturer actually existed.

The second, though, could be easier to understand, given the construction trade’s notorious reluctance to adopt new practices: even when there are many good reasons for doing so. Richard reflected: “Despite the potential for steel framing to save them time, cost and hassle, some people still perceive there is a risk to using a non-standard method of construction. Their reluctance to adopt modern methods of working – normally by reverting to in-situ concrete – means they are missing out on the cost and programme savings which could be afforded to them. The lightness of the Metframe system can allow you to employ shallower foundations as well as offering great acoustic, thermal and fire performance. And overall you can just build that much faster than with a reinforced concrete frame.”

So how does the Metsec offering deliver these many benefits? “When you look at the products that we sell,” Richard explained, “in essence there is nothing that complicated about them. Our Metframe system for instance features cold-roll formed C and U-sections; the complexity comes in understanding how they work together to create a 12-storey structure.

“It is very much in our design capabilities that we add value for our customers, and why Metsec has come to be regarded as a thought leader within the sector. We have some very clever engineers using the latest design software: including TEKLA and Revit.”

Responding to the industry’s bilateral use of UK and European standards, Metsec’s software allows projects to be designed in line with either the British Standard or Eurocode. Its range is also CE marked to Level 4.

He continued: “When it comes to our purlins systems we aim to make the structural engineer’s life easier, offering them free software for designing the different systems. For instance inputting the building’s location will automatically take account of typical snow load and wind loading for the area. Then given the building’s dimensions it will calculate the most efficient purlin design, using the optimum amount of steel.

“Then for the fabricators, they want something which is easy to erect; where the logistics are in line with the build programme. Because we operate on a very short lead time, we can adjust delivery dates to match any problems they might have with the weather or variations from the client.

“It is design expertise which enables us to carry out all of our contracts in such a way that we can create cost savings for our customers. Take for example Smithfield in Manchester – our ability to map out the full elevations to the building for the client, and seeking ways to value engineer the design meant we were able to remove a considerable amount of hot rolled steel – offering Galliford Try real cost savings. Elsewhere our lightweight steel framing systems have had a lot of success using our infill walling system with student accommodation as well as a number of social housing projects: and we are keen to do more.”

Across all of its different divisions, Metsec’s interaction with consultants and clients is led by its specification sales teams, all of which – with the exception of dry-lining – are split up regionally.

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Triple timber solution to sustainability

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Technical Editor Bruce Meechan looks at the range of very low carbon solutions available from a major timber frame manufacturer based on the Shropshire – Mid Wales border.

As an offsite manufacturer working across a variety of sectors including commercial, residential and education, Lowfield Timber Frame is well used to being presented with different technical challenges; and to meeting them through the use of different solutions that reflect the versatility of what is arguably nature’s most versatile material.

In essence, Lowfield has in recent years, responded to the demands of both clients and architects for PassivHaus and Near-to-Zero carbon buildings employing twin-wall timber frame, structural insulated panels (SIPs) and now a closed panel system based on timber I-joists.

Darren Jarman, Managing Director for Lowfield Timber Frame, told MMC Magazine: “We have an extensive product range that enables us to respond to clients targeting PassivHaus standard or other very low energy solutions; and we will work with their architects and assessors or other specialist consultants in order to ensure all the details – such as the floor wall junction or foundation connection, achieve the required levels of insulation.

“Some ten years ago we supplied a twin-wall timber frame system for the principal of Munro Associates who was building a new home up in Pitlochry, Scotland. That achieved the level of U-value necessary for PassivHaus – by filling with Warmcel recycled newspaper insulation; and now we are working with PYC Warmcel on a solution featuring 300 mm thick I-joists supplied by Metsa Wood for a social housing scheme featuring low rise homes. We have also built to PassivHaus standards using the Kingspan TEK system; so our product range can really cover all the bases and offer clients solutions to suit their individual needs.”

The architect, Mungo Munro commented: “We do a lot of work for housing associations as well as clients in other sectors, though this was a self-build where Lowfield produced a timber frame to my own design. I went for a double timber frame as it virtually eliminates any cold-bridging and achieved a U-value far better than the Building Standards required.”

Amongst the other highly sustainable projects Lowfield Timber Frame has helped deliver recently is the Telford Town Park Visitor Centre, offering bicycle hire and a café as well as classroom space. The original intention was to build the walls from straw bales, but the cost would have pushed up the budget so the specification switched to the Kingspan TEK system.

The jointing arrangement for the SIPs system helped keep the air leakage rate to around 1 m3/m2/hr at 50 Pascals. The addition of a high performance vapour control layer as part of the building envelope meant the overall airtightness figure for the finished structure outperformed the PassivHaus requirement at 0.58 m3/m2/hr. In terms of insulation value, combined with Kingspan Thermawall TW55 boards, the U-value for the Tek walls was 0.14 W/m2K.

Lowfield also contributed to the conversion of an eyesore, asbestos-clad packing shed into a stunning studio on the outskirts of Leamington Spa; which earned the architect, Sjolander de Cruz, the RIBA Sustainable Project of the Year Award.

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