Latest innovations and products in the sustainability sections of the construction industry.

RCM Ltd are pleased to announce their appointment by Extremegreen Building Products, LLC., to exclusively distribute their Extremegreen magnesium oxide building boards across the UK.
Extremegreen is a building board manufactured using a proprietary formula that is reinforced with multiple layers of glass fiber mesh for added structural integrity and impact resistance. The sheets are used as external fire rated sheathing panels, internal wallboard, tile backerboard, sub-flooring, roof underlay and structural insulated panels. Extremegreen MgO is resistant to fire, moisture, mould and mildew, wood boring insects, is completely toxin free and is a carbon neutral building material.

By adding Extremegreen into their brand portfolio RCM have extended their offering by introducing a ‘green’ option to their sheathing board range, thereby letting their customers have the best possible selection of quality building products. Extremegreen Building Products, based in Mobile, Alabama, is the manufacturer of the high density structural magnesium oxide boards. The boards have unique properties and are made from non-combustible materials that are impervious to water. The boards will not grow mould, nor mildew and as they contain zero foodstuff. They are also resistant to wood boring insects. The boards are people-safe and emit no toxic dust when cut or handled. Finally, they are 100% recyclable and have a very low energy input during the manufacturing process. These building boards truly represent a quantum shift in building technology and thinking.

Being a major leader in the field, RCM are committed to continuing to offer a diverse range of building material solutions, whilst refusing to compromise on quality.

“The agreement with Extremegreen is a huge success for RCM and promises exciting developments for the company. The inclusion of an MgO based board, and an environmentally friendly option, within our sheathing board range allows for even greater choice when specifying projects. RCM look forward to continue leading the way in building board technology with Extremegreen” (Ian Quinton, MD, RCM Ltd.).

About RCM

RCM is a major supplier to the UK and European construction industry and specialises in cement based building boards, facades and complete through wall solutions. Our products are specified for use in sheathing, fire protection, acoustic external facades and full through wall solutions. RCM’s extensive product range has been installed on many of the largest construction projects throughout the UK.

We offer a fully integrated approach to the building envelope, specifying and providing products to the correct specification, delivering on time and on budget.

“We were looking for a forward thinking group of people at the top of their game to represent Extremegreen as our distributor in the UK. A company with the same ethos as ours that could carry our message and mantra to market. We believe we have found that in RCM and look forward to working with them as our sole UK distributor. RCM has a solid reputation in the UK building industry as suppliers of cement based building materials and we believe Extremegreen fits into this portfolio perfectly.” (Sam Catling, President, Extremegreen Building Products, LLC.)

About Extremegreen Building Products

Extremegreen Building Products is a US based manufacturer of high density structural magnesium oxide board. Extremegreen is manufactured using a proprietary formula that is reinforced with multiple layers of glass fiber mesh for added structural integrity and impact resistance. The sheets are available in various lengths, widths and thicknesses and are used as external fire rated sheathing panels, internal wallboard, tile backerboard, sub-flooring, roof underlay and Structural Insulated Panels. Extremegreen is resistant to fire, moisture, mould and mildew, wood boring insects, is completely toxin free and is a carbon neutral building material.

For more details visit www.extremegreenbp.com or  www.buildingboards.co.uk.

A remote water management tool operated via a smartphone app.

Groundbreaker Systems is delighted to announce that the company can now offer the NEW E-valve by French manufacturing giant Sainte Lizaigne.

This fully remote controllable system is ideal for water network management, opening possibilities for off peak water supply, and sale of water to remote locations by time or volume.

With scheduled maintenance and access to historical data the E- valve can add to BREEAM scores by water management.

Operated via smart phone app connected to the valve via Bluetooth low energy, the benefits for water operators and consumers are far reaching.

Remote billing facilities are invaluable to avoid waste of water resources such as after-hours management of water to “non domestic” properties such as office blocks, schools, supermarkets, Holiday Parks or remote locations, and where action can be taken remotely without incurring travel time and costs. Ideal for high value locations with poor access, examples of which are airports or shopping malls. The E-valve also enables the sale of water by volume via credit card or account payments.

The E –valve facilitates efficient use of resources with no fuss to the consumer, is easy to install on existing or new water services; in addition the E-valve is alarmed for unspecified use, leakage identification and damage limitation.

E-valve is available in the UK exclusively though Groundbreaker Systems.

Please call 01379 741993, email sales@groundbreaker.co.uk or visit www.groundbreaker.co.uk for more information.

Rinnai, manufacturer of the energy efficient range of Infinity continuous flow water heaters and a complete range of gas fired wall heaters, is providing a brand new heating and hot water solution to offices in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales.

CST Renewables – the building services engineers – were keen to get to grips with installing a new system. This included a bespoke boiler and hot water heating package.

CST Renewables was established by Control and Service Technology in response to growing interest in the renewables market from clients looking to improve energy efficiencies and dramatically lower running costs. The company, based in the Welsh town of Bridgend, is an acknowledged specialist in the commercial market but also completes domestic installations, service and repair work.

The first UK installation of the Rinnai system was at a large office building where CST had been called to assess the best energy efficient replacement for a failing forced draught, flued modular boiler set up.

The old system was low efficiency and costing the client, a property leasing company, a substantial amount in repair bills annually. The building is rented to a variety of organisations and businesses such as call and administration centre businesses.

Mark Hillier-Rees of CST says: “It was obviously the site needed to move on to something more energy efficient. We removed the old boiler and replaced it with two new Rinnai boilers on a cascade system. The redundant flue was removed and we put in place the Rinnai co-axial flue.

“This new Rinnai system is highly efficient – and due to its lack of moving parts and easy maintenance has very low annual service costs.”

The large 100kW condensing heating boilers are ideal for providing heating to buildings such as the Merthyr Tydfil office block and are extremely flexible as they can also provide hot water when placed in a cylinder. The Rinnai boilers are also available in 50kW and 75kW sizes.

Chris Goggin, Associate Director, Rinnai UK comments: “There are clear benefits in terms of efficiencies, when considering heating and hot water as two separate systems. I am pleased that we can provide two high efficiency market leading products in one simple turnkey solution.”

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

Rinnai’s latest innovation in the energy efficient fast delivery of instantly useable hot water is the Infinity Solo Re-Circulator water heater.

The Rinnai Infinity Solo condensing and low NOX water heater is the first of its kind for the UK to combine the advanced technology of wall mounted continuous flow water heaters with a stainless steel storage cylinder, all in one compact footprint.

The design parameters of this product empowers specifiers, designers, installers and engineers to benefit from unique Rinnai technology in applications it was once not previously possible. For instance, the Infinity Solo will have both 35kW and 54kW sized appliances, ensuring sites with a smaller gas meter can readily use this technology. The larger Infinity Solo model will also act as a high-efficiency alternative to gas fired storage appliances that exist in today’s market.

The cylinder is stainless steel and this reduces the weight compared to glass lined models, and it makes transportation and installation a lot easier. As well as the difference in weight, the cylinders also have extremely low heat loss figures (as low as 1.41kW/h day), so the user pays less to maintain the heat within the tank.

One other benefit of the Infinity Solo using a stainless steel cylinder is that the life expectancy of the material is far greater than that of a glass-lined equivalent as glass suffers from thermal shock causing it to crack after a period of time.

The Infinity Solo range is also renewables compatible and supplied pre-fitted with a coil, meaning that the primary energy source will always be from renewable gains and the complementary Rinnai water heater will only apply the precise amount of gas to boost the difference in temperature.

Rinnai manufactures the energy efficient Infinity range of gas fired continuous flow water heaters and space heaters. The Infinity brand carries the widest range of condensing water heaters on the market today with the most impressive efficiencies in operation, leading the field in technological innovation.

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

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.

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.

Rinnai’s range of condensing hot water heater units using LPG are more economic to run than other sources such as oil or electric counterparts and they deliver lower carbon emission figures, greater energy efficiencies – this makes them the first choice for off-grid installations.

For installers, helping an off-grid user select an energy efficient water heater is critical — and a condensing continuous flow water heater using LPG is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly options available. By choosing a continuous flow water heater, an end user can reduce energy costs by up to 50% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 61% (compared to electric equivalents). When compared with oil-fired systems this saving is even greater.

Tests show that a Rinnai Infinity condensing water heater has 107% efficiency and is low NOX compared with an oil boiler that emits approximately 364 mg/kwh NOX. That means a Rinnai condensing water heater emits approximately 10% of the NOX that an oil boiler emits, a 90% reduction. Therefore, combining a gas boiler and a Rinnai water heater will radically reduce NOX.

The EU is recommending that the maximum NOX level be reduced to just 56mg/kWh by 2018. Rinnai water heaters are already compliant with this proposed standard. This forms part of the new rules under the Eco-design of Energy-using Products Directive (ErP).

If we now compare the production of CO₂ between gas and electricity we find that for every GJ (277.78kW) of energy used gas will produce 44.44kg compared to 103kg with electric. We can see that for the same energy used electricity will produce twice the amount of one of the major greenhouse gases.

Then if we look at the emission per kW from thermal generation of electricity we find that electricity will produce 0.5kg of CO₂ compared to 0.16kg for the same kW generated with LPG, NOX production works out at 258kg per KW as compared to only 0.184kg.

The efficiency of this type of electrical generation is as low as 40%. So if we now compare the use of electricity to LPG to heat hot water we find that electricity is 40% efficient in comparison to a Rinnai water heater which returns 107% efficiency.

Electricity is not the ‘green’ fuel that its marketing portrays it to be. It has potential to produce more CO₂ and NOX and can be very costly.

A Rinnai LPG continuous flow water heater is an ‘on-demand’ system. When a hot-water tap is opened, the unit reads the demand and starts the heating process. The water flows through a heat exchanger, where it heats to the desired temperature using only as much gas as is needed. When the tap is turned off, the heater automatically shuts off.

For more details on RINNAI products visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

For a new production line floor at a bottling plant in Wales, a specialist floor surface system from Sika has delivered long term performance and excellent durability whilst meeting the demanding hygiene regulations within the food and drink industry.

The Radnor Hills Mineral Water Company in Knighton produces more than 175 million bottles each year. For a new bottling line, the floor surface had to meet industry standards, withstand heavy machinery and be easy to clean. Appointed to complete the application within the limited timeframe, specialist contractor Coatech turned to Sika and the company’s Sikafloor PurCem polyurethane resin system – a market proven high strength screed.

Following the re-screeding and sloping of an old warehouse floor to ease cleaning and drainage, Coatech diamond ground the screed to provide an effective key for the application of 100m2 of Sikafloor Purcem 20 which was laid to a depth of 9mm. The Sikafloor system was also used as a seal coat for covings, ensuring ease of cleaning and hygiene.

Offering excellent strength, Sikafloor 20N Purcem is a polyurethane modified cement screed that is highly resistant to chemicals, fatty acids and temperature. As the water-based system normally requires no primer, its installation is considerably less complex than many other systems, producing a joint-free surface that is slip and abrasion resistant.

Sika’s range of flooring systems for food and beverage production areas meets and exceeds client expectations, industry best practices and building regulations and legislation. All Sika flooring specifications are available via NBS+ and are supported with comprehensive technical support.

Now complete, the finished production floor at Radnor Hills Mineral Water can be steam cleaned to maintain the highest levels of hygienic surface demanded by the modern food and drink industry.

The careful and considered choice of product perfectly demonstrates how Sikafloor systems can help deliver high performance and cost-effective solutions for the most challenging and innovative commercial applications.

For more information please call 01707 394444, or visit www.sika.co.uk.

Evinox Energy recently worked with Higgins Construction & Circle Housing on a development in the creative heart of Walthamstow. Banbury Park is mixed-use scheme comprising of private and shared ownership homes, with landscaped community spaces, shops, offices, a community centre and public square that will help lead the regeneration of the area.

The site was a former warehouse, industrial works and electronics factory located in Waltham Forest. Evinox engineers completed a full design of the primary network for the district heating and hot water system for a complex of 6 different types of building.

The apartments are connected to the district heat network and each includes an Evinox ModuSat® FS storage HIU to provide heating and hot water. The integrated hot water storage within the ModuSat® enables the central plant to be reduced due to the increased thermal storage facility in each dwelling.

Residents at Banbury Park benefit from the Evinox PaySmart® pre-payment system, which is inbuilt in every ModuSat® Heat interface unit. The Evinox range of ModuSat® heat interface units, is the only solution available that features fully integrated pre-pay ready billing technology.

This system enables residents to be in control of their own energy bills by paying in advance and therefore removing any burden of building up unpaid bills or debt. Residents can purchase their energy online using our Residents Website 24hrs a day, at a local Payzone outlet, by monthly Direct Debit or Standing Order, using our Web App on a smart phone or tablet any time or over the telephone.

Energy Centre

Together with our CHP partners HELEC, a complete pre-fabricated skid plant room solution has been provided to supply the district heat network. This comprises of 1794kW ADI CD boilers, 109kWth CHP unit with 5000 L thermal storage and Matic-Pro combined pressurisation, expansion and deaeration unit.

Evinox Energy specialise in Communal and District heating solutions. Contact us today on 01372 722277 or visit www.evinoxenergy.co.uk for further information.

An innovative, affordable zero bills home created by architects Zed Factory, is using Acme clay plain tiles from Marley Eternit to help meet strict sustainability criteria.

The demonstration house launched at the BRE Innovation Park in March 2016. It will be one of the first properties to be assessed under the new Home Quality Mark (HQM), which gives credits for the use of responsibly sourced building materials with the lowest environmental impact.

Zero Bills aims to be the first commercially viable home with no net annual energy bills and enough surplus electricity to power a small electric car. Built with traditional construction materials, Zed Factory has incorporated high levels of energy efficiency and renewable energy into the design. A mansard roof has been created with a clear integrated photovoltaic roof on one side and Marley Eternit’s Acme single camber clay tiles in Red Sandfaced and Red Smooth on the other.

Rehan Khodabuccus, from Zed Factory, explains: “As well as looking at energy efficient products for the home, we also needed to consider the construction materials themselves to make a building with the lowest embodied carbon possible. Responsible sourcing was also very important, not only from an HQM assessment point of view but also because we wanted to maximise the use of materials from the UK to minimise the carbon footprint. We wanted a clay tile to create a traditional aesthetic as a contrast against the solar PV on the other side of the mansard roof. We selected the Marley Eternit tiles based on their responsible sourcing and sustainability credentials.”

The Acme single camber clay plain tiles have a ‘Very Good’ BES 6001 responsible sourcing accreditation, an A+ rating under the BRE Green Guide and low embodied carbon. As well as the demonstration home, the tiles are included in the specification for the first 96 Zero Bills Homes planned to be built on a site owned by the Sir Arthur Ellis Trust at Newport, near Saffron Walden in Essex.

The Zero Bills Home is a pre-designed, engineered and costed housing system with a wide range of custom build design options. The concept is aimed at low to medium density developments with a range of house types available from a kit of parts, delivered to site in containers for easy assembly.

Daniel Weait, specification manager at Marley Eternit, adds: “We are delighted to be providing tiles for such a pioneering zero bills development, which could not only help to meet carbon reduction targets but also tackle the need to increase the output of quality homes in the UK. The homes offer a sustainable and cost effective alternative that still uses traditional construction materials and local labour and minimises cost. This blend between traditional materials and renewable technologies creates homes that could quickly and affordably be replicated across the country, yet can be sympathetic to local vernacular.

“Responsible sourcing is becoming an increasingly important part of specification and we are proud that using our products helps architects and housebuilders to get credits under the environmental section of the Home Quality Mark. As one of the first homes to be assessed under the new HQM scheme, we hope to see the Zero Bills Home being offered at developments across the country.”

Marley Eternit’s range of clay plain tiles is now available in 24 different colours to help match local vernacular and meet planning requirements. For further details and samples, go to www.marleyeternit.co.uk/clay.

For more information about the Zero Bills Home, visit www.zerobillshome.com.

For further information on our range of products and services just ask ME at www.marleyeternit.co.uk or call ME on 01283 722588. You can also follow ME on Twitter @MarleyEternit. If it matters to you it matters to us, that’s why with ME it’s all about you.