News
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By Talk. Build Launched in 2004, the awards ‘celebrate the best in architecture’ by acknowledging the practices responsible for the most outstanding body of work in the UK. This year’s event includes 18 categories, with Recticel sponsoring the ‘Housing Architect of the Year’ award. Laura Katon, Recticel’s House Building Manager for the Southern Region, who will be attending the awards, said: “We are delighted to lend our support to these superb awards. They highlight the wonderful work of some very talented architects. As innovators of high-performance insulation solutions, Recticel recognises the awards’ commitment to celebrating new and exciting developments in building design.” The entry date for this year’s awards has now closed and a shortlist of finalists has been drawn-up in each category. The winners will be announced at a presentation event on Wednesday, May 1st at the Park Plaza Hotel in London. Visit: www.recticelinsulation.co.uk997 views Mar 29, 2019 -
By Talk. Build Preston Bus Station, for which Sika provided the concrete repair and solution, was judged winner of the MiPermit Inspiration category at this year’sBritish Parking Awards (BPA). The renovation was carried out by Makers Construction on behalf of Lancashire County Council. It waspart of a larger restoration of the Grade II-listed bus station and included the building of a new coach station and toilets, and the refurbishment of a café. The award winners were announced at a gala ceremony held at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel. Pete Hollingworth at Sika said: “This is a wonderful achievement. The BPAs are renowned throughout the industry, so for our products to have in some way facilitated Preston Bus Station’s success is immensely gratifying. Congratulations to all those who helped deliver this superb scheme.” In the same awards, Sika products played a part in another car park refurbishment gaining industry recognition. The renovation, completed at a site in High Wycombe by Cemplas Waterproofing and Concrete Repairs in conjunction with Clifford Devlin on behalf of Johnson and Johnson, was shortlisted in the BPA’s Refurbishment of the Year category.892 views Mar 22, 2019
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By Talk. Build Exhibiting on stand 1-508, Incorex was one of more than 1100 exhibitors from 50 countries, at the hugely popular and busy event. Representatives from Incorez’s sales, technical, custom services and marketing teams were on-hand to demonstrate and answer queries on its polyurethane and epoxy technology to customers from across the industry. Show highlights at the ECS included the company’s aldimine latent curing agents, the Incozol® range of oxazolidines; the water-based epoxy hardener, Amirez, and its range of polyurethane dispersions under the Dispurez® brand. Commenting on the three-day event, Michel Eberlein the European Sales Manager at Incorez said: “This premier event was once again very productive and provided a great opportunity to promote our custom chemistry branding and specialist resins and polymers.” Incorez Ltd is a leading manufacturer of polyurethane and epoxy technology, with its products distributed to over 25 countries around the globe. The company’s product range includes waterborne polyurethane dispersions, waterborne polyurethane/acrylic hybrid dispersions, waterborne epoxy curing agents and oxazolidines. Incorez works in partnership with companies to develop ‘customised’ solutions to meet their exact requirements. Visit: https://incorez.com/contact.1,116 views Mar 22, 2019
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By Talk. Build Providing best-in-class information and asset management in line with emerging industry standards, the CDE is at the heart of Heathrow’s Information strategy, and will ensure the efficient whole-life management of Heathrow’s critical assets. It will be its primary common information repository and allow for specific controls to be put in place to share information in a controlled manner with suppliers and across Heathrow’s departments. Wes Simmons, GroupBC CEO, said: “GroupBC is thrilled to have been selected as the CDE for this prestigious project. It’s a marquee win in the global infrastructure and aviation sector. Partnering with Excitech and Autodesk brings together a wealth of experience and expertise focused on delivering a world class solution to Heathrow, set to lay down a benchmark for other major aviation clients to aspire to.” Expected to be completed by December 2020, the project is already underway. It will see the deployment of Autodesk’s BIM 360 visualisation and design tools integrated and underpinned with management and governance from GroupBC’s Enterprise CDE. Jo Ellman Brown, PMO Director at Heathrow, said: “We are aiming to be the first airport operator in the world who can leverage value from our digital assets, allowing our people to work in a safe environment, design and plan in a collaborative way, and operate a fully integrated asset system. David Hughes, Excitech’s Managing Director, said: “The GroupBC and Autodesk technologies being deployed are market-leading and will enable Heathrow to trust the data they hold and have the confidence to make decisions based on ‘one version of the truth’. As well as enabling Heathrow to have accurate, up-to-date information readily available in the CDE, the new solution will result in fewer surveys and reduced costs as a result of earlier and greater collaboration across all parties. Additionally, maintenance costs will reduce through better, earlier clash detection and more accurate maintenance information being readily available. About GroupBC GroupBC has been developing enterprise-scale information management solutions for construction-related projects and asset owners since 1998. Our extensible, UK hosted Common Data Environment (CDE) makes it easy for teams to collaborate, manage and share documents data and spatial information from a central, secure cloud-based platform. GroupBC is renowned for pushing the boundaries of technology, integrating project and asset data with external systems and datasets in order to provide rich and valuable insights which enable timelier and better decision making. Customers include Balfour Beatty, Costain, Nationwide Building Society, Sainsbury’s and Thames Water. www.groupbc.com About Excitech Excitech provides technology solutions and services for the construction sector, supporting the complete project life cycle from the manufacture of building products through to design and construction, building handover and maintenance. Its services include the provision of software, consultancy, training and support, and it offers a comprehensive range of IT, Document Management and Facilities Management solutions. Established in 1985, Excitech is the largest Autodesk Platinum Partner in the UK specialising in the construction sector, and has accreditations with leading technology vendors such as Microsoft, Dell, and HP. For further information, visit www.excitech.co.uk. About Autodesk Autodesk makes software for people who make things. If you’ve ever driven a high-performance car, admired a towering skyscraper, used a smartphone, or watched a great film, chances are you’ve experienced what millions of Autodesk customers are doing with our software. Autodesk gives you the power to make anything. Autodesk, AutoCAD, BIM 360 and Revit are registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. For further information visit www.autodesk.com. © 2019 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.1,120 views Mar 15, 2019
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By Talk. Build Now in their eighth year, the TCF Awards honour construction-based products and services that help guarantee a perfect floor finish on every installation. Shortlisted products and services are selected for their innovation, ease of installation, safety, style, and sustainable qualities. The winner will be decided by an online vote. Simply visit https://gbr.sika.com/flooring/en/sika-flooring/news/sika-comfortfloor-in-line-for-industry-award--so-cast-your-votes.html to choose your favourite product or service from the 50 shortlisted finalists. Sarah James at SikaFloor, said: “Sika ComfortFloor’s selection as a finalist for this year’s Tomorrow’s Contract Floor Awards is recognition of the range’s superb contribution to the commercial flooring industry. It’s received many fine testimonials from contractors and clients alike, so to have this additional acclaim is particularly pleasing. We would ask as many people as possible to show their support and vote for Comfortfloor® via the simple online process.” Votes can be cast until Friday, March 15th. The winner will be announced in April.1,003 views Mar 08, 2019
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By Talk. Build What are your responsibilities as an R & D project leader? I work with the research and development team to ensure we deliver new product development that is fit for purpose and will ensure the future growth of the Incorez business. To do that, we develop research strategies to achieve the goals and objectives of the project. We have a really creative team at Incorez and always have many ideas running at the same time. Of course, there are technical and commercial considerations within that. The real focus for us as a team and a big part of my role is to ensure projects are kept on track and delivered to target. We need to stay focused on innovation so we can develop quality products that will be the best solution for our customers. Our aim is to understand exactly what our customers want, whether a change in established products or something completely different, fully understanding their individual needs allows us to provide solutions that can surpass expectations. The latter could be anything from a new product that meets a gap in the market or tuning established technology to comply with legislation. We are always looking into the market to see what we can do and what there is a demand for. When did you become interested in chemistry and how has it defined your work? I have had always had a passion for chemistry ever since my time in school. I found that I could be a lot more creative with chemistry. After I received my masters in chemistry, I was fortunate to be offered work at Incorez. It was an exciting time for the company as they had just built a brand new R & D facility and had a strong team of chemists. The company was big on innovation, new technologies and was very creative. With polymer chemistry, I have always appreciated the practical aspects of work. I enjoy working together with our own R & D team and different parts of the company in order to see a project through from a blue sky idea to a product that works in the marketplace. What sparked your interest in polyurethane and epoxy technology (polymer chemistry)? During university, I enjoyed the organic side of chemistry and was interested in how it would tie in with real life applications. My industrial placement at Sika’s headquarters in Zurich gave me a lot of insight into that. I was working on products that I could see would make a difference in everyday life. The ability to see that end result was a real sense of achievement. At Incorez, you really get that hands-on experience. It is always exciting, challenging, and there is always something new. I think that is what I like mostabout working in the polymer industry. It is something you can physically experiment with. It’s always changing and you are not always working on the same thing. How do you think chemical research is driving innovations in construction? It’s a balance. On the one hand we are constantly pushing the boundaries of pre-existing technology while on the other we are always exploring new innovations with chemistry. It can be challenging anything from legislative requirements such as low or zero VOCs, or low monomer content. It’s essentially about building on our existing technologies whilst always having new ideas in the pipeline. We are always focusing on how we can develop products that make construction applications easier but also safer at the same time. Can you give us some idea of a typical day? My day is constantly varied and I’m always balancing different projects. My time could be spent researching or reporting, whilst simultaneously monitoring a reaction running in the lab or speaking to customers. You have to be able to multi-task! We need to be efficient with our project planning, and the next steps. What does our customer want? How are we going to produce new innovative products? There are always challenges on the horizon which keeps me driven and determined. What are some of your biggest challenges facing young researchers? There is always a massive drive down on legislation due to stringent requirements. At the same time, we are challenged to produce the same quality of performance which isn’t always easy, such as when we are working with water based technology rather than solvent based. Many customers are moving over to use more environmentally-friendly and sustainable products but there is a lot of competition in the market and not everyone is prepared to make that change yet. We are constantly staying ahead of the market trends to be as innovative as possible. The question is not what are the competition doing but rather what are they not doing yet? What scientific achievement are you most proud of? It was my first product at Incorez, an anime hardener for high gloss floor coatings. It was a challenge but we achieved it by working closely with the customer. It was my first custom chemistry product. Our customer was asking for something very specific that was challenging to achieve. Having a great working relationship enabled us to drill down to exactly what they wanted. We managed to develop a product that met the customer’s requirements, with added benefits too. We exceeded their desired goals and now they are one of our biggest customers. What developments in the chemicals industry are you most excited about? I think it’s got to be 3D printing as there so much advancement in the technology and it ties in a lot with the chemical and construction industry. For example, it’s now possible to print 3D smart objects made up of stimuli responsive material with no motor function that can basically respond to the environment through physical and chemical make-up alone. It’s very impressive what 3D printing is capable of, especially from a sustainability aspect. It’s going to completely revolutionise the future of development. With gender diversity in the workplace so important what steps can be made to increase the number of women in chemical sciences? There is a constant increase in the number of women in science anyway which is great, but I think we need to keep encouraging this further. Incorez as a company, for example, has a presence at the Lancashire Science Festival where we encourage children to come along. It’s a good way to try and increase that engagement with potentially the next generation of scientists. Who in your opinion was the most influential woman in science? It would have to be Marie Curie, the first woman in science to receive a Nobel Prize. She was the first one to break new ground and made a lot of changes for women in science after that. Visit: https://incorez.com/1,146 views Mar 04, 2019
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By Talk. Build Last week, UK government advisors published a report announcing that all new homes should be banned from connecting to the gas grid within six years as a way of tackling climate change writes Darran Smith, Technical Manager at Alpha Heating Innovation. Whilst there is a need for the UK to tackle climate change and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, is banning gas from new homes the right way to go about it and is it just yet another idea to achieve what seems like the impossible goal of zero carbon homes? The report, from the independent Committee on Climate Change, states that they want all new-build homes in the countryside to be warmed by heat pumps and cooking done on induction hobs, rather than using gas boilers and hobs. They say that new homes should be the initial target as it's much more economical - £4,800 to install low-carbon heating in a new home compared to £26,300 in an existing house. The report adds that in cities, new housing estates and flats should be kept warm by networks of hot water and the water could be heated by industrial waste heat. Whilst a move to more sustainable energy is a good idea, there are a number of drawbacks. Firstly, domestic heating using systems such as heat pumps only work if homes are insulated to the highest standards and therefore require little heating. As such, there needs to be consideration given to the building fabric. There is also the issue that to many, ground source heat pumps are a new technology and are we fully up to speed on how to get the best from them and how systems should be designed and installed for efficient operation? Furthermore, there is the issue of timescales. For many housebuilders, land banking and securing planning approval based on regulations and standards at that time, rather than at the time of construction work starting, will impact on how a ban can be enforced. There is also the risk that if a ban on gas is introduced, will developers and housebuilders take the path of least resistance and look at electric as a heating method? This could be a huge step backwards - a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire. Whilst I agree that as a nation and as an industry we need to look at how we reduce our emissions, I’m not sure a ban on gas is the right way. You could also argue that housing is not the biggest culprit - 14% of UK greenhouse gas emissions come from our homes - and that we should be focussing on the industrial and commercial sector where the majority of emissions come from. The problem with a move to renewable energy in homes could be more deep rooted however. Many will remember in December 2006, the government made an ambitious pledge that would ensure that within a decade every new home would be a 'zero carbon' home. Britain was the first country ever to have made such a commitment and the plans dictated that come 2016 all new homes would be expected to generate as much energy on-site through renewable tech - such as wind turbines and solar panels - so to cancel out their overall emission of greenhouse gases. This clearly hasn’t happened. The Code for Sustainable Homes was drawn up to facilitate this plan and in 2007 government proposed tightening Building Regulations to achieve the target, first by 25% in 2010, and then by 44% three years later. We then had the Climate Change Act which aims to reduce carbon emissions (compared to 1990 levels) by 34% come 2020 and 80% come 2050 with The Carbon Plan setting out how this would be achieved. Yet nine years after the ambitious pledge, in 2015, a Treasury paper ‘Fixing the foundations: Creating a more prosperous nation’ effectively dropped the requirements for zero carbon buildings stating that they will ‘keep energy efficiency standards under review’, recognising that existing measures to increase energy efficiency of new buildings should be allowed time to become established. All in all, it has been one step forwards, one step backwards. As such, please excuse my scepticism over a plan to make all new homes gas free in just six years. A move to greener energy is the right thing to do and we need to find a way of getting more homes to use technology such as solar. We have seen significant increase in demand for systems such as our award-winning SolarSmart boiler and I have no doubt the industry will move to these over time. However, I do feel that six years is rather ambitious. There is nothing wrong with ambition but history has shown that we are not very good at delivering on our promises and pledges. It should be noted that these are just recommendations at this stage and are part of the Committee on Climate Change’s plan for the UK to meet its 2050 target. Time will tell if this recommendation is put in to action but I feel it will take a lot longer than six years for all new homes to be gas free. Visit: https://www.alpha-innovation.co.uk952 views Feb 28, 2019
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By Talk. Build In a world where businesses are measured by their efficiency, intelligent solutions and more efficient methods of construction have become the order of the day in the building industry writes Steve Cocker, senior sales manager at Sika. It’s why the company and its engineers keep close to the customer base and fine-tune products accordingly. Sikafloor®-RB58 is one such product and for car park operators having an asset in need of refurbishment, it’s a proven way of ensuring a car park is back to its best within the shortest downtime possible. Regardless of how well designed or constructed car parks are, they are inherently vulnerable due to their exposure to aggressive and corrosive elements such as oil and diesel spills, carbon dioxide gasses, de-icing salts and water, all of which become more of a problem if cracks exist in concrete decks. With car park owners or operators legally obliged to maintain their car park in a safe condition, key revenues will be lost when any one of the multi-storey and underground car parks across the UK needs to be closed temporarily for refurbishment. Any closure of a car park can result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds for owners or operators. By simply specifying a Sika system, 80% of the car park can stay open as normal during refurbishment work. For example, Sikafloor ®-RB58 is a slip resistant, fast curing waterproofing system that can be applied to asphalt or concrete. As each layer cures within one hour, the system is rapid-setting allowing for fast track applications. Works can therefore be completed overnight in critical areas such as ramps which in turn will reduce the time the car park is out of service to the client. The system can be applied down to 0°C which allows for both winter or colder, external nighttime applications. With good mechanical, chemical and abrasion resistance, Sikafloor®-RB58 comprises several layers to guarantee a robust, watertight, performance. The system has been tested in accordance with BS EN 1062-7 for dynamic crack bridging class B 4.2; a test carried out at a temperature of -20°C, a harsher environment than even the UK winter generally provides. As the system can be applied directly over asphalt this in turn reduces waste to landfill, cost to the client and length of programme of the works. It’s also easy to repair and bonds to itself reducing maintenance costs. A range of highly decorative colours are also available which can significantly lighten and brighten parking facilities. By using a fast-track and innovative solution such as Sikafloor®-RB58, owners and operators of car parks can ensure their car park is returned to its best within the shortest time frame possible. And once it is installed there is no doubting its superb, durable and waterproofing credentials which will stand the time and traffic for many years to come. Visit: https://gbr.sika.com/content/united_kingdom/main/en/solutions_products/products-solutions.html1,142 views Feb 18, 2019
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By Talk. Build GroupBC celebrated 20 years in operation with an exclusive event held for partners, customers and staff at its head office in Reading. Unveiling BC HQ’s fresh look as well as its new employees and an exciting solution roadmap, the event was well attended by both new and old faces alike. Festivities included drinks and canapes, followed by a welcome from CEO, Wes Simmons. Speaking at the event, Mr. Simmons said: “Commemorating our 20th year in operation with an event such as this allows us to reflect on the company’s successes and achievements. We have proved to be an organisation which blends passion for technology with proven pedigree in enterprise scale, construction CDE solution design and delivery, and reward ourselves on the positive impacts we have made to the industry.” “This event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our new office spaces, upcoming projects and our latest software developments as we look forward into the future of BC.” One of the evening’s highlights was an informative talk by Dr. Mark Bew MBE, chairman of BIM consultancy PCSG. A widely-recognised industry expert, Dr. Mark Bew MBE reflected on how he became involved with BC during his time at Costain and Scott Wilson, as well as looking at the leading technologies which have revolutionised the construction sector; giving his forecast of what the industry might look like in the next 20 years. GroupBC is delighted to have celebrated its 20 years with its loyal customers, such as Balfour Beatty, Sainsbury’s, Thames Water, and Mackley; partners including PCSG, Excitech, and Secura, as well as staff members and is extremely excited to see what its next phase has in store. Visit: www.groupbc.com1,347 views Feb 15, 2019
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By Talk. Build Sika is delighted to have presented the British Heart Foundation with a cheque for £8,000 at their Preston office on 24th January 2019. Having raised funds through the annual Sika Cycle Charity Event, Dragan Maksimović, of Sika, was on hand to present the cheque on behalf of the company, to BHF volunteer and cardiac arrest survivor, Chris Connor, a volunteer fundraiser in the Warrington area, who has been volunteering with the BHF for nearly eight years. Michelle Bailey, Area Fundraising Manager (North West) at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this generous donation from Sika,which will help fund life-saving research and support people affected by heart and circulatory conditions. The support we receive from companies like Sika can make a tremendous difference.” Presenting the cheque to the BHF, Dragan said: “The work that the BHF does is vital in saving lives, and their research into heart disease must continue. I would like to say a big thank you to all Sika employees, suppliers and customers, who took part in the cycle charity event last September.” The sponsored Sika Cycle 2018 event on 15th September saw pedal-pushing participants take on one of four challenging routes – lasting 25, 50, 70 and 100 miles – with courses weaving their way through the dramatic landscape of Teesdale and Nidderdale, within County Durham and North Yorkshire. The routes gave the riders a glorious view of two of England’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The fundraising is vital to the research of the British Heart Foundation, currently helping to support over 1,000 research projects into heart disease around the UK. For more information, visit www.sika.co.uk/everyday1,619 views Feb 11, 2019
