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Eco-friendly systems that help to reduce a building’s energy costs, at the same time as they maximise occupier comfort, will debut with Armstrong Ceilings at Ecobuild 2012.

CoolZone tiles, which feature Phase Change Material (PCM) that absorbs heat to delay the requirement for air conditioning, will showcase on Armstrong Ceilings’ stand (N1120) that will itself help to demonstrate how the system works.

The results of a trial currently underway in the [overheating] meeting room of an office in London are also due to be revealed at the show (March 20-22).

Armstrong will also present a ‘Ceilings and the Environment’ RIBA-assessed CPD at the RIBA Village stand on March 20th at 2.15pm and March 21st at 3.30pm.

CoolZone incorporates BASF Micronal phase change material into Armstrong’s plain metal ceiling tiles. This material – microscopic polymer capsules containing a wax storage medium - is embedded in gypsum and then encased in the metal tile.

On heating during the day and cooling at night, the wax melts and solidifies. In this way the internal temperature is regulated, ensuring a stable and comfortable environment in which to work, whether it is commercial, retail, healthcare or educational buildings.

Armstrong CoolZone improves thermal comfort and contributes to the intelligent energy management and commercial success of a building in a number of ways:

• It reduces or eliminates the need for air conditioning - in tests, the CoolZone tiles delayed the onset of air conditioning by approximately four to five hours in an average office. Not only can this save around 40% of the HVAC energy costs and reduce peaks in demand for air conditioning but it can also help to improve the thermal comfort for the occupants.
• It is a passive solution requiring no energy that is easy to incorporate into existing buildings and is therefore ideal for renovation and refurbishment.
• It is a flexible solution that can be moved within rooms to deal with areas of high heat load, from room to room, and can even be switched from building to building.

To reflect the features and benefits of phase change material, Armstrong’s stand at Ecobuild will feature warm (red) and cool (blue) zones and help to demonstrate phase change technology using mediums such as cooling/heating panels and thermal imaging.

Technical assistance will be provided by Armstrong Atelier and representatives from BASF who developed the Micronal phase change material.

The launch of Armstrong’s CoolZone system is the latest development in the company’s portfolio of solutions that are sustainable, such as recycling programmes for waste management, and that maximise end user comfort, such as the new-generation of OP acoustic ceilings.

Acoustic OP ceilings provide the highest level (Class A) of sound absorption (αw = 1.00), and combined with indirect lighting to optimise their high light reflectance (90%), are capable of helping to produce energy savings where artificial lighting is required.

Morrisons’ South West Regional Distribution Centre (RDC), a 59 acre goods facility at Bridgwater in Somerset, is raising the bar for energy conservation, with an exemplar scheme that uses innovative solar PV and insulated panel technology from Kingspan Insulated Panels to create one of Europe’s most energy efficient logistics facilities. One of the challenges was to transform unproductive roof space into the facility’s own power plant. Following a thorough project analysis by Kingspan’s in-house Renewables design team, two different products from the PowerPanel range were specified for two of the distribution facility’s main buildings to meet that challenge. At the ‘Goods in Warehouse’, FK Construction installed the Roof PowerPanel Laminate System using Topdek KS1000 TD, a single ply insulated membrane roofdeck which had the PV laminate adhered directly to the surface on site. Using 1,548 modules, this system will provide a single-source, insulated, roof and solar PV power source delivering a total peak output of over 220 kWp and an estimated 197,279 kWhrs of energy per annum.

Externally, the Frozen Warehouse has a highly insulated building envelope comprising: Kingspan KS1000 MR Micro-Rib architectural wall panels, and KS1000 RW insulated roof panels, which provide a support structure for the 1,194 Kingspan Roof PowerPanel crystalline PV modules mounted onto the south facing elevations to convert the sun’s energy into electricity for refrigeration.

As well as offering long term guaranteed thermal performance and energy efficiency improvement of up to 44%, the use of insulated panels meant aesthetics were not sacrificed for the sake of cost efficiency. The colours selected were non-standard and would normally need to be ordered from steel suppliers well in advance - something that could only be done once the order was in place. Despite this, Kingspan worked closely with the project’s nominated cladding contractor, FK Construction, to build a mock-up of the design, rigging sixteen KS1000 MR Micro-Rib architectural wall panels to an existing wall at its Holywell manufacturing plant.
Tel: 0044 1352 717 251 
W: www.kingspanpanels.com

Sika-Trocal’s SGmA single ply membrane, with its rapid installation process, has been specified for the green roofs of seven new sustainable built industrial units.

Designed to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ the system was chosen because it offered a fast and efficient installation process so that the roof construction, which also included the installation of wind turbines and rooflights, could be completed within a strict timeframe of just 12 weeks.

Built on the site of a disused council depot for Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, with financial backing from the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the Leicester and Leicestershire Support Unit, the new £4 million Greenfields Business Park in Hinckley, Leicestershire is the region’s premier ‘green’ enterprise park. Designed by architects William Saunders Partnership, the project features seven timber clad industrial units, constructed using the latest in sustainable building technology – a prerequisite that continued when it came to specifying the roofs.

With sustainability high on the agenda, William Saunders Partnership specified green roofs for the buildings, helping to create a natural environment for wildlife whilst boosting the buildings’ thermal and acoustic performance. With a proven track record in the supply of green roofs, and with an innovative fast track installation method, Sika-Trocal proved to be the natural choice.

Sika-Trocal supplied 3,000m2 of its SGmA roofing membrane to be applied across the varying size roofs – making it the ideal choice to enable specialist roofing contractor Metclad to meet Greenfields’ quick-build programme.

The Sika-Trocal Type SGmA membrane was loose laid over the roof substrate and fastened at the perimeters and around penetrations, before installation of the ballast material to form the basis of the green roof.

Following this fast application, Metclad had to ensure the remaining roofing aspects – including the installation of the sedum roof, rooflights and fall protection systems – were also delivered within the 12 week timeframe. Commencing the installation during the summer months, and without a mains water supply on-site, the company utilised a series of water bowsers to provide temporary irrigation to water the green roofs during the installation process.

With the installation of Sika-Trocal SGmA, approved by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) to have a life expectancy ‘in excess of 30 years’, Metclad ensured every aspect of the roofing system met and exceeded the project’s environmental and long term performance targets – whilst also hitting the tight deadline.

Tel: 0044 1707394444

W: www.sika.co.uk/roofing

Pictured is Declan Dennehy (regional director, HSS Hire), Michael Killeen (managing director, HSS Hire) and Kevin Hynes (far right)

T: 1800 22 33 66

W: www.hss.ie

Porcelanosa
Admirers of Europe’s leading bathroom designers Porcelanosa will welcome the fact that the full range is closer to home with the recent opening of the new Porcelanosa bathroom showroom at TileStyle in Ballymount, Dublin 24. Offering the very latest designs in baths, shower, bathroom furniture and sanitary ware, the Porcelanosa brand is synonymous with a purity of design whilst remaining sympathetic to the shape of the human form. With over 410 showrooms in 72 countries, Porcelanosa is renowned for its state of the art technology, innovative designs and unbeatable quality. Speaking about the new Porcelanosa showroom at TileStyle, JP Kennedy, MD, TileStyle said: “TileStyle are constantly adapting to customers’ demands and needs. Together with Porcelanosa, a global player in the bathroom and tile industry, we believe that our experienced TileStyle team can offer all customers including architects, interior designers, home owners and contractors an unrivalled range of quality products with value as standard.”

T: 00353 1 855 5200

W: www.tilestyle.ie

Ecocem Ireland
Martin Groome has joined Ecocem Ireland as Sales Manager. He will be responsible for maintaining and developing the use of Ecocem cement in the Irish concrete market and the promotion of its use to the construction industry as a superior alternative to conventional cement. He joins Ecocem from Grace Construction Products in Dublin where he was Sales Manager for their concrete admixture and structural waterproofing range of products. Ecocem Ireland is Ireland’s only specialist producer of GGBS (Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag) cement for use in the manufacture of high-quality concrete. GGBS cement is a superior cement that has a minimal environmental impact, enhances concrete durability and architectural characteristics and delivers a superior concrete appearance. Ecocem GGBS cement is produced in Ireland. It is a 100% recycled industrial by-product. Used appropriately, Ecocem GGBS cement reduces the embodied CO2 and energy of concrete by typically 50%, and 40% respectively.

T: 00353 1 667 0900

W: www.ecocem.ie

Husqvarna Constructions Tile Saws
Husqvarna Construction thrives to maintain the highest standard of equipment to its clients. Its range of Tile Saws are the leading brand in the construction machinery industry. Husqvarna’s table saws are easy to use whether you’re cutting large or small tiles and if you’re standing on the ground or cutting tiles up on a roof. Liffey Distributors are the sole importer and distributor of the Husqvarna Construction range throughout Ireland. The Husqvarna Tile Saw TS230 is a light but robust tile saw for professional use. The TS 230 F has a powerful electric motor and unique, patented water recovery system for long shifts. The Husqvarna Tile Saw TS73R is a professional rail tile saw with guide rail for cutting large tiles and the Husqvarna Tile Saw TS350 is an efficient universal masonry saw with high cutting capacity for all construction materials. The single-piece frame with integral raceways gives great rigidity and increased protection against impacts.

T: 00353 1 8242600

W: www.husqvarna.ie