Innovative and potentially award-winning designs are too often scaled back at the eleventh hour due to concerns around budget, timescales and safety – but it needn’t be that way.
The world of construction is changing. Growing cost and time pressures, coupled with increased demand for eye-catching aesthetics, are presenting new challenges for the wider building industry and for structural designers.
To strike the balance between aesthetics and functionality, architects are increasingly turning to glass as a way of addressing the architectural, engineering and construction challenges of modern commercial buildings.
“In the past few decades, the use of glass in buildings has significantly increased,” explains Simon Ellison, of Pyroguard, who casts a new light on the inspiring yet safe qualities of one material in particular – fire-resistant architectural glazing – that’s sparking a revolution against purely functional design.
“While theoretically it would be possible to replace a glass panel with a concrete wall or partition, this would reduce the aesthetic appeal, in addition to reducing the amount of space. Aesthetics must nonetheless be balanced against a number of other considerations, primarily, the need for effective fire security.
“With a number of glass and glazing systems to choose from, it is important to specify a solution which addresses concerns around safety without compromising on aesthetics or design flexibility.
“Laminated float glass, for example, Pyroguard Rapide or Pyroguard Rapide Plus, achieves high-classification fire protection for up to 60 minutes thanks to active intumescent interlayers. If lead times are more forgiving, modified toughened glass such as Pyroguard Integrity and Pyroguard Integrity Plus can be manufactured to precise, bespoke specifications. Finally, where an extra level of strength and security is required – for example within detention centres, medical facilities or financial institutions – there’s laminated modified toughened glass such as Pyroguard Protect.
“The fire resistance qualities between products can differ significantly between performance classes and so it is important to understand the potential fire safety threats which need to be addressed and this all goes back to the intended application.
“While the occurrence of fires is unpredictable, selecting a complete fire-resistant glazed system based on a detailed understanding of the application requirements is the best way to ensure that the threat of fire is minimised or contained. Fire-resistant architectural glazing achieves the optimal balance between practicality and aesthetics, ensuring that legal and safety considerations are fully met, while providing the level of design flexibility required in the next generation of buildings.”
Pyroguard is an independent, dedicated fire glass specialist with the expertise to help specifiers achieve the architect’s vision of aesthetically inspiring spaces living and working.
Another key area is fire doors. Fire door sets are designed to specifically reduce the rate at which fire spreads through a building, with hardware, hinges and handles that resist fire as much as the main core of the door itself.
Whether you’re considering fire protection for homes, residential or commercial application, knowing you can rely on your door set to stop the spread of fire is extremely important, and offers that all important peace of mind.
Bluebell’s range of Oikos fire door sets are created with two prominent goals: ultimate fire safety, and architectural beauty. Their door sets are rated from 30 up to 120 minutes by German certification body Ift Rosenheim. Providing protection against the spread of fire when closed, or a means of escape when open, fire doors are a necessary precaution of any building.
Tekno, Project, Evolution, Synua: four fire doors offering contemporary minimalist aesthetics with crucial fire protection. In order to provide this vital protection, fire door sets must work harmoniously within the supporting structure.
The doors’ strong, solid steel core construction and steel counter frame benefit from added protection from the foaming fire-resistant insulation within the counter frame itself. Elegantly hanging from the frame on either pivot, visible, or concealed hinges, each door includes drop-down thresholds and smoke seals that eliminate smoke inlet; they’re lined with intumescent strips which lie dormant in everyday use, but rapidly expand when exposed to extreme heat, completely sealing the gap between the door and frame in the event of a fire. This stops any chance of smoke or heat coming through the door. Every element of the door itself has been carefully considered to work in harmony in order to provide the best possible fire protection.
Designers, specifiers and architects want interior furnishings that will both protect the space and add a visual value to it. Bluebell’s range of Oikos fire door sets does just that, offering contemporary and compelling aesthetics with industry-rated fireproofing.
A new product by leading rooflight manufacturer Xtralite will deliver huge benefits to the construction industry in terms of smoke ventilation and safety both in new build, retro-fit and restoration projects.
Xtralite has developed an Automatic Opening Vent (AOV) which provides enhanced connectivity and boasts a powerful 24-volt electric motor which effortlessly powers the arms which open the vent. Upon detection of smoke the vent will open automatically through an integrated system giving building users peace of mind.
“Our AOV fulfils a market niche in that it combines the aesthetics and practicalities of a rooflight and the essential safety of smoke ventilation,” said Jim Lowther sales director Xtralite. “Increased flexibility is now given to specifiers to embrace the credentials of this exceptional product which supports essential requirements in commercial applications keeping buildings and people safe.”
Smoke and heat ventilation systems are designed to ensure a natural flow of smoke from the building to the atmosphere and AOV’s fulfil this requirement by giving building managers a safety option that reduces the build-up of heat and allows cool air to enter the building whilst also aiding the egress of building occupants.
It is worthy of note that the product has been tested to EN12101 – 2:2003, a legal requirement under the Construction Products Regulation 2013 and the European standard for smoke and heat control systems and supersedes BS7346:1991 as the UK’s product standard.
A system of sensors, and a control panel which can be individually designed to suit requirements, provides the operational aspect of the AOV. Other benefits include a streamlined and powerful motor which ensures that a 1.5sqm rooflight can be opened with ease and that full opening can be achieved incrementally. Furthermore, additional security features reduce the risk of intruder attack and ensure the rooflight remains secure during inclement weather conditions.
To supplement the AOV rooflights Xtralite also offers a series of compatible control panels and sensors further aiding simplistic specification.
The biggest prison in the UK should reach full capacity soon – with construction work on track to end next month to allow the opening of the third and final wing.
The first prisoners were moved to HMP Berwyn in Wrexham on 28 February into Bala wing, the first of three, all designed ultimately to house 702 prisoners.
Binns Fencing won the order to supply and install almost 2km of 5.2m high prison-standard secure perimeter fencing for the Wrexham super prison. Manufacturer Zaun supplied the MoJ approved prison posts and fencing mesh.
Binns has proposed a new model of perimeter security and PIDs procurement and delivery, where it provides a single point of contact for the complete perimeter security package, providing greater opportunity for innovation, reducing complexity and the need to manage multiple contractors.
It believes this could offer significant cost savings on PIDs cable installation and contract and project management costs.
The construction of HMP Berwyn began in May 2015 and cost £250m. The UK government has pledged to spend £1.3bn on new prisons, and after the riots in HMP Birmingham last year, Justice Secretary Liz Truss said the new Welsh prison 'will help to reduce overcrowding across the estate'. Nine more new prisons are expected to be built, with five open by 2020.
