neaco’s expertise in glass railing design met a demanding specification at Hymers College in Kingston-upon-Hull, where our Spectrum balustrade was extensively installed within a new state-of-the-art music facility.
Built by Hobson & Porter, the £1.6 million scheme includes practice rooms, teaching space and a recital hall sized to accommodate a full orchestra. The stainless steel and powder coated aluminium versions of Spectrum were chosen with glass panel infills to two stairwells.
A spokesman for Hobson & Porter said: “neaco’s design, product and manufacturing service are superb. Projects like this are subject to tight build schedules to minimise disruption to the college’s activities, so we needed a fast manufacturing turnaround and installation which Neaco provided in time for the start of a new academic year.”
“neaco provided comprehensive technical support with site survey, design and installation. They achieved efficient completion of the work on site to a high standard whilst minimising disruption to other areas of the site and other contractors involved in the project.”
neaco also designs and manufactures balconies, structural glass, decking, walkways, cladding, solar shading and adaptive bathing applications including level access shower grilles, easy access shower trays, wet-floor formers, half-height shower enclosures and bathroom support fittings.
Aluminium is vital to our building fabric – and a sustainable future
Comprising around 8% of the earth’s crust, aluminium is the third most common element and the world’s most abundant metal. In an era of eco-conscious design and construction, it is also becoming increasingly abundant in the fabric of man-made environments, where many of its natural attributes are ideal for sustainable development.
In more general terms, aluminium’s versatility and performance qualities make it the most widely used metal after steel. It can be found in foil and packaging, ladders, high pressure gas cylinders, sports equipment, road barriers and signs, furniture, lithographic printing plates, helidecks, offshore rigs and all types of transport including aircraft, passenger and freight rail cars, commercial vehicles, military vehicles, ships and boats, buses, bicycles and motor cars.
The properties which have made it so prominent in these applications have also resulted in its use in construction, including roofing, foil insulation, cladding, doors and windows, shop fronts, handrails and balustrade, architectural hardware, guttering, decking, grating, solar shading louvres, modesty screens, bridge and cycle paths, ventilation grilles, walkways, treadplates and industrial flooring. These properties are many and varied:
ALUMINIUM ATTRIBUTES
High strength–to-weight ratio
Aluminium is one of the lightest engineering metals with a weight of around one third of steel’s and a superior strength-to-weight ratio. Its combination of high strength and low weight is ideal for applications such as roof access walkways, which need excellent load bearing without placing undue strain on the roof structure. Being light and easy to handle also saves on manpower, enabling better cost management in construction.
Corrosion resistant
When aluminium metal is exposed to air, it forms a protective oxide coating which is corrosion resistant and can be further enhanced with surface treatments such as anodising. This is beneficial for any building but especially valuable in environments where corrosion levels are high to severe, such as coastal, industrial and heavily populated suburban areas.
Non-toxic
Aluminium is an inert metal and completely impermeable. It is non-toxic and does not release any odours or taint products in contact with them. These properties help to maintain a building’s aesthetic quality and reduce pollution.
Non-combustible
Aluminium does not burn or aid combustion, providing an obvious advantage over building materials such as timber.
Excellent reflectivity
Aluminium is a good reflector of both visible light and heat. This makes it an ideal material for light fittings, solar shading louvres and insulation.
Recyclability
When preparing an architectural specification it is essential to consider the responsible sourcing, effectiveness, durability, and the potential recycling of any material. This is where aluminium scores highly: its recyclability is unparalleled. Unlike a fossil fuel – which is consumed when used – aluminium has an extremely high residual value.
The use of recycled aluminium over virgin aluminium is economically and environmentally unarguable. If not done properly, the mining and smelting of aluminium can have an environmental impact; the impact of using recycled aluminium is minimal in comparison. It takes 14,000 kWh to produce one tonne of new aluminium but only 5% of this to re-melt and recycle the same amount. Aluminium can be recycled over and over again without loss of performance – there is no difference in quality between virgin and recycled aluminium alloys. It can also be up-cycled if necessary.
CONCLUSION
Aluminium offers a wide range of properties which make it a superior choice for various building materials, but the most compelling of all is its remarkable recyclability. At present around 60% of aluminium metal is recycled at the end of its lifecycle but there is room for vast improvement in this percentage. Designers and specifiers should not only seek to incorporate a greater proportion of aluminium content into their developments; they should also seek building suppliers who can verify that their aluminium products are manufactured to a high percentage of recycled material. It is perfectly feasible for certain building applications to be manufactured from between 85% and 100% recycled aluminium.
Aluminium is a vital component in the creation of high quality architecture and infrastructure – it is also a key resource in the creation of a sustainable future and its positive influence can substantially increase with carefully managed design and procurement.
How the supply chain can improve BREEAM with recycled content
Dismantling and recycling or reuse of building components is one of the building performance criteria outlined in BREEAM. Therefore building suppliers can help to improve the BREEAM rating of a project (and their own bottom line) simply by increasing the percentage of recycled and recyclable content in their products.
Untapped potential
The construction sector has the potential to use much more recovered material:
Growing demand for recycled/recovered building materials has increased their value.
If all products were supplied with a “good practice” level of recycled content (instead of base level/common practice) this would result in a significant increase in demand.
The key for the supplier market is to increase recycled content without compromising the technical performance of their products.
These improvements can be applied incrementally (for decades neaco have been setting higher targets each year for the recycled content of our manufacturing output and many cases we are now supplying complete design solutions from as much as 95 per cent recycled material)
Material gains
Designers and specifiers should bear in mind a number of criteria when choosing materials and building products:
Every material has its own degree of recyclability – for example, aluminium alloy offers a natural advantage as it is up to 100 per cent recyclable.
For more complex construction elements (e.g. balustrade) there is an advantage to using suppliers who provide pre-engineered systems, as opposed to building products partly or fully fabricated on-site, where processes are less controlled and many perfectly recyclable remnants can end up as landfill.
Suppliers that complete all manufacturing at the factory stage can recover off-cuts and convert what could have become waste into future raw material.
Modular systems which are assembled/connected without hot works (e.g. welding) are ideal – their low-energy construction serves the need for responsible construction practices and site impacts promoted by BREEAM.
The specification process
To achieve sustainable procurement designers and specifiers should observe the following processes:
Select designs and products suited to their particular application and calculate the appropriate use of recycled content.
Consult with their suppliers to verify that product options meet necessary performance requirements.
Formally request that the supplier provides some form of certification which confirms of the recycled content of its products.
If the design or building element is complex and requires a certain degree of engineering, assembly or fabrication, ask the supplier how much of this work is completed at the factory, prior to delivery and installation on site.
Conclusion
Incorporating a greater degree of recycled content is beneficial across the supply chain. To achieve this, specifiers must formally assess the supplier’s relevant credentials at the procurement stage and building suppliers must invest in product development to ensure that they score highly in these assessments.
Neaco aluminium decking featured at new Visitor Centre
Neaco are proud to have our Techdek floor grates chosen for an extensive raised pedestrian walkway at the new £4m Visitor Centre at the American Cemetery in Cambridge.
Nearly 9,000 American service personnel who died while on active service in northern Europe and the Atlantic are remembered at this 30-acre site, which is the UK’s only permanent American World War Two military cemetery. They are commemorated through case studies, photographs and films at the new 4,000 square foot Visitor Centre designed by Cambridge Architects, Bland Brown + Cole. The Techdek floor grates provide dual-purpose aluminium decking with wheelchair access and protection for the area’s indigenous flora.
Architectural Photography by Richard Fraser
Having seen the Techdek system used successfully at the new Hepworth Gallery (below) in Wakefield, Partner-in-Charge John Cole saw this as an ideal solution to provide high volume pedestrian access through an area of historic woodland with sensitive ground cover, which has to be protected. The firm non-slip surface is also ideal for wheelchair traffic and assisted movement.
Neaco’s range of aluminium open grille systems offers a choice of profiles to suit a wide variety of applications, including decking, screening, ventilation, bridge cycle and pedestrian ways, cladding, floor grates, staging, balustrade infills and stair treads. The company’s diverse product range also includes modular handrail and balustrade systems, Juliet balconies, step-out balconies, structural glass and contemporary adaptive bathing facilities. All products are backed by a class-leading Lifetime Guarantee.
Stainless steel balustrade featured in dynamic office design
neaco’s Spectrum stainless steel balustrade has been specified for a £1.7 million development providing state-of-the-art headquarters for TGW Logistics Group in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. Forming part of an extensive mixed-use development at Peaker Park, which also includes retail and care facilities, the office is an impressive piece of contemporary architecture designed by Corporate Architecture and built by S & S Construction. Spectrum has been installed with a railed infill on a stairway in the striking reception area.
Photograph courtesy Corporate Architecture
Jason Edwards of Corporate Architecture said: “The building design includes a dynamic display case on the front facade which is both clean and crisp whilst portraying an innovative approach to modern construction methods. Spectrum stainless steel balustrade is a high-end product very much in keeping with the aesthetic impact of our design. Corporate Architecture have specified various neaco products on numerous past developments, including their bathroom facilities and the aluminium version of their balustrade, and we know that neaco’s quality and finish is always good. They go about their service in the right manner, from consultation to site survey and installation, and they get it right every time.”
Neaco’s innovative new decking has a gap-free surface
Neaco’s Neatdek 188 is an innovative metal decking system with drainage gaps concealed below the surface to provide an unrivalled combination of privacy, low maintenance and safety underfoot.
With a unique T-bar grille design which appears to be closed but is actually open, Neatdek 188 aluminium decking completely restricts the view from above and below and keeps litter and other items on the surface for easy cleaning. The absence of gaps on the foot contact area also makes it safe to walk in any type of footwear, including stiletto heels.
Alan Green, Managing Director at Neaco, said: “Neatdek 188 is a major step forward in metal decking design. The gap-free surface makes it ideal for balcony flooring because the restricted view maintains total privacy. For regular decking applications, the T-bar profile provides excellent drainage and ventilation but there is no problem with litter falling through and building up underneath and similarly there is no danger of accidentally dropping valuable items below. Neatdek 188 also offers a significant advantage over regular decking and metal grating with its safe footing making it an excellent option for all types of flooring, including bridges and public spaces where pedestrian safety is paramount.”
“Like all Neaco aluminium open grille systems, Neatdek 188 decking is lightweight yet strong and durable with a patented swage-locked construction between bars which enables high structural efficiency. It is also non-toxic, non-combustible, corrosive-free, 100 per cent recyclable and easy to install with low-energy construction methods. Modular panels are precision-manufactured off site and provide straightforward assembly with no welding required.”
Neaco’s range of aluminium open grille systems offers a choice of profiles to suit a wide variety of applications, including decking , screening, ventilation, bridge cycle and pedestrian ways, cladding, flooring, staging, balustrade infills and stair treads. The company’s diverse product range also includes modular handrail and balustrade systems, Juliet balconies, step-out balconies, structural glass and contemporary adaptive bathing facilities. All products are backed by a class-leading Lifetime Guarantee.
