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Aluminium decking makes second appearance on multi-award winning project

Neaco’s aluminium open grille systems are demonstrating their hardy maritime qualities on the latest phase of the Seaham North Dock regeneration in Durham, marking the second time the products have been specified on a project which has already won multiple awards.

The scheme comprises extra berths and facilities for boat owners, easier access to the beach, environmental improvements and a watersports centre with changing facility, showers, kayak store and office space.  Designed by Napper Architects, the building includes a walkway and overhanging balcony area which feature Neaco’s Techdek grilles installed as decking.  The walls have been clad in two contrasting panel styles to protect it from the North Sea and Solar PV panels have been incorporated onto the adjacent sub-station roof.  The watersports facility will run a range of activities including canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding sailing and wet and dry rowing, cycling, running, triathlon and orienteering sessions.

 

The development of the watersports centre is being funded and supported by Sport England, Durham County Council, Seaham Harbour Dock Company, County Durham Sport and £1.744m from the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund. It follows the previous £3.5 million phase which included pontoons for 76 boats installed in the North Dock, the restoration of the listed North Dock Wall and the creation of The Waterside, a flagship building comprising 12 commercial units and café facility with a link to the maritime context of the dock. A derelict building has also been transformed into a heritage centre run by the East Durham Heritage Group, with the George Elmy lifeboat now on show. Durham County Council commissioned Napper Architects to design The Waterside, which features Neaco’s Techdek grilles as decking on a first-floor terrace.

The project has breathed new economic life into the previously redundant North Dock and forms part of a wider regeneration scheme which has successfully reversed the decline across the town of Seaham. Napper’s design for The Waterside has won 11 awards, including a RIBA building of the year Award, Client of the Year Award and a Civic Trust National Commendation.

Neaco’s National Sales Manager, Peter Melia, said:

“Neaco have supplied specifications for Napper Architects for a number of past projects and we are proud to be associated with their outstanding work on this multiple award-winning development. Our grille systems are extremely durable and corrosion-free, making them ideal for marine environments like Seaham North Dock.”

Neaco’s Techdek has gained a reputation for exceptional versatility and the system is utilised for wide range of architectural applications including industrial and balcony flooring, ventilation grilles, screening, bridge decking, cladding, staging and solar shading. The grilles are lightweight yet strong with a patented swage-locked construction between bars enabling high structural efficiency. The product has a design life of 60-100 years and is 100 per cent recyclable with no downgrading of its properties and very little energy required for re-melting. Neaco’s product range also includes a wide range of modular balustrade and balcony systems.

 

 

 

Neaco staff get knitted for Christmas Jumper Day

The festive spirit was in full effect at Neaco’s head office, where we put aside all semblance of sartorial taste to take part in Christmas Jumper Day 2017.

Fashion sense was put on hold as Neaco staff turned up for work in some eye-catching knitwear to raise money for Save the Children.  As you can see from the photos, style was not a high priority but it was a great excuse to dig out those once-a-year items from the wardrobe! 

Save the Children works to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. The charity aims to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, for immediate and lasting change in their lives. If you can spare a few quid this Christmas please text TEAMNEACO to 70050 to donate £5.00 towards our Save the Children fundraising campaign.

With another year almost over, Neaco would like to thank all our of customers and associates for their continued support in 2017. We look forward to more success in 2018  and would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas in the meantime!

 

Get up to speed with new balcony regulations

As countless people in the construction industry will readily acknowledge, knowing the Building Regulations inside-out is no guarantee that the progress of a project can be navigated without obstacles. Below the surface of official legal compliance, there are often undercurrents of preferred practice which architects and developers need to be aware of and follow with equal diligence to meet the approval of key stakeholders. This kind of non-statutory regulation has recently caused an evolution in the design and specification of balconies. It has largely been driven by housebuilding warranty providers and concerns three specific requirements: fire resistance, drainage and design life.

[please note: since this article was written in 2017,  the government has introduced new Building Regulations relating to fire safety on balconies – read our full overview here]

 

The external spread of fire on multi-storey buildings became part of the national conversation following the Grenfell disaster, but a year earlier the issue had already been touched upon when BRE Global published research in its ‘Fire safety issues with balconies’ document. It reported 24 balcony fires since 2005. The most common causes were arson, disposal of smoking material and misuse of barbeques. The report also stated that “the presence of a balcony can offer residents an alternative means of escape in a fire event if their main exits from the dwelling are inaccessible. Even if not by design a balcony can provide a refuge area for occupants to await rescue from Fire and Rescue Services for which there are numerous documented cases.”

The inference is clear:  measures to prevent the outbreak and spread of fire on balconies are potentially life-saving. This point has not been lost on warranty providers and they have become increasingly strict in their stipulations relating to fire risk. Most of them prohibit the use of timber joists and frequently reject the use of timber decking. Wood-polymer composite decking is often disapproved too; likewise glass reinforced plastic (GRP) flooring, an oil-based product containing organic compounds which burn. As a result, architects are increasingly using emerging alternatives such as aluminium decking, which has a Class 0 Fire Rating (the highest possible fire resistance score).

Steel is the preferred substitute for timber joists and this brings further implications to the design and specification of balconies. Extensive steelwork is expensive and it makes economic sense to reduce the amount of required support by using decking that is lightweight yet high in load-bearing capacity.  The structural efficiency of aluminium decking is ideal in this respect – joists are only required at 2000m centres compared to around 450mm for most composite decking.

Drainage is another design feature which is becoming more structurally efficient at the behest of warranty providers. Any balcony with a floor area of over 6m2 is conventionally fitted with ‘positive drainage’ – a term which refers to a catchment tray which is fixed directly below the balcony flooring and usually encased within a soffit. Also requiring a hopper and drainpipe, it’s a cumbersome solution which adds substantial weight and time to the installation. It is also prone the build-up of dirt, sediment and various waste substances which carry the attendant risk of blockage.

This has prompted warranty providers to seek alternatives. An increasingly popular option is an eaves drop system that allows rainwater to fall freely to the ground. This can be achieved with open grille balcony flooring. As an optional modification, rubber inserts can be placed between the grille bars to create a closed construction which drains water from one edge with the assistance of a slight slope in the grille panel installation. In either case, the absence of a conventional catchment tray and pipe requires an alternative way to facilitate the disposal of water without threatening the building. This is usually provided in the form of a French drain (named after its 19th century inventor Henry French) at ground level. This system comprises a slightly sloped trench which is filled with a layer of pea gravel above a perforated pipe which sits at the bottom. Surface water and groundwater seeps between the gravel and travels freely through the pipe. It’s a fast and efficient way to divert water away from the building and prevent saturation or pooling.

The combination of grille balcony flooring and French drain is a lighter, more economical solution which is quicker and easier to install. As a result the traditional method of positive drainage is showing a negative trend in popularity.

The third key stipulation concerns every element of balcony design: certain warranty providers are now insisting that all components and materials have a minimum design life of 60 years. This level of longevity is hard to achieve with timber or GRP, but aluminium is far more durable. It is widely considered to have a design life of 60-100 years but one report has suggested that it has an infinite lifespan in internal installations and a minimum lifespan of 120 years in external installations.

Whilst fire safety, drainage and design life have experienced the most significant shifts in recent years, a fourth design element is increasingly important to consider: slip resistance. It’s an area of performance which has come under greater scrutiny and in many cases balcony flooring is now assessed for slip resistance before being signed off. The Pendulum Test, which measures dynamic coefficient of friction, is the HSE’s preferred method of testing, largely because it is portable and a reliable indicator in conditions where slips commonly happen. It is advisable to develop a balcony specification with reference to the Pendulum Test as it reveals significant differences between specific materials and products: for example, in wet conditions aluminium decking with a specially engineered anti-slip surface is more than twice as slip resistant as wood-polymer composite decking. If anything, this calculation is a conservative estimate of the difference in actual conditions as it does not take account of moss, slime and mould which regularly affect wood and wood-based products if they are not regularly maintained.

In all areas of balcony design it is invaluable to stay conversant with prevailing guidance and develop specifications accordingly. Many developers only become aware of certain requirements when the stakeholder intervenes at a later stage, adding delay and cost to the construction programme. By consulting with the relevant warranty provider at an early stage, architects can avert a potential collision course and chart a smoother journey for their project.

 

 

 

 

neaco’s roof walkways featured at King Abdulaziz International Airport

neaco’s roof walkways have been installed at world’s largest single standing seam roofing project at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

 

Our products are featured on a major development involving the airport’s new terminal building, railway station, air traffic control centre and the main fire and rescue facility, requiring a combination of straight, tapered and curved roofs with high acoustic and thermal performance specifications. The project  required the engineering, procurement and construction of 350,000 square metres of Kalzip standing seam roofing – the largest single Kalzip project ever undertaken – which includes neaco’s aluminium open grille walkways and associated handrails.

 

neaco’s Managing Director, Alan Green, said: “Our aluminium modular grilles and handrails started attracting specifications for airport developments in the early nineties and demand has steadily grown ever since. We have achieved a global market reach with a range of access walkways and associated handrails which have been specified at some of the world’s leading airports, including London Heathrow and Hong Kong.  King Abdulaziz International Airport is the latest example – in terms of sheer scale of product installed it represents our largest-ever airport specification.”

 

neaco’s modular walkway grilles combine lightweight construction for ease of handling with a patented swage-locked design which provides high structural efficiency and an impressive load-bearing capacity. Providing a free-draining grille surface with a serrated surface for non-slip qualities, they are extremely durable and eco-friendly with 100 per cent recyclability and low-energy assembly requiring no welding or hot works. neaco access walkways can suit most standing seam roofs with a unique fixing system which allows the roof access walkway to be installed without penetrating the roof surface. When required the modular grilles can also be installed with handrails to one side or both sides for extra safety.

 

 

No need to mince words – our pie contest has a clear winner!

With Christmas on the horizon, Neaco’s sales team has started thinking about all those festive treats that we get to enjoy. One of our favourites is the classic mince pie, a long-time tradition in the office at this time of year. Every year staff bring in a selection from their local supermarket and this time we decided to officially compare seasonal offerings from different retailers.

 

Contenders from Morrison’s, Marks & Spencer, Co-Op and Sainsbury’s were put to the test by our expert panel of pie-loving judges, who assessed each entry in terms of taste, texture and generosity of size. Some judges were particularly meticulous in their assessment and required more than one pie in order to make a fully informed judgement. In the end Morrison’s Simply The Best range (literally) measured up better than its competitors and was judged the overall winner in our 2017 Mince Pie Contest. This popular event is likely to be repeated in 2018 (though we’re struggling to find volunteer judges for the 2017 Brussels Sprouts Contest…)

 

 

Balustrade Design Guide – Part 4: Materials & Finishes

Balustrade for stairs, mezzanine floors, partitions and barriers involves a wide range of technical and aesthetic considerations. Neaco’s Guide to Balustrade Design is a four-part series which explains each key requirement. Having covered stanchions, handrails and infills in Parts 1- 3, our final part focuses on materials and finishes. This aspect can be very important in determining the lasting visual quality and environmental performance of your balustrade installation.

 

MATERIALS

1. Timber

 

Timber has become an increasingly rare sight in balustrade specifications. There are a number of good reasons for this. It presents a higher fire risk than metal and is more prone to surface damage which can pose safety issues such as splinters on handrails. Wood also requires ongoing treatment to maintain its visual quality, its comfort to the touch and its ability to prevent absorption of bacteria and control infection. Wood’s decline as a specification has been accelerated by the development of wood-effect solutions (see FINISHES section below).

 

2. Steel

 

Mild steel (also known as carbon steel) is defined as having no more than 2 % carbon and no other appreciable alloying element. It is more malleable and cost-effective than stainless steel and is a common specification for internal use. However, it has poor corrosion resistance and should not be used in a corrosive environment unless a protective coating is applied. Galvanised steel is suitable for external use but its plain and rather functional appearance makes it more suitable for industrial settings where aesthetics are not a priority. Aluminium is considerably lighter in weight than mild or galvanised steel yet provides comparable functionality as well as superior performance (please see aluminium section below).

 

With a natural sheen which can be further enhanced by unidirectional polishing, stainless steel has obvious aesthetic appeal and represents an attractive high-end specification. Its visual quality can be maintained with an occasional washing to remove contaminants. It’s also very durable and hard-wearing in many environments. However, there are two grades – Type 304 and Type 316 – which are suitable for different environments and it is important to consider this with regard to the requirements of your design scheme. Below is a summary of the two grades and their suitability for different environments:

balustrade materials

 

 

Grade 304

 

In rural environments, Grade 304 performs well on exposed surfaces but slight discolouration is possible on sheltered surfaces. In urban environment it may be subjected to slight tarnishing. In industrial environments it can provide satisfactory performance when the pollution is less extreme, but for aggressive locations an upgrading is recommended. It is not recommended for marine environments as it can suffer from pitting. Generally speaking, we would advise using Grade 304 for dry internal use only as its condition will remain unaffected by atmospheric factors.

 

Grade 316

 

Grade 316 is suitable for typical urban atmospheres, where it suffers little or no tarnishing. It will also perform adequately in most industrial atmospheres, but regular washing would be required to minimise slight tarnishing or staining. It will generally provide reasonable performance in coastal locations but the quality of its finish will need to be maintained by regular washing.  Without washing it will suffer a degree of discolouration on long exposure. Grade 316 may be unsuitable for environments where a marine atmosphere is combined with hostile industrial pollution.

 

3. Aluminium

 

With a range of natural advantages and suitability for wide variety of environments, aluminium has become a widely specified material for balustrade. As well as being suitable for internal use, it preforms extremely well in harsh industrial and marine environments due to a number of qualities: it is a non-combustible, non-toxic, inert metal which is completely impermeable and corrosion-free. Aluminium is highly durable – one report suggests it has an infinite lifespan in internal installations and a minimum lifespan of 120 years in external installations. It is 100% recyclable with no downgrading of its properties and very little energy required for re-melting. It can be repeatedly recycled without loss of performance. With modular balustrade solutions, this means that you can replace and recycle components with relative ease and no ongoing maintenance is required, adding further carbon savings to a building’s lifecycle.  Aluminium is also lightweight (one third of the weight of steel) to provide easier handling, thereby saving on manpower.

 

balustrade

 

4. Glass

 

Structural glass balustrade or glass panel infills for balustrade avoid the tarnishing and corrosion in external environments which can be an issue with certain metals. Exterior glass will require occasional washing to maintain aesthetic quality but the primary concern, both internally and externally, is safety. You can find out more about this here. Make sure your manufacturer can demonstrate safety compliance with a recognised glass safety impact test.

 

Two types of structural glass are commonly specified: monolithic and laminated. Monolithic glass is a single pane whilst laminated glass is two panes with a laminate placed in between to provide stability. Monolithic glass usually requires a thickness of 15mm for a uniformly distributed horizontal line load of 0.74 kN/m and a thickness of 19mm for a load of 1.5 kN/m. Laminated glass usually requires a thickness of 17.5mm for a load of 0.74 kN/m and a thickness of 21.5mm for a load of 1.5 kN/m.  These required thicknesses sometimes need to be increased for a number of reasons such as increased height and windloading. It is important to consult the manufacturer regarding the thickness required for your particular scheme.

 

Monolithic structural glass is much harder to break. However, if it does break the glass will shatter, whereas laminated glass will crack. Unlike laminated structural glass, monolithic structural glass needs to be capped by a toprail. However, this is usually desirable to provide building occupants with comfort to the touch.

 

Glass can be pre-tested at the factory stage with a heatsoaking process which identifies any imperfections or weaknesses. Their frequency of occurrence is extremely rare (approximately once in every 100,000 tests) but investing in a heatsoaking test provides total peace of mind.

 

balustrade materials

 

FINISHES

 

Of the above materials, aluminium provides the most versatility in terms of finishing options. It readily accepts a range of surface finishes including painting, anodising and powder coating. Of these options, we would advise against conventional liquid painting, which will eventually start to flake and crack, especially in external environments.

 

Anodising is unique to aluminium and enhances its surface in a number of ways. Anodic film is totally impermeable and has exceptional abrasion resistance. It also provides optimal surface coverage, natural sheen and excellent preservation of the original surface texture and design, with no risk of fading or chalking. Anodising can be applied in a natural finish or with colouring to match the design scheme.

 

Powder coating techniques apply the finish electrostatically as a dry powder which is is then baked at high temperatures – a process which is completed at the factory stage. There are different types of powder coating, each offering different advantages which we have discussed in more detail here. However, all forms of powder coating have common attributes:

 

Smooth, even surface

Safe and warm to the touch (an ideal quality for handrails)

An extremely durable non-chip finish for maintenance-free installation

Eliminates the time and energy which would be consumed by applying a finish on-site

 

balustrade materials

 

Powder coating is the most aesthetically versatile option for finishing aluminium. Manufacturing techniques can create any colour, including metallic colours. Advances in powder coating have also enabled manufacturers to reproduce the detailed appearance of natural wood grain, providing the natural beauty timber without the various practical drawbacks. It can also mimic the appearance of an anodised finish.

 

balustrade materials