Neaco’s COVID-19 Statement

31/03/2020

Dear valued customers and suppliers,

The situation regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the UK’s response to the pandemic is changing on a daily basis.

The management team at Neaco are closely monitoring the situation and have been following advice from the government to prevent the spread of the virus and protect the health and well-being of our colleagues and their families.

We currently have admin and support functions working remotely from home, our manufacturing has been scaled back and the vast majority of our workforce is now furloughed. We have a small production team in place who will continue to fulfil urgent orders (subject to material availability).

During this time, our remote staff can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: sales@neaco.co.uk 
Office: 01653 695 721
Mobile: 0771 445 8116 (Kat Chalupka, Sales Manager)

We will continue to review the situation regularly and apologise for any inconvenience caused. We thank you for your support and understanding in these unprecedented times.

Kind regards,
Alan Green
Managing Director

Why are Modular Products Ideal for Refurbishment Projects?

Since the 2018 Building (Amendment) Regulations and the 2019 & 2020 government advice notes regarding combustible materials on building exteriors, a wave of refurbishment projects have entered the market.

Immediate Removal is Advised

Though legislation now states that newly built residential buildings with floors above 18m cannot incorporate combustible materials, it is the government advice notes that advise immediate removal of such materials from existing materials regardless of floor height.

Local Authorities and Building Owners

Many local authorities and private building owners have succumbed to the pressure of the government advice notes and public demand so have started making plans to remove and replace combustible materials on building exteriors with safer products.

The Issue with Refurbishment Projects

The trouble with removing and replacing materials, such as balcony decking and balustrade, is that it can be extremely disruptive to existing residents. Noise, dust and light pollution from building work can all be a great hindrance to existing residents. In some cases, access to homes could be blocked and alternative accommodation may be required, which is not only a major inconvenience for residents but would come at a significant cost to local authorities/building owners. Another consideration would be that, once residents find out that the refurbishment is due to the removal of combustible materials surrounding their homes, concern for safety will grow.

The Modular Solution

Each of these issues would benefit from the fast solution that modular products provide. Modular products are manufactured in multiples that are then combined on site to form the complete system; this means that the time on site is vastly reduced. As well as less time on site, the disruption to residents caused by noise, dust and light pollution is reduced.

Our Range of Modular Products

We have a range of modular and Fire Rated products at Neaco, including aluminium balcony decking, balustrades and full balcony solutions. All of our products are manufactured in our purpose-built manufacturing facility in North Yorkshire to your bespoke requirements.

If you would like to speak with one of our specialists about how our modular products could benefit your refurbishment project, please call 01653 695 721 or fill out our contact form here.

Government Advice Note (January 2020) – Advice on the Measures Building Owners Should Take to Ensure Their Buildings are Safe

A new advice note has been released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government entitled ‘Building Safety Advice for Building Owners, Including Fire Doors’. This document offers advice on the measures building owners should take to ensure their buildings are safe.

Throughout the document, building owners are urged to “follow the steps in this advice as soon as possible to ensure the safety of residents and not await further advice or information to act”.

The following advice to building owners has been offered with regards to balconies:

7.1. Balconies made with combustible materials are a potential source of rapid fire spread on the external wall of residential buildings. Balconies including combustible materials may not meet an appropriate standard of safety and could pose a risk to the health and safety of residents and other building users.

7.3. The view of the Expert Panel is that the removal and replacement of any combustible material used in balcony construction is the clearest way to prevent external fire spread from balconies and therefore to meet the intention of building regulation requirements and this should occur as soon as practical.

7.7. Building owners should also ensure that any risks arising from balconies are considered as part of the risk assessment and information provided to residents.

7.8. Where combustible materials have been used and it is assessed that there is a notable risk of fire spread as a result, building owners should seek professional advice and take appropriate action to address that risk.

Unlike the 2018 Building (Amendment) Regulations, this document stresses “the need to assess and manage the risk of fire spread applies to buildings of any height”.

Importance has also been placed on vulnerable residents who need assistance to evacuate; “the Expert Panel’s view is that the vulnerability of occupants is a significant factor in assessing this risk and, in some instances, may be more significant than building height”. Read more about balcony solutions for vulnerable residents here.

Critically, the advice note states that “for the avoidance of doubt, the removal of unsafe material and action to remediate unsafe wall systems should be carried out as soon as possible”.

Click here to read the full government advice note.

For expert advice, or to discuss our A1 Fire Rated balcony solutions,
please call 01653 695 721 or email sales@neaco.co.uk.

Load-bearing requirements for balcony decking

This article outlines requirements for balcony decking load capacity.

Designing a balcony, terrace or external walkway requires careful assessment of load-bearing capacity. Essentially, it’s a structural consideration that requires the calculation of known and potential loads.

Types of load

When designing a balcony or terrace deck, it’s useful to consider various types of load: the point load, uniformly distributed load, dead load and live (or imposed) loads.

A point load is a load applied to a single, specific point on the deck. It is also known as a concentrated load. It could be an object, a person or an action.

A uniformly distributed load (UDL) is a load that is distributed across 1m2 of the deck.

The dead load is the completed weight of a structure before it goes into service – in essence, the permanent components and materials that apply downward pressure. It represents the non-dynamic forces that place continuous force on a structure.

The live or imposed load is the dynamic forces that are likely to occur from occupancy and intended use. They represent transient pressures such as the anticipated weight of people, furniture and moveable equipment.

Live loads depend on structural strength, so it is important to establish as much precise knowledge as possible about the planned use of the decking. For example, a first-floor terrace on a busy city bar is likely to accommodate a much greater live load than a roof access walkway or a small balcony on a one-bedroom apartment.

Dead and imposed loads should be calculated in accordance with BS 6399. The NHBC guidance (2010) states that design should account for point loads imposed by foot traffic and storage of materials.

Choice of material for load-bearing

In recent years, aluminium has become the stand-out choice of material for balcony decking, terraces and external walkways. This is primarily due to new Building Regulations related to fire safety, requiring balcony materials to be on-combustible and A1 or A2 Fire Rated under the Euroclass system (aluminium is A1 Rated). However, another of aluminium’s useful attributes is structural efficiency: as a dead load itself, aluminium is lightweight – requiring less structural support than steel or concrete – yet its load-bearing strength is high.

Load spans and deflection limits

When assessing load-bearing design in relation to your balcony or external terrace/walkway, you should consult the individual manufacturer’s load/span tables for each profile to determine a suitable installation.

Load spans are measured in Kilonewton per square metre (kN/m2). At Neaco, we define our load span figures in terms of Light Duty, Medium Duty and Heavy Duty, determined by anticipated occupancy and use. The load span measurement (or spanning capability) of each profile progressively decreases between Light, Medium and Heavy Duty.

• We define Light Duty, as 3kN/m2 UDL. or 1kN Point
• We define Medium Duty, as 5kN/m2 UDL or 1kN Point
• We define Heavy Duty, as 5kN/m2 UDL or 1kN Point

We provide this data along with deflection limit data. Deflection is the bending or “sag” caused by loading. A deflection limit is expressed as a fraction: clear span over a given number. For example, if a decking has a 1/200 deflection limit and is selected to span 180cm, it will deflect no more than 180/200 = 9mm (or 0.35 inches) under maximum design loads.  

Installing the structure should be in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and BS 6399-2. NHBC guidance recommends that the frequency of fixings meet the manufacturer’s recommendations, and be calculated to resist the wind uplift figures derived from BS 6399-2. The guidance goes on to state that structural steelwork should be designed in accordance with BS 5950 and Technical Requirement R5.

Summary

Safety is paramount when determining the loading requirements of your balcony or external terrace/walkway. It is important to consult a qualified structural engineer in conjunction with your chosen manufacturer to ensure that the installation is suitable for or all foreseeable use and occupancy. BS 6399 is the key reference for the performance and technical requirements, but expert advice is extremely valuable.

For advice on load-bearing requirements, please contact our product specialists on 01653 695721 or fill in our enquiry form here.