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Cardiff City Council is the latest customer to use Forticrete's innovative Caplock extra secure copings, the latest phase of repairs to council-owned residential areas in Pentwyn. The Caplock system locks together the coping and the top course of brickwork forming a virtually immovable mass. This prevents destruction by vandals and combats the effects of freeze-thaw on mortar. For the Cardiff scheme, a double cant design was chosen. Laurie Morris, project manager, said: 'We intend to use Caplock again in future phases of this contract and also in other contracts, as it will ultimately give our customers a reduction in lifetime maintenance costs. Here in Cardiff, the client has already been impressed by the look of the new walls, and also reassured by their solidity.'

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The building envelope for Howie Forest Product's £15 million Kenmuir Sawmill in south west Scotland was manufactured and supplied by Cumbrian-based Steadmans. Installed by steelwork and cladding contractor T A Kirkpatrick, the Plastisol colour coated materials comprise 10,000m2 of roofing, cladding, and vented cladding sheets together with a range of matching flashings. The sawmill has been designed without using gutters. Instead, rainwater runs off the roof , round the curved eaves and down into a special pebble-covered soakway system to an underground drainage system before being filtered through on-site reed beds. Supplied in AS35/1000 profile, the materials include over 6,000 sq meters of factory-made LPCB Approved PIR core insulated panels.

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For the first time this year Bayer Sheet Europe will present at the Hortifair in Amsterdam. The company will display its product palette of unbreakable transparent Makrolon multi-wall sheets for the construction of greenhouses. It is 250 times less breakable than glass and avoiding the cost of expensive safety glass and the additional insurance. Due to its high level of heat retention, the glass also conserves energy.

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Thermabate has provided David Wilson Homes with a pre-formed solution to closing cavities around windows for all its Scottish housing developments. The Thermabate cavity closer has an insulating foam core which prevents thermal bridging, while the PVC-U box section forms a positive damp proof barrier and key for direct application of plaster. It prevents condensation, pattern staining and mould growth frequently associated with traditional methods of closing cavities.

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BP's new £45m Exploration and Production headquarters in Aberdeen features the latest in sustainable building technology including a bespoke Stormsaver rainwater harvesting system. The system, which captures rainfall from the building's 7,294m² roof, filters it and integrates it into the WCs, will save BP over £12,000 per year as a result of reduced mains water consumption, according to the rainwater specialists. The supply of the 3 tank, 172,000 litre system represents a milestone for Nottinghamshire-based Stormsaver, says company director Lisa Farnsworth: 'This is the first time since we established the company in 2003 that a multi-national, blue chip company committed to use a Stormsaver system on such a large scale.'

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Leisuretec Distribution has signed an exclusive customer installer distributorship agreement with Denon and Marantz Installation. The result is a range of AV separates that are now available for the customer installation market exclusively through Leisuretec including the range of Denon AV receivers, 2.1 channel AV system, the Escient Music Server and the Boston Acoustics range. Nick Spalding, Leisuretec's MD, said: 'This is a highly desirable range, only available previously through Denon retailers.'

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Developers of an office development in Cumbria have identified a solution to stormwater runoff using Hydro's Stormbloc modular storage system and Hydro-Brake Flow Control device. The original plan required a tank to be installed in concrete under the car park which entailed deep excavation into stiff clay. As Stormbloc is load bearing, it needed minimal structural work to install, and only required excavation to 2m for a 500m³ tank, which, say the contractors, proved to be easier and more cost effective solution.

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The Soundbar System from Finnforest has been specified by Bloor Homes, for all its timber frame housing and flatted developments in the Wilmslow region, thanks to successful sound tests completed at the housing company's Wrexham site. The test results exceeded Part E relating to noise by 12dB for Airbourne and 12dB Impact, within residential compartment floors.

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When a Leicestershire village cricket club commissioned a new clubhouse, the architect specified Decra roof tiles to withstand the occasional six. Over 2,000 steel Stratos tiles were installed on the complex, curved roof of Kibworth Cricket Club in two thirds the time of more conventional tiles. Bill Smedley, managing director of the architects for the project rg+p, said: 'One of the advantages of the Decra tiles is that they won't break if a cricket ball hits them. It will just bounce off. If we had wanted to use concrete or slate tiles we would have had to replace them

Details for Decra Roof Systems (UK) Ltd

Concerned that the subfloor in an office refurbishment project in Nuneaton might contain excessive moisture, the moisture measurement specialist F Ball & Co was called in. Using its new Protimeter Aquant, the Leek, Staffordshire-based company quickly established further examination was required. The hand-held meter was simply bought into contact with the floor and its dual displays indicated that a high level of potential moisture was present in the floor. F Ball's latest digital hygrometer was then used to precisely measure the relatively humidity of the subfloor. Supplied pre-calibrated and ready for use, the hygrometer was simply taped to the floor, left to reach equilibrium, and then switched on to give an instant, accurate reading. With a RH reading in excess of 92%, a two-coat remedial treatment was recommended and subsequently carried out.

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