Posts in category: Industry Sectors

Daniel May, Director at Consort Architectural Hardware explains how the drive towards sustainability is influencing hardware and building design.

For some time now sustainability has persistently – and rightfully – gained traction in many of the world’s leading conversations. Between COP26 and UNEP, both industries and individuals are progressively being held responsible for their environmental footprint, and the growing expectation to go beyond compliance has incited real change.

Predictably, the topic of sustainability has stimulated the built environment too. The construction sector contributes £117 billion to the UK economy – 6% of the total economic output. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story, where according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, construction, demolition and excavation accounted for a staggering 62% of the UK’s total waste in 2018.

In fact, the built environment reportedly contributes to 38% of total global energy-related CO2 emissions, and that in itself isn’t sustainable. On all fronts, there has been a shift in focus as the pressure to do better has intensified. And decision makers across the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) supply chain must now keep up to remain on track for the government’s net zero by 2050 target.

Changing Environments

Promisingly, 82% of AEC organisations now have a dedicated sustainability team in place, and with environmental goals established, sustainable performance is more readily measured today. Third-party assessment methods, such as BREEAM, are zeroing in on new build projects, as well as the refurbishment of existing infrastructures, encouraging the use of lower impact construction materials. As published in their official guidance, decision makers are being urged to ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ in a bid to improve their footprint.

In terms of waste, construction materials are recognised as an area ready for improvement. The lifecycle of a construction product has become a core focus area for many and is continually addressed by assessment methods such as BREEAM and standardised by Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). From material extraction (where in the UK alone, the construction industry accounts for 55% of raw material consumption) to product recycling (where 13% of project materials go direct to waste without being used), all stages of a product’s life are critical – and failing to consider a product’s, and therefore a building’s lifecycle, is becoming a deciding factor in the modern procurement process.

Architectural hardware for example, is one of the most heavily used elements of a building and an integral part of any project. As such, hardware must meet the strict safety standards

associated with testing, but so too, the stringent environmental management standards such as the widely recognised ISO 14001 certification. When measuring the functionality of hardware, durability must now be astutely considered, where through increased longevity, quality products can outlast that of the building itself – further minimising environmental impact by removing the need for replacements. As with all building materials, the lifecycle of hardware should be reviewed throughout the manufacturing process, and trusted manufacturers are now providing that detailed evidence as part of the purchasing decision.

The alteration of product packaging is another area that is seeing significant change too. Ahead of the Plastic Packaging Tax set to introduce this year, R&D teams are already sourcing alternative packing options and eliminating product waste in a bid to stimulate the circular economy. This commitment must also transfer through to the specification and design stages of projects too. In some cases, for example, there has been a shift to modular and off-site construction, where elements of the project are constructed and delivered in a finished form.

This approach has been designed to reduce the consumption of site waste through the application of controlled manufacturing environments. However, waste can still feature here, and decision makers must continue to recognise their responsibility in choosing the more sustainable product option to avoid sending any waste to landfill where possible.

Sustainable Opportunities

Undoubtedly, the race to net zero is changing the dimensions of the construction sector and the decisions made within. Yet, sustainability and the adoption of a circular economy poses a real opportunity and is likely to drive future projects forward and leave non-adapters behind.

The benefit of sustainable construction is in fact extremely far reaching. Already, most AEC organisations are seeing the advantages, as 3 in 4 construction firms say the introduction of sustainability initiatives has led to a better use of resources. ‘Greener’ investments can pay dividends across the supply chain in various ways, from contractual wins to building managers seeing a reduction in their running costs over time.

As manufacturers continue to improve the longevity of their architectural components and materials, building performance will continue to peak. When adopted, the use of better, more sustainable materials will diminish the need to replace or refurbish poor quality products over time, decreasing the costs associated with maintenance. From an environmental standpoint, as the need for replacements decreases, so too will the material and packaging waste that has previously contributed to the industry’s eye-opening waste statistics – a win-win for all.

The clear, ongoing commitment to sustainable practice is represented by The Architects Registration Board for example, which in 2021 introduced a string of new educational guidelines where students are set to learn key lessons on environmental sustainability.

Moving forward, projects may no longer be approached with an environmental checklist in hand, and instead sustainable innovation will likely act as a springboard to elevate decisions throughout the building design process.

As hardware and building design continues to adapt, sustainable construction will progress, providing social, environmental and economic benefits for years to come. But above all, the need to safeguard our future is, and always should be, the most crucial objective – and we simply cannot afford to lose sight of that.

How Consort is delivering on sustainability

Consort is committed to safeguarding our future through the responsible and ethical use of resources, minimising the environmental impact on our planet. In recent years we have taken proactive action towards our supply chain, achieving our target of removing all plastic packaging in the production of our premium range in 2021 and now aiming to eliminate all plastic packaging across our full range of products by the end of 2022 – in addition to our ‘buy-back’ process for our premium range where all products are recycled or repurposed.

We continue to strive towards real, sustainable change and by the end of 2025 we aim to ensure our full range of products can be fully recycled. We’re extremely proud of our active initiatives as we continue towards minimal environmental impact as a manufacturer in this sector.

The NFCC has welcomed the progress of the Building Safety Bill, as it completed its third reading in the House of Commons on 19 January 2022. Following the debate, Mark Hardingham, NFCC Chair said: “The Building Safety Bill is a crucial piece of legislation to improve the fire and building safety landscape both now and in the future. 

“We particularly welcomed the detailed contributions from Members across the House, including those speaking on behalf of residents and leaseholders in their constituencies, who have borne the impact of the cladding and remediation issues.

“It’s important that the Bill incorporates safety requirements for both our current building stock and new buildings, so that we can turn off the tap and prevent any more unsafe buildings from being built.”

NFCC will continue to urge Government to ensure the right balance between the principles of ‘non-worsening’ and continued improvement. Mark Hardingham added: “We would welcome clarification that the new Building Safety Regulator’s powers will be available to use to encourage improvements, such as sprinkler installation, when a building is refurbished.”

Amendments to the Building Safety Bill include a retrospective extension of the limitation period set out in the Defective Premises Act. The proposed extension gives leaseholders up to 30 years to make a claim for compensation. Gavin Tomlinson, NFCC Protection and Business Safety Committee Chair, said: “NFCC supports extending the Defective Premises Act limitation period to give leaseholders longer to claim compensation for building safety defects. We would welcome a joined-up approach across the nations of the UK. 

“We look forward to understanding the detail on how this will be implemented and on the legal avenues Mr Gove outlined should developers refuse to pay. This is particularly important when development companies are closed down once a project is completed, leaving the parent company facing no ongoing legal liability for remediation.”

As the Bill moves to its second reading in the House of Lords next week, NFCC will continue to support robust legislation that delivers a safe built environment for the future. 

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and BSI, have today signed off the content for Amendment 2 to BS 7671:2018 (18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations), which introduces a new requirement for Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs), updated requirements for the fire safety design for buildings and a new chapter on Prosumer’s Low Voltage Electrical Installations.

Amendment 2 comes into effect immediately when published on 28th March 2022 and the previous version, BS 7671:2018+A1:2020, will be withdrawn six months later.

This essential update to the IET Wiring Regulations will form the national standard to which all new electrical installations and additions, and alterations to existing electrical installations in the UK are to comply. The IET and BSI are now urging all electrical professionals to ensure they become familiar with the changes.

Significant changes include:

• a new requirement for Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) in some AC final circuits for installations in some types of higher risk residential buildings;
• the requirement for the fire safety design of buildings to be documented where specific conditions of external influence exist, such as protected escape routes and locations with risk of fire;
• method for determining the requirement to provide overvoltage protection;
• changes to identification, labels and notices, such as for consumer units, affecting how safety information is provided to the user of the electrical installation;
• a chapter on Prosumer’s Low Voltage Electrical Installations, in a new part, Part 8.

Members of the committee responsible for the technical content of BS 7671, JPEL/64, are not permitted to release any further information before the publication date.

Dan Palmer, Associate Director of Committees at BSI said: “BS 7671 is one of the UK’s most important standards, providing authoritative requirements to promote electrical safety. The changes introduced in this new amendment will help electrical professionals keep up to date with new and innovative technologies, as well as ensuring they have current knowledge about designing safe installations.”

Mark Coles, Head of Technical Regulations at the IET, said: “The IET is the authority for electrical installations in the UK and ensures that the National Wiring Regulations Committee carefully considers all necessary updates to the Regulations to ensure they best meet the needs of the industry.

“The Amendment continues the thread of embracing new technologies and Prosumer’s Low Voltage Electrical Installations is an exciting step into the future of renewable sources of energy and their integration into our lives.

“Focussing on high-risk environments with requirements for Arc Fault Detection Devices and the fire safety design of buildings is a major step in order to increase safety.

“Amendment 2 is an essential update to provide for the safety of electrical installations in the UK and it is now imperative that the industry is ready to work to this amendment before BS 7671:2018+A1:2020 is withdrawn.”

Further changes are included throughout all parts of BS 7671, including the incorporation of Amendment 1:2020 to BS 7671:2018 as part of the main document.

Post-Brexit, this Amendment sees the further adoption of CENELEC Harmonized Documents as the UK continues the inclusion of standards for new and developing technologies.

BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 is available for pre-order at theiet.org/amendment2-wm  

Learn more about the IET’s guidance and training packages at theiet.org/18th-resources-wm

Honeywell a global leader in fire and life safety, is launching a global notification platform, VARIODYN ONE, designed to enhance in-building voice communications to improve response to emergency situations and general public address announcements. VARIODYN ONE can be used for emergency response to support faster egress from a building, general day-to-day announcements, and notifications that produce high quality sound. It is the next generation of the trusted VARIODYN product line, which is used in some of the largest and most complex installations across the world.

VARIODYN ONE is an IP-based public address and voice alarm (PA/VA) system that delivers exceptional usability and sound performance to address daily operational and safety needs of a building. It is the foundation of Honeywell’s new global notification platform that can better inform building occupants of activity in a building – from a school’s daily announcements to its emergency response directions.

“Many buildings use two different communications systems – one for general announcements and one for emergency notifications – that aren’t designed to work together and inherently don’t work with the fire and life safety system,” said Alessandro Araldi, general manager, Global In-Building Communications, Honeywell. “The VARIODYN ONE system is intended to better notify people of events in a building, and in an emergency, provide context-aware information to improve response and safe egress.”

The VARIODYN ONE configuration tool and management software are built on the Honeywell Connected Life Safety Services (CLSS) platform, which will provide seamless integration with Honeywell Fire systems as a single, common user interface, making it easier to connect the PA/VA system to the fire panel. The CLSS platform also increases technician productivity during commissioning and post-sale system maintenance. The easy-to-learn and use CLSS tools are increasingly popular with integrators with more than 6.8 million connected points on the platform in its first six months of availability, helping to reduce labour needs and decreasing disruptions to a building’s operations and occupants.

VARIODYN ONE can help building owners to:

• Improve operational effectiveness: Delivers clear, clean sound characterised by low distortion and high intelligibility using digital signal processing (DSP) and premium audio components, resulting in improved communication and emergency response with highly intelligible message delivery.
• Reduce risk and total cost of ownership: Features like built-in speaker zone matrix and power sharing amplifiers make the system more reliable and reduce risk of system downtime, while making the system more affordable, lowering maintenance cost, and minimising space requirements.
• Increase ease of integration: Uses common audio protocols which allow it to be more easily integrated with other on-site systems, such as DANTE A/V and SIP communication, without additional hardware or handshake issues.
• Decrease risk of safety incidents: Allows for faster response times to potential issues as safety and security staff can monitor and quickly understand overall system status via its intuitive interface.
• Prepare for the future: Features a flexible architecture and standard protocols that allow VARIODYN ONE to be configured to the specific business needs while reducing the real estate needed to store the PA/VA equipment. The same scalability allows it to be expandable and future proof to address future site needs.   

VARIODYN ONE can support a wide range of applications including within the transportation, industrial, hospitality, healthcare, commercial and education verticals.

Along with the broader Honeywell portfolio of high-quality speakers, intercom stations, racks and more, the introduction of VARIODYN ONE offers a complete networked public address and emergency communication solution. VARIODYN ONE is EN54 listed and available with local support in the UK market via Honeywell Fire brands including Gent, Notifier and Morley -IAS distributors. Click here for more information. The Honeywell VARIODYN ONE won the iF Design Award 2021 for product design in the building technology category.

A brand new free download ‘Fundamentals of critical power’ makes an ideal starting point for building owners and facility managers to learn how an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can protect business continuity and what to take into consideration when talking about power back-up needs with a consultant or designer. It’s the latest in Eaton’s easy-to-read ‘Fundamentals’ series which launched in autumn 2020.

From the outset the priority has been to produce a practical, accessible resource that draws on Eaton’s leadership and deep knowledge in the UPS space but doesn’t attempt to cover every possibility down to every last technical detail. Instead, the guide encourages readers looking to plan a system to use it as a first step on their UPS journey – bringing Eaton specialists into the conversation when they feel ready.

Eaton’s Ashraf Yehia, Managing Director, Middle East said: “We see this new UPS guide as especially relevant as it enables the many different professionals involved in the buying process to talk on the same level – from the initial stages of planning a system through to building and commissioning it. It starts by taking a step back to understand how the core offline, online interactive and online topologies solve the nine power challenges businesses and organisations face. Once people understand why UPS systems are needed and what lies behind them, they’re better equipped to understand why a consultant is suggesting specific options.” 

Alongside valuable insights into key topics such as the flexibility of modular UPS and redundancy, cybersecurity and advanced power management software, the guide features a six-stage process to aid system design. It concludes with important background information on compliance plus possible outline system architectures covering a range of UPS scenarios.

For more information, visit Critical Power | Fundamentals Guide | Eaton

Electrical Safety First a UK charity dedicated to reducing the number of injuries and deaths caused by electricity in the UK has commented on Building Safety Bill. Andy Slaughter MP has tabled amendments to the Bill that would see mandatory five yearly electrical safety checks introduced for both the social rented units and leaseholder units within a high rise residential building

Commenting on the Building Safety Bill (Report Stage) and amendments tabled by Andy Slaughter MP to introduce five-yearly electrical safety checks for social tenants and leaseholders in High Rise Residential Buildings (HRRB), Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First said:

“Those living in high rise buildings face unique risks and it is essential this Bill addresses them adequately. We have become all too familiar with how devastating electrical fires in tower blocks can be and it is a matter of urgency that all homes within a block are subject to the same protections, regardless of tenure type. We urge MPs to support mandatory electrical safety checks as part of this Bill so that people and their properties can be kept safe and secure from the devastation that electrical fires in high rise buildings can cause.”