32
JANUARY 2015 PRO INSTALLER
PRO PRODUCTS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
Spectacle structure brings
Scottish history to life
The Kelpies, Falkirk
are the largest equine
structures in the world
exemplify the industrial history of Scotland.
Officially inaugurated on
the 17th and 18th April
2014, The Kelpies are
located in The Helix; a
new 350 hectare park in
Falkirk. They are modelled on heavy horses
which were once the
powerhouse of the Falkirk
and Grangemouth area,
working in the foundries,
the fields, the farms and
the canals.
Standing at 30 metres
in height and one of the
largest equine sculptures
in the world, each component is formed from steel,
a material from Scotland’s
former industrial heartland, which allows each of
the horses’ heads to exude
a mechanized aesthetic.
The full structures are
illuminated inside and out
creating a stunning spectacle during the hours of
darkness, which elevates
Falkirk and Grangemouth
to national and international prominence.
The £43 million project
was made possible by a
£25 million award from
Big Lottery’s ‘Living Landmarks’ fund and a partnership between Falkirk
Council, Scottish Canals
and Central Scotland’s
Forest Trust.
Dow Corning 896 PanelFix
was specified for bonding the stainless steel skin
plates which were used to
clad the horses’ manes on
each of the sculptures.
Dow Corning proposed
the use of silicone bonding with high strength
Dow Corning 896 PanelFix
in combination with the
mechanical fixation. This
allowed each of the 316
plates to be quickly and
securely fastened, preventing vibration and accommodating dynamic wind
loads, which can give rise
to vertical motion, creating
oscillations in any direction.
The use of Dow Corning
896 also enabled the curved
sections of the panels to be
securely fixed to the sub
structure.
Established in 1943 specifically to explore and develop
the potential of silicones,
Stopping Cowboy Building
Up-selling will be a key path to growth for the fenestration
industry in 2015, according to Andrew Swift, technical
advisor for foam sealants supplier, ISO-Chemie.
He believes that while confidence remains high within
the construction market,
and window companies in
particular have enjoyed a
good year for sales, margins
have not been as high as
hoped and in some quarters,
remain extremely tight.
“Increasing margins would
appear to be a big challenge for
the fenestration industry, as well
as finding new ways to up-selling
as we go forward in the coming
years.
“Looking ahead, the new minimum technical competency (MTC)
standards should separate the
professionals from the cowboys,
if policed properly. But there’s
also a strong responsibility for
installers to look to add even
more value, and boost margins,
through new ways of up-selling
to customers.
“One way to do this is to deal
with the gap around the window
to wall joint, which is currently
un-regulated. I fully expect this to
become a focus for 2015 as more
and more start to look at seriously tackling the issue.
ISO-Chemie’s Andrew Swift says
2015 will be about up-selling
Andrew Swift says that for the
last few years the main topics in
the industry have been off site
construction, air tightness and
energy savings but this is now
changing.
He foresees growing debate in
2015 and beyond about how the
fenestration industry ensures that
new buildings perform correctly
during the initial design and post
construction phases.
“A recent study of new buildings, done by the Zero Carbon Hub, shows there is a big
difference between the designed
performance and the final build
performance.
“Most of this appears to be
down to site installation and lack
of attention to detail through
poor education and training of
installers. The report indicates
four main areas of advice/guidance on how to improve the
situation. One of these is “providing ‘assured’ as built energy
performance for common fabric
junctions and systems”.
“This is one of the areas where
ISO-Chemie can assist, with products that give guaranteed performance, a number of which come
with a 10 year warranty. Now that
is what I call “assured”.
“I therefore see 2015 as the
year when we maybe stop talking
about these failures and the regulating bodies start to make some
high profile examples of those
who don’t conform.”
Dow Corning is a global leader in silicon-based
technology and innovation.
Dow Corning is passionate
about silicon technology’s
versatility, its possibilities
and its unique potential to
help solve some of the most
important challenges facing
our world.
Getting
Tough
Geocel, a market leader in
quality sealants, coatings
and associated chemicals,
ha introduced theWORKS; a
high performance product
range that helps tradespeople and homeowners tackle
those tough household jobs.
With three uniquely formulated
products: theWORKS multi-use
sealant and adhesive, theWORKS
XXX high grab ultra adhesive, and
theWORKS spray, Geocel offer a
way of managing all kinds of jobs
that are impossible with a usually
traditional solvent or water based
adhesive.
TheWORKS multi-use sealant
and adhesive can be used for
tough areas like kitchens and
bathrooms. Suitable in wet or dry
conditions, it won’t shrink or stain
and can be used on virtually any
substrate.
TheWORKS XXX High Grab Ultra Adhesive is one of the strongest products on the market and
can be used to complete exterior
and interior jobs. Offering 50%
more ‘grab’ than other, traditional
adhesives, it removes the need for
additional fixings and can withstand adverse weather conditions,
as well as general wear and tear.
As well as great sealants and
adhesives, theWORKS’ Spray
can help get rid of old or sticky
substances too. The all-purpose
aerosol works in seconds, making
it easy to remove grease, oil and
tar.
‘We have a dedicated
R&D team and
constantly review
products’
Speaking about the range, Geocel’s Research and Development
Manager, Stuart Oakey, said: “We
have a dedicated R&D team and
constantly review products to
ensure we are at the forefront of
innovation.
“Our sealants, adhesives and
spray help tradespeople tackle the
toughest jobs, indoors and out,
and offer optimum performance
whatever the application.”