Good news as industry leading air tightness launched

By Business Editor

The Roofing and Cladding division of ISD Solutions has created what it believes is industry leading air tightness in a new distribution centre in Essex. 

Using Kingspan’s high performance Quadcore system, experts at the coldstore and composite panel specialist have contributed to what is being called ‘the UK’s most integrated logistics hub; a sustainable, strategically located, trade enabling centre of excellence’. 

Plot 3020D, London Gateway is a new build industrial distribution centre at the mouth of the River Thames.

Working with Goldbeck Construction, cladding and roofing specialists at Gloucester-based ISD Solutions were awarded the contract to install the external envelope, both roof and walls with Kingspan’s RW, AWP & Micro Rib panels, with low building energy consumption and sustainable efficiency as the prime objective. 

Air tests on new buildings are strictly enforced and regulated due to the effect that permeability has on thermal performance, with industry expectations for a low rating standing at 3m3. 

Part L building regulations, aimed at guiding construction companies towards conservation of fuel and power, suggest that 5m3 is appropriate. 

On this project, thanks to industry leading expertise, high quality controls and installation standards, ISD achieved a rating of just 1.08m3. 

“This is a real-world example of how we are playing our part in driving up standards of workmanship and skills across our industry,” said Christopher Bowden, divisional manager of ISD’s specialist roofing and cladding division.

“Both London Gateway and Goldbeck were thrilled with the result we achieved and were equally impressed with our collaborative and solution driven working methods, with a hands-on approach. Of course, we were pleased too, as it highlights the effort put in and shows the importance of a high calibre product and installation. 

“It’s important that we ensure all members of our team have the necessary training and knowledge to undertake each specific project, armed with the latest installation guidelines. 

“We’re aiming to set a different standard in our industry, to foster a culture of excellence driven by high levels of communication, with operative safety at the forefront, creating an advantageous environment for us all to work in. This results in high quality builds for our clients and short-term cost savings. It’s an approach which is being recognised as the way forward. 

“It’s all part of The P & M Group’s commitment to sustainability with Project Acorn, which is about the wider impact that our work can have on the industry and the environment. This building will benefit the end user and the environment for its entire, multi-decade lifespan.” 

ISD recently built another facility in Kent – the new home of temperature-controlled logistics company Fowler Welch situated on a large logistics hub for the south east called Panattoni Park in Aylesford, Kent. 

On this project ISD achieved a rating of 1.19m3 – an excellent result on a twin skin system. Mr Bowden said that the system manufacturer, County Durham-based CA Group, was equally impressed by the level of air tightness achieved. ISD Solutions is part of Gloucester-based The P & M Group, which includes PLG Insulations, a division in Australia and Midlands-based installations specialists S Tysoe Installations. Together the companies employ more than 190 staff, with a combined turnover of around £70m. 

Mr Bowden said that the company’s growth was based on a culture of quality and excellence, and that the construction sector as a whole has a responsibility to attract new talent to the industry. 

“It’s jobs like these which get people interested in the role that construction can play as a force for good,” he said.

“We are all acutely aware of the need for quality people to enter the industry and we hope that projects such as these will inspire the next generation. 

“Rigorous, standard-raising inspections are becoming routine, so it’s important to communicate properly with teams and contractors. Trust, alongside standards of tidiness and safety with our subcontractors, foster a culture of quality which transfers to the level of workmanship we expect. 

“Ultimately the client and the environment will benefit from having facilities which are efficient to run and which last for decades.”