Pipe Insulation Blog

Knauf's Summer of Sport was a 2016 CMA Award Winner taking the prize for "Best Social Media Campaign" Knauf has emerged victorious in the Best Social Media Campaign category for the Construction Marketing Awards for its light-hearted Facebook project which successfully grew Knauf’s online following. The victory was announced at an opulent black tie ceremony in London in early December. Each year, the brightest minds in the construction marketing industry gather to find out who has conducted the most innovative and intriguing marketing and communications campaigns. To win the CMA award, Knauf had to edge out four other highly competitive social media campaigns. The Knauf Summer of Sport was created with the intention of driving likes and followers to the brand new Knauf Facebook group amongst contractors and plasterers. With a summer filled with major sporting events to capitalise on, the Summer of Sport tapped into public enthusiasm by creating whiteboard

The European Commission’s ‘winter package’ of energy proposals, due before the end of 2016, will be multi-faceted and wide-ranging, but Knauf Insulation only wants one thing — an ambitious commitment to tackling energy waste in buildings. “Europe must put energy efficiency at the heart of any future decisions on our energy system and that means a historic commitment to stopping energy waste and improving Europe’s buildings this December,” said Sîan Hughes, Director of External Affairs for Knauf Insulation Speaking on the occasion of Renovate Europe Day, Sîan stressed that an ambitious Europe-wide building renovation programme would have a positive impact on Europeans for generations to come. “Buildings account for 40% of Europe’s energy use and 36% of its emissions. A genuinely visionary Europe-wide renovation programme will cut energy use and honour international climate commitments and, perhaps more importantly, create millions of jobs and drastically improve livings stan

Back by popular demand, Knauf, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of lightweight building materials, will return to the Offsite Construction Show this week, displaying a number of its innovative products at the largest show dedicated to offsite construction in Europe. Knauf will occupy stand D28 at the Offsite Construction Show , across two days at ExCel London, both today and tomorrow. Last year, thousands of attendees to the Offsite Construction Show saw and heard first-hand how Knauf’s range of products and systems are assisting in the growth of the modular and offsite construction sector. With increased demand for affordable homes across Britain, offsite construction is seen as a solution to the needs of the country. There will be plenty going on at the Knauf stand for attendees passing by including live demos of the new Knauf Readymixed Finishing Solutions on the hour, as well as further demos on request. For interested parties who are not able to attend in person, K

With an eye to the future, Knauf has announced a three year partnership with the Architectural Association School of Architecture supporting its Little Architect Project. The partnership ensures that Knauf will work with the young talent that will shape the architecture of Britain for decades to come. The Architectural Association, founded in 1847, is the oldest independent school of architecture in the UK, and is recognised globally for its teaching excellence. Esteemed architects such as Zaha Hadid, Nicholas Grimshaw and Elia Zenghelis, to name a few, have graced the school over the years. With this new partnership, Knauf will be in prime position to assist in the guidance and nurturing of the new talent that will influence building design throughout Britain and the world. It is also participating to enhance the education of younger children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Little Architect Project is a fun and informative educational programme in UK primary schools aim

Proposing the Regal range of colours – developed by Knauf for its Presto render range – has enabled Cavanna Homes to work closely with South Hams District Council’s planning department to achieve a pleasing external aesthetic at its Origins development, set in the heart of the Devon village of Dartington. “We’ve worked with Knauf products before and planners in Devon have seen it in use on our developments across the county where it provides the right blend of rural appearance with a modern low maintenance performance,” explains Michael Bennett, Commercial and Technical Director for Cavanna Homes (Devon) Ltd.  “We’re very pleased with the result – the Presto render, whether scratch or roughcast, delivers a very good consistent finish, particularly since we have specified Knauf’s Equaliser silicone paint as the final coat”. Developed to simplify what can be a difficult design decision, the Regal range is restricted to 16 colours that are most readily accepted by most UK planner

On Friday the 9th of September, 27 riders from Knauf UK will set off on an epic 400 mile trek from Sittingbourne to Immingham, all in the name of charity and health. Taking inspiration from Team GB’s amazing medal haul in the cycling in Rio, Knauf employees are gearing up to take on the challenge.  The four day ride is the reverse of Knauf’s accomplishment in 2012 when 20 Knauf riders made the trip from Immingham to Sittingbourne in an effort to raise money for charity. As part of the Knauf Wellbeing initiative established to improve the health and wellbeing of its employees, the Tour de Knauf is the latest activity organised for staff members.  Adding to this, participants are raising funds to support Demelza Hospice Care for Children. Sittingbourne plant Shift Manager Mike Howland snaps himself and his Knauf team mates out training for the Tour de Knauf  during a practice run in August. The challenge has engaged the interest of riders and non-riders from all sectors of the

More than 180 policy makers, business people, representatives of non-governmental organisations, trade associations and academia from 30 different countries attended the first Central and Eastern European Energy Efficiency Forum (C4E Forum). The forum, co-organized by Chance for Buildings, European Climate Foundation and Bulgarian Green Building Council with intensive support of Knauf Insulation ’s Public Affairs Director for Eastern Europe Ondrej Sramek, was a major breakthrough for the region and is now set to become a biennial event. “Forums such as these are popular in Western Europe, but because they are focused on specific regional topics and often prohibitively expensive, Eastern Europeans rarely attend,” says Ondrej. “There was a clear need to create an affordable event in our region that focused on the critical issues that really matter to Central and Eastern Europe. So, that is what we did.” Underlining the importance of the new initiative, Maroš Šefčovič, the Vice-

Knauf gets stuck into the Construction Cup Knauf, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of lightweight building materials , has hit the back of the net by announcing a sponsorship of the upcoming 2016 Construction Cup five-a-side football tournament. The tournament will take place on the 2nd of September in the shadow of Wembley Stadium, home of English football and the scene of one of the country’s greatest footballing moment over the decades. Since 2011 ambitious teams have gathered from around the country to battle for sporting glory all in the name of charity. Many of the UK’s most prominent manufacturers have thrown their weight behind the tournament and its charity efforts throughout its time. Knauf have provided an exclusive Thames sightseeing cruise as one of the prizes on offer for the raffle, which is raising additional funds for the charity.  Over £19,000 has been raised so far for various charities since the Construction Cup kicked off five years ago.

A striking modernist inspired building designed by leading architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, The Knauf Cube is a statement of the firm’s ambitions and intent as it not only showcases its products and systems but also provides the training facilities to educate the workforce of the future. The two hour fire protection for the building’s steel frame, for example, is provided by Knauf’s Encasement system – a clip-on rail system that makes it easy to attach the boards without drilling holes in the steel. The Cube is insulated using Knauf ThermaFrame, a complete though-wall system that uses slotted steel studs, to inhibit the conduction of heat, and two layers of insulation between the studs and on the inner face. Outside, the building is finished in Aquapanel boards with Knauf Marmorit, a spray-applied render, completing the outer skin. Naturally, plasterboard is a prominent feature internally: Knauf Soundshield Plus cuts down impact and transmitted noise while the partit

Knauf GIFAfloor raised flooring system has been utilised in Domus Tiles ’ newly extended and refurbished London showroom in Battersea, creating a unique space where design meets practicality. Used as a dry screed flooring solution, contractors installed the GIFAfloor system knowing it would save them time whilst delivering Domus with the load bearing solution required to support their very heavy stone displays and large visitor numbers. With the GIFAfloor system having been used at several other Domus showrooms across London, architects at Mailen Design, responsible for the design of the new facility, opted for the reliability of the Knauf floor system.  The engineered flooring panels, manufactured from over 50% recycled materials, are extremely dimensionally stable and robust, more than capable of tackling the heavy foot traffic expected. The refurbished Domus showroom at Battersea presents the vast array of Domus materials, products, displays and room-sets designed to stim

Stirling effort from Knauf on award-winning Trafalgar Square project Several products from Knauf, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of lightweight building materials , were used on a project that has been nominated for the country’s most prestigious architectural prize. Trafalgar Place is the first phase of Lendlease's Elephant Park regeneration project in Central London, and is one of six shortlisted for the 2016 RIBA Stirling Prize, which was founded in 1996 to celebrate the architect who was deemed to have made the greatest contribution to the evolution of architecture over the past year. dRMM, the architects behind the design concept for Trafalgar Place, took a bold approach to their work, on behalf of client Lendlease. Much of the social housing in Elephant and Castle was hastily erected in the 1960s, to a low standard. Trafalgar Place sets a new and exciting path for urban regeneration in the area. A number of Knauf products were used on the Trafalgar Place

The thermal renovation of buildings can play a key role in reducing air pollutants, according to research commissioned by the European Insulation Manufacturers Association (EURIMA). The news comes as an International Energy Agency (IEA) report released today reveals that 6.5 million premature deaths every year can be attributed to air pollution.( 1) The Clean Air Scenario report, a cost-effective strategy to cut pollutant emissions by more than half, based on existing technologies and proven policies, says: “Without changes to the way that the world produces and uses energy, the ruinous toll from air pollution on human life is set to rise.” Energy efficient renovation of buildings can contribute to better air quality, says the research for EURIMA. The study found that particle matter could be cut by up 9% and sulphur dioxide by 6.3% in North Western Europe using a model based on an annual retrofit rate of 2% across 25 European countries from 2005 to 2020 compared with a bus

This week is Sustainable Energy Week in Brussels where the European Commission and other stakeholders will discuss ways to help the EU reach its energy and climate ambitions through sustainable energy initiatives. Knauf Insulation believes that one good place to start is  industrial insulation . A recent report from Eiif reaffirms the cost-effective energy savings potential of industrial insulation. The research found the plants were losing out on yearly energy savings of more than 750,000MW/h adding up to an emission reduction potential of more than 500,000 tonnes of CO2 — the annual equivalent emissions from 110,000 cars. The audits, known as Technical Insulation Performance Checks or TIPCHECKS, also revealed that the investments for remediating insulation deficiencies paid back in less than one or two years, resulting in a total cost saving potential of at least €23.5 million. As a result of the TIPCHECK audits, a total of 75% of the plants audited were either planning to

Regardless of whether for the refurbishing of old buildings or for the equipment of new buildings, low thermal conductivity combined with excellent ease of installation and fire-safe products are the core elements of modern, sustainable insulating solutions. In addition to thermal insulation, there are applications where appropriate sound insulation performance is a major priority. In the field of domestic installations, Knauf Insulation Technical Solutions provides the complete range of products for all the usual applications in the fields of heating and sanitary facilities, air-conditioning and ventilation as well as for the construction of sound muffling units. Pipe section HPS 035 AluR The mineral fibre pipe sections HPS 035 AluR are wound and ground, non-flammable pipe sections made from Mineral Wool. The product has a jacket made from glass-fibre reinforced aluminium and is equipped with a self-adhesive closure in the longitudinal direction. Optimum i

Kingspan Kooltherm® FM Pipe Insulation has been installed in an exposed to view application at an iconic arts college, providing considerable time savings and subtle, high quality aesthetics courtesy of its theatre black vapour barrier jacket. When it was originally completed, the Art House at Somerset College was the largest purpose built arts college in Europe. To help revitalise the 1970’s structure, BAM Construction oversaw a comprehensive refurbishment and extension programme, increasing natural light within the building. Building services have been left exposed within the interior spaces, reflecting the building’s industrial, brutalist design and allowing ceiling heights to be raised within the existing rooms. To compliment the internal pallet of whites and blacks, whilst also delivering excellent energy performance, M&E contractors EIC specified Kingspan Kooltherm® FM Pipe Insulation with a matte, theatre black aluminium foil facing. With an aged thermal conductivi

Beautiful ROCKFON acoustic panels are at the heart of a cultural and commercial centre in Malmö that has just been named Sweden’s ‘Building of the Year’. Opened in 2015, this “city within a city” consists of cubic structures in different sizes and it has a huge amount of floor space, the size of seven football pitches. A dynamic piece of architecture, Malmö Live offers numerous activities within its structure including a concert hall, a hotel, a café and a conference centre, with plenty of room to add new activities in the future. The ground floor is open to the public and citizens can walk through the complex, whether going to a concert, having coffee with friends, or simply taking a shortcut to neighbouring buildings. ROCKFON acoustic surfaces everywhere The interior of the complex has been specially decked out with 19,000 m2 of ROCKFON acoustic solutions, creating an optimal sound environment. This is especially visible in the cathedral-like lobby where the ceilings feature

Football Association sponsor Mars chose the village of Carperby because they were impressed with the spirit and determination shown by the local community and could see the potential the new pavilion would have in getting more people playing football. Following five years of fundraising and a number of grants, Mars helped with the final tranche of funding to enable the new pavilion to be completed. Designed and project managed by sports facility specialists, Steve Wells Associates, as part of a community involvement scheme, the provision of sustainable energy to the pavilion in Carperby will reduce carbon emissions, lower running costs and generate an income to help manage the new sports pavilion. Thermal performance outcomes also necessitated the adoption of a fabric first approach in the building of the facility with Celotex insulation chosen to be the most preferable PIR product solution. Built by local contractor Scott Stephenson, 70mm thick Celotex CW4000 was used for the cav

The use of BIM (Building Information Modelling) has been increasing steadily over recent years and has proved invaluable within the construction industry. Offering access to up-to-date, technically relevant data, BIM is a highly important aspect of the planning and implementation of construction projects that is set to transform the industry. GOVERNMENT CONSTRUCTION STRATEGY Recognised as the future of construction, the Government Construction Strategy, published by the Cabinet Office back in May 2011, announced plans to make all Government funded projects use BIM technology from April 2016. With this starting date now imminent, the use and importance of BIM technology, and the practice of storing all project information, documentations and data electronically, is set to rise significantly in the construction industry both in the UK and internationally. WHAT IS BIM? Using BIM technology each professional involved in the creation of a project can seamlessly communicate and

Woodberry Down renewed with Kingspan Kooltherm Premium performance products from Kingspan Insulation have been used to insulate new high and low rise buildings as part of London’s largest and most ambitious regeneration programmes. Woodberry Down was once heralded as the ‘estate of the future’ but in recent years had suffered from an increasing number of issues including: subsidence, asbestos, damp, and poor insulation . An eight phase regeneration plan will replace outdated concrete tower blocks with more than 5,500 brand new homes over the next 20 years. Architect Hawkins\Brown specified Kingspan Kooltherm K12 Framing Board and K15 Rainscreen Board for Kick Start Sites 2 and 5 within the master plan, comprising 710 residential units and over 1500m2 of commercial space spread across a number of blocks. Kingspan Kooltherm K15 Rainscreen Board was installed as part of the anodized rainscreen cladding used on the top storeys of many of the blocks. These sections extend beyond

Darren Snaith, Director of Refurbishment and Regeneration at ROCKWOOL UK, looks at the benefits of retrofit solutions to transforming housing estates: Estate regeneration hit the headlines recently when the Prime Minister announced that 100 social housing estates will be transformed through a large-scale regeneration programme. The UK has a long history of demolishing social housing and replacing it with new build estates, and talk has again focussed on rebuilding rather than refurbishing properties.  But whilst starting afresh may be the best solution in some instances, many academics, community groups, and council officers are increasingly vocal about the benefits of making improvements to existing homes. Demolition can be a very contentious option, not least because the delivery of new replacement homes can be slow, and the rehousing process can cause significant disruption to residents and communities. In addition, redevelopment costs are considerably higher than those

A new report published by the “Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research” in Karlsruhe and co-funded by the ROCKWOOL Group, examines how to improve the energy efficiency of European industry and offers a number of precise recommendations on how to release the untapped potential. Industrial insulation , a low-tech solution, could help industry across the EU reduce its energy use by 4%, often with a pay-back time of less than a year. The ROCKWOOL Group welcomes the report as it highlights the need for an increased focus on energy efficiency in industry in a year where 90% of Europe’s energy legislation is under revision.   “European energy legislation must focus on energy efficiency as well as on replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources as it is highly unlikely that the European Union will be able to cover its energy needs through renewables alone if the need for energy remains at or exceeds the current level” says Frank Ove Larsen, Managing Directo

Morriston Hospital is a major district general and teaching hospital located in Cwmrhydyceirw near Morriston in Swansea, Wales. For a recent £60 million three-storey extension, main contractor BAM Construct UK has created 3,000 sq ft of new, state-of-the-art facilities for the hospital's renal dialysis, dental and x-ray departments in addition to a new education centre. The Project Morriston Hospital is a major district general and teaching hospital located in Cwmrhydyceirw near Morriston in Swansea, Wales. For a recent £60 million three-storey extension, main contractor BAM Construct UK has created 3,000 sq ft of new, state-of-the-art facilities for the hospital's renal dialysis, dental and x-ray departments in addition to a new education centre. With sustainability at the heart of the building's design and specification, ROCKWOOL insulation has played a significant role in the project which has achieved its target of a BREEAM Excellent rating. "Timing on th

One of the most recognisable additions to the London skyline is to benefit from the superior thermal performance and space saving benefits provided by Kingspan Kooltherm® FM Pipe Insulation . Situated in the heart of the city, 20 Fenchurch Street features 680,000 sq ft of top class office space and is topped with a massive Sky Garden providing stunning views of the capital. The building’s sleek concave design, created by Rafael Viñoly Architects, provides an instant visual impact and has led the building to be nicknamed “The Walkie Talkie”. 20 Fenchurch Street is also one of the most sustainable office buildings in London with a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and a post construction score of 80.2%. To help reduce heat transference from service pipework within the building, 20,000 linear metres of Kingspan Kooltherm® FM Pipe Insulation was installed. Kingspan Kooltherm® FM Pipe Insulation has an aged thermal conductivity as low as 0.025 W/m·K. This allowed the desired thermal perfo