Leading care home contractor chooses Porotherm
6/4/2010Major contract for Wienerberger's clay block walling system
Baxter & King Construction Ltd has employed the Porotherm clay block walling system at its latest care home development in Corby, Northamptonshire. The project, being built for Seagrave Care Developments Ltd, marks one of the largest single orders of Porotherm since it was launched to the UK market last year.
Construction of the 72-bed care home is being undertaken by main contractor Baxter & King Construction Ltd who have specialised in health care construction for more than 20 years. Work started in March and will incorporate the use of 5,200m2 of the precision engineered blocks over three storeys. Once complete, the facility will be leased to operator Avery Healthcare, a leading independent provider of first class care and attention for older people and people with disabilities.
The Porotherm system was recommended to Seagrave by Baxter & King following a demonstration at the Porotherm Training Centre, based at E H Smith Builders Merchant in Longbridge, Birmingham. The speed of construction, lower volume of in-built water and reduction in post-build snagging, make the system ideal for construction of health care facilities.
It is estimated construction schedule of the 36,000 sq ft building will be reduced by up to six weeks through the use of Porotherm rather than traditional building methods.
Kevin Storey, Construction Director of Baxter & King said: "Using the Porotherm system could shave weeks off our construction time which offers important cost savings for our client. Perhaps more importantly, the inherent dryness of the system means we can remove moisture from the building much faster than we might normally be able to and there should be less post-completion shrinkage, which will reduce the amount of follow-up work we have to do and therefore the potential intrusion for residents. As a final point, we recognise the environmental benefits offered by Porotherm in terms of the reduction in resources employed in the manufacture of the blocks. We are always looking for innovations that do not compromise the quality of our product, and believe that Porotherm is a step forward."
The thin joint bed mortar, used to bond the blocks, uses 95 per cent less water than traditional mortar, enabling the building to be dry and water tight far quicker than when traditional masonry products are used. This in turn means that Baxter & King will be able to start the internal first fix sooner.
It is thought the Corby care home will be the first of many to utilise the Porotherm system which Weinerberger Construction Systems Director, Phil Noble believes is a perfect solution for the healthcare sector. He said: "The system has been widely used on the continent for more than three decades and has often been the product of choice in the healthcare sector. This is due, in the main, to the fast construction times achievable with the use of Porotherm which enables these important facilities to be delivered on time and within budget.
"In addition, Porotherm is a clay product offering the durable and fire resistant properties which are vital for such building projects. I am delighted that Baxter & King has seen the potential that using the Porotherm system offers and I hope this will be the start of a very successful relationship."
The performance credentials of Porotherm have been validated by CERAM, the internationally acclaimed testing laboratory, which has confirmed the system meets levels required by the UK's Codes of Practice and Building Regulations. Offering a modern construction method, with the traditional values of clay, Porotherm is ideal for both monolithic construction, with external render, or as the inner leaf of a double skin of cavity walling when finished with an external facing brick.
Used correctly, the system can significantly increase construction speeds with 10m2 per man per hour realistically achievable. It is a virtually dry, efficient, strong, safe and environmentally-friendly method which offers commercial benefits through increased labour productivity and shorter project programmes.
It has excellent thermal performance due to precision-engineered air pockets and has a Class A fire rating. Porotherm uses less clay due to innovative design and contains a minimum of 20 per cent MARSS (recycled) content. The block is up to 50 per cent lighter than other similar products of the same size due to perforations and smooth-edged design, also adding to safety standards on site.
To find out more about Porotherm go to www.porotherm.co.uk or contact 0845 303 2524 to request a copy of the Porotherm Technical Manual.
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Images:
The Porotherm clay block - improves speed of construction
[Anyone interested in using this project as a case study please contact the PR team who can supply a photo sequence of the on-site build programme - demonstrating the speed of construction]
Notes to editors:
With 227 plants in 27 countries, Wienerberger is the world's largest manufacturer of bricks. It is also Europe's second largest manufacturer of clay roof tiles and a market-leader in clay pavers.
Wienerberger has been present in the UK for a number of years and is particularly known for its Terca brand of clay facing bricks.
In 2007, the company acquired Baggeridge Brick in the UK, which significantly increased its range to over 300 products. The further acquisition of roofing specialist, Sandtoft Roof Tiles Ltd in 2008 consolidated its market position as number 3 in the UK and added to the breadth and depth of its extensive product and service offering.
Today, Wienerberger Ltd offers UK customers one of the broadest product portfolios in the business, including clay facing bricks (stock and wire-cut), specialist engineering bricks, domestic and commercial pavers, as well as the Corium cladding system and a full range of clay, concrete and slate roofing products. The latest addition to the UK offering is Ceram-validated Porotherm clay block, a precision engineered structural wall system which is extensively used across mainland Europe.
Wienerberger believes that the use of natural clay products helps to deliver a sustainable environment which is aesthetically attractive and architecturally sympathetic to its surroundings. Worldwide, the company is committed to minimising its environmental footprint and to maximising the long-term sustainability of the built environment and the UK Warnham factory has become the first brick manufacturing facility to be accredited with the responsible sourcing standard BES 6001.
For further information on Wienerberger and the range of products available, please visit our website www.wienerberger.co.uk
Press Contacts:
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