Spec Finish

Innovations www.thefis.org 27 • the atrium glass installation programme was reduced by a few weeks; • there was shared risk and reward on crane hire; • the collaborative partnership established with a new customer, Multiplex, led to a further contract award; and • ‘visual delight’ was achieved – a term used by the daylight engineers to describe an interior which facilitates constant interaction with the variances of natural light. This enhances human performance levels – and provides legacy for staff for the life-cycle of the building. Imperative to the success of innovation within the built environment is the creation of right environment by the principal contractor and, in this instance, we had the team at Multiplex to thank for bringing their expertise, support, openness and collaborative approach throughout the design phase and beyond. The resulting interior is testament to the partnership formed between our companies and the team at Indeglås are excited to progress with them onto the next new campus building which will provide a home for the Institute of Health and Wellbeing. www.indeglas.co.uk 2. Innovative adhesive-free flooring Flooring technology experts, IOBAC UK Ltd are highlighting the crucial role that adhesive-free flooring installation can play in improving the circularity of commercial interior projects with the launch of their MT4+ MagTabs. Ian Spreadborough, Co-founder and Director of IOBAC, explains: The floor covering is a major part of the specification process but the decision of how it is fixed to the subfloor often left to contractors. They may decide on traditional adhesive- based methods such as tackifiers, spray and contact adhesives. However, when that flooring is lifted, it’s likely to be contaminated by adhesive residue and some of the subfloor, meaning it’s not suitable for recovery or reuse and can’t be easily recycled. The subfloor is also contaminated and has to be made good before the next installation, adding remedial costs for landlords and tenants.” IOBAC’s innovative MagTabs are little squares, magnetic on one side and self- adhesive on the other, used to install a variety of floor coverings onto magnetically receptive bases such as metal raised access flooring, whilst ensuring no contamination of the subfloor or flooring product used. The tiles are locked together horizontally as conventional floating floor solutions, but MagTabs also enable a strong grip in the vertical direction, ensuring tiles are secured well in place until the time comes to lift them. The tabs incorporate IOBAC’s Dual Grip technology which combines dry-tack adhesion with magnetism for phenomenal grab, even in high footfall areas. Ian said: “This gives flooring the ability to adapt quickly to today’s flexible space requirement. The installation method has financial benefits too, with labour and material costs significantly reduced during both installation and maintenance, no remedial costs, and no need to purchase new flooring as materials can be reused multiple times. “Adhesive-free installation represents a different and innovative way to think about flooring – it helps transform it from a single-use material to a flexible design element that can be re-used and re- purposed multiple times before eventually being recycled. www.iobac.com/adhesive-free-flooring 3. QR Codes Partitions and ceilings specialists, Platt & Reilly, are creating their own QR codes on site to helpmake information as accessible as possible. From construction drawings to data sheets and informationmanuals, a quick scan of the QR code from any tablet or smart phone brings the relevant information up instantly. www.plattreilly.co.uk 4. Continuing digital innovation The past year saw many challenges and changes in the construction industry; from supply chain and margin pressures through to the pressure to do more with less. The push toward digitalisation is gathering pace and an increased number of contractors are making digital ‘business as usual’. TomNoctor, TeamLead and Strategic Product Consultant at Procore, said: “I believe we are going to see progress in two key areas. One is companies placing renewed emphasis on reducing the friction of data entry through easy-to-use software and visual capture technology. The second is a focus on the quality of data. We all know about the principle of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ themore data you have coming in and the higher quality that data is, the better your business decision-making is going to be. This will become increasingly important as construction businesses are asked to bring new data initiatives onstream, such as whole lifecycle carbon analysis. “Digital is no longer the job of a single person or a single department, but must be embedded across the organisation— from site to office, from exec to information management to project team level, and between owner, main contractor and subcontractor. A platform approach which prioritises a common user interface and connects stakeholders, processes and their data is the clear route towards achieving this.” www.procore.com Flooring technology experts, IOBAC UK Ltd are highlighting the crucial role that adhesive-free flooring installation can play in improving the circularity of commercial interior projects with the launch of their MT4+ MagTabs.